Education Books

As a retired teacher, I think that, 'And No More Sorrow' is a must read for every 5th through 12th grader. Adults also should take note of this true story. Students and adults will feel a surge of gratitude.

Sonja, the main character in 'And No More Sorrow,' teaches the reader that ultimately it's friends, love and family that motivate and guide us through our most challenging moments.

These words come to mind: inspiring, brave and forgiving, not unlike the story of Anne Frank, who grew up a few blocks from Sonja.

Well done.

I read "And No More Sorrow" in 2 days which I don't take the time to do often. It was so compelling that I hated to put it down, painful as it was to read about the horrific conditions of the Jews in Holland during WWII. It's been years since I saw "Playing for Keeps" and "Schindler's List, both which haunted me so that I swore it'd be a very long time, if ever, before I would expose myself to read about fellow children of God being treated in such inhuman ways! This is not the only example of man's inhumanity to man. I think of "Life and Death in Shanghai" and "The Rape of Nanking" as other horrific examples. How could humans possibly treat other human beings this way? Thank you so much for sharing your mother's story of survival, Liliane. I pray that it has been a healing experience for both of you. Glenna Lee

I could not put this book down. I have nothing to gain by saying this except that it will make our world a better place.

Easy to read. A time of history that we must not forget. If you are a person who enjoys movies such as "Life Is Beautiful" you will love this book.

I thought I knew something about the Holocaust, but this book has shown me that I really understood very little. In such a personal way it has involved me and taught me so much. A must for every history student and anyone who would like to understand a little bit better.

Over the years I have bought two text books on this difficult subject, and never could get past more than two chapters. In contrast, this book is both readable and extremely well organized with a summary of the main points at the end of each chapter. For any formulas used in the text, he defines the symbols along with the formula. No looking back to early chapters.

Highly recommended.

Even after having collected and read quite a few of the modern textbooks on architectural acoustics, Egan's Architectural Acoustics (1988 hardback edition in my case) still stands as the most accessible first foray into the subject. I frequently use this book in my consulting practice when I need to illustrate a fundamental concept, such as sound isolation, auditorium shaping, or the basic acoustical conditions necessary to support various styles of music. Even though the binding has mechanically failed, I have not yet been able to bring myself to part with the book long enough to have it rebound. Perhaps the new softcover binding will actually hold up better to repeated reading, as this book will surely receive and deserve!

Since first encountering Egan's text a little more than 20 years ago, I've continued to return to it for solid information. Complex material is presented in a way that allows me to apply it to unique conditions at hand. Some of the world-class acoustics consultants with which we've had the privilege to work rely on Egan to help communicate complex ideas. Without compromising too much real technical nuance, the ideas are so clearly communicated that I was able to offer the book to members of a church in eastern Europe working to improve the condition of their worship space.

I'm a architecture student and I think this book is like a bible of acoustics in architecture. It brings detailed info for designing places with good acoustic performance whit various technics and for the most different type of places like a simple residential to auditoriums and concert rooms. I have other acoustics books (like William Cavanaugh's) and they always make mention to David Egan's book. If you're in search on books about architectural acoustics, I think that must be the first one to buy. It's a must have in any architect biblioteque.

I am an acoustical consultant... I have read a lot of books onarchitectural acoustics. I found this book unique of its kind. The concepts are introduced by plenty of figures and illustrations with informative text that make the discussed subject easy to read and comprehend especially by the architects. Writing on the figures and using checklists added a lot of understandibility. Also the text itself is informative and directly address the subject. In other words, the book is excellent and comprehensive.

In its third edition, this text has been a tried and true collection of positive behavior management for over 30 years. The collection of skills and strategies for teachers to use include a proactive approach, having a classroom discipline plan in place, building positive relationships, and using positive feedback to motivate students to behave. The tools offered in this text are designed to facilitate a safe, healthy, respectful environment in which students can learn and teachers can teach effectively.

The idea of positive behavior interventions has recently become very popular in the public school systems with which I have been involved. Although these strategies have been developed by these authors for years, their implementation through school wide reward programs and emphasis on giving individual student positive feedback just begun at my son's elementary school this year. These concepts for behavior management, as developed by the authors, were revolutionary for the American school system 30 years ago, and still hold in awe those who are new to the idea that power and control are not always negative in nature, but can in fact be helpful and even necessary to maintain an environment conducive to achievement. As a student in the field of education, and from my own experience in the classroom, I agree with the premise in this text that stud

The best thing I can say about this book is that the advice is easy to implement and it really works. I have other books on discipline but this one is the most helpful. I was arguing with one of my kids over something the other day, caught myself, remembered the advice in the book and instead of arguing gave him choices (rewards or consequences). The issue was quickly resolved. I wish I had read this book when my children were younger.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who works with children. I've been working with kids on and off from 1992 from infants to elementary school and this book is a must have. It provides techniques to set limits and consequences while giving the child the ownership of their behavior. Children learn to be responsible for their choices and their dignity is maintained.

Discipline is always a challenge. Lee Canter points out that a significant fraction of teachers have seriously considered leaving the profession because of student misbehavior. And how many have already left? Discipline issues lead to failure in beginning teachers and burnout among experienced ones.

Classroom rules should be posted and observable (e. g., not something unobservable such as "Be considerate.") and limited to about five. Of course, classroom activities themselves should be subsumed under the rule, "Follow instructions the first time they are given." A list of escalating consequences should be given for any rule broken. Teachers should never fall for the "You are unfair!" or "My parents don't care!" lines given by misbehaving kids. Something that the teacher cannot or will not do should NEVER be a consequence.

Canter believes that teachers are not as successful in discipline as they could be because they enforce rules inconsistently and because they are afraid that students will not like them. This, of course, especially applies to novice teachers.

When the hierarchy of rules and consequences is not working, the teacher needs to "drop down" to more severe consequences. When the entire classroom is briefly in disorder, the teacher must apply the "Freeze!" technique. In severe cases of persistent classroom disorder, the teacher needs to apply an individual-reward and/or classroom-reward system. Canter rejects contentions that this procedure constitutes bribery, or that it ignores intrinsic motivation in kids. In fact, Canter believes that intrinsic motivation is rare in children.

Canter also believes that, in cases of severely recalcitrant children, the teacher must try different approaches and adopt an "I will not go away" attitude that is clearly communicated to these children. In his more recent publications, Canter also has emphasized the teacher's development of positive relationships with tough kids.

This is probably the best book on behavior management! I have used "Assertive Discipline" and it is very effective. The rules, consequences, and rewards are clearly stated from the start of school. I like that it places the choice of a consequence or reward clearly on the students' shoulders.
I purchased this book for a friend of mine, who is a new teacher and she loves it! I think they should include this book in ALL teacher preparation courses. It's easy to use and it works!

This book was very helpful with my daughter's transition into school dept recently. She turns 3 in July and I had been told in my transition meeting that she would not qualify for ESY because they would not know if she would regress.
I sat in her IEP and explained that it was my understanding of the law that we did not have to prove regression just loss of emerging skills. A statement that I would never have used before the book. My daughter got ESY without a fuss from the Special Education Director who had been the one to tell me that she would not :)
I would like to see more than about the IEP from a little ones experience though. I feel that the book will become even more help as she grows.

Be sure to definitely read this before your child's next IEP.

I've been dealing with IEPS and special education programs for my son for several years and this book still taught me a lot! It is well written, very easy to read, and covers almost everything you have to contend with.

Sadly, the quality of a child's special education program relies mostly on the parent's ability to advocate. This book will empower you to be a much better advocate for your child.

This book is a valuable tool for navigating the complex world of special education law and programs.

I'd also like to thank the author and editor for all their work putting this book together -- it is going to help so many parents and children!

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has an autistic child. Some of the information has been so valuable and has helped me become aware of rights that I didn't even know existed. Don't believe that the school knows your child's needs better than you do. Arm yourself with the information this book provides. You are the strongest advocate for your child.

This is a very well written, informative book on being an advocate for your child within the school system. I recommend it highly!

This book is a must have, especially for those who have a newly diagnosed child with autism. If memory serves me correctly, US Rep. Dan Burton had a grandson with autism and he went to a school meeting because his daughter was having such a hard time getting an appropriate education... my point in sharing this is that you need to be prepared from the very beginning (being nice and/or influential is not going to do it for you, you need to be knowledgeable regarding your child's rights) and this book will do that for you. It is an easy read with many excellent templates for letters (some with the applicable law referenced), and it is a breeze to find just what you need. I also like that it is written especially for parents of children with autism. I have a 19 yr old now and wish I'd had this book a long time ago!

Thank you for an excellent guide for online shopping! If you are looking for great Internet guides for Kids & Family, High School, and College students, please check out the You Are Here Internet series!

Online stores come and go, especially the big ones, but this book lists hundreds of terrific small online stores that carry really unique stuff. I especially liked all of the stores that sell natural cosmetics and natural fiber clothing for me and my kids. I've had this book 2 weeks and already its saved me lots of time.

I was tired of seeing the same old online stores over and over again. This book pointed me to some real winners. It's a big time saver. Very easy to find what I wanted quickly.

I learned a lot about online shopping that I never knew before. But the best thing about this book is all the online stores, listed by categories. I found some neat stores. Loved the party section.

Before picking up this excellent book, I was wary of online shopping -- and I still am, but now I'm intelligently wary. The authors do a marvelous job of helping understand what you can trust and what you can't, how online shopping works in all its various manifestations, and what strategies to use when you do shop online. The book showed me that online shopping is not (as I had thought) just for shopping addicts who need a fix 24 hours a day, but a great space for intelligent and discerning consumers. I'm still not a big spender online (or anywhere), but I've used the book to help me find some things I couldn't find anywhere else and at surprising prices. I think this book is going to go down in the so-far brief history of online commerce as a milestone achievement. It has certainly changed my views about WWW commerce and made me a better consumer. I can't say enough about this expansive, easy-to-use, fun, and informative work. I hope they plan to update this work regularly.

As a requirement for The Summer Reading Clinc at Miami University, my colleagues and I were required to read "Beyond Tradtional Phonics" by Margaret Moustafa. This book was enlightening, one of the best I have read in a long itme. Throughout my course work to prepare for our reading clinic, I had become familiar with many of the concepts covered in this book, but Moustafa covers these topics : the need for the access to books of the appropriate reading level, the importance of teaching phoincs surrounded in literature and the fact that letter phonemes mean little to children if they are not able to read, in such a matter that I was thrilled to hear it again, and couldn't wait to share the books with fellow teachers at my school. The section of the book that I found to be the most alarming is the fact that so many children have less that .4 books on their appropriate reading level in their homes and that these studetns may attend schools that have less that .5 books per student available. This study contniues to report that in these schools, the students are seldom able to check out books to take home, because of the small number available in the first palce. This just reinforces the importance of have a variey of reading levels in your classroom library. All students need to find books that allow them to experience successful reading episodes. Moustafa's book makes you more aware than ever of the need to provide a wide reange of reading materials in your classroom library. I will work to diversify my book selection this year, and I hope many other classroom teachers will join me.

This book looks beyond our old assumptions about how children learn to read. Moustafa presents research to support the fact that traditional phonics drills do not help children learn letter-sound correspondances. Rather, children naturally use onset and rime to make these correspondances. Children also use onset and rime to figure out unfamiliar words in a text. Moustafa then presents ways to help any reading teacher improve their reading instruction based on this research.

This book is very easy to read. Moustafa uses language we can all understand. She does not try to speak over everyone's heads. Her ideas about the differences between traditional phonics instruction and a more modern approach to phonics instruction reaffirmed my own ideas about the role phonics plays in the teaching of reading. I used to teach in a more traditional way of taking parts and moving toward the whole. Then after inservices and courses I took on teaching reading I began to use a whole-to-part approach. Moustafa cited research that supports this type of approach. She also discusses the importance of giving children reading materials on their levels and providing time for shared reading experiences. In the research she presents, children experienced the most success when they were given time everyday to read and be read to. Reading teachers, especially new reading teachers, should read this book because most undergraduate programs do not provide enough instruction on how to teach children to read.

Margaret Moustafa's book explores the realms of language development beyond that of traditional phonics instruction that has continually plagued our educational systems. As a middle school language arts teacher I was pleased to see an appropriate instructional book written clearly and concisely in a matter that makes sense. Moustafa proves reading to be something we do naturally. Teachers need to teach kids to read in a natural way with authentic and practical language experiences. Moustafa also discusses the importance of a blend and balance of phonics and whole language instruction within the classroom.

On page 56 of her text she says, "If children are pronouncing print but do not understand what they are saying, they are not reading." As an educator, I believe Moustafa's statement summarizes many of the misconceptions children have about good readers. Reading is not just a performance-based activity, but rather more of a means of exploration and a transportation vehicle to knowledge. Moustafa helps teachers and parents understand that children need to see reading as a more natural occurrence that is attainable by all children.

This book is a must for all educators; undergraduates, graduates, veteran teachers, professors, and administrators in the school buildings and out of the school buildings. This book describes the process that children learn how to read-through meaning. Moustafa relates how phonics lessons do not allow children to make a connection with the outside world; reading within context does. Moustafa describes how important the learner's prior knowledge and experiences tie into learning how to read. She explains the difference between reading words and understanding the text being read. There is a difference, and we need to acknowledge that. In order to do this, the appropriate leveled books must be purchased for daily use in the classroom and used as take home books. Teachers need a vast amount of books on different topics and a range of levels.

My kids are 4.5, the preschool cards were a little easy. the kindergarten cards are about right. Now usually with them I find the age ratings on toys are accurate, like other reviewers said the brainquest products are rated a little too old. Some of the concepts are beyond them but about 80% of the cards they are able to do at this age.

This item was delivered very quickly. My daughter loves to do Q & A type flashcards and this is perfect for her to do. We have purchased the previous two BrainQuests as well and will continue to purchase these as our daughter grows.

My grandson looks forward to bedtime each night just so he can do this "learning." He loves these cards and I have seen him learn so much. We also have the preschool set.

These are great stocking stuffers. My daughter received hers the Christmas before she was to start Kindergarten so she could become familiar with the curriculum.These became her favorite flash cards. It also opened doors to teaching things she didn't know like time. Highly recomended

I highly recommend Brain Quest. We now have several sets and I plan on buying additional. Such a fun way for kids to learn. Since they are compact they can go anywhere. We've taken them on car trips, to the doctors office, shopping...just about anywhere. The kids think of it as a game, not as sitting down and learning. This is a great gift for someone as well.

I could not put this book down, because I needed to see how it ended. There is much pain, human challenge, dedication, unbelievable risk, and even humor. The ultimate result leaves the reader wanting to know more. Personally, I would like to see a sequel to find out how this all comes together as this young child develops. The fact that it is based on truth is amazing, because the events themselves read like fiction. This is one determined, incredibly resourceful family unit. Bring hankies!

A fast paced retelling of life experiences none of us would envy. Van Sher has provided us with a very clear picture of how the very best of intentions often cannot avoid disaster when we are raising children. Walk in the characters shoes as they travel through the world of drugs. . .
A must read for parents raising children in a world so deeply influenced by the culture of drugs.

A true story of one family's tragedy dealing with their son's drug addiction and ultimately the loss of their son. Very moving story!

"A Breath Away" is quite simply a poignant family saga that should serve as a wake up call to all "ordinary families" who go through life with their heads in the sand thinking that nothing terrible can happen to their family.

Terrible things can happen to even wonderful families from all walks of life. There is nothing that can tear a family apart and lead it into directions that were never thought imaginable more than a child with a drug problem. Some families fall apart other families are brought closer together and can come through the darkness stronger than before.

That is just one of the lessons taught by this gripping, life lesson by Van Sher. I cannot comprehend that one family had to go through so much in such a short time. A sequel telling the continuing story of the grandson will be welcomed in a few years. A movie about "the first chapter" would be a great movie for the time. I for one cannot wait.

One of the books that "catch" you within the first few pages. I found myself peeking ahead to determine how each episode played out. The undertone of humor shoulders the unbelievable pain, risk and challenge Ed and Cindy confronted. We never want to believe addiction is in our own backyard. No barriers exist. Addiction doesn't discriminate. The commitment of the parents is surreal. Each page tugs and pulls at you. You never know where you are going. I TRULY believe a sequel is in order and a movie a must. It was a one-day read for me. Couldn't put it down !!!

This book is wonderful. When I find myself worrying about something, I read this book, and the Bible passages Dillow refers to, and find great comfort. I have purchased several copies for friends, and they are also finding it very helpful.

The bible study group I co-lead is very pleased with the book so far. We are just getting started, and we immediately appreciated the easy-reading style of the chapters. Our group consists primarily of mothers of YOUNG (under age 7) children, and anxiety is a big part of our day and our spirituality at this point in our lives (who has TIME for anything other than filling sippy cups and changing diapers??). This book addresses pertinent issues for us, and we utilize the helpful leader guide/discussion questions available at the back of the book (helps make being the leader less stressful/time consuming).

A small group of ladies are meeting one day a week on their lunch hour to study this book. We have spent two weeks on one chapter. We find it inspires conversation and sharing. One lady said she couldn't use her highlighter because she would have to highlight every word. The questions and meditations in the back cause much thought and reflection.

This is a wonderful book with many great reminders about why we don't need to worry or have anxiety. Great bible references that share the message if we trust God and have faith that we don't need to worry.

The books were in beautiful condition and the words therin have already been an encouragement to my Bible Study group.

Exposes those who do not live in the islands, both young and old,to the customs and colorful surroundings of the Caribbean. The music is a toe tapping, finger snapping passage through the delightful illustrations. The wife ordered a book for herself and plays the CD while driving to and from work!

I originally learned about this CD and activity book when it was used by my son's teacher as part of his sing-along time at school. I couldn't help but notice how engaged my son was in the activities. I fell in love with so many of the songs that I bought a copy for us to have at home! It's a favorite gift I give to kids 3 and up. Even my 10-year old neices love it.

The coloring book part is best for the older kids.

Carribean Colors of the Rainbow combines music, educational informational, and creative opportunities for children. This combination has resulted in a unique and exceptional entertainment and learning product. Children are provided an occassion to have fun, be exposed to cultural diversity, learn, and express their own creativity -- all without redundancy and with nonstop stimulation. Hats off to a wonderful and long awaited contribution to child (and adult) entertainment and learning.

This is the perfect gift: kids love it and so do their parents! Great book & music for kids and cool tunes for Mom & Dad (or people like me without kids). Can't go wrong with this one.

This book is a fresh look at the daily things children encounter in the Caribbean. The tunes are varied - and never dull. It is hard to listen and NOT tap your feet or clap your hands and sing along - the words are right there for you! I've used it with my Kindergarteners, first grade, second grade, third grade and sixth grade...I'm a substitute teacher. All age levels loved it for different reasons. The sixth graders liked the "baracuda and his big sharp teeth". The older children enjoyed coloring the pictures as the songs played while the little ones loved Imelda and all her shoes. Lots of conversation on this one!
I think this is the best thing that's happened to us in the Caribbean in a long time. We didn't have music depicting our life and our childrens' world until now. Thank you Dee and Rachel.