Education : Elementary

In her 30 years as an educator, Debbie Diller watched primary students work successfully at literacy work stations as she wondered with teachers, "Why don't we have upper-grade students doing this? Could we kick it up a notch?" In Practice with Purpose, Debbie shows teachers of grades three-to-six how to establish routines for independent reading and response writing and how to set up and manage a variety of hands-on literacy work stations for intermediate students so that all students can be successful doing meaningful independent work. The extensive appendix includes time-saving tools such as management board icons, graphic organizers, task cards, and recommended Web sites and children's literature. more...

Price: $16.80

Gifted children are quick on the uptake, can be frustrated by repetition and easily become impatient when unchallenged. Challenging the Gifted Child outlines a tried and tested approach for encouraging able children to focus their active minds in a productive way and discover the joy and value of reading. The author explains the criteria for choosing appropriate reading for the child and describes ways to help deepen their understanding of both literature and language. Using examples from the author's extensive experience, this book encourages the development of independent learning skills and will help parents and educators to create a personalized reading programme for a gifted child at home or small groups of children in school. Photocopiable materials are included, along with samples of reading lists for different age groups. This book provides practical advice for working with advanced young readers and will be an ideal resource for anyone who has responsibility for educating a gifted child. more...

Price: $22.95

Thinking Lessons introduces the basic core thinking processes used to connect and make sense of information. Introductory notes and examples, student work sheets, suggested answers and further useful questions provide the basis of a thinking skills program for students in the middle school age range. more...

Price: $30.95

Reading is all about understanding, and many English language learners simply do not understand what they are reading. Juli Kendall and Outey Khuon believe that small group comprehension lessons have a key role to play in advancing students' comprehension of texts. Making Sense outlines fifty-two lessons that teach students how to make connections, ask questions, visualize (make mental images), infer, determine importance, and synthesize. The book's five main sections are geared to the stages of language proficiency, and lessons are divided into "younger" and "older" students, spanning kindergarten through grade 8. more...

Price: $14.80

In their first book, Mentor Texts , Lynne Dorfman and Rose Cappelli demonstrated how teachers can use children’s literature to guide and inspire student writers of narrative fiction and poetry. Now, they have turned their focus to nonfiction, identifying a wide range of mentor texts and showing how these models illustrate the key features of good writing.   Lynne and Rose guide teachers through a variety of projects, samples, and classroom anecdotes that demonstrate how teachers can help students become more effective writers of good nonfiction. The Your Turn lessons at the end of each chapter use the gradual release of responsibility model to guide and empower student writers. Teachers will find especially helpful the information on how to select appropriate mentor texts from among the sometimes overwhelming offerings of children’s literature. Each Your Turn lesson encourages reflection and motivates students to think about what they’ve learned, the purpose of learning and practicing a skill or strategy, and how they might use this technique in the future. Additionally, An Author’s Voice provides encouragement and advice from published authors of children’s nonfiction.    One of the most valuable features of Nonfiction Mentor Texts is the treasure chest of books organized according to chapter. This list includes every title mentioned in the book, as well as a host of other titles that teachers can use to help students learn about quality nonfiction writing—building content, organizing text, developing voice, enhancing style, using punctuation effectively—and from which students can draw topic ideas. Lynne and Rose have either read or used all of the featured books in their classrooms and have selected titles that meet the needs of students at varying levels. Teachers will be able to find the just-right book for each student. more...

Price: $19.20