From Bullying to Attention Grabbing Tools — NEW BOOKS

Two new works on bullying prevention: The bully-go-round, by Larry Swartz and Group bullying exclusion and ganging up, by Addy Ferguson.

Two works on character strengths: Gratitude by Arie Kaplan and Grit by Sara Antill.

Read, write, play, learn : literacy instruction in today’s kindergarten, by Lori Jamison Rog,  shows how to maintain balance to best serve our youngest learners.

Attention grabbing tools for involving parents in their children’s learning, by Jane Baskwill.  Explores a wide range of tools to help establish and maintain a parent-teacher relationship that holds the child at the centre of all education decisions.

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Early Childhood Education

Six new books to assist with early childhood curriculum planning.

The All-day Kindergarten and Pre-K Curriculum : A Dynamic-Themes Approach, by Doris Pronim Fromberg. 375.001 FRO

Provides examples of how professional early childhood teachers can organize content-rich classrooms with Activity-Based Learning Environments (ABLE).  Dynamic-themes focus on the connection making process of learning, a reflection of how our brains function to create meaning and strengthen memories.  Grounded in theory and research, provides an activity-based and classroom proven curriculum for educators to consider as they plan and intereact with pre-k and kindergarten children.  Describes a culturally sensitive curriculum in the context of literacy, technology, mathematics, social studies, science, the arts, and play.

Connecting Emergent Curriculum and Standards in the Early Childhood Classroom : strengthening content and teaching practice, by Sydney L. Schwartz and Sherry M. Copeland.  372.19 SCH.

“Two active early childhood educators provide teachers with resources to bring content alive in the daily, action-based pre-K and Kindergarten classrooms, and explore ways to document it.  Includes lists of key content ideas- coordinated with learning standards in science, mathematics, social studies, and the communication arts – to guide teacher observations, of, and interactions with, young children.  Chapters focus on ways to extend children’s emerging use of content in the block, manipulatives, water and sand, drama, expressive arts, and literacy centers, and link to the development of themes”–cover.

Twelve Best Practices For Early Childhood Education : integrating Reggio and other inspired approaches, by Ann Lewin-Benham.  372.21 LEW.

“Presents 12 best practices inspired not only by Reggio, but also by play-based and Montessori approaches to early childhood education.  These practices are demonstrated, one per chapter, with scenarios from classrooms, dialogues of children and teachers, and work samples showing the outcome of using each practice.  Used together, the 12 best practices offer a new framework for early education.  Written in the accessible style, expands on Lewin-Benham’s earlier works by showing the foundations for teachers to practice the Reggio Approach in their own settings”–cover.

The Problem With Math is English : a language-focused approach to helping all students develop a deeper understanding of mathematics, by Concepcion Molina.  372.7 MOL.

The goal is to raise readers’ mathematics expertise while simultaneously explaining the critical role of language and symbolism in understanding mathematics conceptually.  Philosophy in this book is to help teachers understand mathematics at a conceptual level so that they can develop their own activities to deepen students’ learning.  Through the process of answering questions and solving problems, readers will enhance their level of pedagogical content knowledge.  For Grades 3-9.

Different Speeds and Different Needs : how to teach sports to every kid, by Gary Barber.  796.083 BAR.

For K-12 teachers and coaches a guide to establishing and sustaining inclusive sports programs.  Learn how your sports program can include students with a range of special needs : austism spectrum disorders, ADHD and other attention difficulties, behavioral challenges, visual or hearing impairments, learning disabilities, physical challenges, anxiety, stress, and depression, height and weight challenges and more.

Teaching in the Digital Age : Smart Tools for Age 3 to Grade 3, by Brian Puerling.  371.33093 PUE.

A go-to resource for using today’s technology in the classroom.  Chapter one emphasizes the importance of goal setting.  Chapter two- eight cover seven technologies to support learning, access student knowledge and teacher practice, and exhibit learning.  QR codes add videos for further explanations and toolbox tips help faciltiate applications.  The seven technologies engage children to create and share ideas: cameras, projectors and document cameras, audio recordings, video conferencing and webcams, publication and presentation tools, videos, multi-touch mobile devices.  Strategies reflect Technology in Early Childhood Programs, the joint position statement of the National Association for the Education of Young children and the Fred Rogers Center.

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Community in TOP GRADE: Can Lit for the Classroom

Six new works from Top Grade the Canadian children’s publishers initiative.

Righting Canada’s wrongs resource guide, by Lindsay Gibson, Ilan Danjoux, and Roland Case, The Critical Thinking Consortium.       940.531771 GIB

Includes resource guides for Japanese Canadian Internment in the Second World War and Italian Canadian Internment in the Second World War.  Support for teaching about Canada’s past treatment of ethnic minorites and how to approach the topic of racism.  The series is devoted to the explanation of the stories of the Canadian governments’ racist actions against various ethnic groups through our history, the fight for acknowledgement and justice, and the eventual apologies and restitution of subsequent governments.

Pier 21 : Listen to my story, by Christine Welldon.  325.71 WEL

Get to know the children and their families who arrived at Halifax’s Pier 21 from countries such as Estonia, Italy, and Ukraine, as well as Scottish and Jewish orphans.  They came to escape World War, Russian Communist rule, to find work, and search for farmland.

Sagkeeng Legends stories by John C. Courchene ; compiled by Craig Charbonneau Fontaine.  398.2 COU

Two stories in Anishanabemowin are translated into English.  Anishanabe syllabics are included in the translation as they capture the true sounds and expression of Indigenous languages.  Oral history is crucial in determing Indigenous Peoples’ connection to lands.  These stories provide connection in the Sagkeeng First Nation, continuing existence as Anishanabe, and evidence of the rich history of the Courchene family.

Manitowapow : Aboriginal writings from the Land of Water, editors Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair and Warren Cariou.  819.08 MAN

This is the first book in the Debwe series.  The “Debwe series” named for the Anishinaabe concept meaning “to speak the truth” showcases both established and new writers, who work with experienced Aborigial editors to create books of the highest quality.  This anthology is a rich collection of stories, poetry, nonfiction, and speeches.  It features historical writings, literary writing, nonfiction and political writing, local storytellers and keepers of knowledge, new vibrant voices that express modern Aboriginal experiences.

Follow Your Money : who gets it, who spends it, where does it go? by Kevin Sylvester and Michael Hlinka.  330 SYL

Accessible and fun, a vital introduction to the way money flows from creator to distributor, to retailer and customer.

Moving out : a young adult’s guide to living on your own, by Cindy Babyn.  646.700842 BAB

“Practical and philosophical on how youth can look for apartments, find movers and roommates, budget, stand up for their tenant rights, effectively overcome homesickness, develop good health and social habits, respect the environment, and live with all the cultures of the world in one of our great Canadian cities”–cover.

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EARLY LITERACY

A Place for Wonder : reading and writing nonfiction in the Primary Grades, by Georgia Heard & Jennifer McDonough. 372.64 HEA

Discusses how to create “a landscape of wonder”, a primary classroom that encourages curiosity, creativity, and exploration.  Provides practical ways to set up “wonder centers,” to gather data through senses, to teach nonfiction craft.  A “how” to establish a classroom environment where students’ questions and observations are part of daily work.  Presents a step-by-step guide to planning a nonfiction reading and writing unit of study, which results in nonfiction texts created by students.  The project includes creating a table of contents, writing focused chapters, using “wow” words, and developing point of view.

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GUIDED READING INSTRUCTION

Guided Readers : making the most of the 18 – minute guided reading lesson, by Lori Jamison Rog. 372.4162 ROG.

A collection of practical teaching and learning routines to help make guided reading instruction more intentional, manageable, and engaging. Why 18 minutes? 2 minutes transition time and 18 minutes is long enough for some sustained reading – by both the guided small instruction reading group and the independent learners – without depleting the limited attention span of younger children.  There are many lessons, tips, ideas, and practice activities to meet a wide range of learning goals. The routines have been organized by developmental stage, most can be modified to suit readers at different levels or for different purposes.

Rock & Roll Literacy, by Sigmund Brouwer. 428.4 BRO.

“Brouwer brings his unique sense of play to the serious business of learning to read and write.”  Balancing silly stories with more serious material and armed with music, humor and heart, he connects the dots for people who work with kids to cultivate reading and writing skills. Classroom story starters, along with instructions, can be found online at rock & roll – literacy.com

100 Minutes : Making every minute count in the literacy block, by Lisa Donohue. 372.6044 DON

Overwhelmed by the skills, strategies, and elements that fit under the “literacy: umbrella?    100 minutes  shows how to fit balanced literacy into a 100 minute literacy block using a framework of whole-class and guided small group instruction, writing sessions, and independent work.  By chunking a literacy block into three distinct sections, this practical resource argues that it is possible to provide opportunities for students to engage in all aspects of literacy, have voice and choice in their learning, capitalize on their strengths, identify areas for growth, and set personal learning goals.

Ban the Book Report : promoting frequent and enthusiastic reading, by Graham Foster.  418.4071 FOS

Offers response assignments that are more closely aligned with the reasons people read – to explore personal interests, to make emotional connections, and to enjoy themselves.  Includes 20 specific assignments that will engage students, and persuade them to respond to their reading in innovative ways, including book talks, alternate covers, talk-show interviews, diary entries for characters, letters to authors, and more.  Each assignment has its own rubric written in student-friendly language, along with student response exemplars from real classrooms.  Offers tips to help launch and manage an independent reading program.

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BEST ME I CAN BE

In this selection of books, Julia Cook uses her creative ideas to teach kids the skills they need to grow socially.  As a national award winning children’s author, former counselor, and parenting expert,  the goal behind all of Julia’s books and efforts is to actively involve young people into her fun and creative stories and teach them to become life-long problem solvers.  Inspirations for her books come from working with children and carefully listening to parents and teachers.

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ENGAGING STUDENTS

Engaging students is crucial to learning and interactive whiteboards a valuable tool that will take lessons to the next level in literacy learning.  Explore with Literacy Smarts : simple classroom strategies for using interactive whiteboards to engage students, by Jennifer Harper and Brenda Stein Dzaldov.  Introduces simple activities and tasks that use interactive whiteboard technology in original ways to go beyond simple text and encourages connecting the classroom to the “real” world. 

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Three new volumes with brain-focused strategies for learning-and living for focused classrooms, mindful learning and resilient children from Scholastic.  The MindUp curriculum.  Grades Pre-K-2 ; Grades 3-5; Grades 6-8.  “This research-based curriculum features 15 lessons that use the latest information about the brain to dramatically improve behavior and learning for all students. Each lesson offers easy strategies for helping students focus their attention, improve their self-regulation skills, build resilience to stress, and develop a positive mind-set in both school and life”.

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Another addition Socially responsible literacy : teaching adolescents for purpose and power, by Paula Selvester and Deborah G Summers. A new vision moves teachers away from teaching reading for its own purpose to seeing reading as a way to motivate students to connect with their world.  Each chapter includes reflection questions that move the reader toward personal and professional development, along with classroom applications that provide specific strategies and ideas for engaging literacy projects.

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Calm, alert, and learning : classroom strategies for self-regulation by Stuart Shanker. Canada’s leading expert on self-regulation guides through an exploration of the five major domains of self-regulation-what they are, how they work, what they look like in the classroom, and what we can do to help students strengthen in a domain.

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CELEBRONS LE FRANCAIS AVEC WEIGL PUBLISHERS

Les jeunes lecteurs peuvent decouvrir beaucoup d’information, en francais, sur  le Canada: les celebrations canadiennes, les emblemes canadiens, gouvernement Canadien, l’histoire du Canada, les jours de Fete du Canada, les pionniers canadiens, les sciences, Regions geographiques du Canada, la terre et les habitants du Canada.

Les sciences:  Les saisons est un survol excellent sur ce qui fait que chaque saison est unique.  A partir de la couleur changeante des feuilles a l’automne et de la naissance des bebes animaux au printemps a la formation des flocons de neige en hiver et au temps plus chaud a l’ete.

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Je regarde le ciel guide les jeunes lecteurs parmi les objets et les visions qu’ils peuvent apercevoir quand ils observent le ciel.

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Les celebrations canadiennes chaque livre donne de l’information sur l’histoire, les symboles et les traditions de ces celebrations speciales.

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La serie Les emblemes canadiens explore les symboles qui ont forme l’identite de notre nation.  Chaque livre explique comment un symbole est devenu important pour le Canada et quel role ce symbole dans la societe canadienne de nos jours.

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La serie Gouvernement Canadien examine le role du gouvernement dans le developpement du pays.  Les six livres de cette serie explorent les relations entre le Canada et le village mondial, la Constitution du Canada, les droits de la citoyennete dans une societe multiculturelle et les structures sociales, economiques et politiques du Canada.

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La serie L’histoire du Canada celebre l’histoire passionnante du Canada et guide le lecteur au moyen d’une exploration approfondie des principaux evenements qui ont faconne la nation.

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Les jours de Fete du Canada donne aux lecteurs une vue captivante des traditions et des celebrations qui accompagent les jours feries les plus importants du Canada.  Chaque livre revele des faits fascinants sur l’histoire, les traditions, les symboles et les festivites de chacun de ces jours speciaux.

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Apprenez quelque chose sur les vies des gens travailleurs qui ont ete les premiers a s’etablir au Canada dans la serie Les pionniers Canada.  Elle aide les eleves a comprendre les differents roles qui etaient importants dans toute communaute de ce temps-la.

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Les eleves qui commencent le secondaire peuvent explorer la terre, les animaux sauvages, le climat et les habitants de chacune des sept regions geographiques du Canada dans la populaire serie Regions geographiques du Canada.  Chaque titre presente des images captivantes, des tableaux, des connaissances-eclair, des photos en couleur et une image satellite de la region.

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La terre et les habitants du Canada proposent un voyage fascinant a travers les dix provinces et les trois territoires du Canada.  Ces livres explorent les caracteristiques naturelles et culturelles qui rendent chaque province ou terriroire unique, y compris son environnement, ses arts, ses sports et les cultures de la region.

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GEOWAT INNOVATIVE TEACHER HELPERS

New print edition from Canadian Curriculum Teacher Helper series. Students will learn about Canada in these simple to understand, comprehensive unit helpers.  Follow-up activities are included designed to consolidate the concepts taught.  Includes assessment ideas and an end-of unit test. Our new titles : All about Canada Grades 1-2 ;  Canada’s aboriginal peoples Grades 4-6 ;  Canada’s geographical regions Grades 4-6 ;  Canada’s pioneers Grades 2-4 ;  Canadian government Grades 4-6 ;  Canadian traditions and celebrations Grades 2-3 ;  Music lessons Grades 1-3 ;  Our community Grades 1-2 ;  Urban & rural communities  Grades 2-3. 

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Canadian content for Canadian teachers.  GEOWAT- Innovative Teacher Publishing has all of their titles available on-line.  Navigate to the subject of your choice and click on a book to see a sneak-peek of its content.  Sneak-peeks are printer friendly, so feel free to print and use in your class.

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Problem Solving To Brain Breaks

Problem solving in mathematics Grades 3-6: powerful strategies to deepen understanding, by Alfred S. Posamentier and Stephen Krulik.  

Each chapter begins with a problem posed for the teacher. Compare your solution with that suggested.  Work out several problems intended for students.   Compare the teacher solution with those intended for the students.  Teaching notes included.

The book is divided into nine strategies: organizing the data; intelligent guessing and testing; solving a simpler, equivalent problem;  acting it out/simulating the action; working backwards;  finding a pattern;  logical reasoning;  making a drawing;  adopting a different point of view.

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Brain breaks for the classroom Grades K-5 : quick and easy breathing and movement activities that help students reenergize, refocus, and boost brain power- any time of the day! by Michelle Gay.

Each activity pairs simple step-by-step directions with an imaginative prompt to enhance students movement experience.  Variations and tips are provided to offer easier modifications and more rigorous challenges.  Choose one brain break to do during a short transition or put together a series of exercises for alonger break.  Fosters individual and group focus.

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Teaching the female brain: how girls learn math and science, by Abigail Norfleet James.

Taking the position that both biology and environment influence how girls learn, the focus is on making sure that teachers recognize and understand the cognitive gender differences and social influences that affect how girls learn.

Dr. James establishes a broad understanding of gender differences and an awareness of the many ways to influence positively girls’ confidence in math and science.  Specific strategies for math (ch. 4) and science (ch.5) are covered.  Some boys who approach the learning process in ways similar to girls will also benefit from the approaches discussed.  Finally suggestions are included for developing schoolwide programs to help all students.

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Teaching numeracy: 9 critical habits to ignite mathematical thinking, by Margie Pearse and K.M. Walton; foreword by Arthur Hyde.

Each of the chapters in Part I is devoted to one of the nine habits.  The appendix contains sample numeracy-based lesson plans such as the introduction to division (Grades 2-3), elapsed time (Grades 5-6) ; surface area of a right rectangular prism (Grades 7-8). Part II focus is on the how, and the style of lesson planning.  Five essential components of a numeracy based mathematics lesson are developed.

Transform mathematics learning from “doing” to “thinking.”  Applications throughout the book show how to monitor and repair students’ understanding; represent mathematics nonlinguistically; develop students’ mathematics vocabulary; create numeracy-rich lesson plans.

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