Middle School ELA Curriculum for American and International Schools Abroad
ELA Complete – Middle School is a U.S.-style English language arts course for grades 6–8 that international and American schools abroad can download and use immediately. Its 100+ resources teach reading of fiction and nonfiction and narrative, informative and argumentative writing, with differentiated worksheets for classes that mix native speakers and English learners. No textbook shipment, no customs, no waiting.
Open the ELA curriculum →ELA Complete – Middle School costs from $149.90 and arrives digitally, which spares international schools the shipping and customs delays of printed textbooks. It covers reading comprehension and text analysis of stories, articles and speeches, and narrative, informative and argumentative writing from planning to editing, with differentiated worksheets. It is written for U.S. middle school classrooms. International schools should confirm with their own leadership and accreditor how it fits their program.
The curriculum
ELA Complete – Middle School, Grades 6–8
Start with the full curriculum. The other resources below are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
The real problem
English class when half the room learned English elsewhere
At an American or international school abroad, the middle school ELA class is where the school's language mission is most visible, and most strained. Your roster may include a student who grew up in Ohio, one who has spoken English for two years, and one who reads widely in English but has never written an argumentative essay in the American style. Some families expect the course to prepare their children to re-enter U.S. schools; others want them ready for a British or IB high school. Sourcing materials is its own problem. Textbook orders from the U.S. take weeks and cost a lot to import, and local bookshops carry little beyond a few classic novels. The previous teacher may have left on a two-year contract and taken their files. Mid-year arrivals are normal, so a new student may join in the middle of an essay unit with no idea what a thesis statement or textual evidence means. You need materials that make American reading and writing conventions explicit, offer differentiated entry points for English learners, and arrive the day you need them.
Why it fits
Why it works for international classrooms
These features address the language and logistics problems of teaching ELA abroad.
- Instant digital delivery removes import costs and shipping delays from your planning.
- Explicit paragraph and essay structure teaches American writing conventions to students schooled elsewhere.
- Differentiated worksheets let English learners and fluent writers work on the same text.
- Lessons on author's purpose and point of view work well with texts from many countries.
- Speech and article units add short, manageable nonfiction for students still building reading stamina.
- Standalone units give mid-year arrivals a clean starting point at the next unit.
Getting started
A start that works abroad
One practical sequence for the first weeks at an international school:
- Save everything locallyDownload the files and keep copies on a school drive. If your connection is slow or some services are restricted in your country, lessons still run.
- Give a short writing sampleAsk every student to write one paragraph in the first week. It shows who knows American paragraph structure and who needs the lighter worksheet versions.
- Teach the writing process firstUse the planning, drafting, revising and editing lessons as a shared routine. Students from different school systems then follow the same steps. Model it once with the whole class.
- Choose texts with global reachPair the reading lessons with short stories or speeches from different parts of the world, including your host country. Students practice analysis on familiar ground.
- Keep an entry kit for newcomersCollect a few early worksheets on paragraph structure and text evidence. Hand them to any student who joins mid-year so they catch up quickly. Update it as the year moves on.
Which version
Choosing a version
The $149.90 version, with 100+ resources, is the full middle school ELA course. Spending $189.90 instead adds Teach-Life-Balance, which is a digital time-saving course containing a planner, guides and templates. Teachers abroad often add sponsoring trips and activities to a heavy grading load, so it can help, though it adds no English content. If you also teach high school English at the same school, buying ELA Complete – High School too with TEACHMORE15 gives 15% off and keeps the writing process consistent across divisions.
Honest limits
What it does not do
It is not an English-as-a-second-language program, so very new learners may need separate language support. Full novels are not included. Its design follows U.S. classrooms and does not cover IB or host-country language requirements. Your curriculum coordinator should confirm how it fits your accreditation and program. Sharing it with fellow teachers requires a quick message to Teach Lessons beforehand. Within 7 days you can exchange it for store credit of equal value if it does not fit; there is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does it meet U.S. standards or our accreditor's requirements?
Teach Lessons does not claim alignment with Common Core, any state standards or any accreditation requirement, and no outside body has endorsed it. It is written for U.S. middle school ELA classrooms, which suits American-model schools. Ask your curriculum coordinator to compare it with the framework your accreditor reviews.
Is it suitable for English language learners?
It is written for U.S. middle schoolers, not as a language course. Differentiated worksheets give lighter versions of tasks, and the explicit essay structure helps students who know English but not American writing conventions. Students in their first year of English usually need additional language support next to it.
How do I receive it outside the U.S.?
Everything is digital. A download link arrives by email right after purchase, and the files stay in your customer account under Orders. You print locally or teach from screens, with nothing shipped. Files can be printed locally as often as you need, and projected slides work on any classroom screen.
Can it work alongside an IB Middle Years program?
It can provide reading and writing lessons, but it is not built for IB and does not follow its assessment criteria. If your school runs IB, compare the units with your program's requirements and use the parts that fit. International schools often blend materials this way.
Will students be ready to return to a U.S. school?
The course teaches reading and writing skills common in U.S. middle schools, such as argumentative writing with textual evidence. It cannot promise placement at any specific school. Families should check with the receiving school about their expectations. Keep a record of the units each student finished to share with the next school.
Can our whole department share one purchase?
Use within your own school is possible, but send Teach Lessons a short message first to describe how many teachers will use it. School purchasing questions can be included. Sharing files with other schools or posting them online is not allowed. Teach Lessons can then explain the options.
Start your ELA year without waiting on shipping
Review what is included on the product page and download the course from wherever your school is.
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