Schools and Instruction Books

so good. finally there's a book i dont feel like an idiot giving to my kids. sure it's not all g-rated but neither is TV anymore. this book talks straight + smart + real. and it says all the things id never be able to say without blushing. [...]

This book is extremely user-friendly. In addition to a captivating introduction, the authors identify key areas of the preschool classroom, and how each area (dramatic play, blocks, etc.) can be made more hospitable for both sexes.

Very practical, encouraging advice. A wonderful gift for a preschool teacher or student in early childhood education.
This also is a wonderful resource for college and graduate students for a project or paper.

If you're looking to start a peer tutoring or mentoring program in your school, this book is for you. The author guides you through the steps to starting and customizing your own program. Written from the experience of two educators who developed this program at their own school, this book starts with an introduction to peer helping. It discusses what it is, how tutoring and mentoring are different, why peer helping works, and many examples of success. The main bulk of the book, however, deals with the planning and customizing of the model. The authors note that it is important to find out what each school needs and planning from that point. Goals should be clear and planned so that there aren't any surprises or difficulties later on. Spending time up front is necessary for smooth development.

Once you've planned and customized your program so that it fits the needs of your school, the authors discuss how to go about implementing it and following through for success. Communication is important with all people involved in the program (administration, teachers, supervisors, and students). Realizing that things might not go perfectly, because they seldom do, there is a section on troubleshooting, common problem areas that might be encountered.

Probably the most valuable part of this book is the appendices at the back of the book. Over 20 forms were included for different aspects of developing the program, such as parent permission forms, peer helper application forms, agendas for training sessions, and many more. These forms are guides, some of which can be copied off as is, others need to be personalized or adjusted depending on the organization of your program.

I found this book to be extremely helpful in setting up my own peer mentoring program and would recommend it to anyone who is interested on doing something like it.

An excellent book, unique in its own diversity. The "Book Description" and "Inside Flap" above give a good description of how this book is about the science of the research and organizing of the Berkeley High School Diversity Project, I just wanted to add a little about how the telling of the book itself expresses an understanding of diversity.

To me, the book is about the importance of education for everyone in our diverse society and how one project, one school, one community looked into achieving this education. My view is that the way Unfinished Business accomplishes this is by presenting highly researched data through both the analysis of the researchers and the writings of the people who are the data -- the students, the parents, the teachers, the school staff. Additionally, the book's content encompasses research, school and community use and understanding of research, and personal reflection. I was continually surprised at where the "plot" of the book went -- at the discoveries, the observations, and conclusions I did not expect to read. This is an important book about the process of education and civil rights.

this is an excellent book! It makes seemingly hard textures, forms and shapes, simple. It shows the colors and mediums you use. It makes it all so simple! I highly recomend this book for the watercolor landscape artist!

For the past 20 years, Chester Finn has been a behind the scenes and in some cases, in front of the crowd leader for most of the great education reforms that have occurred in the past 20 years. Having had the great fortune to be one of Finn's students at Vanderbilt many years ago, I have had a chance to read the plethora of great books and articles that Finn has published. This is another in that series. Don't just buy this book and The Educated Child (which apparently is a huge bestseller) go back and buy all his books. Finn is a great academic who is blessed with an ability to communicate to the common person.

Finn may talk about the education that children receive but he is the best educator a parent can ever find. We are expecting our first grandchild in a few weeks and I want my daughter to read every book that Professor Finn ha written. It will ensure the success of my grandchild's future.

Don McNay...

This book makes me want to sing, dance, cry, and make art all the time! The author is so respectful to these children and the culture they live in. He is truly gifted in helping these young artists to make beautiful and skillfull images that powerfully express who they are. The photo reproductions are incredible and the stories that go along with them are moving both emotionally and spiritually. I highly recommend this book to anyone that cares about art and/or children.

I used this training VHS to train my employees and successfully increased my sales and boasted company moral, great VHS! Award Winning.

This is a thoroughly engaging book, funny and touching and extremely useful. Based on years of personal experience, it is a guide for teachers who would like to use music in kindergarten and elementary school classes. It explains, based on anecdotes, how to keep the youngsters in order and riveted in attention, and it recounts some of the minor miracles that can occur when youngsters start to get involved in music. Children love music: it is their nature. The author spent years coming into classes cold, for an hour a day or a week, and transforming all resistance or rowdiness into enthusiastic participation. Many of the tips are useful for anyone who teaches young children.

It is wonderful to have some current documentation of the importance of the arts in people's lives. During this
time of high pressure testing, it is comforting to be aware that there is a view to what has really made our country progressive. The creative minds of Edison, Ford, Kamen, Gates, Jobs, etc. could never be summed up with rote test scores. Here's a good test question, "What other country has been the home of as many creative
minds as the U.S.?"