Teacher Spotlight

Welcome to our Library...

“The materials are wonderful. All services exceded expectations. Staff assistance is outstanding.”

Marilyn Calhoun
Lead Trainer
North Region

Center, Dallas

Books and other resources described in the Library section may be requested for a 30-day loan. We will mail each borrower up to five loan items at a time (just two for first-time borrowers), and even include a postage-paid return address sticker for mailing them back to us! Borrowers must be affiliated with a non-profit program providing adult or family literacy services. Annotated bibliographies of our entire library of resources are available in hard copy by request, or can be viewed on our website. Call 800-441-7323 or e-mail tcall@tamu.edu to check out materials described here or to request hard copy listings of even more resources.

Building Background Knowledge for Academic Achievement Research on What Works in Schools. Marzano, Robert J. (2004). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, insufficient background knowledge is a chronic cause of low achievement in reading. Drawing from 35 years of research, Marzano uses detailed vignettes to describe how a carefully structured combination of two approaches – sustained silent reading and instruction in subject-specific vocabulary – can help rescue low achievers and boost the academic performance of all students. Some of the tools described include: a five-step silent reading (SSR) program that extends through grade level 10; eight factors that determine the success of an SSR program; a six-step process for vocabulary instruction in the major disciplines; and the vocabulary terms that are critical to students’ success in every academic subject.

The SSR Handbook: How to Organize and Manage a Sustained Silent Reading Program. Pilgreen, Janice L. (2000). Portsmouth, NH: Boynton/Cook. It comes as no surprise that the students who read often are the students who read well. How, then, can we get the rest of our students reading? Is it enough to set aside in-class time for sustained silent reading? Or should we set up a more structured program, one that ensures all of our students are engaged in their reading and that they do so on a regular basis for the pleasure of it? Janice Pilgreen knows from hard-won experience that it takes a lot of time, effort, and know-how to put an effective sustained silent reading program into practice. In The SSR Handbook, she’s done most of the work for you, not only providing an overview of the underlying research, but also reviewing eight essential factors that ensure a programs success. Pilgreen explicitly identifies these factors, then explains in detail how to incorporate them into your own program. The book also features lots of resources to help you implement your program, including support organizations, book clubs, classroom magazine subscription titles/addresses, favorite young adult series books within various genres, comic book titles, lower-level reading books for adolescents, and publishing company names, addresses, and phone numbers. Best of all, there are reproducible student and parent inventories, reading records, and other forms to assist you with the process. Readers will come away from this book with an understanding of what SSR is, why it’s important, and how to implement it in their own schools and classrooms. Just as important, they will be motivated and energized enough to want to develop new programs or modify existing programs right away.

All Sides of the Issue: Activities for Cooperative Jigsaw Groups. Coelho, Elizabeth and Winer, Lise and Olsen, Judy Winn-Bell (1998). San Francisco, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers. Editorial Description: “A young Guyanese man seeks permission to stay in the United States for a heart operation, but immigration officials refuse him an extension of his visitor’s visa, believing he is involved with political groups that use violence . . . is this fair? Some say Columbus discovered America, but ancient stories from Europe claim the Vikings did. Who’s right? Based on the principles of cooperative learning strategies, this dynamic resource promotes language development and critical thinking skills through photocopiable readings, discussions, and problem-solving activities on poignant issues from immigration to environmental pollution. Each of the five issues is presented from four points of view at four different language levels. Students work in cooperative jigsaw groups to discuss and present each side of the issue to their classmates.” Book includes teacher’s guide with introductory material about cooperative learning and the jigsaw approach, along with seven reproducible activities for use with multilevel classes.

Callan’s Thematic Jigsaws: Interactive, Multilevel Stories for ESL, Books 1 and 2. Callan, Nancy (2006). San Francisco, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers. Available for two levels (beginner and intermediate), each book contains 16 stories that use the “zero prep” jigsaw form of instruction: the story is divided into four parts and distributed to small groups to learn. When these groups have mastered their material, they regroup to present the story as a whole. Ideally suited for multi-level classrooms, this jigsaw approach encourages every student, regardless of his or her level, to participate! Every lesson includes a variety of photocopiable comprehension worksheets, from group discussion questions and cloze exercises to sentence strips. Themes include: Family and Personal Information; Daily Routines; Housing; Health; Transportation; Clothes Shopping; Personal Descriptions; Banking, and more.

Keep Talking: Communicative Fluency Activities for Language Teaching. Klippel, Friederike (1998). San Francisco, CA: Alta Book Center Publishers. Designed for every level and age, the over 100 different exercises in this teacher resource include interviews, guessing games, jigsaw tasks, problem solving, values clarification techniques, mime, role play, and story telling. Quick-reference tables reflect the topic type, level, organization, preparation, and time needed for each activity, in addition to clearly listing everything with the individual activity and step-by-step procedure. A separate part contains photocopiable worksheets for instant availability and an introduction shares helpful advice.

Dr. Art Does Science. Sussman, Art (2006). San Francisco, CA: WestEd. This DVD companion to the book “Dr. Art’s Guide to Science” (a separate Clearinghouse loan item) features the complete “Dr. Art’s Planet Earth Show,” combining exciting scientific demonstrations with audience participation to teach how our planet works. 90-minute video features 12 segments in which experiments, demonstrations, and animations illuminate key scientific concepts and model effective ways to teach topics including elements, energy, magnetism, electromagnetism, static electricity, chemical reactions, respiration, carbon cycle, greenhouse effect, international emissions, and DNA.

Dr. Art’s Guide to Science: Connecting Atoms, Galaxies, and Everything in Between. Sussman, Art (2006). San Francisco, CA: WestEd. Illustrated with full-color graphics, this book offers engages learners in a journey into the awesome ideas of science. What does science tell us about our universe? How do atoms behave? What is DNA? And how are we connected to the stars? Using humor, Dr. Art shows why science is important while discussing concepts such as the carbon cycle and the connections between electricity, magnetism, and gravity. In the companion DVD, “Dr. Art Does Science” (a separate Clearinghouse loan item), key topics are further explored.

Making Science Accessible to English Learners: A Guidebook for Teachers. Carr, John and Sexton, Ursula and Lagunoff, Rachel (2006). San Francisco, CA: WestEd. This guidebook is for science teachers of learners ranging from upper elementary through secondary level, who have ample knowledge of science standards and concepts, are comfortable with basic teaching and classroom management methodologies, but may have had limited preparation for teaching science in classrooms where at least some students are also English learners. The book offers science teachers guidance and concrete ways to help the English learners in their classrooms better learn the language and processes of science. Features include: charts of the most important language skills by developmental levels for English learners; specific strategies for promoting academic language and scientific discourse; concrete tips and tools for teaching science vocabulary; seven ways to scaffold English learners’ understanding of science and differentiate instruction for different levels of English ability; classroom assessment techniques that lower communication barriers for English learners; and two integrated lesson scenarios demonstrating how to combine and embed these various strategies, techniques, and approaches.

Reading and Writing the World with Mathematics: Toward a Pedagogy for Social Justice. Gutstein, Eric (2006). New York, NY: Taylor and Francis Group. “Mathematics education in the United States can reproduce social inequalities whether schools use ‘basic-skills” curricula to prepare mainly low-income students of color for low-skilled service jobs, or ‘standards-based’ curricula to ready students for knowledge-intensive positions. And working for fundamental social change and rectifying injustice are rarely included in any mathematics curriculum. In contrast, Eric Gutstein argues [in this book] that mathematics education should prepare students to investigate and critique injustice, and to challenge, in words and actions, oppressive structures and acts. Gutstein offers a theoretical framework and practical examples for how math educators can connect schooling to larger sociopolitical contexts. Based on teacher-research, he explains how to teach mathematics to develop students’ socio-political awareness and sense of themselves as people who can contribute to meaningful social change.” -- from the editorial description. See also “Rethinking Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers”, a separate Clearinghouse Library title that includes teaching ideas, lesson plans, and reflections by math educators.

Rethinking Mathematics: Teaching Social Justice by the Numbers. Gutstein, Eric and Peterson, Bob, Editors (2006). Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools. This is a companion to Gutstein’s book, “Reading and Writing the World with Mathematics: Toward a Pedagogy for Social Justice”, a separate Clearinghouse Library title. Book includes over 30 articles on how to weave social justice issues throughout the mathematics curriculum, as well as how to integrate mathematics into other curricular areas, deepening students’ understanding of society and helping prepare them to be critical, active participants in a democracy. The book offers teaching ideas, lesson plans, and reflections by practitioners and mathematics educators.

Barriers and Promising Approaches to Workforce and Youth Development for Young Offenders: Toolkit. Brown, David and Maxwell, Sarah and DeJesus, Edward and Schiraldi, Vincent (2002). Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation. This toolkit was created to address three objectives: identify barriers to success in juvenile justice -- both for the system and for the young people in it; survey innovative state and local policy initiatives; and showcase exemplary employment and development programs for court-involved youth. Toolkit includes three books: Overview outlining problems and identifying solutions; Program Profiles describing programs that display promising practices; and Policy Profiles highlighting creative uses of the public sector.

Locked Up and Locked Out: An Educational Perspective on the U.S. Prison Population. Coley, Richard J. and Barton, Paul E. (2006). Princeton, NJ: Educational Testing Service. This Policy Information Report describes the rising prison population and its characteristics, examines the status of prison education programs and their impact, and describes programs that try to help ex-prisoners reenter society. Section on “The Children of Prisoners” describes the effect on children when a father or mother is incarcerated, and gives examples of efforts to help children and families. Another section focuses on “The Special Case of the Black Male”.

Teaching on the Inside: A Survival Handbook for the New Correctional Teacher. Geraci, Pauline (2002). Scandia, MN: Greystone Educational Materials. The author describes this book as “not about how to teach offenders, but rather an overview of what it can be like to teach in a correctional setting.” She also states that teaching inmates can be an “extremely rewarding,” yet “daunting task.” The author introduces new teachers to inmate culture and its significance to correctional education, with chapters filled with advice and vignettes drawn from the author’s experience. A teacher’s self-assessment and bibliography are included.

When Bonds are Broken: Family Literacy for Incarcerated Fathers and Their Children. Northampton Community College Adult Literacy Division (1993). Bethlehem, PA: Pennsylvania State Department of Education. This manual was developed for use in a 17-session family literacy program for incarcerated fathers and their children. The activities in the first eight sessions, which are designed to be completed before the children’s first visit, are based on a mix of children’s literature and reading materials dealing with child development and parenting. In session 9, the fathers are asked to write about their children’s first visit and to complete activities dealing with reflective listening and communicating with children. Among the topics covered in the remaining sessions are the following: learning styles, newspaper reading, low-cost gifts for children, empowerment, reading to children, family communication, dealing with children’s problems, problem solving, consequences, and natural and logical consequences.

When Words Are Bars. Paul, Marianne (1991). Kitchener, Ontario, Canada: Core Literacy. Set of two publications is relevant to educators who work within correctional institutions. The Guide to Literacy Programming (120 pages) includes these topics: issues affecting learning behind bars, strategies to promote literacy, setting up a program, and continuing the service upon release. The accompanying Tutor Training Component (139 pages) contains 15 modules with ideas, tips, activities, and resource references to help workshop trainers prepare community tutors to work with students in correctional institutions.

Family Math II: Achieving Success in Mathematics. Coates, Grace Dávila and Thompson, Virginia (2003). Berkeley, CA: Lawrence Hall of Science: University of California. Follow-up to 1986 Family Math publication presents mathematics activities, games, and investigations that provide a fresh approach to understanding algebra, number sense, geometry, and probability and statistics and help families learn and enjoy mathematics together. In these activities, parents learn ways to boost a child’s success and confidence in mathematics. Also included are easy-to-follow instructions to organize family math classes.

Guide to Improving Parenting Education in Even Start Family Literacy Programs. Powell, Douglas R. and D’Angelo, Diane (September 2000). Washington, DC: United States Department of Education. Developed in response to the growing body of research on parenting and children’s school-related success, this guide provides a framework and suggestions for strengthening the quality and impact of parenting education services. It is intended for use by Even Start state coordinators, local program administrators, and program staff responsible for designing and implementing parenting education services. Included are: a content framework for parenting education in Even Start; illustrative practices for putting the content framework into action; and suggestions for measuring parenting education outcomes.

¡Leamos! Let’s Read! 101 Ideas to Help Your Child Learn to Read and Write, Bilingual Edition, Revised. Behm, Richard and Behm, Mary (2000). Bloomington, IN: ERIC Clearinghouse on Reading, English and Communication. With text in both English and Spanish, the suggestions in this book enable parents to help their child develop a lifelong love for reading and writing. Tips show how to make learning fun, help children succeed in school, and at the same time, build the parent-child relationship. This revision of the book originally published in 1993 includes a new preface by Josefina V. Tinajero, Associate Professor and Director of the Mother-Daughter Program at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Read It Aloud! A Parent’s Guide to Sharing Books with Young Children. Haas, Monty and Haas, Laurie Joy (2000). Natick, MA: The Reading Railroad. Written as a resource for parents, teachers, daycare providers, librarians, and everyone who shares books with children, the authors of this book draw on 25 years in the field of communication skill development and provide the tools, techniques, and skills to enrich communication at home through reading aloud and having fun in the process. The authors advocate what they call “performance reading” (vibrant reading filled with dramatic involvement to fire children’s imagination) along with follow-up discussion, related activities, and word play.

School-to-Home Idea Bags for the Kitchen. MacDonald, Sharon (2002). Grand Rapids, MI: McGraw-Hill Children’s Publishing. Simple take-home cooking activities in this book are intended to help promote parent involvement in the learning process. Book includes all the reproducibles needed to create dozens of Idea Bags -- brown paper lunch bags filled with recipes parents can prepare at home with their kids. Each Idea Bag includes: a simple recipe designed to help parents reinforce math, language, and science concepts; step-by-step instructions that allow parents to present each concept with knowledge and confidence; a list of common, inexpensive ingredients; and fun cooking facts and questions to share with children.

Stories of Impact: Improving Parent Involvement Through Family Literacy in the Elementary School. NCFL (2004). Louisville, KY: National Center for Family Literacy. This publication highlights the many successes of parents, children and teachers through the Toyota Families in Schools program, implemented in 45 Title I elementary schools. The book examines how family literacy impacts children’s outcomes by engaging parents in schools while also supporting parents’ efforts to improve their own skills. Also included is a look at the many public policy and funding opportunities that impact program sustainability. But the most important stories of impact are those that come from the students themselves, included throughout the book as a testament to the power of parent involvement.

Teaching Your Child to Love Learning: A Guide to Doing Projects at Home. Helm, Judy Harris and Berg, Stacy and Scranton, Pam (2004). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. The authors describe proactive steps parents can take to provide children with meaningful experiences that will result in growth and family fun by doing meaningful and exciting projects in their home and community. Book features: an explanation of the benefits to parents and children of doing projects together; ideas on transforming the home into a place to learn; appropriate expectations and how to build a child’s skills in reading and writing, mathematical development, scientific thinking, and more; and ideas for adapting the project approach for use in family day care centers, home schooling, and gifted education.