Overview
Any edition of the Teacher's Guide for Essentials Units 1-7 (or Lessons 1-7) from 2015 and later has the same lesson content and may be used with any workbook for these units. That includes the Essentials Teacher's Guide Volume 1 (2015, 2nd Edition), which contains Lessons 1-15 in one book, as well as the current version with Units 1-7.
However, books from the First Edition of Essentials (published in 2012) are not compatible with newer versions.
Edition History: Essentials 1-7 Teacher's Guide
1st Edition: Essentials Teacher's Manual: Published in 2012. 612 pages. All of Essentials (40 lessons) in one book. Contains only one level of application in each lesson. Out of print.
Compatible only with the Essentials Cursive Workbook, 1st Edition, and the Essentials Manuscript Workbook, 1st Edition (2012).
2nd Edition: Essentials Teacher's Guide, Volume 1. Published in 2015. 632 pages. The first half of Essentials (now Lessons 1-15, due to major restructuring of the lessons in the 2nd Edition). Expanded and updated content; includes three levels of application in each unit.
Compatible with any 2nd Edition or later workbook for Lessons 1-15, including the "Essentials Student Workbook, Volume 1" (2015) and the current Essentials 1-7 Student Workbook (and Essentials 8-15 Student Workbook, once you reach these lessons).
Not compatible with the Essentials Cursive or Manuscript Workbook, 1st Edition (2012).
3rd Edition: Essentials Teacher's Guide, Lessons 1-7. Published in 2018. 352 pages. The first quarter of Essentials (Units 1-7). Essentials is now printed in four volumes for manageability and more flexibility in pacing. Lesson content has not changed from 2nd Edition, though the Introduction has been updated and minor errors have been corrected.
Compatible with any 2nd Edition or later workbook for Units 1-7, including the current Essentials 1-7 Student Workbook and the older "Essentials Student Workbook, Volume 1" (2015).
Not compatible with the Essentials Cursive or Manuscript Workbook, 1st Edition (2012).
Note: We made several minor updates in the second printing of the 3rd edition, which we sold starting in March of 2019. The Introduction was rearranged for greater clarity. We also added two new reading activities for Level A, one on p. 291 (in section 6.14) and one on p. 323 (in section 7.13). While some content moved within the Introduction, the pagination of the rest of the book - all lesson content and the Appendix (pages 44-352) - remained the same.