All 22 First Year Learning Outcomes are covered with emphasis on the three strands of the Junior Cycle English specification: oral language, reading and writing.

• The clear, simple design helps to focus students and prevent cognitive overload
• Fresh, exciting and engaging text extracts, both traditional and contemporary, are used throughout from novels, plays, films, digital texts and multi-modal texts
• Units are carefully structured around the recommended genre-based approach and cover the following genres: fiction, poetry, film, drama, Shakespeare and non-fiction
• These sequenced units of learning begin by building a strong knowledge base for each genre, develop oral communication, reading and writing skills, and end with a project
• They are designed to be either covered in sequence or to be dipped into and out of, for ease of use
• A stand-alone Shakespeare unit, a first with this programme, introduces students to the world of Shakespeare and builds knowledge and understanding of the grammar and punctuation of a Shakespearean text
• Each unit begins with a knowledge organiser of genre-based critical vocabulary and ends with a Test Your Knowledge quiz
• Highly scaffolded tasks effectively support mixed-ability teaching in the English classroom
• Retrieval practice opportunities that build on prior learning on prior learning appear throughout
• Oral language supports include a strong focus on using structured and meaningful group discussion