The literacy-themed poems in this anthology--reprinted from the premier journal for literacy educators, "The Reading Teacher"--give teachers, literacy coaches, and parents a new way to enhance literacy learning. Use this book to: (1) Integrate poetry into classroom lessons to develop students' lifelong love of reading and writing; (2) Motivate…

This book documents the real-life story of Kendra Yoshinaga, a young speller who won her first qualifying bee at the young age of nine. Now eleven years old, she is preparing for future events after tying for 27th in the 2004 National Spelling Bee. Gail Small, author of Joyful Learning: No One Ever Wants To Go To Recess!, taught Kendra for first,…

While research shows that children's love of learning declines steadily from grades 3-9, this article explains how to motivate students by meaningfully connecting school to the real world, focusing on connecting science to the natural word, social studies to current events, literature to real-life experiences, and math applications to daily life.…

This article describes the power of goal-setting in order to help children become self-motivated and responsible for their actions. It also provides a road-map for a successful process by describing the following strategies: changing negative thoughts into positives, creating affirmations, designing action plans and utilizing visualization. This…

"Straight A's: Public Education Policy and Progress" is a biweekly newsletter that focuses on education news and events both in Washington, DC and around the country. The following articles are included in this issue: (1) Congress Moves Forward with Budget Plan for FY 2008: House and Senate Spending Blueprints Include Significant…

The article is designed to help parents and teachers understand the nature and causes of underachievement and to show them how to work more effectively with underachieving gifted students. Guidelines focus on ways to share problem solving. (Author/CL)

This guide describes an instructional technique, Power Card Strategy, that provides a visual aid to assist students with Asperger syndrome and autism in making sense of social situations, routines, the meaning of language, and the hidden curriculum of the classroom. Power Card Strategy makes use of the intense special interests characteristic of…

Biographies provide the opportunity for identification, not only with those who are great today but also with those who have lived greatly in the past. Biographies fulfill students' needs for identification with someone who is admirable. Examples of inspiring life stories, sources of such stories, and questions are included. (JD)

Students, teachers, counselors, and parents are all important in determining the degree to which homework is effective in meeting its goals. Teachers assign homework, parents provide the environment in which it is done, and students?each with a unique profile of motivation and preference for learning?do the homework. It is a challenge for everyone…

Suggestions are presented for parents who wish to build reading habits in their young children. Several books for beginning readers, first-grade readers, and second-grade readers are suggested. (CB)

Discusses how parents can get their children to volunteer for community services, examining how volunteerism benefits children, how to choose a volunteer activity, and how to get children involved (e.g., having the parents serve as role models). Two sidebars focus on whether fund-raising teaches children about giving and how service-learning…

Discusses the importance of considering individual students' learning styles when encouraging them to practice their musical instruments at home on a regular basis, focusing on how to accommodate learning style preferences related to: light; time of day; persistence; nutritional intake; furniture design; practicing in pairs or small groups;…

Suggestions are provided for parents of ways in which they can use the television to encourage and improve their child's reading. Activities include: discussing television characters; watching television specials geared for the child's age; and researching favorite television stars. (CB)

Promotional campaigns and commercial messages permeate most waking hours of children's lives. Children must be educated about the nature of commercial messages directed at them, and their ability to resist sales pressure must be built. (JD)

Like its two predecessors, "Preventing School Dropouts" [C1991] and "Preventing School Failure" [C2000], this third edition is a book about teaching. Although primarily written for teachers, tutors and parents may also find this book helpful. It is a collection of carefully selected teaching techniques aimed at helping young adults learn important…