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This list of publishers and products is provided as a service to bilingual and ESL teachers as possible sources of material for classroom instruction. The list is not meant to imply an endorsement by the Department of Education of any particular products or publishing companies. Districts are responsible for evaluating these products.

ESL Publishers Websites

• Access: Building Literacy Through Learning
  ACCESS is a series of standards-based content area programs to help middle level English Language Learners build their language skills while studying core content from English, American history, science, and mathematics. Blending best practices in ESL instruction with content area instruction.
  
  
• Addison Wesley
  This web site contains Longman Dictionary study exercises, word games, lesson plans, teacher resources, and linguistic research. Users are entitled to select a level of difficulty to work on while visiting this site. This site contains many adventurous activities which allow users to be imaginative and creative. This site is very beneficial to ESL students who would like to practice specific skills. It can also be helpful for ESL teachers looking for quality ESL lessons plans and resources.
  
  
• Alta ESL
  Alta Book Center Publishers focuses on English as a Second Language (ESL) and teaching resources (particularly books). On its webpage, Alta describes itself as "the largest source of ESL books and materials in the world". This website (and the company) is one of the few I encountered which is dedicated to ESL materials. It's possible to browse through its website listed books by categories (more than 40 categories are provided) or search for a particular book by category, author, language level, etc. The individual categories themselves contain more ESL books than most of the websites I've reviewed. For example, the "Alta's Pick of the ESL Crop" category listed 29 books. The descriptions of these books are limited to a few sentences. The website contains extensive ordering information and information about the publisher's free examination program.
  
  
• Cambridge English Language Learning
  
  
• Celebration Press
  This is one of the most comprehensive and best organized websites for English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching resources. It contains too much material to browse through at one sitting. The ESL resources described on this website are generally extensive programs. The programs are designed in good detail and cost information is provided along with the product descriptions. The programs described on this website include varied elements. For example, one ESL literacy program entitled Little Celebrations includes books, audio cassettes, activity cards, teachers notes, charts and posters. The website also provides a listing of upcoming attendance by Celebration Press at conferences, and information describing how to order a catalog and locate a local sales representative.
  
  
• Children's Library
  The mission of the International Children’s Digital Library Foundation is to excite and inspire the world's children to become members of the global community – children who understand the value of tolerance and respect for diverse cultures, languages and ideas -- by making the best in children's literature available online.
  
  
• Continental Books
  The Continental Book Company website discusses a large number of English as a Second Language (ESL) and bilingual education books (substantially more than most of the other websites which I reviewed). The books are listed by suggested age groups which make it fairly easy to identify books at an appropriate level for your ESL class. The languages represented in their products are English, French, German and Spanish. The resources span the entire levels of public school (from Kindergarten through 12^th grade). The website also describes several dual language books. As with most other websites by ESL book publishers, this website provides basic information such as book descriptions (which are in somewhat more detail than those provided by other publisher websites), and pricing, ordering and shipping, and customer relations information. The website also provides a schedule of upcoming conferences and whether Continental Book Company will have a booth at that conference. In addition, the website provides listings of e-mail addresses for specific departments within the Continental Book Company.
  
  
• Creative Diversity
  Creative Diversity offers a comprehensive collection of multicultural toys, activities and resources specially selected for the early childhood environment!
  
  
• Hampton Brown
  A good website for English as a Second Language (ESL) books which is fairly easy to use. The website is generally focused on learning systems in which resources are packaged into programs of dozens of books, posters, audio and video cassettes, and flash cards. Purchase of individual books does not seem to be an option. The programs are divided into three levels: Kindergarten, Grades 1-2, and Grades 3-6.
  
  
• Harcourt Publishers
  
  
• Harvest Sun Press
  Harvest Sun Press is a new and innovative publisher of bilingual children’s picture books in English and Spanish. Harvest Sun Press introduces our first two titles with The Matt the Rat Series / La Serie de Ratón Mateo. The publishers goal is to deliver top-quality books that make reading a pleasant educational experience for every child.
  
  
• Heinemann
  
  
• Heinle & Heinle
  A leading provider of materials for English language teaching.
  
  
• Language Lizard
  Language Lizard provides children’s books and CDs in various languages.  It also provides information about early language learning for parents.
  
  
• Lectorum Publications
  While this website is primarily about bilingual books published by Lectorum, it also provides several books under the category "Supplementary Materials" for English as a Second Language (ESL) education. The content of each book is described in detail (one lengthy paragraph). The suggested age group is given as seventh to twelfth grade. The bilingual books offered on this website include translations of American classics such as Green Eggs and Ham (Huevos Verdes con Jamon) by Dr. Suess. Catalogs of all of Lectorum's publications (e.g., Language Arts and Literature, ESL, Social Studies and English) are also available. The website also provides pictures of many of the covers of the books available from Lectorum. Pricing, ordering information, conditions and options (Lectorum can provide Dewey/Sears catalog card kits, special binding options, bar coding and Mylar book jackets) are provided in the website.
  
  
• Longman
  Longman’s US website is your gateway to resources, information, and support for all your ESL needs.
  
  
• Multicultural Kids
  As we become a more global society, multiculturalism is of growing importance to America and the world. Our products encourage the inborn acceptance we have of others, and make children feel comfortable with and appreciate others differences; through that celebration of diversity they will see how we’re all really very alike.
  
  
• National Textbook Company
  The National Textbook Company website includes a link to one of its subsidiaries, Jamestown Publishers, which publishes books and other materials for elementary and middle school students. The website describes a Jamestown English as a Second Language (ESL) offering which is a program in seven teaching levels from introductory to transitional entitled English, Yes! The basic points of the English, Yes! program are described briefly. In addition, catalogs of their products may be ordered through the website. The website offers a product sample through one of its pages. This offer seems to extend to all of the resource materials listed on the website. It's not clear whether this product sample consists of a page or two of a book or the entire book or something in between. There is fairly good basic service information - ordering and shipping, costing and customer service.
  
  
• Oxford University Press
  This is a fairly good publisher website for English as a Second Language (ESL) books. It provides a good amount of information about the individual books which Oxford University Press publishes as well as such standard information such as ordering information, catalog information and information about the company. Where the website stands apart from the other sites, is in its description of book-related products and resources such as maps, video and audio tapes, teacher's editions of books, and workbooks. These materials, which can be purchased on an "item-by-item" basis without having to buy the entire "program", allow a teacher to customize a ESL program specifically for his or her classroom - by age level, cultural interests, etc.
  
  
• Pro Lingua Associates
  This site offers users to select materials in a particular area. Some of the products offered include: games, role playing activities, discussion strategies, communicative games and pronunciation activities. Students are able to select to work at elementary, intermediate, and advanced levels. This site also seems very helpful for teachers in assisting them with interesting and exciting discussion topics.
  
  
• Random House
  
  
• Raventree Press
  Raven Tree Press publishes bilingual children’s books.
  
  
• Rigby - On Our Way to English
  Accelerate K-5 English Language Learners (ELLs) to grade-level achievement with On Our Way to English
  
  
• Saddleback Educational
  This website provides a description of English as a Second Language (ESL) and Spanish materials for elementary, middle, high school and adult education. ESL resource materials include "Easy-to-Read Classics, History, Language Arts and Life Skills". Saddleback Educational's extensive catalogs are available on-line as well as pricing, ordering and shipping information and customer service details. ESL curriculum areas include reading, literature, language arts, English, test preparation, personal development and life skills, technology and software, mathematics, science, social studies and history. This website also includes a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) location which is extremely helpful. In its "Multicultural: ESL" section, it describes two interesting beginner and intermediate level ESL programs. One of these programs is designed to present "basic cultural information, factual content, and life skills necessary for understanding and survival in the United States". This program is broken down into four sections covering "your life", "your health", "your community" and "your money". The second program goes into each of these areas in more detail.
  
  
• Scholastic Newszone
  Many may remember reading Scholastic News when they were in elementary school. Now here’s the 90’s version of this classic newspaper for kids. Scholastic Newszone is the homepage for all the editions of Scholastic News Online. The homepage is updated daily with the day’s news, sports, special events and polls. Students may then choose the grade level (or L2 proficiency level) on the left-hand side to link to a particular edition of Scholastic News. The articles provide interesting information in a format that is both interesting and easy to understand. Particularly helpful for ESL students is the picture glossary on the left-hand bar of each article for further clarification of the vocabulary that is highlighted in blue. At the end of the article are questions to test comprehension and critical thinking. There are also classroom activities and puzzles related to each article. This website is highly recommended!!
  
  
• Starbright Books
  Starbright books is an independent publishing house that has Spanish editions of many popular titles.
  
  
  
• Santillana
  The experts in second language education
  
  
• Scott Foresman
  Welcome to Scott Foresman ESL Sunshine Edition,a K-8 program designed to accelerate ESL students' learning by integrating academic content with the teaching of English.
  
  
• World of Reading
  This site contains ESL software, books, tapes, and videos for adults and children. The ESL software has its programs listed according to age level. Each program has a brief description of it. This is a great site if you are looking for a wide variety of computer software for your ESL classroom.

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