Education

A respected journalist turned-teacher reveals what's really happening in America's schools. In 1999, Chicago Sun-Times veteran Leslie Baldacci left her prestigious, twenty-five year career to teach at a public school in one of Chicago's roughest South Side neighborhoods. As she later commented, ''I thought I knew rough. I thought I had answers. I didn't know jack.''. But Baldacci never looked back, and the result is Inside Mrs. B's Classroom , a compelling, first-hand narrative from the trenches of the inner-city school system that addresses one of society's most critical issues from gritty, daily personal experience. An expert on Chicago's massive education reform efforts even before she turned in her press credentials, Baldacci adds an informed, intellectual layer to this insightful, engaging work. In an era in which many people talk about wanting to make a difference, Baldacci has done so. Here she shares the whole picture, from the unrealistic expectations to the surprises--good and bad--that make up education today. Above all, she shows how an individual can, did--and continues to--make a difference in the lives of American children. more...

Price: $22.95

Brad Buhrow and Anne Garcia are primary teachers in a diverse school in Boulder, Colorado. In Ladybugs, Tornadoes and Swirling Galaxies, you will see how they blend comprehension instruction and ELL best practices to explore inquiry as a literacy pathway for English language learners. As teachers and students engage in learning science and social studies content they also discover multiple ways to make meaning. The book is full of photographs of student artwork—including a color insert—that reveals the children's inquiry process, and demonstrates the important role of art as a sign system in ELL literacy and language acquisition. more...

Price: $18.00

Good listening skills are vital to learning and to everyday life. Educational research shows a direct link between the ability to listen effectively, and measurable intelligence. If we improve listening skill, we improve IQ. Yet though we often complain about students’ listening skills, do we apply focused teaching to improve them? The Learning To Listen series increases student ability to sustain retentive listening over time. Each book consists of 20 appealing, high-interest stories to be read to students. After listening to each story, students complete a related listening comprehension activity. These require students to retain specific information from the story to answer given questions. Details requiring recall relate to such details as colour, order of events, sounds, sights and characters discussed in the story. Activities can be completed as a class, in groups or individually. Initially, as written or aural clues, students are given particular information to listen for before the story is read. As their listening ability develops, memory cues are reduced. Creative expression extension activities accompany each story. Don’t just talk about how students should learn to listen. Do something about it. more...

Price: $7.95

Blackline master math activity book jam packed with adventures of monsters, mad types and misfits in a mad and magical mathematical land. Will provide a high level of interest for students as they work through the problems in this book. The problem solving activities will prove thoroughly stimulating to the children in your class. more...

Price: $7.95

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