Languages Books

I've tried several courses: math, science, history and language. My kids especially love the Sign Language cards! I purchased all three card sets and the CD-software. The photographs are more realistic than drawings which you mostly find in ASL products. Great for younger kids too. My daughter's using them in her Brownie troupe and my three-year-old has picked up on some of the alphabet and numbers already. My older son has some mild learning disabilities and looking at a page in a book with so much information all together makes him nervous. I put one card at a time on a cleared table. It helps him focus and that gives him more confidence. People have been making or using flash cards forever, and I think they always will be no matter how fancy computers and software gets (but the Exambusters software is good too). I've recommended them to others.

When I was in school, flash cards were the best way to learn and I always made my own. The exambusters cards cover many of my daughter's courses and I bought her several. Sometimes we work together and she and her friends study in a group too--making a trivia game. Try the software. The screensaver function is great!! In our house, we love to learn new languages. The program flashes words or phrases and then translation every few seconds. The material goes into your brain by osmosis and the constantly changing cards on the screen keep pulling you back to read more. The software is much easier to figure out than some other brands we've purchased. It's intuitive; you don't need to read a lot of confusing instructions. All in all, good investment.

In junior high, my son got a head start on high school courses and that helped him get better grades. He used both cards and CD. My son liked the software, so he studied more than he would have from a book. Learning is hard work, but the exambusters made him feel like it's not quite so bad. The software is well-laid out, colorful, and user-friendly. The messages they give when they score the tests are amusing.

Helped me to prepare for the exam. I tried taking sample tests in some review books, but ended up turning to the cards first for review, then those sample tests were easier to tackle. The vocabulary section was really helpful. Some of the words I learned came up on the exam, and as a separate bonus my reading comprehension and working vocabulary in general have improved. I've tried to add these "well-educated" words to my every day speech which sometimes annoys my friends but impresses anyone over thirty!

I bought several courses. The cards offer basic concepts in small bites. The information was relevant to what was presented by my teacher. The cards and CD's gave good review before exams and a head start at the start of the new school year. The cards had a lot of questions; you can carry them in your pocket and learn a few each day. The software was easy to use. It is like the cards but on the screen. You can take a test or just review. Front is question, click for answer on back of card. The software can also show the cards on the screen at random, first the question, then the answer. They change every few seconds. That keeps you reading and wondering what's coming up next. It's entertaining while you're studying.

I have been using GoLive since the Cyberstudio days, and this book STILL florred me on how much useful information it contained. Everything from the "Well duh! I can't believe I didn't know that" to the "WOW" tips are in here.

Simple. Consolidated. Useful.

This book is a great catalyst for experienced as well as new GoLive users. It's great way to learn all those little hidden, new or forgotten goodies in GoLive, whether you want to know how to be a more efficient GoLive user or want to know what you've been missing and don't have the time to learn. This book is a quick, enjoyable, easy read. I'm already looking forward to a "More Tips & Tricks!" book, but it's hard to imagine they've missed any with this one.

Adobe offers GoLive as a powerful tool to build pages in a website. It is complicated enough that the authors of this book present 200 tips, to perform common and useful tasks.

The contents pages show a titular summary of the tips. Given that GoLive is from Adobe, it's no surprise to see an emphasis on the visual presentation of the pages. Typical is a tip about writing links in PDF documents, or another tip about converting an HTML file, and any associated referenced images, into a single PDF document. Of course, there are also several tips involving Adobe's flagship Photoshop.

Overall, the tips seem straightforward to understand and do. This appears to have been a deliberate choice by the authors. The book is most useful if you already have the basics of GoLive. A good companion to a standard text on GoLive.

I recently met the Author Adam Pratt at Mac Designers Conference this year in Chicago and Adam introduced me to GoLive CS, I was hooked within 20 minutes. Reading this book is like speaking to Adam but instead of 20 minutes, it feels like a 6-8 hour training. The book is simple and effective for the beginner and full of tips and tricks for the intermediate user already using GoLive. It covers the basics from setting up the site to advanced features like creating cool Quicktime slideshows with GoLive's impressive QuickTime editor. The book is filled with great resources such as hidden shortcuts (for Mac & PC), detailed descriptions of each object and there's even a resource listing sites that are full of GoLive Tutorials.

Being a Senior Web Developer and College Instructor, I highly recommend this book and give it 5 stars.

One of the best books on software that i ever bought. I've been working with GoLive for quite a while now and just can't believe how many useful things i didn't know about it yet. So many shortcuts that enhance productivity, so many features that i paid too little attention to.
Because of the way it's written - 200 tips, most of them on 1 or 2 pages - it's easy to pick it up at any time, read a minute, learn something valuable and put it down again. And you're almost sure to learn something new with every tip.

I didn't know that you could do so many things with a seaplane. The flying kept you making sure that your seat belt was on tight. Because the story is based on actual cases in Alaska it makes you realize just how wild this part of our country is still today. After reading Mike's novel there will definitely be parts of Alaska that you will want to visit and others that you will stay well away from. Each chapter kept me interested to the very end and I'm waiting for the next adventure.

Awesome read! Enjoyable, action packed and full of edge of your seat adventure. I felt as if I was in the story and living it. The Author's real world experiences bring to life the story of Trooper Blake and the exciting, perilous life of a Trooper in the Bush of Alaska. The hardest part about reading this book was putting it down!

Alaska Justice was a fun and seemingly realistic read of a cop who uses a Super Cub to find the bad guys.

I liked how the author used the geograpy of the local area, and did not over dramatize the events.

A enjoyable and fun to read book.

If you're an Alaska junkie like I am, you'll love this book. An ace pilot who flies anything and everything in the worst weather that Alaska has to offer, Jack Blake gets his man time after time. Author Kincaid takes you into the back country of the Final Frontier and offers a glimpse at the remote lifestyles and eccentric ways of the people who live there. Far from the typical tourist locales, Alaska Justice shows a side of our biggest state through the eyes of a working guy who just happens to be a lawman and pilot with major cojones. Highly recommended.

Alaska Justice

Ha! I have the average reader of Kincaid's Alaska Justice at a disadvantage. You see I know Jack Blake, I know the beautiful Wildlife Officer Jet. I also know the nit picker First Shirts and lunatic killer Jack had to run aground near Kennecott/McCarthy on that cold, snowing winter day and night. You will thoroughly enjoy a captivating non stop adventure! You see, I really do know Mike, or Jack, and expected a very fine story and was not one iota disappointed.

Steven A. Knutson
Author of It Takes One To Catch One - Confessions of an Alaskan Wildlife Trooper

If it is true that our eyes are the "windows" of our souls then human sound is surely the expression of the soul. Stewart Pearce, in his richly readable THE ALCHEMY OF VOICE, guides us to discover our own vocal sound as a force, a doorway to the soul's intention and as our own healing potential. His voice exercises are excellent and clearly described; anyone can access these guided explorations in sound quite easily. Anyone who needs to be fully present in their work or life and who wishes to have vocal clarity, authority and authenticity would benefit from this delightful guide: actors, teachers, parents, civic leaders, executives and of course, healers....anyone and all.

I recommend THE ALCHEMY OF VOICE most enthusiastically.
Jane H. Percy, Dir. Riverlight Wellness Center
www.riverlightcenter.com

MARY AVER SRN, Msc, Intuitive Diagnostician, Healer and Shaman.

"When Stewart Pearce speaks through THE ALCHEMY OF VOICE I become transfixed. He teaches how to be magnetic, through resonance which is carried on waves of pure sound. I have practiced the exercises from this book and I have experienced this resonance, as sound waves cleanse and re-energize my energy field with waves of peaceful light.
I love Chapter 8 - Words are Organic - which reveals that words have enormous power though most of the time we are completely unconscious of how we use them. I have had the privilege of hearing Stewart speak - from his heart - his words in turn entered mine.
Stewart is clearly a Master and I feel that his book is a must at this time as our culture has lost touch with the knowledge that sound is a vehicle for healing."

....the resonance of your heart and the song of your soul." Nobody could have expressed it better than renowned voice coach and personal teacher Stewart Pearce in his book "Alchemy of Voice"! It is a beautiful written account of the author's own spiritual journey to find his " personal key note" and as a consequence his heart's desire. Stewart Pearce became a famous voice coach who teaches not only at London's Globe Theatre but all over the world - wherever people fascinated by his book ask for his support and guidance. The beauty of the book is that it doesn't really matter whether you are an actor, a Top Executive in the corporate world or a politician preparing for the next speech in parliament. We all use our voices to convey our message; either by persuasion, seduction or heart felt passion to convince our audience. Stewart Pearce explains why it is so important that the tone of our voice reflects our inner felt conviction because only then we come across as authentic and are in the end convincing. As long as our mind (ratio) is not fully aligned with our heart (emotion), we will always miss this ultimate goal of eventually becoming our real selves. In addition, Stewart Pearce provides us with some very powerful tools in describing some very simple but highly effective exercises to heighten our awareness and becoming more conscious when using our voice. Whatever your goals is, you could simply use this book and learn the techniques it provides you or start the journey to find IT! The distinctive sound of your own note!

This is a life-changing book, plain and simple.
Stewart Pearce shows us what we didn't know was possible with his clear, thoughtful, easy to read, magical examination of the human voice.
Through Stewart Pearce's spiritual and self-empowering guidance, we learn the force and possibility of our voices to heal, and change lives.
In addition to the spiritual, you will quickly learn the practical: You will learn depth, texture, flexibility, clarity, confidence, and POWER your voice is capable of.
The "voice" will have new meaning after experiencing this book.
This Groundbreaking book deserves the highest recommendation possible.

What an extraordinary and life transforming book. Stewart Pearce has given us both spiritual insight and its practical manifestation in this ground breaking book about the human voice. As an theatre director and acting teacher, I find this book to be invaluable both for actors and for all humans who have a voice. The book empowers us to use our voice as our personal sounder and our healer: to find authority, richness, texture and depth in our own instrument whose range and flexibility are largely mysteries to us. By following the exercises and Stewart's deeper guidance you will fall madly in love with the voice you were born with and want to share it with the world!

(Note: There's a second edition out on CD now.)

I checked out all the accent training materials I could find from the library and I believe this one to be the best. (I looked at the following: American Accent Guide, American Accent Training, Pronounce It Perfectly in English, American English Pronunciation Program, How to Speak English without an Accent, and EasyAccent. I also looked at Well Said, and do not recommend it for self-teaching.)

So you know who this review is coming from: I'm a native speaker of American English and lifelong linguistics enthusiast. I investigated these accent reduction systems at the request of a non-native speaker looking to improve his accent, and I became fascinated with the variety of offerings out there (many of which were woefully incomplete). Although I have not personally used these systems, I hope my analysis as a native speaker will be helpful to some! Perhaps I'll have more to add later when I see it put to use.

Of the materials I looked at, I prefer Lujan's (the item being reviewed) for the following reasons:

1. It is at the top in comprehensiveness. The only other program I found in the self-teaching category that was comparable was Ann Cook's American Accent Training. (Note: I did not look at Donna Hope's American English Pronunciation, which was mentioned by another reviewer--that may be good as well.) All the others described individual sounds (some less helpfully than others), but in the areas of linking, rhythm, and intonation, their coverage ranged from partial to non-existent, and was sometimes misleading.

2. It has the most accurate and complete method of explaining and transcribing rhythm and intonation, in my opinion. As mentioned, none of the other methods but Cook's covered this area extensively, and I believe it to be extremely important. Both Lujan and Cook indicate the great importance of rhythm and intonation in accent, but have devised different methods of explanation and transcription. I felt Lujan's was more complete, and when I read the examples aloud (and listened to the audio), the transcription matched perfectly in all cases. I did not feel quite as comfortable with Cook's in that regard.

3. It does a good job of offering examples of regional speech which the reader might encounter, while letting the reader know they are non-standard. This is arguably valuable, but what I think is particularly important is *not encouraging* the reader to use unnecessary speech patterns. This is one thing I did not like about Cook's presentation and part of the reason I prefer Lujan's. Cook has a section on merging words together and gives examples and exercises along the lines of "pronounce 'did you' as 'didju'." This is definitely not necessary, and as a native speaker, I do not make these links and find them annoying to hear. Anyone reading Cook's book would do well to ignore this section.

My overall recommendation:
Get Lujan's American Accent Guide. If you are really into it and want something else--which wouldn't be necessary, by the way--or you need a pep talk, get Cook's as well. (But don't start saying "didju"!) I probably wouldn't try to reconcile the chapters on intonation from both of those--I'd just stick with Lujan's. If you are not super motivated to go through a comprehensive program, or want some "light listening" on your off days, you might also get Pronounce It Perfectly in English from the library. It is lacking, but not that bad for basic information (though again, I believe the intonation part is a little inconsistent).

Bottom line:
If you're only going to get one book on improving your accent, get the American Accent Guide. It's good stuff.

I have studied through many American English pronunciation guides and programs and own many of the relavant products. I found the following extremely useful:
1. The American Accent Guide (the one being reviewed) by Beverly Lujan, edited by C. J. S. Wallia of U.C. Berkely. This is one of the authorities existed in the market. It is extremely comprehensive and clear. You will learn every essential thing here! Although a bit expensive, worth owning one!!
2. Donna Hope's American English Pronunciation helps you step by step the pronunciation of every English phoneme in an extremely detailed format! The great asset is that it clarifies the similar phonemes in great detail. After you finish the book, you will be able to speak like a native English speaker! (Of course, you must be a diligent learner)
3. Ann Cook's American Accent Training contains 5 good quality CDs. She doesn't teach you how to pronounce every phoneme but does emphasize on the important ones! Extremely clear voice! My favorite!
A linguists should definitely own AT LEAST one of the above!!

The American Accent Guide, 2nd Edition, released in 2004 is an upgraded version of this book and includes CDs instead of audio cassettes. It sells for $99.00.

Be aware that The American Accent Guide, 2nd Edition, released in 2004, is an upgraded version of this book and features CDs instead of cassettes. It sells for $99.00. No need to pay $190.00 for an old, used version.

This guide to american accent is simply amazing. I had previously tried different methods to improve my pronunciation but none of them worked. This book contains the essential information that is needed in order to understand all the facts of the american english pronunciation and intonation. Very simple, very easy to work with. I strongly recommend it!

Just reading the first few pages of the preface will set your mind upon thoughts never imagined. This is a book that will really change you, and, I must say, his author did an amazing job at it. It even includes antique alphabets and an explanation to the origin of ours. If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, which by the way is somewhat rare, do buy it without further hesitation.

This is the true questionning of the origin of our religions, our language, and nations. Though, this isn't a book just for anyone, if you've gotten as far as reading this review you ought to buy it.

This has the magnificence in knowledge that Shakespeare has in theatre. I have a hardcover copy, 1 of 1,000 published, I treasure.
Yes, the vocabulary is of the literati of 1800 - what else would it be? If you can accept it as friendly conversation of one who is comfortable with words, you will enjoy it!
It should be required reading for all who aspire to a broad knowledge of how the world came to be as it is today. Include some Campbell and Maszlow and your perspective will exceed your strongest desire. Familiarity with history is beneficial; familiarity with Higgins is vital for knowing where our ideas and ideals come from.
Yes, it can well be considered "deep", which gives it value. I am so impressed with Higgins' effort, I would invite anyone who has read it, or thinks they can read it, to communicate with me ... . Or perhaps not, that may mean I'd be compelled to read it a third time. Well, go ahead, I'll do it anyway. (No, my copy is not for sale. I'll give it up only when they pry it from my cold stiff fingers.)

As we enter the twenty-first century and the oncoming third milleniuim since the birth of Christ, the world may finally be ready for this book. It was undoubtedly not when it was written, and though it may have saved a few million lives had it been publicly wrassled with before the advent of Nazism, the world was probably not ready for it until now. Of the books that I have proclaimed being of the most important written this century (Edward Said's ORIENTALISM, Bernal's BLACK ATHENA, Bradshaw's HOMECOMING, Campbell's HERO OF A THOUSAND FACES, deSantillana and von Dechend's HAMLET'S MILL among them), this book, written a century BEFORE (c. 1830's), towers above them all.

This book, which I have yet to finish, is NOT for the faint of heart, by any stretch of the imagination. Despite the fact that it will probably have the paradoxical effect of reinvigorating your faith in whatever one you have chosen- after a time- beyond anything else could. The style has its obvious flaws, and does contribute to its ability to overwhelm. But trust me, it won't stop you.

Of all the books I have recommended to friends and family and strangers, I have to say with this staggering epic:

Read it at your own risk. Read it and be changed.

The content is fabulous! The writing style is rather dense, typical of its original publishing date of 1832, but Higgins makes sense of the foundations of a lot of esoteric information that had previously seemed quite random and rather indecipherable.
My one criticism lies in the print quality. This is an exact copy of the nineteenth century original and it was apparently either a larger book or originally set in about 6 point type. Plan on investing in a good magnifying glass or risk serious damage to your eyesight.

A powerful and poignant work that is essentially a must,please get the original volumes 1 and 2 and not the condensed version. This book is not for the feeble minded individual who has problems concentrating but for the open minded,critical thinker who truly wants to delve into the mysteries of language and symbols and the origins of them.

This book is an excellent resource for learning AspectJ. It is perfectly organized to take you from beginner, novice, to expert as you move through each of the chapters, just as you might expect if you were taking a class in AspectJ.

The author's presentation of the material is straightforward and easy to follow, and his examples are not too involved that you lose track of what's going on. Furthermore, the author has an excellent grasp of the language and is really able to show off the power AspectJ has to offer.

What I really appreciate about the book is that he focuses not just on coding, but also on design; I'm a software engineer and am very pleased that the author discusses an aspect as something to be used elegantly, as part of a well-designed system, rather than just another tool that can be abused. He even discusses several new design patterns that AspectJ makes possible.

I truly recommend this book!

I have got this book at local Austin Java User Group meeting. First impression: different cover. Most of Manning books are either greenish or almost black-and-white. This one is yellow.

Part 1 provides really good introduction into AOP. This is the first book I have read on AOP; all stuff I have seen before was online or magazine articles. One interesting fact is that this book took a while to consume, compared to the usual two-week cycle I have for technical books. I guess the reason is that the book has more substance than most of the techincal books and Mannigs does not try to pad their books with API references and other stuff that can be easily found online. After the chapter goes through AOP concepts, it explains AspectJ in application to those concepts. Basic syntax as well as some advanced techniques are explained.

Part 2 has examples of basic applications of AspectJ. Of course it starts with the mandatory logging implemented using AOP. Not a very good example in general, since logging is not really a cross-cutting concern, but works for illustration purposes. Other two application areas discussed in this part are implementation policy enforcement and optimization (pooling and caching examples). Policy enorcement part is really interesting, especially if you are into call patterns.

In general, every part follows the same pattern: first the author discusses the conventional approach, then explains challenges of the conventional solution, provides AspectJ-based solution, and gives one or two examples. Very clean language, easy to follow.

Part 3 discusses advanced applications of AspectJ. First it delves into design patterns and idioms of AOP; it's not by any means AspectJ-specific, so would be useful for any AOP implementation. Examples of patterns are providing thread-safe implementations using AspectJ, implementing security (very interesting discussion on JAAS), transaction management, and implementing business rules using AspectJ. The part ends with AspectJ usage in different development phases.

Two appendices: description of AspectJ compiler and Ant integration - only 15 pages for both. Useful as a reference.

Overall impression: an excellent book. Definitely worth reading, even if you are not into AOP yet.

I loved this book, first of all the introduction is the most interesting presentation of AOP that I ever read.

The other chapters are very good too since based on use-cases very easy to reproduce on projects...

A book to have is you want to learn abour AOP (even if not interested by AspectJ per se...)

AspectJ In Action is a great book to use as an introduction to Aspect-oriented Programming. However, AOP is not for developers to whom Java and OO are still new. Without a comfortable understanding of classes, polymorphism, and encapsulation AOP will only further confuse things.

With that said, AspectJ In Action is a wonderful book filled with plenty of examples and explanations about the well-lit areas of AOP as well as many of the dark corners. I enjoyed reading this book because it starts out with the fundamentals and works its way to more and more complex uses of AOP without getting bogged down in language tangents. Also, the direct application of AOP in real Java design areas is very helpful in getting a better feel for when and how AOP can be applied.

I am looking forward to Ramnivas Laddad's next book!

I met the author of this book this weekend, and saw him give a presentation on this material. Finally, a book that shows real uses for AOP.
I have been watching AspectJ since I first saw it about a year ago. My first impression was that it was 'cool', but was worried about giving developers more rope with which to hang themselves. Yes, it was cool, but the most practical examples you would see in demos were thing like 'logging'. I was worried that it would just lead more more ways for junior engineers to 'convolute the code', without bringing much benefit for that risk.
The material in this book, ALONG WITH the support the author had from the Eclipse IDE changed my mind. Finally, there were some real examples involving transaction support, JAAS, exception handling, and more. Furthermore, he addressed these topics in the real-world sense of refactoring existing code to prove his points.
If you aren't using an IDE that gives you some support, then I still have my concerns about 'convoluting' your code; but I am more convinced than ever that AOP concepts are worth putting into my mental toolkit. I have no doubt that the way aspects 'inject' behavior into code will reduce our development time, and make our code behave more consistently (no errors because of inconsistencies in the way common things are handled). If you can add one more ball to the things you 'mentally juggle' while developing, add AOP concepts. This book will help.

I'm soooo happy that I bought this book! It's a very thorough combination of a library of signs we can use to communicate with infants, beautiful music to use with the signs, and a lot of VERY GOOD ideas for crafts to accompany the related topic. The author was right, "Roll the Ball" is a HIT in any small child class. The book also has an index of related sources, websites and ect for signing for children. Though this book is designed for "babies" I think it's also good for toddlers (or the almost walking age). I mentioned this book on a discussion for small children and the discussion about the book is REALLY picking up!

Tim's Kids
Children's language circle
Japan

I am very excited about this book as I am a music teacher always looking for new things. Although I haven't yet incorporated this in my classes I cannot wait to start as the ideas in this book has given me renewed enthusiasm and I feel energised again.

This book and the music CD is a staple at our house. My daughter has loved all the music since she was under 1, and now she is 2 and still asks to listen to it. My daughter started signing at 7 months and knew more than 25 signs at a year old.... and I owe it all to the Sing and Sign program. It is fantastic! You can't go wrong with this book... especially since it also has a great music CD to listen to anytime.

I am a music therapist in Kansas City and also a mom to a 3 year old and 1 year old. This book gets as much use in the classroom as it does at home!

I teach special needs children ages 3-12 and I have used this book and the accompanying recording in all my classes. Several teachers have purchased the book themselves! My own children love the songs and and the signs. I get frequent requests at school and at home for the Baby Sing and Sign!

I was lucky enough to take this author's class with my son in KC. After a few months of signing to him, he began signing nonstop around age 11 months. It helped immensely to reduce his frustration (and mine!) in communicating his needs and wants. He learned new signs quickly and his vocabulary/recognition of new objects grew immensely in the months to follow. Now that he is 2, his verbal skills are highly advanced (he speaks very clearly and can compose complex sentences), and I firmly believe this is due to the strong language base he started with the signing programs.

The songs and games in this book are still some of his favorites! Glad to see this great resource is available to parents everywhere! Thanks Anne!

Linda Joy Myer's book is an invaluable resource for the memoir writer. Tackling memoiries can be daunting and emotionally draining. Where to start? What to include? How to be self-nurturing on a this difficult journey? Linda has the answers.

I am writing a memoir with the guidance of Linda Joy Meyers' book. It is not an easy task to re-live the past, yet I have found that with the inspiration of this book, I am able to move through my story with guidance and support. I am now almost done with the first draft! Thank you Linda for all your insights and help.

Linda Joy Myers writes with the voice of a compassionate teacher. Her stories and her students' made me cry (crying is healing for me); her writing exercises are priceless; the Developmental Questionnaire is "memory provoking" -- all this in one book. Wow!

What I liked most about Dr. Myers' book was her combination of inspirational words and practical exercises. I've read other books on how to write memoirs and not been as impacted as I was by this one. The author concludes each chapter with suggested writing exercises, which is a great way to make the lessons real. It also helped me get past my reluctance to present my truest self on the page. I got what I needed from your book, thank you Linda Joy Myers!

Any writer, in any genre, can benefit from reading Becoming Whole. Dr. Linda Myers has written a wonderfully readable guide to accessing our deep, intuitive wisdom by using exercises that break through writing blocks. Her use of student writing samples demonstrates to all of us that shyness and lack of confidence are not impediments to writing from our authentic self. Dr. Myer's own writing speaks with the authenticity of someone who's been there and who generously offers her hard won wisdom to her fellow travelers in ways that are both practical and healing.
- Neil Fiore, PhD, author of "The Now Habit: Overcoming Procrastination While Enjoying Guilt-Free Play" and
"It's Your Life - Who's In Charge? Your Guide to Inner Peace, Greater Joy & Less Stress"

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.