Book Review: Focus - Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning - 5 views
http://www.ascd.org/Publications/Authors/Mike-Schmoker.aspx?id=772617157001
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Book Review: It's So Much Work to Be Your Friend: Helping the Child with Learning Disab... - 7 views
I own this book in my collection too Scott. I love the works of Richard Lavoie. The special education field is a rewarding one, and with more insight we teachers can help students with a variety ...
Book Review: Clock Watchers: Six Steps to Motivating and Engaging Disengaged Students ... - 8 views
Great question I didn't address in the review. All the examples used are middle to high school oriented and seem to require a level of maturity that elementary students would not possess. I think...
Book Review: "The Book Whisperer" by Donalyn Miller - 9 views
I have heard a lot about this book in recent months. The hand selection of books is amazing. I could not imagine doing that for my students. I like a lot of the ideas that you wrote about like t...
Book Review: The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child - 5 views
http://www.amazon.com/Motivation-Breakthrough-Secrets-Turning-Tuned-Out/dp/0743289617/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1328620537&sr=1-2-catcorr The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning O...
Book Review: Change is Gonna Come, Transforming Literacy Education for African American... - 10 views
This sounds like an interesting read. I have a couple of journal articles you might like. I have always been interested in this subject, because part of my own journey toward literacy has been ba...
Journal #3 Facing the Lion - 2 views
http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/guided-comprehension-previewing-using-226.html In using Anticipation guides I have had very good luck with bringing attention to...
Book Review: To Be A Boy, To Be A Reader; Engaging Teen and Preteen Boys in Active Lit... - 3 views
Brozo, William G., 2002. International Reading Association. http://www.amazon.com/To-Boy-Reader-Engaging-Literacy/dp/0872075087/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331505635&sr=1-1 The author sugge...
Text Book Reveiw: 7 Keys to Comprehension: How to Help Your Kids Read It and Get It! - 5 views
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Lori Losinski on 07 Feb 12Zimmerman, S., & Hutchins, C. (2003). 7 keys to comprehension: How to help your kids read it and get it. New York, NY: Three Rivers Press. 7 Keys to Comprehension is a powerful read that I would recommend for both teachers and parents that want to encourage reading for enjoyment and understanding. This book is simply written and well organized making it an easy read for teachers and parents. The book outlines the 7 key strategies that good readers use in order to create meaning. What I really like about this book is that each chapter is designated to one of the key strategies, making it easy to look up and refer back to. Inside each chapter the authors discuss each strategy and why it is important to reading success. The authors also provide examples of how to help children at varying levels (preschool, emerging, and advanced) with each strategy. As a teacher, one of my favorite things about each individual chapter is that a list of picture books and more advance books is given to use when working on the specific strategy. I also like that at the end of each chapter tips are provided to highlight the main idea of the chapter and simple ideas to implement the strategy. When I was teaching first and second grade, this book was always on my bookshelf because it was so easy to pick up and refer back to when I had students that were struggling. This was also a book that I had shared with my coworkers and parents because the strategies are used in every grade on some level and are not geared specifically for classroom use, but also for parents to use at home while reading with their children. Many times parents would ask me how they could help their child with reading and I would often lend them this book or give them strategies from this book to use at home. In lower elementary so much time is spent on decoding skills and learning to read the words, but a huge part of reading is comprehension and although stude
Book Review: Classroom Instruction that Works - 11 views
Please know that I genuinely am trying to get everything back within a week. Really, I am! ;)
Book Review: "The Teaching For Understanding Guide - 5 views
I don't think I've seen this book before. It sounds intriguing. I'll have to check it out.
Book Review: 7 Keys to Comprehension: How to Help Your Kids Read and Get It - 5 views
I haven't seen too many books that are equally useful for teachers and parents. I'll have to take a look at this book. Might be something to pick up for door prizes for our parent involvement activ...
Book Review: The Leader in Me - 7 views
Book Review: The Leader in Me by Stephen R. Covey Summary/Main Idea: Stephen Covey is also the author of the world recognized book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. In this book, s...
Mike Schmoker - Focus: Elevating the Essentials to Radically Improve Student Learning - 2 views
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Mike Schmoker's "Focus" is a tremendous commentary on the elements of good instruction and the current state of education and teaching.
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This reference text is divided into two sections: "What we teach, How we teach, and Literacy" and "Curriculum, Instruction, and Literacy in the Content areas." If one was to read this book, you would not necessarily need to read it "cover to cover." I believe that Section I is important for all teachers or those who have a hand in education. Section II, because of the way it is divided, could be read based on interests. There are specific discussions about how to integrate literacy into content areas. I felt that the discussion of literacy in mathematics and science was extremely interesting. Mike Schmoker's message was calling educators "back to the basics." As I read, I found myself scribbling in the margins, because the comments being made were so true they were almost "taboo." Schmoker contradicts the current "educational bandwagons" that so many administrators and districts may jump on. He quotes Pfeffer and Sutton, saying "leaders resist simplicity; they are often irrationally enamored by novelty and complexity" (p 16). It was refreshing to read such a strong argument for "pure, effective teaching." Regardless of the technology or other tools in the classroom, without a firm grasp on the ways to provide clear instruction, students will not learn. I have already used sections from this text in my building's PLC time. Though I have not used a specific strategy, I opened the dialogue about what should "be in a good lesson." Schmoker encourages the "five minute limit" where lectures cannot span longer than that before students are given a moment to talk or write. Formative assessments need to be used throughout daily lessons in order for the teacher to be guided into the next portion of the lesson. I have started to integrate more of these checks for understanding into my teaching, and I have found that I catch more misconceptions sooner than I would have normally. I also see that sections I felt required more time were grasped at a faster rate than anticipated
Book Review: Derrick Jensen's walking on Water - 1 views
I choose Derrick Jensen's book Walking on Water to review, mainly because he offers specific details on how to reform education, but focuses on students' attitudes on writing and reading. Jensen te...
Book Review: The Cafe Book - 0 views
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The Café Book is written by The Two Sisters, Joan Moser and Gail Boushey. The book is written in conjunction with The Daily 5, also written by them. The Daily 5 is a management system for a readers workshop style literacy block. The Café Book is the content to go along. Café is centered around the Café Board. Each letter for Café represents a reading strategy, which are also the heading on the board. The four heading are comprehension, accuracy, fluency, and expanded vocabulary. The idea behind Café is that during the Daily 5 mini lessons the teacher teaches different strategies to go under each heading on the Café board. For example, one of the first Café lessons taught to the students is "Go Back and Reread." This strategy goes under the comprehension heading on the Café Board. This board gives students a reference for all of the different reading strategies that they learn throughout the year. Along with the mini-lessons and Café Board, The Café Book also focuses on strategy groups and reading conferencing. The Two Sisters suggests that rather than meeting with students of the same abilities, meeting with students that are focusing on the same reading strategy. Along with the strategy groups, the teachers meet with individuals during reading conferences. During this time the teacher can ensure that each student is reading just right books and practicing the reading strategy that they are focusing on. I run both The Daily 5 and Café currently in my classroom. I believe both are amazing. Although I have not tried it, I think that Café is most successful when The Daily 5 is also implemented. My students reference the Café board daily. They use the strategies to help them be more successful readers. This year was the first year that I have used The Daily 5 and Café. I have not fully implemented all aspects of Café. I am using the board, but have yet to use strategy groups. I am still grouping my students based on ability
Book Review: The Cafe Book: Engaging All Students in Daily Literary Assessment and Inst... - 1 views
by Anna Scott (reposted as a topic) The Café Book is written by The Two Sisters, Joan Moser and Gail Boushey. The book is written in conjunction with The Daily 5, also written by them. The Daily...
Book Review - Amazon.com: The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tune... - 7 views
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http://www.amazon.com/Motivation-Breakthrough-Secrets-Turning-Tuned-Out/dp/0743289617/ref=sr_1_cc_2?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1328620537&sr=1-2-catcorr The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child, author Richard Lavoie, is a well written resource guide for teachers who wish to figure out how to motivate their students. Parents can learn from the guide as well, but the author primarily addresses educators who seek to improve relations with their students and figure out how to help them work to potential. Richard Lavoie is a consultant and a lecturer with over thirty years of experience as a teacher and an administrator at special education facilities. He explores strategies and techniques that are proven to inspire children to learn. He outlines strategies that will be most effective in igniting the interest and eagerness of kids, especially given their different needs. He outlines several different ways that children are motivated to do their best work. He teaches of the six Ps to motivate children. Some seek praise; others seek prizes, power, projects, or prestige. Some are people-oriented and are motivated when they work with people. Six different chapters address the various motivating factors and how they can be identified and used in the classroom. Personal accounts from Lavoie's years as a teacher allow us to see how he has put his lessons into practice. I appreciate the way that Lavoie challenges teachers to find out what motivates their students, even those students with special needs or who are classified as difficult. He encourages parents and teachers to work together to spark any child to reach his/her full potential. He covers learned hel
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Wendy, it looks like maybe your review got cut off. You can add to it by adding an additional comment.
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This sounds like an interesting book, and strategies for inspiring students to learn is always a good thing. I would like to add this book to my professional library. Even though I will not be a special education teacher per se, I have special education students in my classroom. Anything that I can do to help them will be valuable.
Book Review: Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About it - 4 views
This definitely sounds like a worthwhile read! I often feel we kill the joy of reading by always trying to move on quickly and tie every bit to testing! I always try to carefully look at where to...
Journal Article #2 Information I shared with my principal while student teaching - 5 views
I Entered the Citation above of the book I mentioned in my last post.
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