Reluctant Writers & Game Design
Middle school teacher Kevin Hodgson describes how his ELA unit on video game design helped inspire a very reluctant writer to become an eager scribe.
Tagged: middle grades
Paragraphs for Middle School: A Sentence-Composing Approach
Don & Jenny Killgallon show how students can begin with basic structures and add more layers & nuances as they create sentences and then paragraphs. Reviewer & 6th grade ELA teacher Jenni Miller says the Killgallons’ use of engaging mentor texts & a 65-pp teacher guide makes this an essential reference for writing instruction.
Mapping Comprehensive Units to ELA Common Core Standards
Kathy Tuchman Glass has created an intensive, in-depth study that will help teachers in understanding and mapping out the ELA standards, with excellent support and numerous examples, says reviewer and ELA consultant Anne Anderson.
STEM Lesson Essentials: Integrating Science, Tech, Engineering, & Math
Starting out in STEM? The authors provide practical and engaging activities to help novice & experienced teachers along the path and provide school leaders without a STEM background the information they need to help guide program development.
Turning Best Practices into Daily Practices: Simple Strategies
Beninghof’s book of best practices is rich with examples of how to increase student participation, focus attention & strengthen memory, says Linda Biondi.
Managing the Madness: A Practical Guide to Middle Grades Classrooms
Jack Berckemeyer’s book is so full of wonderful wisdom and advice, says our reviewer Alex Valencic, that he wonders how he’s managed without it so long.
Unlocking Complex Texts: A Systematic Framework
Teachers working to build complex texts into classes will welcome the framework for teaching comprehension in Laura Robb’s book, says reviewer Linda Biondi.
Let Them Read Whole Novels!
Ariel Sacks says that by teaching novels “whole” she has been able to ignite interest in books, deepen discussions & improve reading comprehension. In this informative article, Sacks shares her rationale, her method, and reactions from her middle school students.
Science in Morning Meeting: 150 Activities Connecting to Curriculum
Linda Biondi reports this book encourages teachers to integrate science into the daily schedule instead of “pigeonholing” the subject into a time slot.
Guided Math in Action: Building Proficiency with Small-Group Instruction
In an inviting style, Nicki Newton fully explains how to effectively engage grades 4-5 students in small-group math workshops, says reviewer Alex Valencic.
