Educational Books

The test books that Scholastic puts out are a great tool for preparing your elementary school child for yearly standardized testing. We use these books one day each week for test practice as well as concept review. I adore the Scholastic test books!

perfect book for kids grammar practice

I wish the book had more pages. It would be more worthwhile to have more to work with.

This is a fine book for kids to learn and practice English grammars. Many kids read well, but cannot write decent sentences. An early start in grammar makes a big difference. The book supplies well-designed questions and multiple-choice problems to teach and enforce the essential language rules. They are vivid and interesting. My child has a much better writing after using this book. I hope it had more pages. For additional such practices, we also use a nice web site (www.beestar.org) that provides exercises similar to this book. They both do a fine job of improving kids' language level. Highly recommend.

I had asked to borrow this book from friends and was turned down. So I finally picked up my own copy and I was not disappointed. It is a good book, practical, short and concise for us busy administrators. I recommend it.

This book was valuable as an aspiring educational leader. The 21 responsibilities were extremely valuable in understanding the role that an educational leader must take on. The down side was the statistical calculation which without having had stats in some time made understanding the rationale behind some of the data more challenging. I would still recommend though!

In this book, Robert Marzano, the most effective force in educational reform today, continues his efforts to promote excellence in schools. Here, he and his colleagues turn their attention to defining school leadership behaviors and actions that raise student achievement. They blend practical advice and research to come up with specific steps that school leaders can take to see that students improve academically.

Marzano et al found that there are 21 leadership responsibilities that have a statistically significant relationship with student achievement. All are important, but the three most correlated with achievement are (1) Situational Awareness (of the specific school situation and good use of this information), (2) Flexibility (to adapt to the specific situation and to handle dissent), and (3) (tied) Discipline (to protect teachers from undue distractions), Outreach (as advocate and spokesperson for the school), and Monitoring/Evaluation (creating a system that provides feedback on effectiveness).

They classified previous efforts at school change into two types. First-Order Change is incremental, a step-by-step pattern. Second-Order Change is sudden reversal of pattern or direction, anything but incremental. Both change processes can be effective, and both require different behaviors by school leaders. The three most effective behaviors for First-Order Change are (1) Monitoring/Evaluating, (2) Culture (building a positive culture that influences teachers), and (3) Ideals/Beliefs (leader's well-articulated ideals and beliefs). The three most important behaviors for Second-Order Change are (1) Knowledge of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, (2) Optimizer (optimism as a critical characteristic), and (3) Intellectual Stimulation (of Staff).

The third component Marzano et al looked at was the importance of the leader's ability to select the right work or issues for the school staff to tackle to improve achievement, whether through the use of models of site-specific or of comprehensive school reform. Both models are effective if tailored to the needs and context of a given school.

But hold on. Don't be discouraged from reading this book because you fear that this is just another text full of education theory and cliches. Or don't succumb to thoughts of "been there, done that" and been burned too many times before. Marzano and company offer a thorough, five-step plan that works for experienced or novice leaders. They recognize that no one person can do all they suggest, and they show how to share leadership with other educators and community members. This book is the most clearly defined, research-based plan for improving student achievement you can find today; and everyone, educator or not, who is interested in better student academic growth should read it.

If there were educational awards equivalent to the Congressional Medal of Honor given for service beyond the call of duty for the promotion of student academic excellence, Robert Marzano should receive the first.

Robert Marzano and his colleagues translate the knowledge base on effective school leadership into a clear and precise format applicable to 21st century schools. It is a great gift to both successfuil veterans and aspiring leaders. Students and the nation are better off for this work. Education professors and school board members will use Marzano's meta-analysis to understand and articulate the qualities we need in today's leaders.

This gracefully written book tells an adventure story. It's set in the late 60s and early 70s, the time of the Great Society when hopes were high for breaking down barriers of Class and Race. It's full of unforgettable characters : Parents who live in East Harlem, near the market under the train tracks, and teachers and other people who come from outside the community and soon are engaged in learning how to work within it. Very relevant to the present day challenges of teaching and parenting.

With the start of the school year approaching, there is no better time to learn from the men and women whose struggles are documented in this wonderfully written book. The account of their journey to create better schools and better futures for the children in their community is both engaging and inspiring.

This is an exceptional book. I'm not an educator and found it spell binding. What I found most extraordinary was that, against so many odds, there were so many successes and that the school continues. The efforts of the families and teachers is humbling. One of the outstanding aspects of the book is the description of the way in which issues of class were confronted and dealt with. This seems to be an issue over which many well-intentioned efforts to change "the system" stumble. This account offers valuable insight as to how such challenges must be met. This book is of great value to anyone concerned with social change. It's also well written, which is a treat.

When I was a teacher in a New York City public school, professionals used to implore parents to get involved in their children's education. This involvement, of course, was to take place at home, because parents were not welcomed into the school except by invitation. What a difference there is between that relationship of school and home and the one described by Tom Roderick in this book! Parents were not only welcomed into the East Harlem Block Schools, they were in charge of the place. Roles for teachers and parents were clearly defined, but in the end, an elected parent board had decision-making power. The result: Children thrived, parents found themselves furthering their own education, and teachers discovered the pains and pleasures of breaking through barriers of race and class. This book is great social history with important lessons for schools and for community development in general.

"Schools That Do Too Much" by Etta Kralovec gives insight to the "hows and whys" of where a portion of our education dollars are spent. Ms. Kralovec also takes us through a typical day in the life of a high school student. The time and money lost in our education system according to her is "eye-opening" to say the least. Although I do not agree with all of her findings as being money and time wasters; what she conveys will have you agreeing with her. Schools today are not delivering what is needed for our students. Read this direct and easy to follow book and then draw your own conclusions about today's public school expectations.

In her new book, Schools That Do Too Much, Dr. Etta Kralovec advocates rethinking the amount of time and financial backing given to "school sports, DARE and extra-curricular activities", but not without rationale. She documents the toll taken upon academics from the seemingly endless stream of fundraising for one project or another. She notes that with each new societal challenge; AIDS, drugs, poverty, disrupted family units, we have expected our schools to assume responsibility for instruction on the issue, and to act as surrogate parents. Although there is undoubtedly a need for a larger community support network to support our youth, is that the role of the school? With each new program or curricula added to an already hectic week, some other piece of the day must give way. Inevitably, it is a core academic piece that is lost. With the recent increase in federally mandated standards, and a drive towards "learning results", it is especially difficult to accomplish. Kralovec acknowledges the value in special programs and extra-curricular activities, many of which grew out of progressive reform movements of the past aimed at making our communities more cohesive and nurturing places. However, in the face of nsufficient time and funding devoted to academic pursuits, she argues thatit is time to fundamentally revisit the purpose of school. We must alter the curriculum, the budget, and our own expectations to achieve success.

That the average student's day is chaotic and fragmented is more than just the "view" of Dr. Kralovec. As reported in her book, studies show that during the average high school day, a comparatively small percentage of the day is devoted to actual learning. Large chunks of precious time are squandered on moving between classes, settling into the new class, taking roll call, and the numerous and frequent interruptions from announcements,
bells, and other distractions. Furthermore, the time spent `in class' is not always spent `on learning'. Even the very nature of that time is examined. Research shows that the current model asks students to engage at hours when they are least able to do so, and then divides their day into ways which make it particularly difficult to focus. Perhaps from a sense of familiarity, perhaps from lack of a clear alternative, we continue to cling to this unproductive model. Kralovec offers an alternative.

Following an illustration of how to read and understand a school budget (so that parents and interested community members can see where the money is spent), Kralovec goes on to present concrete and well developed, if radical, solutions. These include doing away with homework as it is now (see her prior book The End of Homework), altering the length and structure of the school day, eliminating the bells and loudspeakers which fragment thought, respecting the time allotted to learning, and making the classroom `sacred space'. She challenges schools and parents to revisit their long-held assumptions about what a school is, in an attempt to see what a school might be. I challenge you to read
her book, loan it to a teacher, pass it around your local school board, and start the dialogue.

Heather Martin-Zboray

Kralovec raises two interesting and important questions in this book: What should schools actually be responsible for, and how should the various "additional" (in Kralovec's view) activities and concepts be handled? She advocates removing athletics and drama from the domain of the school, placing them instead in the hands of community groups and businesses, and argues that doing so will allow schools to focus more effectively on the business of learning.

Kralovec's stance is a brave and innovative one, but she barely acknowledges the fact that any such radical change would be possible only after a LOT of hard work by school and community leaders. She does recognize the fact that many people would be angry about proposing these changes. Overall, I don't feel the book does enough to make this kind of change possible -- that is, there isn't enough concrete information about how to bring about real school reform.

Kralovec uses a kind of composite sketch to describe the problems in American secondary schools; some schools are better learning environments than the author describes, and some are even less productive. She also seems to rely on a very few studies to support her ideas, and frequently speaks in generalities. The book as a whole could have been edited better for things like parallel structure, consistent verbiage, and Those Mistakes that Spell-Check Can't Help With.

I think these are important ideas, and it's clear that Kralovec really believes in her thesis. _Schools That Do Too Much_ is worth reading, but the writing itself leaves a bit to be desired. I would (actually, I did) get it from the library rather than purchasing.

As Heather Martin-Zboray states in her review, this is a book well worth reading. Its suggestions are simple but radical for most Americans: let community groups sponsor sports and drama, and let the schools teach a core curriculum!

Shifting to longer class periods (the 90-minute block); starting high school at 9am rather than 7:30am (when most scientific studies reveal that adolescents should be asleep); removing disruptive loud speakers; extending the school day so that teachers can tutor students one-on-one on a daily basis; etc. are the core of Kralovec's suggestions.

Other than overcoming community aversion to these suggestions because "things always were done OUR way," there are no real roadblocks to the suggestions here. The question is this: Does America have the willpower to try to effect effective change which truly promotes learning?

Allington and Cunningham provide excellent insight as to what all schools need to ensure quality instruction to students. This book is a must for all educators, especially administrators. I am a Special Education teacher and a graduate student. I refer to this text often.

With over fifty combined years of experience between them, educational researcher/ consultants Richard Allington and Patricia Cunningham have many ideas to offer in their new book, Schools That Work: Where All Children Read and Write. The book is a natural follow-up to their first collaborative effort, Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write. It is lengthy, but highly engaging, and offers practical, research based ideas for those who envision and want to work toward moving their school or school system toward being one where all children become literate. Because American society has changed, and is changing, at such a rapid pace, Allington and Cunningham contend that the current organizational structure of schools, while being well intentioned, is outdated. Existing structures do not effectively meet the needs of all children, especially those who are at the highest risk of school failure. Therefore, they believe that educational interventions that offer "more of the same" will not work to fix the inadequacies in today's schools. Because many schools are stuck, looking toward traditional solutions, huge amounts of federal and state money are being poured into educational programs such as developmental kindergarten, transitional K-1 classes, retention, and remedial, resource and bilingual programs that aren't effective in helping all at risk learners learn to read and write. Throughout the twelve chapters of the book, examples of effective large and small-scale school restructuring efforts in real schools are described. These descriptions are very helpful in illustrating the authors' key points. Models such as the Coalition of Essential Schools, Success For All, the Accelerated Schools Model, Reading Recovery, School Power and Schools for the 21st Century are included. Chapters of the book are organized around central themes of school organizational plans such as instruction, professional roles, allocation of time, parent involvement, assessment and curriculum materials. I will briefly summarize these chapters to give an overview of their content. In the chapter on curriculum, Cunningham and Allington offer many ideas for getting real reading material into the hands of children. Popular methods of literacy instruction are also described, but it is clear that the authors do not believe there is one best way to teach reading and writing. Instead, they advocate for quality instruction delivered in a multifaceted approach. This position is similar to that taken in Best Practices in Literacy Instruction, edited by Gambrel, Morrow, Neuman and Pressley, a resource text for teachers of literacy. Allington and Cunningham then go on to describe essential components of quality literacy instruction. One of the important points of the book is that "good schools are a collection of good classrooms" and that the job of everyone who works at a school is to support and enhance classroom instruction. An important point is made that while most instruction for at risk students slows down the pace of instruction, what is most effective is accelerating their learning through more and better instruction so that they are able to catch up with their peers. Concerning the issue of how instructional time is used; a chapter is devoted to describing effective classroom management practices that maximize the amount of time available for actual reading and writing. Innovative ways of creating more instructional time such as allowing teachers to work on flexible schedules opens up the possibility of students receiving extended amounts of instruction before and after school, in Saturday School and summer school. In the chapter on assessment, strategies for evaluating literacy programs and progress are given. Ideas for utilizing authentic assessments such as observational records, writing samples, narrative comments, interviews, self-evaluations, portfolios and anonymous student testing are presented.

Because schools can change only as fast as the instructional practices of teachers change, Allington and Cunningham devote a chapter to advice for supporting the professional development of teachers. The authors believe that systems need to allocate greater amounts of their resources toward professional development, as well as offer administrative and collegial support in order for teachers to remain life long learners who continually develop new areas of expertise. As our changing society affects schools, it affects families too. Most children now come from single parent families or families where both parents work. Because the authors believe that schools cannot be fully effective without parent support and involvement, ideas for improving parent outreach programs are described. Innovative ways to improve communication between schools and families, involve parents in school decision making processes, and create family literacy programs and interagency family support services that help break cycles of illiteracy and poverty are provided. A chapter is set aside for offering additional ideas for developing the literacy skills of special populations of children, such as those with learning disabilities and those who speak English as a second language. In another chapter, a tour is given through a hypothetical school that reflects some of the basic themes in the book. Readers are then prompted to take a tour through their own school and look for examples of effective practices they would like to see more of, as well as ineffective practices they would like to see decreased. The final chapter of the book offers some relief to the reader, who may at this point be overwhelmed with the scope and scale of school restructuring that needs to be done. Allington and Cunningham caution, though, that there are no quick fixes in education, and that successful reform efforts are done gradually with the long view in mind. Restructuring often begins with a small group of people, or even with one person at a school. Is that person you? Do you believe that all children can learn to read and write, and would you like to help them do so? If you think so, this book could be an invaluable resource that gets you thinking about large-scale changes by starting small. Read it and pass it along to someone in your school, as someone in my school passed it along to me. Who knows what might happen next?

Because their other book, "Classrooms That Work," is such a hit with my preservice students, I ordered this one. Receiving it just today, and after browsing through and discovering on the final page reference to the the critical words, "common sense initiatives," I have a feeling we may have another winner with this book, as well.

With over ten years as a primary, intermediate, and junior high teacher, I have read lots of education books. This may end up being the book that helps me the most in helping improve myself as an educator, and in helping the school improve itself. This book was jam-packed with great ideas of what truly makes a good school. "Schools That Work" is geared for both principals, teachers, and anyone else in the education field. After reading this it makes for a great reference book. The book is well organized into the different components that make a good school. Also, it has great book, magazine, and web resources throughout the entire book. In short, buy this book without hesitation--it is that good!

I bought this book from Half.com, then ended up taking the essay course taught by the author, Dr. Mary Gallagher, in NYC. Made all the difference. Her course directly reflected the method that she describes in her book. If essays are your weakness, using her method should make a positive difference.

If you are serious about passing the bar exam, you should stop reading this review immediately and BUY DR. GALLAGHER'S BOOK! Even if you are unable to take her excellent course (which I HIGHLY recommend), you MUST add this book to your list of bar preparation materials. By practicing Dr. Gallagher's simple, effective writing method, and using the sample essays she provides, you will be trained to write any bar exam essay quickly, efficiently, and successfully. Dr. Gallagher helped me to pass the New York Bar Exam on the first try! If you're tired of unsuccessful attempts to pass the bar, or if you're a first-timer who never wants to take that dreaded exam again, GET SCORING HIGH ON BAR EXAM ESSAYS NOW!

I'm happy to recommend this book - it's quite useful. The first half of the book is tips, the second half is 80 full-length essay exam with model answers. The tips section is built on Gallagher's essay writing "system" which is basically the IRAC system which every law student uses, modified into CRAC. Her "model paragraph" system is quite useful, and something that I wish I had learned about earlier in my law school career. The only downside is that the book was written in '96, and while substantively the information isn't out-of-date, it would be nice if it wasn't so old.

I was a three time repeat bar taker and looking for answers. I never could figure out what I was doing wrong in my essays in order to get better scores. I knew I had a firm grasp on the material but just couldn't get it together. With this book, the bar exam writing process finally made sense! I'm extremely happy I found Mary's system because it helped me to pass on my third try.

I highly recommend this book to those looking to improve their exam writing skills. The book also contains some general bar study tips that helped me enormously. In my opinion this book is the bar exam study bible.

In "7 Secrets of Learning," Dr. Martel reveals what parents, teachers and students need to know to dramatically transform the learning process into the joyful, natural and successful experience we have dared hoped it could be. Now, as never before, Dr. Martel shows us that we have the knowledge needed so that none of us needs to struggle to learn. This book is built on 7 core concepts:
1. The message received is the message sent.
2. You get more of what you reinforce.
3. Any act of learning is an act of creating.
4. Diversity is a capacity.
5. Our strength is in our connectedness.
6. Stupidity is a learned behavior.
7. Everyone is born a genius.
Not only does Dr. Martel, explain these concepts chapter by chapter, page by page, he also gives us clear and easy to follow processes to put these concepts to work in our daily lives. Parents can use this book to give their children a head start. Teachers can use it as the only guide they need to take their students to the highest levels of performance. Students themselves, especially those in high school and college, can use it to take control of their own learning, going faster and further in their studies than they may have dreamed was possible.
Everyone interested in learning, teaching or education should read this book.
JW

I cannot imagine a publication providing a more comprehensive coverage of learning - beginning with a child's health maintenance and training from an early age and on through it's adult career - than The Seven Secrets of Learning Revealed. It is fantastic! This is without a doubt a concerned author's contribution to education based on experience and research. The contents are overwhelming! This is one of those books that you will not want to close 'til the end, and it is so well organized that you can easily return to any chapter for review/action. In addition, it is a wonderful guide for parents as well as educators or corporate trainers. As a matter of fact, an educator to whom I showed this book, stated perhaps they should make it required reading for all teachers/trainers on their Tech staff. Education Support Staff Member, Bluffton, SC.

For all people, especially teachers and parents who are interested in how children learn best, this is a book that should not be missing on your book shelf. It not only reveals secrets about a child's (internal) learning process, it also gives insights in what the learning environment should look like to achieve the optimal learning performance. Issues like the importance of colours, music, water and light are decribed in such a way that you understand how environmental mismatches can influence the learning proces and a child's health in a negative way.
It is furthermore a book that beside the theoretical background on the seven secrets of learning, provides the reader with very practical tips and tools and lots of lifely examples of schools and companies who have implemented the Intellilearn method. If you read these examples you can only be wanting to start working with the Intellilearn methodology. For, this is the way to create an optimal learning environment, in which children will learn and perform with pleasure, according to their personal learningstyle, in good health and achieving their best level of personal performance.
I believe in the methodolgy of Dr. Martel and my personal aim is to get these seven secrets of learning implemented in our Dutch school system and let a lot of children have more fun in learning.

Martel shares with his readers all his knowledge and enthusiasm for the "real" world of learning. There is something in this book for everyone to take to "heart and brain". I'm a grandparent now, but I've also been a student, educator, parent , administrator, member of community boards over my life-time and it would have been great to have had knowledge of the "secrets" this book imparts. The author makes it easy to follow the trail of what happens while one is "learning" anything. The reader can easily see how the process of thinking and absorbing information is influenced by who we are, where we are, and when all this is taking place. In this book are a myriad of suggestions as to how one can make learning "anything" easier and more fun. I only wish I had had access to all these "secrets" many years ago.

In this book you will find 52 (WOW!) great ideas of using ordinary objects to show extraordinary things...and then tie it to the Scriptures! Then, add the twist on that kids can share the activities with others....an even better value in this resource.
As always, Group Publishing has really come through with a resource that is valuable, easy to use and one that kids will remember for a long time! And, it is so EASY for the teacher to pull it off....wow! That makes it worth it all together.

i am a Sunday School teacher (1st-3rd grade) and when i discovered my kids love having hands on projects, i found this book. this book has really helped me explain to the kids in a way they understand and they have LOTS of fun doing it. they seem to remember bible verses better when they're have fun. these experiments are easy to do and most items can be found around the house. all the experiemtns are focused around the bible and Gods love; it's clearly explains everything on a childs level. i love this book and recommned it for anyone working with children!!!

The text is easy to understand and the projects are easy to do. I would recommend this book for anyone who is involved with elementary age children. It's a different approach to the typical "sunday school lesson"

I am a Children's Pastor, and found this book through my Amazon Recommendations (thanks Amazon!). It is fantastic. The object lessons are easy to do, and really grab the attention of kids. Each lesson is keyed to a scripture and a quick "devotion" but I've often found that in going over a given illusion or illustration, I will be inspired to take it in an entirely different direction, and build an entire children's sermon on it. Other times, like last week, I used three objects from this book during one lesson.

The mark of a good object lesson for kids is when you're doing it, and you hear "oooooooh!" rise up from your congregation. This book is full of "ooooooooohs!"

Highly recommended. Can be adapted to small Sunday School classes, or full blown Children's Church.

My nephew has just started kindergarten so I purchased these to give him a head start. I tape them to the refrigerator until he masters each card. The cards are durable and easy to read. Glad I purchased them.

Every word comes with a sentence on the back of the card that you can practive with your child. Very much worth the 5 bucks you spend on this.

These cards are great!! My daughter has learned to spell and read lots of words. The cardstock is thick and durable. The words are printed large and clear for easy visibility.

The cards are just the ticket for children learning to read. The sight cards are strong, boldly written, easy to wipe clean due to finish on each card and fun for the child.

This book was exactly what I was looking for as a substitute teacher. I am often in a class that has a special needs child in it and it is so nice to be able to communicate directly with the child rather than working through their aide. It gives me exactly the phrases I need, not too many. It is a great tool for me.

This was purchased for a 7 yr old who was learning sign in school because there were a couple of hearing impaired children in her class and she wanted to be able to talk with them. She has learned much from this book in a short time. She now teaches her grandmother and "tests" her on what she has learned.

I purchased this book to use as a text for my daughter to learn sign as her foreign language. The illustrations are very easily understood, and as the title suggests, pertains to the average school day. The chapters include: Finger Alphabet, Asking Questions and Getting Answers, Courtesies and Greetings, Giving Direction, and Words Around School. This book would make an excellent resource for teachers and students alike to learn how to communicate with a hearing-impaired classmate. We look forward to more titles being added to this series.

I bought this book for my 8 year old niece, and I'm happy to say that she loves it and it's probably going to change her life in a very positive way.