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Development Services

Materials for Ensuring the Academic Achievement of ELLs

MATH, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES

The ELL Academic Language Notebooks (ALN): The Language of Math, created by Course Crafters and published by Perfection Learning in the fall of 2007, reflects years of research by Course Crafters on the unique challenges that learning mathematics and using math textbooks pose for ELLs in the upper elementary grades. ALN is designed to complement math textbook programs and the core curriculum in grades 3-5. Its unique four-part lesson plan develops students' background knowledge, academic language, and problem-solving skills to ensure their academic success in math.

ALN's authors, Dr. Suzanne Irujo and Alex Ragan, are uniquely qualified to lead Course Crafters' talented and specialized team of editors, writers, and consultants on the development of other products for supporting ELLs' in the academic classroom—in mathematics, reading, science, and social studies, preK-12.

READING/LANGUAGE ARTS

Through an alliance with reading/language arts publishing professionals such as Barbara Levadi and her company Vista Resources and Marilyn Greco and her company SchoolHouse Network, Course Crafters can also offer development capabilities in reading/language arts materials for native English speakers, preK-12.

Course Crafters specializes in developing educational content and materials for English Language Learners (ELLs) and their teachers, in English as a Second Language (ESL), structured English immersion, and mainstream/general education classrooms. We have experience planning and developing basal ESL programs for state adoptions, as well as ELL supplements for reading, math, social studies, and science programs. We also specialize in crafting teacher materials that provide educators with the knowledge and strategies they need to help ELLs succeed. To see a small sampling of some of the publishers Course Crafters has worked with and the successful programs and materials Course Crafters has developed for ELLs since 1993, please take a look at our Client List/Portfolio.

Our specialized team of managers, editors, content specialists, and writers has the ELL and publishing experience and know-how to:

Fine-tune the scope, proficiency level, and instructional objectives of all ELL materials in response to research, market needs, and curriculum guidelines;
Create prototypes of student and teacher materials, the foundation for writer guidelines;
Recruit a skilled team of writers with ESL writing and teaching experience, and provide them with ongoing guidance;
Assign seasoned editors and editorial managers to partner with and guide the writers and serve as our ELL editorial team;
Ensure the highest degree of pedagogical soundness, market responsiveness, and editorial accuracy in all of the manuscripts that we develop;
Provide professional project management, ensuring the highest quality under the tightest deadlines.

In short, Course Crafters functions as your satellite editorial department, specializing in developing materials for ELLs.

Planning

Think of Course Crafters when you're planning a new ELL program or component. We can help by:

Researching and analyzing market needs and the competitive climate to help your company develop a winning product plan (see Consulting Services for more information);
Crafting the program scope and sequence;
Creating prototype lessons for student and teacher materials;
Designing features to make your new materials effective and competitive;
Developing a process, schedule, and budget for the project and assigning an experienced project team;
Crafting writer guidelines and manuscript development checklists to ensure quality.

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Writing

Course Crafters has an extensive, time-tested network of experienced ESL/ELL writers whose talents we match to the specifics of your project. Our specialties include writing materials for:

ESL students (K-12)
English Language Learners in the mainstream academic classroom (K-12)
ELL teachers: ESL teacher guides; ELL strategies for basal teacher editions; ELL professional development courses

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Editing

Course Crafters' editing process ensures content quality and editorial accuracy.

During development, editors with ESL teaching experience make sure the manuscript responds to the program's objectives. They check for language proficiency and grade level appropriateness, and rewrite as required.
Then the material is carefully copyedited, using a project style guide specifically prepared by Course Crafters.

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Course Crafters is always looking for freelance consultants, writers, and editors with ELL/ESL experience. Email resumes to jobs@coursecrafters.com and please check out our current job opportunities.