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C2L Essentials:

Language for Belonging then Language for Learning

Essentials builds the social language bridge every newcomer needs — in an environment designed for students in Grades 2-12, with content that matches how they experience school.

  • 3 Age-Appropriate Grade Bands cover Grades 2–5, 6–8, and 9–12 with characters and contexts that match their experiences.
  • 20 Lessons Are Ready at the Start of the Year, opening with Me and My School and building toward Academic Classroom Discussion as the year goes on.
  • Structured learning progression. Every lesson draws from 5 connected components, including a Learn Video, Guided Practice, and a dedicated Pronunciation Booster.

See it in Action

Sample Content: Grades 2-5

Sample Content: Grades 6-8

Sample Content: Grades 9-12

From Social Confidence to Academic Readiness

Essentials gives every newcomer a welcoming entry point that flows naturally into the rest of the Connect to Literacy experience as they grow in their English Language skills.

Early in the Year: Social Language

  • Meeting a New Person at School
  • Important People, Places & School Tools
  • Getting What You Need
  • Classroom Expressions & Requests
  • Asking for Help or Clarification

Later in the Year: Academic Language

  • Identifying Important Details
  • Sequencing, Classifying, Comparing
  • Cause & Effect
  • Agreeing & Disagreeing
  • Setting & Reaching Goals

Lesson Structure in Essentials

Structured activities that guide students every step of the way.
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Learn Video

Story read-aloud with word-level highlighting that builds print awareness

Guided Practice

Practice with real-time support.

Independent Practice

Students demonstrate understanding on their own.

Consolidated Practice

The system automatically routes students based on their real-time performance. 

Language Boosters

Strengthen vocabulary through listening, speaking, and recording.

Pronunciation Booster

Provide dedicated practice with key vocabulary and phrases to build speaking confidence.

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What Makes Essentials Different?

Conversation First

Grounded in the social and conversational English newcomers need to navigate school with confidence

Three Age-Appropriate Bands

Distinct content for grades 2–5, 6–8, and 9–12 — not one-size-fits-all

Encouraging by Design

Retry and supportive feedback built in — structured to build confidence, not pressure

Flexible Assignment

Assign a full lesson set in one click, or target individual components by student need

A Complement to ELP Readiness

Supports social language development while students work through state ELP readiness pathways in Connect to Literacy

Pronunciation Support

Dedicated pronunciation practice for key vocabulary and phrases in every lesson

Real-Time Reports for Teachers

Lesson Progress Report

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A class-wide view of completion and performance across themes, topics, and every lesson component, with color-coded indicators teachers can read at a glance.

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Student Summary Report

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Individual student view of activity, logins, time spent, and lesson-by-lesson Independent Practice scores — a full picture of each learner's journey

Give your Newcomer Students a Comfortable Start in English

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