Teachers at all grade levels in all subjects have speaking assignments for students, but many teachers believe they don't know how to teach speaking, and many even fear speaking to groups themselves.
In Well Spoken veteran teacher and education consultant Erik Palmer shares the art of teaching speaking in any classroom. Teachers will find thoughtful and engaging strategies, lessons, and tips for integrating speaking skills throughout the curriculum. Palmer stresses the essential elements of all effective oral communication used in one-to-one, small group, large group, formal, informal, in-person, and digital situations including:
? Building a Speech: Audience, Content, Organization, Visual Aids, and Appearance
? Performing a Speech: Poise, Voice, Life, Eye Contact, Gestures, and Speed
? Evaluating a Speech: Creating Effective Rubrics, Guiding Students to Excellence
Coming in December 2024 — Pre-Order today!
**What literacy instruction looks like in today’s classrooms**
This engaging book provides an overview of language arts instruction, the background information teachers need, and countless strategies to ensure effective instruction. Grounded in practicality, Karen supports teachers with setting up the classroom for literacy instruction and planning the year, and provides many specifics for effective reading and writing instruction. Topics include orthographic mapping, the teaching of morphology, the Three Tiers of Vocabulary, and the importance of writing to learn. Karen also provides many ways to leverage oral language across the curriculum. At the heart of the book is Karen’s passion for literacy and desire to empower teachers.
Coming January 2025 – Pre-order today!
**An essential guide for helping students explain, question, and refine their thinking and learning**
This essential resource shows teachers how to observe students at work and use those observations to inform classroom instruction. It explores effective ways to collect evidence of student learning and guide them towards becoming active participants in the learning process. Helping students understand and clarify what they know and how to use success criteria to guide their work is a key focus. This practical book on assessment and feedback offers hands-on tools to help students track, document, and articulate their learning. These tools are designed to inform reflection and encourage conversation, so students can better explain, question, and refine their thinking.
Both editions available now — Order today!
Feature of the Month!
Assessment in Action is our November feature! Just click on "Preview Book" beneath the cover image on the left, and you'll be able to read the first three chapters of this practical, hands-on resource online, completely FREE!
In Heart at the Center: An Educator’s Guide to Sustaining Love, Hope, and Community Through Nonviolence Pedagogy, high school teacher Mike Tinoco examines what it means to reimagine classrooms and schools as spaces that humanize, resist violence and injustice, and center love.
Offering both a framework and a set of practices that are grounded in different nonviolence traditions, Heart at the Center asks readers to consider what a pedagogy of nonviolence looks like, sounds like, and feels like in the classroom.
Written with warmth, expertise, and humility, Mike Tinoco invites us into his classroom, drawing on stories from his own life and powerful examples from civil rights movement leaders to explore questions such as:
Heart at the Center is a book for educators who believe that a different kind of classroom, a different kind of school, and a different kind of world are possible.
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In the years since Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning was first published and quickly became a beloved bestseller, countless educators and their students have been impacted by this short, but powerful book. Throughout it, author Peter Johnston provides examples of seemingly ordinary words, phrases, and uses of language that are pivotal in the orchestration of the classroom. Grounded in a balance of research and classroom practice, Choice Words demonstrates how and what we say (and don't say) have surprising consequences for what children learn and for who they become as literate people.
Now, in this second edition, Peter Johnston returns to the central message of the book—that teachers’ language is their most powerful tool for impacting children’s learning and creating classroom community. With updates throughout the chapters to both the research and classroom examples, and new chapters on social-emotional learning and mindsets, this book has much to offer to both those familiar with Choice Words and those who will read it for the first time.
This book will be enlightening for any teacher who wishes to be more conscious of the many ways their language helps children acquire literacy skills and view the world, their peers, and themselves in new ways.
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How do we get seventh-grade writers to revise? And once we do get them thinking about revision, what, exactly, do they do? What do we do? In Patterns of Revision, best-selling authors Travis Leech and Jeff Anderson answer these questions and more. This practical resource uses the research-proven and classroom-tested methods of sentence combining in a meaningful, engaging way that supports authentic writing as well as performance-based or multiple-choice test items.
Coming in September 2024 — Pre-order today!
**A one-stop shop for all K–6 math teachers**
This book is filled with a range of problems that support student understanding of key math concepts. From word problems to open-ended rich tasks to real-world math problems, you will have a toolbox that addresses the complex learning needs of your students. Messing Around With Math provides problems that can be used at any point in the lesson: whole-group, guided small-group instruction, or independent practice. This resource will also help teachers develop their skills in crafting rich, meaningful and engaging lessons. Instead of endless searching for the ‘right’ problem for your students, you will have a one-stop shop.
What is the true purpose of whole-group reading instruction? Is it possible to teach standards and skills while also creating a community in which students are free to bring their whole selves into the work of reading? And how do we make this vision an everyday reality in our grades 3-6 classrooms? Elementary educators Lynsey Burkins and Franki Sibberson answer these questions and more, inviting us into their classrooms as they redesign read-alouds and minilessons to support readers in whole-group reading instruction.
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An inspiring book to help teachers shift their beliefs and “stretch” their thinking around reading comprehension, literacy instruction, and content-area learning. Using the key concepts and strategies introduced in her ground-breaking book, Reading Power, Adrienne Gear shows teachers practical ways to create a “culture of thinking” that can be integrated into all areas of learning. Using knowledge-rich texts as tools, Adrienne shares how read-alouds can be used in content areas to support literacy skills and build knowledge. This timely book offers classroom-tested lessons and anchor books to create a content-rich learning environment that helps strengthen student learning and knowledge-building.
All formats available now — Order today!
**Ready-to-use lessons to support readers in grades 4–8**
A structured series of ready-to-use lessons that explore the “how” and the “why” of the English language with students. The engaging activities reflect the needs of all students, covering a wide range of abilities. Carefully curated word lists scaffold instruction for emergent to competent readers. The lessons are based on extensive classroom experience and include suggestions from teachers who have used the lessons in real classrooms. An ideal resource for using the spelling block to instruct, strengthen, and address gaps in phonics, morphology, and vocabulary knowledge for students in grades 4-8.
"This book will be very helpful to teachers who work with dyslexic and other struggling readers. There are many useful insights into the reading process and how to improve the reading skills of all students." — Dr. Linda Siegel
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With a focus on fostering a deep love for reading and prioritizing student growth, A Year for the Books is a must-have for educators from kindergarten through middle school. This teacher-friendly resource takes you behind the scenes and through the school year as it shares simple, practical strategies to design learner-centered literacy experiences. The book features companion podcasts or PDCasts where you can hear the authors tackle authentic classroom dilemmas and share their decision-making process.
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Learning to Relearn challenges educators to embark on a transformative journey toward creating classrooms that embrace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Rooted in the principles of antibias, antiracist (ABAR) education, this book offers a dynamic roadmap for teachers seeking to dismantle systemic biases and foster inclusive spaces that honor intersectional student identities.
Sarfo-Mensah skillfully weaves together theory and practice, providing accessible strategies for cultivating antibias, antiracist pedagogies that address the unique experiences of students navigating multiple layers of identity. From inclusive curriculum development to fostering empathetic classroom discussions, this book empowers educators to navigate the nuanced landscape of supporting identities with intentionality and sensitivity.
Coming in December 2024 — Pre-order today!
How do we find hope and possibility in challenging times? How do we bring our truest selves into our teaching and personal lives? In this unique, inspiring book, beloved author Regie Routman artfully blends stories and strategies to show how we can introduce more joy, authenticity, and gratitude in our classrooms and in our lives.
Regie invites us to focus on what matters most in our work and in our relationships with those we hold dear. She shares ideas and practical takeaways for teaching, learning, and living:
Check out Regie’s video welcome and companion website.
Available now — Order today!
How do we get eighth-grade writers to revise? And once we do get them thinking about revision, what, exactly, do they do? What do we do? In Patterns of Revision, best-selling authors Travis Leech and Jeff Anderson answer these questions and more. This practical resource uses the research-proven and classroom-tested methods of sentence combining in a meaningful, engaging way that supports authentic writing as well as performance-based or multiple-choice test items.
Coming in September 2024 — Pre-order today!
How do we get fourth-grade writers to revise? And once we do get them thinking about revision, what, exactly, do they do? What do we do? In Patterns of Revision, best-selling authors Whitney La Rocca and Jeff Anderson answer these questions and more. This practical resource uses the research-proven and classroom-tested methods of sentence combining in a meaningful, engaging way that supports authentic writing as well as writing for performance-based or multiple-choice tests.
Available now — Order today!
**Hands-on activities that motivate children to learn**
This practical book shows teachers what Reggio-inspired experiences look like in primary classrooms. Based on extensive classroom experience, the real-life examples explore how teachers can observe children to better motivate, engage, and inspire them. Teachers will find simple ways to guide children to become effective problem solvers and build deeper learning in reading, writing, oral language, and listening. The hands-on activities revolve around topics children care about and are designed to foster skills in communication, collaboration, and finding meaning in the world around them. This mixture of theory and Reggio-inspired practices puts the child at the centre of their learning.
Both editions available now — Order today!
Written for beginning or seasoned teachers, homeschoolers, teacher educators, as well as parents who want to fully engage in their child’s literacy development, this updated and highly readable new edition presents brain science, reading research, and theory in ways that can be understood and directly applied in teaching, ultimately leading to efficacious science of reading based literacy instruction.
Gentry and Ouellette show how an understanding of the science of reading can shape teaching to help make all students literate. Building on their science of reading based framework of “brain words”—dictionaries in the brain where students store and access word spelling, pronunciation, and meaning—the authors offer a wealth of information to transform your thinking and practice.
Coming in December 2024 — Pre-Order today!
How do we get fifth-grade writers to revise? And once we do get them thinking about revision, what, exactly, do they do? What do we do? In Patterns of Revision, best-selling authors Whitney La Rocca and Jeff Anderson answer these questions and more. This practical resource uses the research-proven and classroom-tested methods of sentence combining in a meaningful, engaging way that supports authentic writing as well as writing for performance-based or multiple-choice tests.
Available now — Order today!
How do we get sixth-grade writers to revise? And once we do get them thinking about revision, what, exactly, do they do? What do we do? In Patterns of Revision, best-selling authors Travis Leech and Jeff Anderson answer these questions and more. This practical resource uses the research-proven and classroom-tested methods of sentence combining in a meaningful, engaging way that supports authentic writing as well as performance-based or multiple-choice test items.
Coming in September 2024 — Pre-order today!
**90 activities that support key math concepts**
I Can Do Math is a simple tool teachers can use to help kids have fun and build foundational math skills. The 90 single-page, reproducible lessons involve children in developing fine motor skills as they explore key math concepts. Children use color to demonstrate what they know and solve engaging puzzles and exercises as they measure, cut, and fold their own library of unique minibooks. Based on curriculum essentials for K–2 students, the activities investigate counting and numbers, addition and subtraction, problem solving, and geometry. Ideal for active learning, meaningful review, and assessment throughout the year.
Available now — Order today!
Follow along with Cain & Faith as they fold their own minibooks!
With every lesson grounded in the critical strategy of writers talking out their revisions, Patterns of Revision will establish routines, practices, and mindsets to set you and your students up for success from day one. Discover the joy inherent in writing - and writing instruction - when we explore revision through engaging inquiry and the study of models, building flexible, competent revisors, step-by-step, in an open-ended discussion of meaning driven revision choices and their effects.
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Do you find yourself asking: How am I supposed to put assessment, differentiated instruction, and multi-tiered instruction into practice? In this book, author Yvette Zgonc gives you a wealth of phonological awareness activities directly tied into the three-tiered model of RTI. At your fingertips, you’ll find activities for use with the whole class, for small groups not making adequate progress, and for individual students who need the most intensive and explicit instruction. Informed by research on how the brain learns best, these songs, poems, games, and activities will keep students engaged, involved, and having fun—because that’s when learning is sustained. So whether they’re pretending to be superheroes, surgical assistants, baseball pitchers, or just lowly worms, get ready to see your students actually enjoy strengthening their phonological awareness skills. This jam-packed collection will help you to: Engage students with easy-to-do activities that take little or no prep-time; Tailor your instruction to students’ individual needs; Assess students’ phonological awareness skills (with tests in English & Spanish); Monitor & track student progress; and Integrate works of children’s literature into skills-based activities. Whether or not you are following the three-tiered RTI model, this volume will help you to effectively teach and keep track of your students. And that brings you one step closer to the ultimate goal—success for all children.
Available now — Order today!
Teaching literacy often feels like a balancing act between best practices and instructional time. This book offers a practical solution for creating a research-based literacy program that is responsive, manageable, and meets the needs of diverse students.. It provides a clear structure for whole-class lessons, small groups, and independent practice in reading, writing, and word work, allowing teachers to maximize instructional time while incorporating existing practices. With concrete strategies, “low-floor high-ceiling” activities, and real-life examples, this book helps teachers reach every learner, build a literacy-rich environment, and feel confident that they are making time for it all.
Coming in June 2025 — Pre-order today!