Teaching Books

This is a great overview of literacy instruction for any elementary classroom. The book is reader friendly and offers many different ideas that could be applied to the classroom the next day. Many primary ideas could easily be adapted for intermediate, however, overall the authors did a great job of presenting ideas that were usable in every grade! The vocabulary, reading, and writing lessons/activities are fun for students while continuing to challenge and develop their thinking. The practical nature of the book is ideal for any teacher!

I just got into this book in my class. What I have seen so far of it it is a good book. great for Methods classes for Education Majors.

This is a must have book for elementary school teachers. It gives great insight and ideas for teaching children how to read and write.

This is a must read for all elementary classroom teachers. It offers research based lessons to implement a balanced literacy program. It's an easy read. I highly recommend it!

Classrooms That Work has a multitude of ideas that actually work in the classroom to help students become better readers and writers.

I bought this book for Master's level class on Children's Literature, and it's a great book. It's easy to read, and jam-packed with useful information. This is a book I will keep & not sell back.

required for course but never used...did see some good resources in it though.

The preface of this title describes it as "a children's literature textbook for people who don't like children's literature textbooks" (p. v) which sets the tone for the rest of the text. Tunnell and Jacobs, both instructors of children's literature from Brigham Young University, offer an introduction to children's literature that is entertaining and educational.

The book is divided into three parts: "The Magic of Books;" "The Books Themselves;" and "Books in the Classroom." The first section discusses the value of reading, why children don't read, how to distinguish between literary quality and personal taste, and how to recognize books that are well-written and well-illustrated. The second section tackles the history of children's literature as well as organization of children's books into nine separate genres: picture books, poetry, traditional fantasy, modern fantasy, contemporary realistic fiction, historical fiction, biography, informational books, and multicultural and international books. The third section describes controversial books and the most effective way to deal with challenges, how to motivate students to read, and teaching with children's books. The aim of the book is to provide "an overview to shed light on children's literature and its use with young readers" (p. v).

Throughout the text, many examples of quality children's literature are used to illustrate particular points the authors want to make. All book references are included at the end of each chapter and each genre's chapter features a list of "books we like," compiled by the authors, which provides bibliographic information as well as a brief summary of the work. Included with the book is a children's literature database CD which contains a listing of 20,000 children's books which can be sorted by title, genre, grade level, topics, author, illustrator, year, or publisher. Instructions on how to use the CD-ROM are located in the back of the book at the end of the last chapter and they include color graphics to illustrate what the database's interface looks like as well as the tools used to sort books into categories.

One of this book's greatest strengths is that it is written with humor, reads like a dialogue, and is organized in a logical way. The authors draw readers into the realm of children's literature with teasers excerpted from various titles, descriptions of interesting books, and providing interesting facts about children, their literature, and its history. Appended at the end of the book are "Guidelines for Building a Classroom Library;" book selection aids, a list of magazines for children, awards in children's literature, and information for anyone interested in publishing a children's book. The awards section and books selection section are particularly useful to anyone starting out in collection development (or those who have been doing it for a while) as well as those interested in finding award-winning books for children.

While this text is not an exhaustive look into the world of children's literature, it is not intended to be. It does, however, provide a stellar introduction to the subject and provides readers with enough information to distinguish quality literature from poor, to understand genre differences, and to be able to motivate children to read, which is the most important lesson of all.

This was used as a textbook in my children's literature class and I'm glad it was! It really gets away from the conventional textbook by having the info relaying in an easy-going context.

The best way to study children's literature is to read actual children's books, not to study textbooks about them!

The authors of this text are among the few that recognize this truth. Consequently the chapters are purposefully (and generally) short and to the point. Each chapter includes authors' recommendations as well as qualities to avoid in each genre. Appendices are informative (see the information about Awards for children's and young adult lit).

The 4th edition (2007) is even better: the CD database includes over *20,000* children's book titles that you can search (by title, author, genre, format etc), build lists, and customize information for your own purposes. (One small annoyance within the database is the lack of a "back" button - hopefully future editions will improve on this.)

In my 14+ years of college textbook studying, this is one of the better texts to hold my interest and give me information I needed. It is well-written, well-designed, and very helpful. I'll use this (and the database) as a resource on a regular basis in my work with young children and their reading.

This book perfectly reflects the fact that in this particular part of the world, the long tongue means everything and what's actually behind that forehead bone means nothing. The Japanese hire based on their judgment on how good the person in question is. The Europeans hire based on their judgment on how good the person can eventually become. We hire based on our judgment on how good they can pretend to be. Isn't it nauseating?... Aren't we all becoming a little sick of paper superheroes, saviors of the world (environment, the poor, the Iraqis - substitute your own martyr)? Isn't it time to wipe out all our buzzwords and favorite cliches and just focus on results?..

Over time, the essays may become stale, so a regular update to this fluid topic is necessary. However, every essay is a worthwhile read for structure and for content. The most important take-away: what NOT write in an essay.

there are other books that tell you the whole process of applying and preparing your apps. you should get one of those but also get this one. this is one of its kind. it's a small book with some really great essays. exactly what i needed. it's easy to get confused in the whole process of preparing apps; selection of schools, school visits, selecting and talking to recommenders etc. and if you start reading tips of what to write and what not write in your essays, you can easily spend weeks just browsing the internet and taking notes.

this book will give you a good headstart for your essays.

This book is good, but not great. I would recommend this as a good 2nd or 3rd book to have. Start of with Robert Montauk, as it will provide better context for this this book.

Another thing to note is that thhese are not 65 complete applications, rather 65 essays. I was a little bummber when I realized that.

This talks about essays which can win you prizes in the creative essay contests..but as far a s admission in today's world into MBA college is concerned..far from reality..

DONT BUY..!!..

My son and I love this book. The stories and photos are highly relevant, and some make my son laugh. He loves to see how the children do the "wrong" thing and then the "right" way, and finds the wrong way highly amusing. HIGHLY recommended!

I work as a Mobile Therapist/Behavior Specialist and this book is great for teaching social skills not only for children on the Autism spectrum, but any children needing assistance in learning or improving social skills. Parents can also join in!!! The pictures are real and the words are easy to understand. The pictures give a visual, reading the book gives the auditory and the pictures show great social cues and non verbal gestures, along with what the person may be thinking. I highly recommend this book.

I found this book to be exactly what we needed to help our ASD son understand social behaviours. In particular, when angry or upset, I would show him the picture of the boy in the book who counts to 10, takes 3 deep breaths and 'gets over' the incidence quickly, instead of sulking for hours about it!!! It has GREAT examples of everyday interactions with peers as well as teachers/ adults for him to best understand. ALthough he is verbal, I find a picture sequence really helps it sink in. THe only downside of this book is that some pictures are not as sharp quality.

Fantastic book! Although geared to children with autism, the contents are applicable to teaching social skills to all children. The photos and scripts are clear and to the point, and cover a broad range of situations.

This book is designed to discuss with the autistic student effective interpersonal relationships in the classroom environment, with peers, teachers, etc. Nevertheless, I find it works very well with all students, and anyone who must work with human beings on a regular basis in our increasingly alienating society. This work in fact can serve as a portal to ethical and moral theology!

Often in the classroom we encounter a majority of students whose only prior interpersonal relationship has been the electronic babysitters of television broadcasts and violent video games. The negative interpersonal effects of such modern technology has been adequately explored by a wide variety of writers from VP Al Gore's The Assault on Reason to Sister Mary Timothy Prokes's At The Interface: Theology And Virtual Reality. Therefore these student's prior knowledge of effective strategies for interpersonal and human relationships may be more limited than in a pre-cathode ray tube generations.

The amount of violent death, for instance, which our students experience vicariously through their personal technology far out measures what an average child of fifty years ago might have witnessed, while at the same time a modern child has far less opportunity to interact freely with peers and establish positive, fulfilling and rewarding bonds of friendship than in the past. We have raised a generation within individual technological boxes more chilling than anything BF Skinner could have devised, and then we send them forth into the classroom and into the world, and hope they lead happy and successful lives. Let us then give them the tools, through this book, by which they may make positive choices in life.

Therefore, this book explicitly and cleverly leads us to discuss effective strategies for interpersonal relations, and why we should even bother. I now work with immigrant children who for socio-economic and cultural reasons might not have much prior experience of the standard classroom environment, and yet who seem to come with a greater aptitude for adjustment to this new environment than many of the children native to our nation. In any case, this book allows us all to discuss what works and what might not be as effective within our classroom. This book works not only for the autisitc child.

Jed Baker has devised a situational scope and sequence which motivates and involves every child. The photo sequences are very good. My gripes are that they are too small for display to a large group, and they are already labelled correct and incorrect rather than allowing the group to come through discussion and that logical process which leads to learning with retention the correct or more effective strategy.

I would love to see this excellent and useful tool republished in the form of large display cards with the photos and prompts alone, in order to guide a group discussion with a large group of smaller cooperative units. This I would find most useful in the classroom. I understand this book was written and designed for essentially one-on-one work with the autistic student, and that I am unfairly asking a very good and versatile Swiss knife to do the work of a screwdriver and hammer, but that is only because I have managed to use it effectively and could expand on this so easily in the proper format. Then we can all learn how and why to just get along, and work together for the joy and benefit of all in a cooperative and effective society which leads to peace with justice. Am I asking too much here?

This book arrived during the exact time period that was quoted and in the exact condition that was expected. The book was wrapped and packaged securely.

I was very pleased at how quickly I received my shipment. It arrived sooner than the estimated arrival dates. The order was also in great condition.

Thank You Amazon

No consultant, counselor, psychotherapist, or coach should be practicing without a thorough understanding of what's in this book.

I liked the fact that the product came in quickly but it was placed in a small box that didn't fix the size of the book so it was folded over bubble wrap. When I got it, the book was bent and even though it was placed so that it wouldn't bent, becasue the box was smaller than the product and folded, it did bend and affected the pages and cover. Next time, if you could please place the product in a box that fit.

This book did not arrive on time and when it did arrive was in a horrible condition. I was in the process of requesting a refund when the book arrived.

This book is just what I needed. As a writing teacher for 3rd-6th grade, this book gives me some awesome and fun ideas for writing lessons. I think my students will really enjoy doing some of these assignments!

I have my own tutoring service I have used this book to help my students who do not like writing. The prompts located in the book are great ways for children to use their imagination and be creative in many different ways and capacities. I would suggest this book for any teacher or parent who is trying to finds ways to help that struggling student to enjoy writing.

This is a book on the teaching of writing to middle and junior high students. The writer-teacher may know her stuff, but does not know how to instruct students or her reader-teachers. This is basically--as most books of this type are--a "what to do" book and not a specific "how to" book. My negative comments are intertwined.

1. "[A chosen] motivating topic: 'That's So annoying!' The focus: To create focus with a clear topic sentence."

Students do NOT want to see the above nomenclature written on their assignment paper or the board. And, besides, in fiction, many paragraphs DON'T have topic sentences.

2. "Assignment: Write about something that annoys you; use details that convey FULLY [emphasis mine] why this is so bothersome."

The phrase "Write about" is SO overwhelming to weak writers as well as most students. They do not know how to "convey fully" or weave "details" into their writing. Thus, this admonition just adds to their frustration and dislike of composing.

3. "Warm Up: Think of something universally delightful to your students such as ice cream or amusement parks. With students, brainstorm the things that are wonderful about ice cream or amusement parks; write their responses on the board in a word web so they can see the specific details."

"Universal" does not apply to individual students--more options should be presented or the student be allowed to come up with an annoying topic. A "word web" is still confusing to many teachers--as well as students--and its effectiveness is debatable; I never used it. It is basically a hodge-podge (brain storming) way of listing words, and connecting with lines to those words/ideas that seem to go together. There's a better way to accomplish this. Also, "specific" details are not revealed via a word web. In addition, too many teachers do not understand HOW to "brainstorm." So, they should be given some help here.

4. "After reviewing paragraph structure, have the class compose a great topic sentence: Move them away from the overly general or bland (such as 'Ice cream is great!') to something more specific and interesting (such as 'Creamy, smooth, and sweet ice cream in its many varieties is the perfect solution to life's little troubles.')"

Just HOW is a teacher to "review paragraph structure"? This is a cog in the wheel of instruction right off. HOW does a teacher move students into exciting, catchy topic sentences? Actually, I like the "bland" in this bland topic sentence. No help for the teacher or student here. And is a 4th-8th grader going to come up with a sentence like that?

5. "Discuss how the topic sentence gives the writer somewhere to go."

Textbooks, workbooks and too many guides much overuse the word "discuss." What ARE some discussion points? What about the idea of adding a topic sentence AFTER the paragraph is written--if it needs one at all?

And thus the book continues for many more lessons. Boooring.

A Non-Workbook, Non-Textbook Approach to Teaching Language Arts: Grades 4 Through 8 and Up

I was disappointed to discover this book is more like 50 activities, not 50 lessons. I realized only after I ordered this book that it is a slim 64 pages. Each "lesson" is like an idea for a student writing assignment, although many of them are not particularly inspired. I tried to use this book with middle school students, but many of them complained that the assignments were cliche and forced them to write on prompts they had heard before (like write an autobiography, describe someone's personality in a paragraph, write about something that annoys you, write about the weather today, etc.). I felt that half of these prompts were things that as a teacher, I could easily come up with on my own. The other half are fine and good, but brief. For my purposes, this book could be condensed to a two-page list of creative writing / essay topics.

At 9.99 for 64 pages, you are better off spending 19.99 on a 300 page book that will last beyond a few weeks, and do more than list off writing prompts.

This book could be useful if you are teaching 4th-5th grade students, and like to have the structure of a book to guide you through getting the class excited about a single writing prompt. If you're a more creative type (and not a by-the-line, I read a cookbook for every detail type), you're better off giving yourself an hour to brainstorm a bunch of writing prompts, typing them up, and using your own ideas.

This is good for students who need focus, but not for students who need basic skills.

This is honestly the best AP Human Geography study guide I can find, and it is SERIOUSLY worth every penny!!!

If you're going to take the exam (or even if you aren't but are taking the class) I recommend that you get a copy of this book!

If you don't have the previous edition it is a good buy...if you do have a previous edition, not many changes.

I am not a worship leader. I'm a pastor. No, wait - that makes me a worship leader, just not in the realm of music. That's an important distinction to make, and one which Bob Kauflin makes in this valuable book: "Anyone who encourages others to praise God can be referred to as a 'worship leader.' Worship can involve music, but it can happen without it as well." Careful thinking like that make this book a treasure-trove of biblical wisdom and practical insight on worship.

Kauflin unpacks what a worship leader does (see other reviews for the definition - I don't want to be needless repetitive), discusses healthy tensions in our theology and practice of worship, speaks specifically to the relational dynamics in which every worship leader is involved (with the church, the team, the pastor), and more.

The book is rooted in the Gospel, robust in theology, and well-written. I was encouraged and instructed. And I'm committed to making sure every present and future member of our church's worship team gets a copy. This is a great book for pastors, worship leaders, and worship teams. In fact, it's a great book for any one who wants to worship God in spirit and truth. It is practical enough to be of real use to musicians and leaders, but it is general enough to encourage and help any believer.

Spread the word. This is a great book on worship! Thanks Bob Kauflin for serving the church with this book.

Worship Matters is an exceptional book for worship leaders, pastors, musicians, and everyone in between. Only two chapters into the book I had recommended it to other worship leaders. Filled with experience and insight, Kauflin uses scriptures and references to back up all that he explains. He is not afraid to tackle the issues that we, as worship leaders, deal with constantly yet are afraid to admit. Every chapter is unique and contains another heart issue to consider.
Worship Matters will cause it's reader to want to rise to the next level; to reach beyond themselves and what they have settled for; to expand their faith and reach for the high calling of Christ and all that it entails.

Regardless your position on Church corporate worship is, contemporary worship (CW) or Historical Worship (HW), Bob Kauflin addresses the principles of Holy Scripture dealing with the important aspects on worship: Your love to God, your believes in sound doctrine, your way of life aiming for obedience to God, and your role modeling as a Christian leading others to worship God through Christ with spiritual music in your local church. Personally, I was impressed by the honest approach the author observed along the book realizing his own church weaknesses and acknowledging the learning he could find in other historical/traditional churches. What I liked the most, was what he called "Healthy Tensions" in worship: "Transcendent and Immanent", "Head and Heart", "Internal and External", "Vertical and Horizontal", "Planned and Spontaneous", "Rooted and Relevant", "having in mind believers and unbelievers", etc. I think these healthy tensions give you the key secret for musical ministry in the church that will be pleasant to God and his creatures.

Worship Matters: Leading Others to Encounter the Greatness of God is a book written primarily for those who lead music within a church setting. The goal of the book is to give guiding prinicples and practical advice to help the music leader see the essence of what their ministry is about and do that within whatever church context they find themselves.

For the worship leader: This book is a must read. I can think of no circumstance a worship leader may find himself in which he should not read this book. It is the best on the topic of which I am aware, combining into one well written, heart-shepherding book all of the good things that before you would have had to read a dozen separate books to find. The book is both practical and theological, realistic and idealistic. It is God-centered, God-exalting and man-minimizing, while realizing that man must play a role. I have only rarely seen a book that so skillfully and thoughtfully combines rich doctrine and practical advice.

For the band member: Must read. The book is not only about how to lead those who perform, but about what the goal of the music portion of the worship service must be. The book will help you evaluate and redirect your heart in what you may have grown comfortable with. Maybe you

For the pastor/elder: Must read. Know how to encourage, direct, and come alongside your worship leader. I would recommend that the worship leader, band, and pastor(s) read this book together. The book so accurately describes the Biblical vision for worship that all who are involved in how a Sunday service, smallgroup gathering, or other meeting unfold should do so in light of the thoughtful, biblically informed direction Bob Kauflin lays out. There is even a chapter specifically for non-music-oriented pastors.

For the church member: Should read. I do not lead worship; I can't even sing on pitch, but what I was gained from the book made an immediate and palpable difference in the entirety of my worship (singing, participating in the Lord's Supper, listening to the sermon, and interacting with others) on Sunday. There are certainly other books that can benefit you in this regard, but this book is certainly one that can benefit all members of the body of Christ. Wayne Grudem recommends the book with the following words, "Worship Matters is an outstanding book borth for those who lead worship and also for every Christian who wants to worship God more fully. The book is biblical, practical, interesting, wise and thorough in its treatment of the topic."

The 260 pages of Worship Matters is laid out in a very convenient manner: Each of the 32 chapters are generally 4-7 pages in length, focus on a single topic, and can easily be read in a single sitting, even for slow readers. It reads much like a devotional and could easily be read in one month using only 10-15 minutes per day.

The book is broken into four parts:

Part 1: The Leader - Focusing on what kind of man the worship leader must be, touching on the heart, mind (doctrine), hands (practice & skill), and life.

Part 2: The Task. Each chapter takes a phrase from Kauflin's definition of a worship leader to define his task:

A faithful worship leader
magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skillfully combining God's Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God's presence
and to live for God's glory.

Part 3: Healthy Tensions - Bob identifies that many of the debates that surround music in churches tend to polarize people and points out that as a response to incorrect emphasis placed on one aspect of worship, that aspect may be neglected and too much weight given to the other extreme. We should rather see the wisdom in each of the two poles and using Scripture as a guide find ourselves in a healthy tension between them not as a response. The poles discussed, each in a chapter are:

* God's transendence and immanence
* Head and Head
* Internal and External
* Vertical and Horizontal
* Planned and Spontaneous
* Rooted and Relevant
* Skilled and Authentic
* For the Church and For Unbelievers
* Event and Everyday

Part 4: Right Relationships - Lays out some biblical guidelines and practical advice for how the various groups of people and the worship leader can interact in the most edifying, God-glorifying way possible. Groups addressed are people in general, the church, the worship team, and the pastor. The book finishes with a chapter written specifically for the pastor(s) of the church.

I cannot sum up my thoughts any better than D.A. Carson did in his endorsement: "Here is a rare book: a practical treatment of corporate worship that nevertheless reflects deep theological commitments. One may disagree here and there with some of the judgments, but it is demonstrably unfair to imagine that Bob Kauflin has not through about these matters deeply." Bob's life and ministry at sovereign grace have demonstrated that he is a worship leader and pastor from whom we want to learn. C.J. Mahaney writes, "I know of no man more qualified to write this book than Bob. And I know of no more important, useful work for those who would lead God's people than Worship Matters." I agree.

I can't say enough about this book, and at the same time I can't say too much. As I've attended and served in a Sovereign Grace Ministries church for the better part of the decade, I've had the benefit of Bob Kauflin's teaching on worship filter down to me in my capacity of intermittent worship leader (and more importantly as a worshiper) in many ways: articles and columns, messages on mp3 and CD (the "Theological Foundations for Worship" and "Practical Foundations for Worship" series), and even by word of mouth from my own pastor and worship leader. Enough about me. Bob wrote the book - and contrary to reviewing practice, I cannot bring myself to refer to him as `Kauflin' - and so to Bob we turn.

Bob's heart for biblical, passionate worship pervades every page of this book. His writing is littered with Bible, especially the psalms, that manual of Old Testament worship. But this isn't merely a devotional on a few aspects of worship. No, this is a handbook about how to pursue more biblical, more humble hearts in the midst of a task pregnant with tensions. Earlier in this review I said that I can't say enough about this book; that's because it accomplishes what it sets out to do in a biblical and humble manner. It practices what it preaches. I also said I can't say too much about it; that's because it is a wide-ranging and valuable lay-of-the-land guide with far too much content to convey in a mere review.

There are four main sections in the book:

1: The Leader

2: The Task

3: Healthy Tensions

4: Right Relationships

Following a foreword by über-worship leader Paul Baloche, Bob begins his discussion of worship by honing in on the worship leader's heart, mind, and life. All of this flows out of a leader's devotion to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In the second section Bob unpacks the following working definition of worship, constructed with aid from his good friend Jeff Purswell. The definition is not only written in verse form to effectively highlight each line, but because each subsequent chapter in this section explores a fragment of the definition.

Simply reiterating this definition arouses my soul in worship of God through Jesus Christ:

A faithful worship leader
magnifies the greatness of God in Jesus Christ
through the power of the Holy Spirit
by skillfully combining God's Word with music,
thereby motivating the gathered church
to proclaim the gospel,
to cherish God's presence
and to live for God's glory

Section three wades into the most fraught of all church matters: reconciling seemingly opposing preconceptions of worship. Again, this review does not warrant an exposition of the book's teaching on these areas. Suffice to say that Bob advocates the need to hold many, if not most, of these areas in healthy tension. Like J.I. Packer, he seems to dislike the term `balance,' so misused for so many years.

Finally, the fourth section explores the common cause of the tension in the third section: people. More specifically, people with ideas rubbing up against people with different ideas. A pastor himself, Bob recognizes the tensions that can arise on both sides of the pastor-worship leader relationship, and provides many suggestions for an improved and thriving relationship.

This book is primarily intended for worship leaders, but is also directed at pastors - even unmusical ones. No matter which tradition you practice, liturgical or free-flow (to use Bob's nomenclature), charismatic or somber, Bob's wisdom will benefit. Worship team members will profit from every page, and pastors and worship leaders may consider employing the copyright fair use policy (within reason) to disseminate relevant pages among their congregations at key junctures in the process of building a worshiping community. Worship Matters should also probably become requisite reading for all worship studies programs in North America, and I daresay should displace some, if not most, of the current primary textbooks in those programs.

I've never seen a book on worship featuring such a mix of god-glorifying theology and biblically-sound methodology. I have a feeling this is Bob's magnum opus, and every pastor, worship leader, and worship team member must invest in a copy, to read over and over and over. Because...worship does matter.

I ordered textbooks for a friend for his class at UMKC. I had the book within a week.

This book was assigned by my Grad Instructor and it has really helped me grasp the world of Assessments. Thank you.

I found this book to be redundant of all of the classes I had already taken. However, if you are taking the Praxis in Special Education, there are a lot of things you will find in this book to help you. I read it before I took the exam. It was easy for me to read, but I think it was also do to the fact that I learned everything in another course.

In my class it wasn't even required because he goes over everything in lecture, plus the class is about actually giving assessments.

If you buy the book, don't worry about its condition as long as you can read it!

Easy read yet thorough. Good resource for special educators and general educators as well.

Most special education teachers only see the end product of assessments done by school psychologists. This book helps you understand the numbers and what they represent when looking at a evalutation team report. This book helps you to write more effective IEPs and plan remediation for appropriate areas of weakness and capitalize on strengths.