Category: Book Reviews

Real World Writing Strategies

In Write Like This: Teaching Real World Writing Through Modeling and Mentor Texts, Kelly Gallagher’s real-world approach to writing instruction is practical, relevant and doable by any teacher, says reviewer Rhonda Leduc.

Partnering with Parents

In Everyday Engagement: Making Students and Parents Your Partners in Learning author Katy Ridnouer has good ideas that can help teachers become better at partnering with parents to advance student learning, says reviewer Nicole Warchol.

What Makes Kids Tick & Learn

Debbie Silver’s gift in Fall Down 7 Times Get Up 8: Teaching Kids to Succeed, says reviewer Julie Dermody, is not just informing readers about motivational research, but bringing all the research together for classroom use.

Teacher-Led PD Circles

Don’t let the Process Learning Circles in “Strengthening and Enriching Your Professional Learning Community: The Art of Learning Together” scare you: no hand-holding & singing, says reviewer Becky Osterfeld. These circles can put relevant, practical PD back in teachers’ hands.

Energize ELLs

The understanding she gained from Reaching English Language Learners in Every Classroom: Energizers for Teaching and Learning by Debbie Arechiga will help reviewer Mary Churchill better prepare her pre-service teachers to work with ELL students.

Turn Students into Sleuths

Wherever you are on your journey to improve text-based critical thinking & discussion, you’ll find a wealth of ideas & resources in Teaching Students to Read Like Detectives: Comprehending, Analyzing, and Discussing Text , says reviewer Joan Cansdale.

Teaching Comparative Thinking

Compare & Contrast: Teaching Comparative Thinking to Strengthen Student Learning, one of a series of books intended for study by professional learning “clubs,” explores a basic strategy of good teaching effectively, says reviewer & NBCT Joni Allison.

Inspiring the Adolescent Brain

Reviewer Diane Horban says Judy Willis succeeds in intertwining brain research with practical lesson ideas to ignite the thinking power of 10 to 14-year olds in her book, Inspiring Middle School Minds: Gifted, Creative & Challenging.

Connected Professional Learning

Educators looking for ways to become more connected to other educators using digital tools will find plenty of meat in The Connected Educator: Learning and Leading in a Digital Age, says reviewer Fran Lo.