Welcome to our Library...
“This is the first time I’ve ordered online. It seems easy.”
Steve Zach
Literacy Coordinator
Harris County Public Library
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.
IMMIGRANT OR REFUGEE LEARNERS AND CITIZENSHIP
American Manners and Customs: A Guide for Newcomers. Claire, Elizabeth (2004). Saddle Brook, NJ: Eardley Publications. “What do I do?” “What do I say?” Too often these questions from our students come AFTER they have been embarrassed, lost a friend, or missed out on a job opportunity. Here’s a resource that gives them fundamentals of American manners so they will feel more confident and ready to interact. Difficult words are glossed at the bottom of each page. Designed for the classroom or for self-study by adults and young adults at an intermediate English level. Each 2-page chapter is followed by 2 pages of discussion questions, culture sharing questions, opinion sharing questions, and vocabulary quizzes with answers.
The Arrival. Tan, Shaun (2007). New York, NY: Arthur A. Levine Books. With great potential to inspire oral language in a classroom of English language learners, author/artist Tan’s wordless graphic novel tells in pictures the compelling story of a father who leaves his homeland and family to make a new life in another country. In the words of Nancy Pearl, commentator on books for National Public Radio, “Tan brilliantly universalizes the immigrant experience by making the country of arrival a surreal place that is as wondrously strange to the reader/viewer as it is to the immigrant himself. Tan conveys so much in each of the pictures that every one — whether full page or smaller — calls out to be pored over. The power of visual art to tell a narrative tale that is both nuanced and complex has seldom, if ever, been demonstrated more clearly than here.”
ESL GED Civics Curriculum, Version 2.0. Simmons, Jane (February 2008). Tyler, TX: Literacy Council of Tyler, Inc. This curriculum promotes civic responsibility while also integrating other instruction for the typical ESL student. Some examples of these skills are sentence structure, parts of speech, and vocabulary building. Some examples of these skills are reading comprehension, essay writing, and mathematical analysis. As the curriculum is distributed and used in the field, it will continue to be revised and other lessons added. The CD (available free on request) contains both PDF and Publisher files. The PDF files duplicate the best but cannot be changed; however, the Publisher files allow you to change the names of elected officials to reflect the people serving in your local area.
A More Perfect Union: America Becomes a Nation. Slover, Tim, Writer and Johnson, Peter N., Director (1989). Malta, ID: National Center for Constitutional Study. Journey back to 1787 to witness crucial events in our nation’s founding. You’ll meet Madison, Washington, Franklin, and others and marvel at the labor and godly wisdom that went into drafting our Constitution. This timely reminder of the underlying principles that established and still protect our freedoms will reinforce the concept of responsible citizenship. Filmed in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall and other historic sites. The teacher’s guide (16 pages) is available online. The DVD video is 114 minutes. Included in this set is a copy of the Constitution of the United States.
Muslim Refugees in the United States: A Guide for Service Providers. Maloof, Patricia S. and Ross-Sheriff, Fariyal and Asani, Ali S. (2003). Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. This booklet is a basic introduction to the worldview of Muslim peoples as manifested in their religion and culture. It is designed primarily for service providers and others assisting Muslim refugees in their new communities in the United States, and focuses on people from many parts of the world who are distinguished by their adherence to Islam. This guide therefore seeks to address the multifaceted situations that result from the combination of a shared belief system and a diversity of cultural backgrounds. It also encourages service providers to build relationships with mosques and Islamic community organizations that may have programs to support Muslim refugees and immigrants.
Writing America: Classroom Literacy and Public Engagement. Robbins, Sarah and Dyer, Mimi, Edotors (2005). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. This book addresses teachers’ goal to engage students in meaningful learning. Essays by eleven teachers describe their classroom experiences as they implement programs based on Keeping and Creating American Communities (KCAC), a multiyear curriculum development project funded by the National Endowment for Humanities and the National Writing Project. The teacher essays present examples of classroom-based community studies projects that showcase teachers’ reflective practice in action, models for professional growth, collaborative staff development programs, and much more. The essays provide replicable projects, curricular models for building connections between the classroom and the larger community.
Big as Life: The Everyday Inclusive Curriculum, Volume 1. York, Stacey (1998). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. This multicultural/anti-bias early childhood curriculum draws on children’s observations and questions to bring the real issues of their lives into the classroom and to create a curriculum that supports pride, self-confidence and critical thinking. Volume 1 explores the philosophy behind the multicultural/anti-bias curriculum, and provides eight comprehensive curriculum units.
Bridging Cultures in Early Care and Education: A Training Module. Zepeda, Marlene and Rothstein-Fisch, Carrie and Gonzalez-Mena, Janet and Trumbull, Elise (2006). Mahwah, NJ: Lawerence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. This module offers a flexible two-hour workshop script, with detailed facilitation notes, using real-life dilemmas from early care and education settings to illustrate and fuel discussion about the two common and sometimes conflicting cultural norms of individualism (associated more closely with mainstream U.S. culture) and collectivism (associated more closely with immigrant communities). Participants (such as early childhood educators, caregivers, and parent educators) are trained to become attuned to culturally driven differences in child-rearing practices and gain insight into how to anticipate and mitigate potential misunderstandings. The module includes handout and overhead masters; background information on the conceptual framework; guidance and suggested resources for extending the training; and an annotated bibliography.
Celebrate! An Anti-Bias Guide to Enjoying Holidays in Early Childhood Programs. Julie Bisson (1997). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Can your classroom celebrate holidays respectfully? Can holidays be fun anymore? Yes and yes! Celebrate! is filled with strategies for exciting holiday activities that are unbiased and developmentally appropriate. Chapters include Developing a Holiday Policy, Selecting Holidays, Addressing Stereotypes and Commercialism, and Evaluating Holiday Activities. The book also tells how you can involve families.
Connections and Commitments: Coneexion y Compromiso: Reflecting Latino Values in Early Childhood Programs. Costanza Eggers-Pierola (2005). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. Connections and Commitments provides a framework that helps you teach Latino students more responsively by focusing on four key values shared by many Latino cultures: Familia/Family: Forming true alliances with the family network; Pertenencia/Belonging: Creating a sense of family and belonging in the classroom; Educacion/Education: Learning together; and Compromiso/Commitment: Taking the lead in changing professional development. Maintaining an awareness of these four values gives you a specific foundation on which to build differentiated best practices for your Latino class members, and Eggers-Pierola includes an array of sample activities, strategies, and useful classroom tools that reinforce these concepts and move you toward a deeper understanding of Latino culture. Connections and Commitments also contains the information you need to extend beyond a single classroom with resource lists, reflection questions, and specific outreach ideas that make it an ideal resource for staff development and teacher book groups, as well as individual study.
The Context and Meaning of Family Strengthening in Indian America. Besaw, Amy, et al (August 2004). Baltimore, MD: The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. This report to the Annie E. Casey Foundation examines what the term “family strengthening” means in Indian America. According to the report’s introduction, “Decades, even centuries of subjugation and disempowerment have left many Native communities poverty stricken and dependent on federal programs and federal dollars to support children and families. ... Even on reservations where tribal governments are proactively addressing economic underdevelopment, ... the particular history of Indian America has left a legacy of dependence on federal and state antipoverty, education, and social ‘progress’ programs when it comes to addressing the needs of children and families.”
Developing Cross-Cultural Competence: A Guide for Working With Children and Their Families, Third Edition. Lynch, Eleanor W. and Hanson, Marci J. (2004). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co. Authors representing various cultures offer advice for working with children and adults of diverse heritage. Book may be used in preservice and inservice settings to help educators and social workers learn how to appreciate and accommodate diversity through respectful and effective interaction in providing services. Some of the cultural heritages addressed include Native American, African American, Latino, Asian, and Middle Eastern.
Embracing Identities in Early Childhood Education: Diversity and Possibilities. Grieshaber, Susan and Cannella, Gaile S., Editors (2001). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Drawing on the work of early childhood teachers and teacher educators, this edited volume provides examples of creative ways in which practitioners and theorists are rethinking their work. Grounded in principles of equity, difference, and the recognition of racial, ethnic and sexual diversity, the book opens possibilities for thought and action. The contributors provide a range of thinking, theorizing, and practical applications on topical issues in the field such as, issues of equity and fairness in observing young children, gender identities in the early years, and working with non-traditional families. Readers will appreciate the multiple perspectives on views of children, care, and classroom knowledge.
Infant/Toddler Caregiving: A Guide to Culturally Sensitive Care. Mangione, Peter L. (1995). Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education and WestEd. This concise guide to culturally sensitive care for infants and toddlers is divided into the following sections: “The Importance of Culture in Early Development”; “Multicultural Issues in Child Care” (including concerns of immigrant families); “The Process of Culturally Sensitive Care”; and suggested resources. An appendix also provides information/resource forms for parents and/or caregivers.
In Our Own Way: How Anti-Bias Work Shapes Our Lives. Alvarado, Cecelia and Burnley LaVita and Derman-Sparkes, Louise and Hoffman, Eric and Jimenez, Linda Irene and Labyzon, June and Ramsey, Patricia and Unten, Annette and Wallace, Beth and Yasui, Barbara (1999). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. In Our Own Way is filled with the personal stories of people who have worked to establish anti-bias environments in their careers in child care. Each of the stories is a unique look at how the writers learned to think critically in their own lives as well as how they’ve learned to teach this skill, among others, in their anti-bias work. And each story shares that it is work requiring constant communication, energy, vigilance, and the passion for trying to make positive changes in the community. Early childhood professionals at every level will be inspired by the voices of the writers of In Our Own Way. Moving beyond the concepts of diversity and anti-bias work, they instead share the everyday anecdotes that will help caregivers shape an anti-bias program and face the challenges in their own communities.
Meeting the Challenge of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Education. Garcia, Eugene E. and McLaughlin, Barry and Spodek, Bernard and Saracho, Olivia N., Editors (1995). New York, NY: Teachers College Press. Geared toward early childhood educators, reading and writing teachers, bilingual and English as a Second Language teachers, and to courses in these fields, this compilation of chapters from a wide range of authors examines the issues of linguistic and cultural diversity in early childhood programs.
Multicultural Issues in Child Care, Third Edition. Gonzalez-Mena, Janet (2001). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company. Text presents cultural differences relevant to all early childhood care and education settings. Daily caregiving routines and objectives are stressed throughout, with emphasis given to the practical and immediate concerns of the caregiver. The book promotes sensitivity, communication, and problem solving as keys to providing what children need according to their individual development, their parents’ beliefs, and the beliefs of the caregiver. Learning to communicate across cultures, even when a common language is not shared, is emphasized.
Roots and Wings: Affirming Culture in Early Childhood Programs, Revised. Stacey York (2003). St. Paul, MN: Redleaf Press. Roots and Wings was published over a decade ago as the first practical resource for early childhood teachers on the new topic of multicultural education. Completely updated, this new edition retains the best of the original while presenting current anti-bias and culturally relevant issues in educating young children in a clear and organized way. With over 100 new and revised activities, practical examples, and staff-training recommendations, the revised edition also includes new chapters on bilingual education, culturally responsive teaching, and children and prejudice. Nine comprehensive chapters provide a thorough and accessible introduction to working with diverse children and families in early childhood settings. The book also includes an updated, extensive list of suggested resources. An ideal resource for early childhood teachers, program directors, pre-service and in-service teacher trainers, and parents interested in anti-bias and multicultural education.
Skilled Dialogue: Strategies for Responding to Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood. Barrera, Isaura and Corso, Robert M. and Macpherson, Dianne (May 2005). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company. In your work with young children and their families, have you ever had a conversation or interaction that could have gone better — if you’d had a better understanding of how to respond to cultural diversity? This book can help! Using Skilled Dialogue, a field-tested model for respectful, reciprocal, and responsive interaction that honors cultural beliefs and values, practitioners will improve their relationships with the children and families they serve and better address developmental and educational goals.
Through Ebony Eyes: What Teachers Need to Know But Are Afraid to Ask About African American Students. Thompson, Gail L. (2004). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. “Thompson takes on the volatile topic of the role of race in education and explores the black-white achievement gap and the cultural divide that exists between some teachers and African American students. Solidly based on research conducted with 175 educators, [this book] provides information and strategies that will help teachers increase their effectiveness with African American students. Written in conversational language, [the book] offers a wealth of examples and personal stories that clearly demonstrate the cultural differences that exist in the schools and offers a three-part, long-term professional development plan that will help teachers become more effective.” -- Editorial Description.
VOLUNTEER AND COMMUNITY-BASED LITERACY
Founder Transitions: Creating Good Endings and New Beginnings. Adams, Tom (2005). Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation. This guide examines the unique challenges presented by transitions involving founders or long-term executives. It provides clear advice for executives and their boards in confronting the complex issues these transitions present.
The Greater Good: How Philanthropy Drives the American Economy and Can Save Capitalism. Gaudiani, Claire (2003). New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company. A research scholar and voice for community development, Gaudiani describes the role of generosity in America’s history of prosperity and democracy. From the Editorial Description: “Gaudani draws a blueprint for a just future, full of opportunities, based on giving.” With chapters on Making the Most of People Through Education, this book could serve as a resource for grant proposal writing and fundraising.
High Performance Nonprofit Organizations: Managing Upstream for Greater Impact. Letts, Christine W. and Ryan, William P. and Grossman, Allen (1999). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Drawing on management techniques used by successful managers in both businesses and nonprofits, This book outlines approaches that nonprofits can use to build their capacity for learning, innovating, ensuring quality, and motivating staff. Illustrated with case studies and examples, the book outlines processes for achieving these goals, including human resources management - to attract and develop employees truly in synch with an organization’s mission, benchmarking - to identify practices that best meet a nonprofit’s needs, responsiveness and quality systems - to continuously review and upgrade quality of service, and product development - to tap the talents of every employee to create effective programs. The authors argue that these processes, far from corrupting a nonprofit with practices that evolved to make companies more profitable, actually help an organization convert its values and integrity into results for clients and communities. These adaptive capacities help nonprofits deliver on their mission, building the model organization that will make the biggest impact with model programs. This book goes further, laying out an agenda for changing the nonprofit environment, making it more supportive of its managers and more aware of the potential of organizational capacity. The authors assess the special opportunity of several stakeholders - including the nonprofit board, foundations, and the national office of multisite nonprofits, to create a new culture that values organizational performance.
Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace. MacKenzie, Gordon (1996). New York, NY: Penguin Putnam, Inc. “Creativity is crucial to business success. But too often, even the most innovative organization quickly becomes a “giant hairball” -- a tangled, impenetrable mass of rules, traditions, and systems, all based on what worked in the past -- that exercises an inexorable pull into mediocrity. ... In [MacKenzie’s] deeply funny book, exuberantly illustrated in full color, he shares the story of his own professional evolution, together with lessons on awakening and fostering creative genius. ... [This book is a] personally empowering and entertaining look at the intersection between human creativity and the bottom line ... for any manager looking for new ways to invigorate employees, and any professional who wants to achieve his or her best, most self-expressive, most creative and fulfilling work.” -- from the Editorial Description.
Training the Reading Team: A Guide for Supervisors of a Volunteer Tutoring Program. Walker, Barbara J. and Scherry, Ronald and Mandel Morrow, Lesley (1999). Newark, DE: International Reading Association. A companion volume to Lesley Mandel Morrow and Barbara J. Walker’s “The Reading Team” (a separate title available through the Clearinghouse), this book guides supervisors of a volunteer reading program through each step of a tutor-training program: from publicizing the program, to recognizing the roles of each reading team member, to training volunteers in how to tutor young students effectively. Based on a successful program developed by one of the authors, the book provides easy-to-reproduce overheads and handouts and a script-like explanation of activities to do with tutors in training sessions. The book also contains sample forms and letters to help with implementation and evaluation of the tutoring program.
Up Next: Generation Change and the Leadership of Nonprofit Organizations. Kunreuther, Frances (2005). Baltimore, MD: The Annie E. Casey Foundation. As the Baby Boomers grow older, organizations will need to consider leadership transitions. This monograph explores how to support these transitions and how to ensure that the next generation of leaders is more diverse and more representative of the communities that they serve.
What We Learned (the Hard Way) About Supervising Volunteers: An Action Guide for Making Your Job Easier. Lee, Jarene Frances and Catagnus, Julia M. (1999). Philadelphia, PA: Energize, Inc. This resource collects the advice, wisdom, and experience of over 85 supervisors of volunteers. They share what works and what doesn’t, and describe challenges and how they met them. Some of the topics include: defining volunteer job expectations and establishing goals to meet them; training new volunteers and ongoing education for all volunteers; resolving performance problems; motivating volunteers through recognition and feedback; and evaluating a program to determine its strengths and weaknesses.
