Family Science Night Fun
Reviewer Catharine Pierce says the well organized fun found in Shelley S. Connell’s Family Science Night: Fun Tips, Activities, and Ideas can enrich after-school clubs and classroom teaching.
Category: Book Reviews
Promote a Passion for Reading
Penny Kittle, says Kevin Hodgson, offers an ode to the power of reading to expand our intellects and a guide to encouraging our most reluctant readers in Book Love: Developing Depth, Stamina and Passion in Adolescent Readers.
Teaching Argument Writing
Teaching Argument Writing: Supporting Claims with Relevant Evidence and Clear Reasoning is not a portable guide, says reviewer Jaime Greene, but a book that “did help me begin to wrap my brain around what quality argument in the classroom sounds and looks like.”
Building Background Knowledge
Whether you want to differentiate or just learn more about building prior knowledge, Jill Spencer’s book, Ten Differentiation Strategies for Building Prior Knowledge, is a helpful quick read, says reviewer Lucille Schauer.
Go Deep with SLCs
Student-led conferences should be more than feel-good experiences for students and parents. Fostering Student Accountability Through Student Led Conferences helped Laura Collander make SLCs matter in her classroom.
PLNs & School Transformation
Although the authors of Personal Learning Networks: Using the Power of Connections to Transform Education favor transformation over more pragmatic ed reforms, reviewer Nicole Miller found this book about PLNs “informative, useful, and beneficial.”
Toward Authentic MS Research
Energize Research Reading and Writing: Fresh Strategies that Spark Interest, Develop Independence, and Meet Key Common Core Standards, Grades 4-8, a book championing the idea that middle grades students should do more authentic research, “comes not a moment too soon,” says ELA teacher Ariel Sacks.
Engaging Readers with Digital Tools
Lee Ann Spillane’s interactive online book Reading Amplified: Digital Tools That Engage Students in Words, Books and Ideas is “a fantastic resource,” says reviewer @dogtrax – perfect for literacy teachers who are ready to explore engaging technologies first-hand.
A Major CCSS Resource
Fully aligned with CCSS, Common Core Literacy Lesson Plans: Ready-to-Use Resources, 6-8 is valuable resource for all 6-8 teachers, says reviewer Linda Biondi. The book offers well-researched, fully developed lesson plans.
Power Up for Connected Teaching
The Connected Teacher: Powering Up is a “handy guidepost” and resource to help teachers transition to inquiry-based, technology-rich classrooms, says reviewer Kevin Hodgson.
