I'm new to your curriculum. How does it work? This blog post covers pretty much anything you need to know about how to use our guides. We cover some other points below, and if you have additional questions, you can Contact Us.
I had an issue with an order..., Something isn't as expected..., and I got an email asking for a review. I'm rating 1 star! Before you give us a bad rating, please contact our Customer Service! We take customer satisfaction very seriously, and we would like every chance to make it right. So before you hit 'submit', give us a chance!
Do you run sales or specials? A: Yes! Be sure to check out our Clearance Section for discounted products! We also have a coupon tab on our website occasionally that will list current coupons. You can also check online coupon sites to see if they have any codes listed for progenypress.com Please note, Progeny Press assumes no responsibility for invalid or expired codes listed on third-party sites. We do not monitor these sites, so use your own judgment and discretion. Progeny Press is not required to honor codes, sales, or specials advertised on third-party sites. If you have a question about the validity of a coupon or sale, contact our Customer Service.
May I photocopy some study guide pages/the entire study guide? A: Yes. Purchase of a study guide entitles an individual teacher to reproduce pages for use in their own classroom or home. Multiple teachers may not reproduce pages from the same guide.
Reprint requests for other uses should be directed to: Reprint Permissions Progeny Press PO Box 100 Fall Creek, WI 54742
How long does it take to work through a study guide? Is there a(n) teacher/answer key? A: We recommend taking 8-12 weeks to work through a single guide. (Some guides, such as the K-2 grades, may take less time.) This works out to be approximately one page per day and three to four study guides per school year. More than this may be overwhelming for the student. There is a complete answer key in the back of every guide.
What study guides are you planning for the future? A: We are always adding new titles, generally at the rate of two to three (2-3) per year. Please check our website frequently for newly added titles.
When will you be doing a study guide for ... ? How do you choose your books? A: There are so many great books out there for which we'd love to do study guides. Unfortunately we can't get to them all right away. We choose books that are recognized as quality literature. Most are award winners (Newbery, Caldecott, ALA Notable Book, Coretta Scott King, etc.). We also choose titles that teachers tell us they are teaching the most, and we look at how often a particular title is requested. If there is a title you are looking for and we don't have it, Contact Us and request it!
How do you deal with controversial elements in some literature? A: We don't uphold bad behavior, bad language, or bad philosophy as virtuous or acceptable, but we also don't believe that just because such things are mentioned in a book the book is encouraging such behavior or that the book should be avoided. We use the Bible to direct students to what God says about such things so they will be better prepared and strong in their faith when they face such behavior, language, and philosophy in life.
We also realize that different people have different concerns regarding reading material. We always strongly urge parents and teachers to familiarize themselves with the books they plan to teach.
What do you do with swearing or other inappropriate language in a book? A: Again, we do not think such things are acceptable, but we do not believe that some elements of inappropriate language in a book automatically means it should not be read. Sometimes we draw attention to it and discuss it and sometimes we don't. There are two reasons for this: First, we feel that drawing attention to inappropriate language each and every time it appears gives it far more importance and power than it deserves. We try to deal with it the way one does in a store- if someone in the next aisle says a swear word, one ignores it. If someone lets out a stream of profanities or swears directly at one, it should be dealt with and discussed with the children who witness it. Second, different parents and teachers have very different thresholds for such things, and we don't want to encroach on their right to apply their own standards. If you feel the language in a book should be discussed in detail, we feel you have that right and responsibility and you should be able to deal with those issues without comment from us.
We realize that different people have different concerns regarding reading material. We always strongly urge parents and teachers to familiarize themselves with the books they plan to teach.
Please note that we do not have study guides for books in which swearing is prevalent or commonplace.
Who writes Progeny Press guides? A: Michael and Rebecca, the owners of Progeny Press, write many of our guides, but we also rely on a number of authors to write our study guides- college instructors, teachers, pastors, home educators, and writers- all of whom are professing Christians from various denominational backgrounds. (Please note our statement of faith.) All guides are peer reviewed and edited by our office staff for literary accuracy and analysis and for orthodoxy.
What is the difference between the CD and the paper, book-bound format of the study guide? A: In content, there is no difference. The CD has the PDF version of the study guide on it, which can be accessed with Adobe Acrobat Reader. (If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, there is a link provided on the CD where you can access the free download.) If a teacher has more than one student, he/she may find the CD has an advantage over the book-bound study guide, as they can simply insert the CD into their computer and print the pages they need and the number of copies they need.
What is the advantage to downloading the .pdf eGuide version of the study guide? A: With shipping prices rising in every area, this option allows you to save money. It also saves you time- whether you are in a hurry or you live outside of the continental USA- you will receive your order within minutes, regardless of where you live. All of our guides- whether book-bound, on CD, or downloaded- have exactly the same content. You simply select the format that best serves your needs.
What are the Interactive Study Guides and how do they work? A. The Interactive Study Guides are simply an upgrade to our current .pdf files that are available on CD or via .pdf download. Our Interactive Study Guide .pdf files will open with Adobe Acrobat Reader, just as all .pdf files do. You may still print off the study guide(s) just as before. But with the interactive files, students now have the capability of entering their answers directly on the computer and saving their work in progress.
Filling out the study guide files is amazingly easy; your students will be going within minutes. You can even grade their work right on the computer and leave comments and notes within the file! See our Support Blog post for more information.
Are the Interactive Study Guide automatically graded? No. Most of the answers are in essay style and still require a teacher's or parent's review. You can grade their work right on the computer and leave comments and notes within the file.
I can't figure out how to use the ... tool in Adobe Reader. What do I do? Video tutorials for various tools, actions, and activities are also available on Progeny Press' YouTube Channel. If there isn't a video for your situation yet, please call us or send us a message. Our knowledgeable staff is more than willing to help walk you through the steps.
Are all of your study guides interactive now? A. All of our titles are now interactive in both CD and email .pdf format.
If I purchase a .pdf download version of your study guide(s), can I return it or exchange it? A. No. Downloaded study guides cannot be returned or exchanged. They are electronic files, and once downloaded to your computer they are permanently available on your hard drive. Because of this it is impossible for them to be returned; all sales are final. So please make certain that this is the guide you want before you make your purchase. They also cannot be sold on the secondhand market like the CDs or booklets.
Can I post your Interactive Study Guides online for my students to download? A. Generally speaking, no. If your students can access the guides, so can other people. This has happened in the past and we do not take this lightly. That being said, technology and servers have improved over the years, and there are schools and services that offer account/password protected access. If you are using such a service so that ONLY your students have access to the materials, and you remove any access once the semester has ended, Progeny Press permits you to distribute material to your students. If you have any questions or aren't sure if your server is secure, you may Contact Us.
What is your policy on selling used Study Guides? A. Our policy is as follows:
Booklets: You are free to sell used booklets as long as they are original. No photocopies. (That should be obvious, but it has happened.)
CDs: Used CDs also may be sold, but they must be sold with the original packaging. Any CDs sold without the original packaging will be assumed to be a copy and will be in violation of copyright law. So save those cases/envelopes.
eGuides: Study Guides that are downloaded directly to your computer in .pdf file format may not be sold, even if you are done with them. Once downloaded to your computer they are permanently available on your computer, and are yours and yours only.
