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Our Favorite Things
You gotta love these!

We love the pursuit of discovering new and fun things to help us in our craft of teaching and learning. One of our all time favorite things is great literature! Whether it’s enthusiastically sharing a great story with our students, or quietly reflecting on new learning from a professional book, we LOVE exquisite reading experiences! If you are wanting a great read, we have listed the best of the best below for your reading enjoyment! We have also added to the list our other “favorite things” that we simply must share with you!

Children's Books | Professional Books | Things and What Else


Children's BooksView All

Taking a Bath with the Dog
Scott MenchinTaking a Bath with the Dog


If you appreciate the little things that bring joy to your life, you’ll relate to this list of happiness bringers: riding a bike, slurping spaghetti, staying up late, blowing bubbles, singing, baking cookies with faces, etc.  A little girl, who is feeling a little blue, surveys people in her life to find out what makes them happy.  A joyful list ensues that would make a great spring board for a class book. 

>> Buy the book
>> View All 2009 Children's Books

 


The OK Book
Amy Krouse Rosenthal The OK Book


With the pressure kids seem to feel to be the best at everything...this book is a lovely reminder that it is alright to be ok at a lot of things.  “I’m an OK skipper. I’m an OK climber.  I’m an OK marshmallow roaster.  I’m an OK tightrope walker....One day, I’ll grow up to be really excellent at something.  I don’t know what it is yet...but I sure am having fun figuring it out.”  How much do you love that message?  We do!  In fact, we will probably write our own “I’m OK” books with our students as we get to know each other, establishing our learning community as the new school year begins.   

>> Buy the book
>> View All 2009 Children's Books

 


They Wore What?!  The Weird History of Fashion and Beauty
Richard Platt

They wore what
Wow!  It is all in here.  From miniskirts to beehive hairdo’s, wild and wacky hats to perfumed wigs, corsets to piercings, false teeth to poisonous cosmetics and everything in between.  It was a fascinating read!

The message is “Fashion may seem like fun, but as you’ve seen, it can be ridiculous and harmful, too.  Looking just the same as everyone else may be reassuring, but it is also expensive and wasteful.  Why should this summer’s colors, fabrics, and styles be different from last summer’s? Don’t be afraid to escape from the herd.  Be yourself, and wear something completely different!”  It’s time for back to school shopping.  Don’t we want our children to hear that message loud and clear?

>> Buy the book
>> View All 2009 Children's Books

 


Artful Reading
Bob Raczka

Artful Reading

Through a variety of era’s and artistic styles we are introduced to places and reasons for reading.  Simple text accompanies each work of art: “Read by yourself;  Read with each other;  Read one good book; Then read another;  Read to discover what something means;  Read to escape to a place you can dream.”  One line per page perfectly accompanies the selected work of art.  In small print underneath are Artist, title, year and where it is hung.  More interesting tidbits can be found in the very back next to a thumbnail of each piece, for example, Paul Cezanne (1839-1906) French. 
Because Paul Cezanne’s father was a banker, he read a newspaper that was popular with businessmen.  But as a little joke, Cezanne painted him reading L’Evenement, the newspaper preferred by French artists and writers. 

>> Buy the book
>> View All 2009 Children's Books

 


Chickens May Not Cross The Road and Other Crazy (But True_ Laws
Kathy Linz

Chickens May not Cross

This is a fun and quirky little romp through cartoonish illustrations and a line of colorful text stating a true and crazy law that either is, or has been, on the books somewhere.  Interspersed between them are single pages of text describing: Why some crazy laws exist; Why laws are necessary; The oldest laws; and how our branches of government function to create laws.  A couple of our favorites are

  • It is against the law to carry an ice cream cone in a pocket. (Lexington, Kentucky)
  • No one may take a lion to a movie theater. (Baltimore, Maryland)
  • It is forbidden to fish for whales (Oklahoma state law)
  • Policemen are allowed to bite a dog if they think it will calm the dog down. (Paulding, Ohio)
  • Trout Fishing is Against the Law if you are sitting on a Giraffe’s Back.  (Idaho State Law)
  • Riding an Ugly Horse is Illegal in Wilbur, Washington

>> Buy the book
>> View All 2009 Children's Books

 


Professional Books View All

What Really Matters in Fluency-Research-Based Practices across the Curriculum Fluency
Richard L. Allington  

Those of you who know us are aware that one of our favorite professional colleagues is Richard Allington.  We devour everything he writes and this book is no exception. His new book,  What Really Matters in Fluency takes a practical and appropriate look at fluency and it's application in real classrooms like ours.  If you are a school or district that is having to 'take on' administration about assessments or practices that you feel are inappropriate or just plain wrong, this book is for you!

>> Buy the book
>> View 2009 Professional Books

 


Teaching with Intention - Defining Beliefs, Aligning Practice, Taking Action, Grade K-5Teaching with Intention
Debbie Miller

It's here at last!  Our dear friend and colleague, Debbie Miller's new book. If you love Debbie's gentle ways, thought provoking ideas and insight into the power of the teacher's influence in the classroom, you'll want to read this book!

>> Buy the book
>> View All 2009 Professional Books


Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics, Grades K-3
John M. Van de Walle Teaching Mathematics

Yes, we are typically considered to be Literacy Leaders, however, we are also teachers who teach all other subjects as well.  In our own classrooms as well as across the nation we are hearing the cry for raising the standards for math.  Just as with literacy, we know that there is no one math program that is "the" magic bullet. 
One of our favorite new math books to use as a wonderful math resource is written by the brilliant, John A. Van de Walle, Teaching Student-Centered Mathematics.  There are two books in this series, one written for K-3 and one for 5-8.  His research based, hands on approach to math is a gift of a resouce.  I find myslef reaching for his books each week as I plan for the best way to teach my students in math.

>> Buy the book
>> View All 2009 Professional Books

 


Things and What ElseView All


Grab-and-Go Notebooks

So many of you requested information about Collette's notebooks. We are happy to say that she has now created a website for you to order her notebooks. Check it out at:

http://www.grabandgonotebooks.com/

Notebooks



>> View All 2009 Things And What Else



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Favorite Quotes

catherine_mcmahan

I’ve been teaching kindergarten for 12 years and didn’t think kids that age could be independent workers until I tried The Daily 5.  Now I know they can be, and they are!  I am able to pull small groups in my class, even though I have 25 students and no assistant.

— Katherine McMahon