Education Teaching Books

English is not my first language and I don't read that much in my spare time, therefore I had a very low reading speed. I desperately sought for help, I found this book in my local library, and were surprised by how effective it was to improve my reading speed (from about 100 wpm to about 200 wpm in a month). Then, I decided I should own this book and practice often with skills and drills included in this book.

Note, though reading faster helps comprehension, I believe comprehension can be improved faster by building up vocabulary first for ESL student.

Very long with a lot of eye exercises but nothing really about really increasing comprehension. Didn't help me or my daughter.

I am a teacher, and I have been using this book in my classroom. It does, in fact, triple your reading speed without reducing your comprehension.

You should know, though, that this book is not intended to be read cover-to-cover; it's really a set of drills, a full course of speed reading exercises in a book with accompanying instructions, and it may take you weeks to work through it completely and thoroughly (although some people see results much faster). If you take the time, you will almost certainly get the results you want, but you should expect to make an investment. Some of the drills themselves look a little strange--almost like eye charts--because one basic aspect of the book's approach is to change the way your eyes focus as you read. It turns out that these drills do accomplish their purpose and do make you read much faster; it just requires a leap of faith to invest time into the exercises.

Another reviewer quoted the book as saying that you should read faster, then make up for lost time by rereading. Taken out of context, this is a little misleading. The author does suggest that you are better off reading quickly even if you have to reread--because reading slowly is so time-consuming--but he doesn't suggest that you should reread everything all the time.

It seems to me that most positive reviews of this book are from people who treated it as a reading course and did the exercises; most negative reviews of this book are from people who read it from cover to cover looking for descriptions of new speed reading tips or techniques. Buy, or don't buy, accordingly. :)

I've been using the technique's in this book for a little over a year now and for me...it works.

I can't stress strongly enough how important it is for the newcomer to adhere exactly to what is put forth in this book. For example, I practiced one of the eye exercises everyday for weeks till I aced it!
Trust me there is no "magic pill". It takes work. And this book will show you how if your willing.

I learned through the book,(with no distractions)that I can visually read and comprehend one line of text in a average sized paperback in one stop,(as well as newspaper/magazine columns and web sites. I learned to absorb the sentence as a whole then move down the center of the page with little or no side to side eye movement. Took a ton of practice your mileage may very.

Personally I do pretty well with comprehension so I skipped much of that training in this book. And mainly concentrated on techniques.

The first few chapters are very important to read and understand as well. He discusses many of the bad habits readers use and other little quirks. Increased my reading speed a bit just by knowing what I was doing wrong.

My tips.
A good vocabulary helps a great deal. Have a good handle on where prepositions(on,in,for,to.etc.) are placed.

And most importantly...
Practice..everyday
Patience....stay with it.

As a writer, one of the requirements of my trade is to read books. All the time. Sometimes you need to read up on a subject for research, other times just to know what current trends in your genre of choice are. As I child, I used to love reading and did it daily. As an adult, I have more pressing things to do than spend 11 hours reading a mystery novel. Consequently, I've been reading less and less over the years as my personal responsibilities increase.

I've always been a slow reader. My reading method was to savor every single word. I tried to learn speed reading when I was younger. Although I identified my bad habits, I had little success overcoming them and the "finger pacing" methods they taught me were just tedious. After a whole book, my hand was tired and the tip of my finger was tender from cheap paper. My weak spots, specifically, were these: I read one word at a time, I sounded the text aloud in my mind as an inner dialog, and I tended to jump backward and read things twice.

I'm only half way through this book, and have practiced the techniques less than I should have, but my reading rate has indeed tripled. I started out reading 130 words a minute when I began this book. I'm currently reading 400-425 words a minute. I just completed reading a series of 320 page novels that would have taken me around eleven hours each to read. Now, they each took me between 4 1/2 to 5 hours to read. I'm reading two entire lines at a glance, and yes, my comprehension is excellent.

I've read other reviews where people complain about the drills. Why? They work. Did you learn algebra by reading a book and never doing any practice problems? The drills train your eyes to see more words at a time and comprehend larger bites without analyzing individual words. When I started, I had my doubts about whether I would overcome my bad habits, because I'd failed to do so with other techniques. I'm pleased to say, having only finished HALF the book so far, I did overcome them all, thanks to the drills. Now further improvement is only a matter of more practice. I'm excited to think how quickly I'll be reading by the time I finish this book. And the real benefit... I enjoy reading again, the way I used to when I had nothing better to do on a summer afternoon than absorb the words of Tolkien like a sponge.

I rarely have any time for reading, but I made the time for this book. I finished it last night around 3:00 am. Jonathan Mooney is honest and insightful and isn't afraid to set aside his perspective in order to uncover the capacities and beauty and communal connection of others. Ok, now that I have waxed philosophical, let me say that I have a child who has Down Syndrome and this book made me a better parent, not necessarily because of my child's "disability", but because I now have a better understanding of every person's right to a place in my community, in your community all over the world, every person. After reading this book it will be harder for anyone to justify extreme prejudice or segregation, which is more alive and well in our country and any of us would care to admit. Thank You Jonathan.

What a must-read for all of us! And I do mean all of us. In The Short Bus, Jonathan Mooney travels far outside his own experience and across America to discover for himself (and us) what it means to experience life in America if one is not "normal." His journey and the conclusions he draws from it provide profound contributions to America's self view as a society and culture. It offers a much needed look in the mirror.
The short bus for Jon, and for all students labeled LD, symbolizes the well intentioned but nonetheless painful humiliation administered daily to the children relegated to it. Our children were labeled and then separated from their peers and their classroom because they didn't fit or belong in the classroom with the "normal" kids. Hoping to rediscover and heal from the pain inflicted by these experiences, Jon tours some of America's other labeled individuals: a deaf and blind student who curses her teachers in sign language, an eccentric man with Aspergers who creates his own community connections in remarkable ways, and a young woman with Down Syndrome who is so unforgettable, her story continues to both haunt and comfort me long after putting the book down. With each individual, Jon explores his own feelings of wariness, prejudice and confusion that most of us experience but rarely admit when we confront folks who are clearly "not normal" or "disabled." He comes to know each of them, overcoming his feelings and soon understands their incredible gifts and how important they are to us as a community. We see, as he sees, the important and precious place each holds in the fabric of society. As we become increasingly engaged with our new acquaintances and learn to appreciate them in inimitable ways, we begin to cry out against "the tyranny of normalcy" because we discover how thoroughly the notion of "normalcy" threatens the heart of humanity.
It is a coming of age story, to be sure, but The Short Bus is far more important and much bigger than a personal journey. In addition, Jon's research and analysis provide us with a historical, medical and sociological context for the labels assigned to each of the marvelous individuals we meet on the short bus. Jon's voice is always honest and questioning, his insight intelligent and boundless, and of course, the book, like the author, is rich in humor.
The Short Bus is ultimately a celebration of life, providing a roadmap to empowerment and a deep appreciation for diversity, underscoring society's need to do so. It's an honest, painful, humorous and always engaging journey, and it's well worth the ride.

I didn't ride the short bus; I came from a previous generation. However, Jonathan's experience rang true. I didn't hear any false notes. Getting my doctorate didn't take away the scars from the educational system. But I came from a different era. That's why I couldn't believe my eyes when I read the one negative review posted by J O'neil.

Certain words have an emotional impact and are only said to hurt. To publically shame a LD person for mispelling something is familiar and one of the most abusive things we can experience. It's a not-so-sublte way in our culture to win an agrument or to announce to the world that you think someone is stupid. Spelling is a gift that many LD people don't have, even though we possess many marvelous gifts. Yet O'Neil, a principal of a LD program no-less, did this. What is most disturbing is that this person seems blind to the irony. There are good teachers who fight this sick system, where these attitudes are tolerated. Thanks to J O'neil, the problem is all there in a paragraph--everything that Jonathan articulated. As I said, I found his insights about school true and I thank him for expanding the conversation.

Jonathan also takes on the issue of "normal," something that gets kicked around loosely but seldom discussed in depth. His reflections allowed me to look beyond myself, again, to the bigger question of how we all fit in this larger community. He does this in a way that's both fair and sensitive. Thanks.

I thought this book was going to offer some hope and practical wisdom.
Rather, its a chronicle of the author's search for validation that offers no real insight into how one can deal with ADD (unless railing against norms helps.) Though the heart of his "success" story is to have graduated from Brown, he does not actually seem to have overcome anything to do so - its just another adventure on his way to who knows where. He's a likeable character and the stories of his trip across country are amusing enough. But I was pretty sick of his obsessive musings about his girlfriend and seriously worried about the families that reached out to him for advice and encouragement for their own "beyond normal" children. He was admittedly not equipped for either, other than to say: I was once a "tard" on the short bus but now I'm here!! I wish him all the best anyway.

This author came to speak to my son's class in Oakland. My son came home raving about Jonathan and how he "really really gets it." I ordered this book and could not put it down. As a parent of twins with LD, I can tell you, he really, really gets it. My sons have had the same type of classes/teachers described in the book, and yes, they are out there and they do exist. I know,let's blame the parents for abdicating responsiblity and basically being the problem. All parents of special needs kids have heard the same responses from the employees of the public system. The system "sucks" and we/they continue to deny it. I plan on giving this book to all my friends for Christmas. Read it. Even if this is not your kid, I can attest to the fact that there are millions of these "lost kids" out there with no heroes out there to rescue them.

This book is excellent for educators. It has many practical ways to meet the day to day needs of English Language Learners.

A great book for all educators especially those who have English Language Learners and At-Risk students.

I bought this book for a graduate course. It is easy to read and very clear. The authors write it in a very friendly manner. You gain a lot of information and it gives great suggestions. If you need help with what's happening in the reading world, this is the book for you!!

I will keep this book as a teaching Bible. It has amazing examples and useful material and resources.

This is one of my favorites. It has every assessment possible for reading-ready to copy and use! short chapters too!

I am so glad that we found this book! Five problems a night makes math FUN, rather than WORK for my child. So much so that he will do a few days worth of problems in one sitting.

The book has variety to keep him interested, and he's learning new skills from it also. I will definitely buy the grade 2 book for next year.

I'm a firm believer of practice early on math. It will build kid's interest and confidence for the long run. This book is invaluable. It breaks grade 1 math into small pieces and let your child do a little every day. My son learned a lot from this book. He often asks further questions and thinks a lot more. This book helped him do well in math. In the Beestar online math contest (...), he often wins honor mentions. Highly recommend.

I used this book for after-school review with my 6-year-old son. The format (5 problems per day, including 1 word problem) worked great. Used on a daily basis, it provides just enough repetition to do the trick.

You get a total of 180 sets of problems, broken down into 36 weeks. Each set takes up 1/2 of one side of a page. The book provides lots of variety in its problem sets. All in all, this book delivers what it promises, and then some.

Highly recommended.

This is by far the best book on teaching pedagogy that I encountered throughout my entire Masters program in Education. For anyone interested in learning the masters' way in the classroom: read and practice this book. It may take a lifetime of practice, but every skill of teaching we learn from this book, for this generation particularly, we are helping others also learn how to teach in the home, in business, in management and in every arena of life.

easy to read. good info on discipline, creating a positive environment, classroom management.

This is a great book for teachers, especially those in teacher certification programs. It's excellent as a reference guide.

Saphier & Gower's book is an invaluable resource for preservice & novice teachers or experienced teachers wishing to improve their pedagogical skills. The methodologies are applicable to most grade levels, content areas, and teaching situations. Great for use in teacher education courses. Exercises or suggested activities are given at the end of each chapter.

I'm a new teacher this year that came into a difficult position (I'm my students 4th teacher in 6 weeks). I was having trouble with classroom management and went to search for books (and more experienced teachers) to help me. This book and "The First Days of School" by Harry Wong were the best help I found. First Days gives a framework and The Skillful Teacher gives specific strategies that can be used within that framework. I give both books two thumbs up for any new teacher who has a battle before her/him.

I thoroughly enjoyed Alfie Kohn's book. It was a refreshing look at creating a democratic classroom where students are engaged, empowered, and respected. It will definitely influence how I behave in the classroom in the fall. It has led me to explore his other views and books on education and on parenting which I am currently reading.

The good: There are a lot of very good points in this book. I have seen first hand what rewards and punishments do. Nothing to stop "bad" behavior. The same kids are in detention at my school every week. Also they ask, "What do I get for doing my homework". Kohn addresses these problems by insetad building relationships with students and allowing them a chance to make real decisions. If you were reading this book there are great answers. Building a community would prevent a majority of the "behavior" troubles in the school I teach at. Kohn is not all knowing so not everyone should take everything he says as the absolute truth, nor should they dismiss everything he says.
The bad: He spent half the book pointing out why others are wrong, this could have been discussed in a chapter. He did not actually show concrete proof this worked, but I challenge anyone to find concrete proof anywhere. Even elaborate studies are never completly conclusive. He only taught for a little while. I guess this means that he is incompetant. Or, it means that he was completely self motivated and didn't spend the tens of thousands of dollars to get another degree and have some one say he was, indeed, competent. Maybe he is well read and spends a lot of time observing. I guess read the book and see if he makes sense or if you think he is a quack.
Either way this is one of the most important classroom "management" books out there, so as an educator you should read it.

I agree with other reviews here. The book spends alot of paper criticizing traditional education methods. Also, the book is wordy. Glance over the first five to six chapters and only read the second half of the book.

This book is well written, but he dogs many of the reinforcements teachers used calling them "punishments". He doesn't explain intrinsic and extrinsic rewards can be helpful, not just punishments.

This is a good resource for all educators...

This is a good book. It was my text for a self paced class with University of San Diego. Easy to follow. Good examples.

Very well done and easy to understand. Samples are good and support the ideas throughout.

This book offers tons of practical approaches and practice scoring for the 6 Traits of Writing. It is written by a recognized master in the field and has been so helpful.

Spandel's book is an authentic, engaging, and encouraging read for those that teach writing, want help infusing writing, or want to enhance their own writing. It is written conversationally and is well supported with numerous examples. I found it visually appealing as a reader and insightful. (Another review didn't like the visuals because it isn't easy to lift examples "as is" for sharing in class. To that angle I agree, but as a reader the layout is very pleasing.) Highly recommended.

This book gives so many examples of the qualities to look for and teach in writing instruction. I especially like the fact that this edition is more inclusive of secondary ideas and samples.

With this book as a guide, it is hard to miss what is important to the writing instructional process. The information is comprehensive and user friendly.

This is a good book to reinforce reading comphrension.