Education Teaching Books

I looked at many writing books for my child. A school teacher recommended this one to me. After we used it as the primary writing guide, my child's writing took off. It's so effective that his writing has jumped from average to outstanding in his class. Now the book is one of our two MUST-DOs every week (the other is Beestar online ELA and vocabulary exercises, a wonderful web site www.beestar.org). Writing is a life-long skill. We will continue use this guide to improve writing for a long time.

I really enjoyed reading this book and I am excited about starting to use this method when school starts again. Teaching writing can be difficult, but how to give constructive feedback is even harder. I am optimistic that the ideas in this book will make it a whole lot easier to help my children.

English teachers have it tough -- no matter how hard they try, they cannot avoid a degree of subjectivity when it comes to grading papers. This book, 6+1 TRAITS OF WRITING, will not make the process a totally objective one, but it will provide a definite structure that will be invaluable to both new and experienced teachers alike. In workmanlike fashion, Ruth Culham devotes chapters to the traits (ideas, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, organization, and conventions) PLUS one (presentation) with a series of indicators for teachers to assess each one.

It's a great primer in the technique, and the chapters all follow a similar pattern with definitions of the traits, a list of reasons on why students struggle with that trait, steps on how to assess the trait, and sample papers to practice assessing using the 6 + 1 method. Each sample paper is followed by the scores the author gave it, along with their reasoning. Finally, the chapters are nicely rounded out with a series of practical ideas on how you can TEACH each trait. Teachers trying to get a handle on grading papers will appreciate the practicality and the structure.

The caveats I have with the book are minor. First, the sample papers range from Grades 3 to 9, and it's often difficult to assess sample papers because elementary teachers may not know how far along a secondary student should be and secondary teachers may have no clue about what's expected from third-grade writers. The wide range in ages, in other words, creates a bit of extra confusion for teachers who are well-versed in their own age-group of students. Also, the extra batch of "practice papers" to assess at the back of the book are directly followed by the author's scores, meaning the papers and their scores often share the same page. It would have been more helpful to separate them so as to avoid accidentally seeing a score while trying to finish the paper.

Culham's book is a great start, but a lot more practice assessing will probably be necessary to successfully implement the program. Also, I found that I had many questions about judgment calls while assessing some of the indicators and, in a workshop type setting, could have used further explanation from an experienced hand. Alas, the book cannot provide anything like that, but still, it's a start -- and a good one. Recommended.

I originally had to buy this book for a graduate level pedagogy course. I ended up using this book constantly to help teach 4th graders how to write. Ruth Culham explains each trait well and includes a handful of awesome lesson plan ideas for students to practice the trait. I'd recommend it as a resource for any writing teacher (Grades 3-12).

As a classroom teacher and workshop leader, I have found this book very useful. It includes sample student papers that can be used by teachers and students to hone their assessment skills. The ideas for teaching each of the traits are concrete ones that students enjoy. When I've read forty papers and have run out of new responses to give my students, there are even lists of responses for me to use. I recommend this book to both new and experienced teachers of writing.

First of all, I realize this book is slightly dated, in that it was published 17 years ago. The unfortunate thing is that I don't believe much has changed since Kozol wrote it... if there have been major changes, he wouldn't have found it necessary to write his second book, Shame of the Nation, or continue to push for equal-opportunity education like he is still doing today. So, although this book was researched and written awhile ago, I do believe it is still relevant for discussion today.

This book is sad. Plain and simple, it made me very sad to read about the way these kids have to "learn" every single day. Children who live in poverty every single day of their lives, who struggle just to get a decent meal and a good night's sleep, who cannot count on safety, a clean environment, or even love from their families, should absolutely, 100% have one place they can call their sanctuary - their school. Unfortunately, this book showed that is simply not the case. Children who live in these horrifying conditions of dire poverty are going to "schools" (and I say that loosely because some of the schools Kozol describes simply are not places to learn) that are decrepit, dirty, disgusting, with not enough space, not enough teachers, not enough books, no computers, and sometimes not even enough working toilets. There isn't another way to describe this book other than horrifying. Pure and simple, we should not be allowing any child to spend a minute in these conditions, let alone every day for eight hours a day. This book is heartbreaking to read, but it needs to be read, because I truly do not think that conditions have changed since the book was published in 1991. This is something that, as a country, we need to improve, big time. Our future literally depends on it.

Kozol begins his book by writing about east St.Louis. Wikipedia writes about East St.Louis as one of the most crime-ridden cities in the nation. This is one of the poorest cities in America and of course the school system suffers. The school buildings are run down, bathrooms are broken, and the kids don't have textbooks to study from. The physics labs haven't had water for 25 years and the sports field is completely in ruins . A lot of industrial waste is dumped here from the chemical factories that have established themselves in these areas. Usually it happends by accident when trains with the stuff spills it out on the ground. Then an alarm sounds and people have to take cover. But the kids here suffer from lead poisoning, high asthma rates and other diseases that can be traced to the toxic elements that surround them. The neighbourhoods themselves are filled with 24 hour liquor stores, strip bars, gambling houses, and dealers roaming the streets at night. Its hard to think of a worse start for a kid.

He writes of another neighbourhood in Chicago, called North Lawndale. That was a vibrant community until the riots after Martin Luther Kings death when a lot of the businesses where destroyed. It never really recovered. Now the gangs have moved in and the industries have moved out. A pastor from the area says"kids like these will kill each other over nothing". Dr.Martin Luther King himself lived there but there is no memorial. Only an old truck stands at the spot where his house once was. The schools here are also in terrible condition. Out of a kindergarten class of 23 kids 14 will drop out. 4 at most will go to college. 1 of those 4 will graduate. Three of the twelve boys will have spent time in prison. A few teachers are great but mainly there is a shortage of teachers, leaving many classrooms without one. In fact these kids are economically getting much less than the kids are in the richer areas. Although many adults say that one should not tell these poor kids that because that would encourage "victim" thinking. Although I would feel like a victim if I was reading a textbook that said Nixon was president like some of these kids do! Top salary of a teacher in an underpriveledged innercity school is 40000 dollars a year whereas in a suburb up to 60000 dollars. About 2900 dollars is spent every year on a child in a poor neighbourhood whereas 7800 dollars is spent on a child in a rich one. There is a silent understanding amongst many corporations that the kids in the inner city schools are perfect for the bottom end jobs that they offer. They aren't expected to become doctors or lawyers. This has led to principles and teachers of these innercity schools in "framing their language carefully" when requesting grants or money from corporations to "train ghetto children to become good employees".

In the Bronx one school that is overpopulated is located in an old roller skating rink. It was made to fit 1000 people now there are 1550 people there. The interior is old and falling apart. Too many people crowd into small rooms and many of the windows are broken. There are hardly any computers and the school is surrounded by heavy traffic. In another Bronx school there is a gaping hole in a classroom floor, the blackboards are so cracked that students risk cutting themselves on them when writing, paint flakes off the wall and covers the floor, and when it rains theres a waterfall flowing down the six flights of stairs in the school. Out of 500 freshmen from one school 82 will go on to take the SAT. On the other hand a school in a well off district is close to a park with lots of flowers around it. 825 kids attend this school. Here the library contains 8000 books in contrast to the skating rink school library that contained 700 books.

Wan to understand why our education system is in the shape that it's in? READ THIS BOOK! Explains why lower income schools perform the way they do....must have for any educator's collective of continuing education books. Worth reading twice!!

Kozol's Savage Inequalities paints a frightening picture of urban schools in the United States. He describes schools that are overcrowded, dilapidated, and flooded with sewage. He asks why we allow our children to go to schools in conditions where none of us would choose to work. He deeply explores the issue of inequality in funding. While he does suggest equalizing funding, he is careful to mention that the problems facing schools are complex and require innovative solutions. I know many teachers have read this book, but we need policymakers and elected officials to read it as well.

I needed this book for a class I was taking. WOW!, it was a real eye-opener. As it was really hard to read because it is sad. How amazing that there are schools here in the United States that are in dire need. I would reccomend it, but be prepared to cry.

I am truly saddened to see some of these negative reviews here for a book that is so highly treasured in my house. I purchased it for my six year old son with Asperger's Syndrome and he simply adores it. I think it serves as a very helpful tool in explaining to a young child what the symptoms of Asperger's are and help them to recognize their own behaviors. We also have "Of Mice and Aliens" and nobody does it better than Kathy Hoopman. She is the perfect voice of reason in helping Aspie kids understand and cope with their situation.

I bought it for use with a classroom and found it hard to explain the connection- between cats and aspergers. A book that presented facts- without the cats- would have suited this purpose better. That being said it has good information and works well for adults who do not know alot about Aspergers.

All Cats have Asperger's Syndrome is a fantastic book for helping your child understand Aspergers. It's also a great read for a public school or church class that is trying to understand a student with AS. My 9 yo Aspie grandson read it to his Sunday School class, and all of the kids were much more open and caring towards him once they understood what he was dealing with and why he sometimes behaves the way he does. I highly recommend this book!

Viki Stanley-Hutchison, cambridgecoachingco.com

This book describes what it is like to have Asperger's Syndrome with disarmingly simple language and adorable photos of kittens. Great for kids and adults. An absolutely lovely and well-crafted book!

This book seemed like such a bizarre idea that I just had to own it. But when I read it, I found that the concept worked well. I really enjoyed it, and my mom loved it, too. It does a fairly good job of explaining how Aspies are different, without implying that there's anything wrong with them. I also like how it spoke to the strengths of people with AS. Educational doesn't have to mean totally serious--when people are laughing, they are listening. My only problem with the book is that it only uses male pronouns. A small thing, sure, but most AS resources are targeted towards boys, and it's easy for Aspie girls to feel left out.

I am a certified teacher with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education. This book is an excellent reference book for teaching using the classical education method. The resources in this book are invaluable! From schedules, to internet links, to subject studies, and clear definitions; this book has it all. I borrowed it from the library at first. Then when I read it, I decided to buy it so I can refer back to it. I found the "How to do it" sections fantastic (especially the advice given on working with babies and toddlers). It's organized well and in a easy to read format.

It's quite a book to undertake, but I'm tackling it in bits and pieces. It has been a useful tool in homeschooling my child.

This is a wonderful homeschooling guide with a strong curriculum. Combine this with another book Bully-Proofing Children: A Practical, Hands-On Guide to Stop Bullying so children are empowered with social and emotional skills along with a well-trained intellect. Has fabulous lessons and strategies to build character, self-esteem, communicative skills....Both books will produce well-rounded happy children.

This book helped motivate me and give me the resources to feel confident about homeschooling my daughter. I would highly recommend it.

This is an excellent guide that EVERY homeschooler should have. HOWEVER, the 1999 edition has better resource lists in it, because it was written before Bauer and Wise began publishing their own Language and History books. I checked out the 1st edition from the library and LOVED it. I was a bit disappointed to get the 2nd edition (2004). I don't like the fact that they now recommend their own books, and don't recommend much else that would compete with their own series in these subject areas.

Like many of my peers, I too want to do the best possible job raising my children. The desire to be respectful and supportive does not always involve consistent discipline, but it should! Anyone with a sensitive, loving child can benefit from this book. Any parent who feels like they have tried every trick in the book to promote good behavior in their children, but can't seem to gain compliance in their kids, will benefit from this book.
I was recommended this book by our psychologist, whom we have been seeing because I ran out of coping strategies for dealing with my very sensitive, very smart, and very compliant child who seemed addicted to PUSHING MY BUTTONS!! Turns out, the very emotional responses I had to my child's poor behaviors, was promoting the very things I was trying to "punish away" Time outs escalated into screaming matches and made me feel like a drill Sargent, not very productive, and definitely not respectful or supportive! Transforming the Difficult Child has opened my eyes to "accentuate the positive" and "down play the negative" In short, shifting all of my aggravated tirades into positive reinforcement of GOOD behaviors. Within two weeks of implementing this style of attention, my 5 year old was more relaxed, more cheerful, more agreeable and happier than I had ever seen him. In turn, he was also less anxious, stopped a nervous habit of lip licking that had been with him for two years, and lots of chapped skin! He now knows that he is good MOST of the time, and only bad once in a while. I was failing to acknowledge his good behavior, because that is what we think of as "expected" but He was feeling as if he was always bad, because our energy was always spent on correcting bad behaviors.
Please read this book if you recognize any of the above story, or if you know someone who is in constant power struggles with their children. This book has a simple, gentle, loving and supportive plan of action that will change your Family for the better, even if your child isn't difficult. After all, we all want someone to acknowledge our good behaviors, who better to do it than your parent!!

After much therapy and trying every technique in the book to help my son "behave" better, this book just blew every other technique away! I felt as if it had been written for our family personally.
At the risk of sounding dramatic, this book has brought a lot of peace and happiness into our home, where before there were a lot of power struggles and misbehavior going on.
I teach children in the Arts field, and it has also helped me deal much more effectively with the more difficult students.
I think this book should become a course that parents and educators could take. If it already has, where can I sign up?
This is, hands down, the most valuable book I've read in years!

We adopted 2 boys through the foster system. Both of our boys have high energy and came to us with some inherent behavioral problems. We were able to help both of our boys with the help of the techniques we learned while attending a seminar taught by Howard Glasser. We've gone back to this book again and again when we needed to refresh our resolve to do conscious parenting. I highly recommend this book. I recently bought my 4th copy of this book because I've given away the first 3 books to people we knew who were struggling with a challenging child.

After reading numerous books that seemed like sound advice for regular kids, a child counselor recommended this book.
FINALLY I've found a book that seems like it's talking about MY type of challening child. I only wish I had read it years ago.
I too was a bit turned off by the title but thrilled once I began reading. Techniques are applicable to even my non-challeging children so it's easy to get the whole house going in the same direction.
Very Helpful Book!

I thought I knew a lot about 'parenting' until I became one! I have one easy-going child that makes parenting seems like a breeze and one who is so wired and always pushing limits so far that I didn't like the person I was becoming. I was VERY frustrated and came across this book. I hate labeling so I don't like the title much, and carrying it around I wanted to put a darn book cover on it so others would not see it! The contents however are thought-provoking and profound. I never realized the slump that my son and I had gotten into... him pushing, my reacting... everything seemed negative. Things got worse before they got better. I am still reading the book and still implementing the ideas. However, I am realizing that as they say 1. My son enjoys playing with me like his live toy, 2. He always gets my attention by doing something negative.

I have implemented the strategy of noticing him when he's doing something that is not negative, and telling him I notice him in a neutral way (this way I am not giving him false praise but allowing him to see that I really DO pay attention to him). I found that alone has made a huge difference. I also realize that most of my talking to him was "don't......." which is NOT a life for the poor guy! I have stopped reacting to his inappropriate behaviors. In the book they compare it to a video game.... kids do good at video games because if the do wrong, they get an immediate consequence and there's no wiggle room (unlike mom who allows that and can be talked into/out of something), and video games always inspire kids to do better because they are always rewarded with flashing lights and whistles etc. So while I am perhaps a bit preliminary in my review, I have to say that this book is a TRUE help, especially if you are your wits end and ALL the best traditional parenting in the world is JUST NOT WORKING!

This book was lent to me by a classroom teacher who's a friend of mine. He called it a "life saver." A few of the chapters didn't apply to me at all because they were about classroom management and assessment, but the other chapters were really excellent. I learned what to expect from my kids at different levels, and what to practice with them. I thought it was a great balance for the phonics approach that so many home-schoolers use. The authors show how to move from reading to a child, to reading with a child, to guiding the child as she reads, and then supporting a child's independent reading. The authors have a similar approach for teaching writing. There are two huge book lists, one organized by title and one by reading level--very helpful!

Great classroom resource. Photocopy the worksheets to organize your groups with ease. Activities of what students not in teacher led groups could be doning with photocopy cards you can use in a chart to organize.
This book was highly recommended to me, I borrowed a copy, then decided I needed my own.

Great book to help teachers organize their classroom for guided reading groups. Has wonderful ideas to impliment learning centers and management of those centers while teaching guided reading groups. Our school has a copy of this book for each teacher to model their classroom after.

I had this book at close tabs at all times. I really loved the icons they have at the back of the book (these are center icons). I photocopied and laminated them, and used them to rotated the children through their centers daily. I LOVE the list of books for each reading level. A big help when choosing books to read with each reading group. Excellent book. A must have in each classroom.

I knew that my guided reading program needed to change, but didn't no exactly how to go about improving it. This book has all the answers! Although I'm on summer break, I can't wait to go back in the fall and get started on my new literacy program, putting into practice all the things I've learned from this book.

This is one of the best books I have ever read on leadership. The author outlines a realistic approach with proven techniques. I've grown tired of all the silly communication methods and manipulations, found in the flood of many books on the market, on how to motivate those under your supervision. Paul Howe knows how to lead. If you are truly interested in leadership, this book is highly recommended. On the other hand, if you are looking for quick fixes and feel good techniques, you should move on to a management in corporate America style book. There are many to choose from.

Outstanding book by a true professional. MSG Howe is the real deal and an outstanding authority in his field. Would recommend this for any law enforcement or military professional.

Very good book, well structured, pleasant to read. The examples are clear, and the theories easy to apply, even if you aren't L.E. or military.

This is the best book on military leadership and training I have ever read and I have read a few on this subject. All of my team leaders are reading it now after hearing nothing but great reviews from myself. I think all NCO's in the Army, reguardless of MOS, should read this book.

There seems to be no shortage of leadership books available to our self-help addicted society. How many people do you know who brag about having read "The Art of War"? This is not one of these types of books. I mention "The Art of War" because I find it helpful to draw parallels between life and battle. I find that if I approach my life's commitments and challenges like all-out warfare, I tend to get after it with aggression and a hunger for success.
If you feel the same, this book might be for you. In truth, this book is geared mostly for soldiers and police specifically combatants of the special ops variety and swat officers. In short it is by and for modern Spartan warriors.
You will have to work to draw your own connections between how you run your organization, business, or life, but if you are not inspired by some of the greatest men to walk among us, you are dead inside.
If you are in charge of or lead anything and you are interested in developing your leadership skills, you will find it here. If you think that leadership in the world's harshest conditions when the bullets are flying and men are dying doesn't apply to how you run your small business, ask yourself this, "Is there a difference between kinds of leadership, or is good leadership in concept more or less the same everywhere?" The only real difference is that if you are a shooter, your failures in leadership can cost lives, in business it is only money.
If you are considering this book, take the journey and trust the author to share his ideals and wisdom with you.
This book feels aggressive and extreme in it's intent to convey to the reader not just leadership skills, but in philosophy towards life.
We all want to be like the guy in the movies who remains calm and wins in the chaos of extreme conditions, this book shows you how. If you could do this imagine how you could attack your own life.

I thought as a workbook guide, it would have a lot of practice problems but it did not. Very disappointed. Guess you get what you paid for.

The book is cheap because it is missing 15 pages of answers! If algebra is new to you there is no way to see if you are correct. There should be a warning that the answers are missing.

This is a very nice workbook, but it does not appear to consistently challenge the higher concepts that can be the most useful for embedding the knowledge into the life and mind of the student. There is, however, only good that will come from using it. Plus the fact that it is priced so reasonably makes it a real plus!

I just got one and there the answer key is not included.
I mean, why do you need this workbook if there isn't any answer key.
Does anyone know where the answer key is available?

I got a brand new book for $1. Came in great condition without any issues!

I received this book for Christmas to add to my autism library and what a wonderful treat. I wish I had this books several years ago when I started working in a class with children who have severe autism. It's so basic and has such great sample charts. It breaks down so many behavior challenges and creates simple charts to help you help your students better understand how to self modulate...from Aspergers to severe, these tools work. They seem so basic, yet I have seen them work great over and over. This basic and easy to quickly read resource should be given to every teacher, parent, administrator, speech and occupational therapist who works with kids on the spectrum. It's a great starting point for managing behavior problems...big and small. Check out Ms. Buron's other related books also at www.asperger.net. Joanna Keating-Velasco, Author...
A Is for Autism F Is for Friend: A Kid's Book for Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism

This book has been very helpful with my Asperger son and my non-Asperger son. As a teachers aide, I have used it the the kids at school and some teachers have borrowed my book and are using it themselves. It has pages to copy so that you can make your own 5-point scale. Just wonderful!!!

This is a great concept, but not worth buying a book over.
It is a simple strategy that can be applied in any context -
Rate the behavior; rate the desired behavior.
It gets a mediocre smile or 3 stars.

You can make this work for just about any problem. I now just hold up a finger and my child knows what I am trying to say even my younger child is getting it.

Finally, a basic book listing basic skills for people who do not understand "thinking outside the box." I'm so happy to see something that can help educators and families find hands-on techniques for those who are clueless, hopeless, and helpless.

It's too bad there aren't more reviews to back my opinion, because this book easily beats out the Kaplan and Cliffs Notes versions, both of which I became familiar with while studying. The summaries and simple language were key in helping me remember and learn things that weren't in my textbook.

The practice tests are also better than any other competitor, and the opening section on how to take the test itself is crucial. There's a lot more to the test than the "eliminate and guess" technique, and the strategies are outlined well.

I owe my 5 to this book, and would recommend the series (always written by the same person so far) to anyone over the outdated Cliffs version and the often-confusing Kaplan editions.