Category: Book Reviews

Hands-On Activities for Math CCSS Learning

The ideas in Teaching the Common Core Math Standards with Hands-On Activities worked when she gave them a test run in her classroom, says reviewer Linda Biondi. The book is teacher friendly and ready to use. “You can tell that the book is written by teachers who are currently teaching.”

A Joyous Vision of the Holodeck Classroom

David Thornburg’s From the Campfire to the Holodeck is not just about blending technology into lessons; it’s about good teaching in learning environments designed for the 21st century, says reviewer Sarah Cooper. Is there a holodeck in your school’s future?

Helping Fearful Children at Home and School

Teachers and parents alike can find helpful interventions for children’s and teen’s tangles with the Worry Monster in psychologist Daniel B. Peters’ Make Your Worrier A Warrior. Reviewer Lorie Shiveley describes how she has used several ideas in her own classroom and family.

How to Add Happiness and Humor to Your Classroom

Sue Stephenson’s Kidding Around is overflowing with ideas for teachers who would like to add more humor and fun to their classrooms and want to help kids understand how they can promote their own happiness, says reviewer Jennifer Underwood. Also available in Spanish.

Focus on the Reader, Not the Complex Text

It’s hard to put down Readers Front & Center: Helping All Students Engage with Complex Texts, says our reviewer. Dorothy Barnhouse shows teachers how to focus on the reader, not the text, by using conferencing, questioning & other student-centered strategies.