In the words of Aldous Huxley, "Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting." Few people question the value of reading; in fact, most extol its virtues. As our culture becomes more complex, reading plays an increasingly greater role in satisfying personal needs and in promoting social awareness and growth. In the last 20 years, the teaching of this invaluable skill has fo...

Quick, daily classroom lessons for improving students' grammar and writing skillsThis must-have resource features 180 practical, ready-to-use grammar and usage lessons and activities–one for each day of the school year. The activities included help students in grades 5-12 to acquire, improve, and expand their grammar skills, and become more adept and confident writers. Veteran educator and best-selling author Jack Umstatter helps teachers to familiarize students wi...

Fantastic strategies for getting high school students excited about writingThis book offers 50 creative writing lesson plans from the imaginative and highly acclaimed 826 National writing labs. Created as a resource to reach all students (even those most resistant to creative writing), the off-beat and attention-grabbing lessons include such gems as "Literary Facebooks," where students create a mock Facebook profile based on their favorite literary character, as we...

A growing body of neuroscience research has established the principle of neuroplasticity; a powerfully hopeful message that we can use our minds to change our brains in the direction of greater health and well-being. The key to shaping this change rests in how we direct and focus and our attention. In an easy-to-use workbook format this publication offers a strengths based, preventative, positive approach, grounded in neuroscience research, for creating a stronger sense of overall well-bei...

This Fourth Edition of Language and Literacy in the Early Years has been fully revised and updated to reflect current professional interests and the latest developments in the field. The book provides comprehensive coverage of issues in language, literacy and learning, focusing on the age range from birth to seven years. New material covers theory of mind, key persons, and social and emotional dimensions of learning. The author added material on difficulties with language development, phon...

If you had to name the defining characteristic of a "good teacher," what trait would you suggest? Would you start ticking off the skills listed on the evaluation framework used in your district? Or would you think back to your own experiences and consider the most memorable educators you’ve known? In this collection of articles from Educational Leadership, the authors—all educators and educators of educators—discuss what it means to be a good teacher. They include tips a...

`I found this a fascinating book to read, I could identify with my time at school when I would often write with my paper almost in at right angles to my body because I found this comfortable, and the teacher′s insistence that the paper be "straight" in front of me. This then made me twist my body into a ridiculous shape, and would sometimes result in punishment for not "sitting on the chair correctly"….if only the teacher had understood the same principles as Rosemary Sassoon, who in this ...

As with adults, the personalities of children are very varied. Some kids can be really introverted and quiet. Still some others are adventurous and whimsical. These types of children would love books that have adventures for kids in them. Because of this, kids often remember these books for a lifetime. This makes these books invaluable through the course of a lifetime.

Shortlisted for the 2013 Nursery World Awards!This is a focused text on early years′ language and literacy for all students studying for degrees and foundation degrees in early childhood, early years and related disciplines and for candidates on EYPS pathways. It discusses language acquisition and development and covers development theory, talking with babies and the factors that affect development. Practical guidance on how to support children′s language acquisiti...

'This book is clear, approachable, and true. The elegant simplicity of its good guidance is the product of years of practical experience in the classroom. I wholeheartedly commend it to primary school teachers everywhere.'Michael Boyd, Artistic Director of the Royal Shakespeare CompanyShakespeare’s plays are widely regarded as the greatest inheritance in English literature and recent years have seen a growing interest in introducing them to children in their primar...

In their new book, the winners of the TES National Award for Outstanding Literacy Initiative share the secrets behind school improvement through raising literacy levels across the curriculum.Graham Tyrer and Patrick Taylor draw on the successful literacy initiative that raised their school from good to outstanding, as well as their work in three UK schools with a range of Ofsted ratings. The 54 practical strategies are grouped into beginning, embedding, sustaining and evaluating st...

This book presents cutting-edge research findings in areas critical to advancing reading research in the 21st century context, including new literacies, reading motivation, strategy instruction, and reading intervention studies.While students’ reading performance is currently receiving unprecedented attention, there is a lack of research that adopts an international perspective and draws on research expertise from different parts of the world to present a concerted effort, discussi...