Schools and Instruction Books

John Barell's WHY ARE SCHOOL BUSES ALWAYS YELLOW? TEACHING FOR INQUIRY, PRE K-5 surveys methods for challenging young learners, inviting them to develop inquiry and critical thinking skills in all children. Chapters outline the inquiry process and discuss its importance in classroom management, surveying successes through real classroom examples perfect for teacher applications.

"Why Are School Buses Always Yellow" by John Barell, Professor Emeritus, Montclair State University encapsulates years of theory into workable practice. I probably would have saved thousands in college tuition loans if this resource had blessed me decades ago! (virtual "Wish I'd had a V-8" moment)!

Barell gently reiterates that questions signal higher-order thought processing which is the goal of effective classroom interaction and innovation. He reminds us that student questions are the attainment of the highest thinking skills.

Too many books declare WHAT an important concept inquiry teaching is. But, what teachers continue to ask for is actual implementation: HOW TO DO inquiry-oriented teaching. It's about time that a book came along that speaks to "HOW" to reach and develop inquisitive questioning.

Barell's visits to classrooms and discussions with both teachers and students form a dynamic role-play model. You will no doubt relate to the student responses and learn from modeling Barell's effective inquiry teaching practices. I also appreciate the structure of the chapters, Barell allows space for reflection, an often overlooked phase of learning.

Granny Newlen always admonished us kids to "Learn, discuss, then get up and move." She used such a phrase to get us up off the couch for a learning-walk where we would tell her what we had learned at school that day.

Start your own "learning walk" and buy this book. :)

This is a great book for anyone who has children. Easy to follow instructions and the kids love the projects. Great gift ideas for grandparents too.

The book kicks off with a quick-read intro to teaching art to young children that seems to cover all the basic (and not-so-basic) issues that will be encountered. The suggested monthly "schedule" of projects makes so much sense. And then the outline form within each month is so user friendly -- no need to reinvent the wheel ... follow this proven lesson plan and you'll be golden!

I also really like the teaching style this art teacher encourages. While nurturing children's creative spirits, this teacher seems to know how to maintain control of the class! Most children will thrive in this environment!

Using an easy to read format for both kids and their teacher or parent, 1-2-3 Draw is a wonderful resource for budding young artists ages 6-10. Throughout the book, the author uses practical tips to teach techniques (sketch lightly, store work in order to save it for later), getting organized (a materials list is provided at the beginning of the lesson), and an index for those quick art activities.

I found the lessons to have a consistent format and style, which is crucial for self-directed study or art lessons from a novice instructor such as parent or older child.

A must-have for every household library!

The 1-2-3 Draw books are so much fun! I am 35 and still draw the same as when I was in grade school. My kids ages 9 and 7 are always are asking me to help them draw something but they draw better than me so I am no help at all! Now that we have these books, we all are learning the little tricks you need to know to be a better artist. It's simple, very clear and easy instructions to follow, fun AND everything turns out looking great! They'll be teaching their friends how to draw before they know it. I wish I would have had these when I was a kid.

These are such a great series. I love how simple they are at teaching how to draw things. I plan on buying the whole series. Its a great time to spend with my kids. We (me and my older ones) draw pictures and my toddlers color them. Its a lot of family fun!

Do yo have the book Abstinence: Pick and Choose Activities for Grades 7-12 in Spanish?

I purchased this book for my art history class. The pictures are wonderful to reference to and the concise and clear summaries of modern styles, schools, and movements are what made enjoy my class.

This is a wonderful book not just for students, but for anyone interested in UNDERSTANDING modern art. After this book, you will have a more profound connection with exhibitions at your local MOMA.

I am not one to give opinions or encourage someone to buy something. Even though Dr. Tim is a music philospoher, his ideas can be used in any classroom. He is inspiring to teachers, and his book is a must read for all who want to teach or who want to teach better than before.

As a beginner I was looking for a very indepth book with alot of samples of different techniques. This is a wonderful book with 3 great sections on oils, acylics and watercolors. Chapters include basic techniques, step by step projects, guides to materials and equipment. With over 400 pages it truly is a complete painters course and well worth the price!

I liked this book. I am a bit of an artist and have taken several watercolor classes. What I liked about this book was the actual work on color. Sounds strange but learning to watercolor doesn't always mean learning to effectively use and mix color--at least that is what I have found. This book is a good way to practice color mixing and actually playing with color so that when you are ready to paint you can proceed with more confidence.