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This comprehensive overview of the challenging issues around boys and reading includes strategies and practical solutions for helping struggling readers.

The role of gender in reading success is a complex one. This book faces the issues head-on, uncovering many of the assumptions and stereotypes parents and educators have about boys and how they handle the world of print text. Included are the voices of boys and men interviewed by the author, who reveal their literacy challenges, struggles, tastes and values. These real voices provide valuable insights into how we can support boys in their journey towards becoming successful readers and writers.

Even Hockey Players Read explores the powerful potential of literacy in a boy's life:What factors in the home and in the classroom influence the literacy lives of boys?Why do so many boys select different reading materials than girls?Why do girls score higher than boys do on tests of reading achievement?Why do so many males consider themselves non-readers?Are society's expectations for boys' and girls' literacy lives different?Do we minimize the literacy needs of girls if we focus on the difficulties with boys?

Drawing upon his background as a parent and a literacy educator, the author suggests a wealth of strategies and techniques for promoting an alternative culture of literacy in school and home settings, where what children choose to read is valued alongside what children need to read. Even Hockey Players Read advocates changing the classroom environment so thatBoys who can't read are helped;Boys who don't read become motivated;Boys who do read find enrichment.

This highly readable book demonstrates the powerful potential of literacy in the lives of boys. It is essential reading for teachers who want to guide boys to a love of reading that will help them in their school life and beyond.

This comprehensive guide offers teachers everything they need to inspire students to write and experience poetry as they build language skills. The book combines the rich background of poetry with sample poems and activities that are ready to use in any classroom. This new edition is updated with discussions of such contemporary poets as Naomi Shihab Nye, Karen Hess, Cynthia Rylant, and Mattie Stepanek.

Based on the classroom experiences of two master teachers with an obvious love of poetry, readers will find answers to the common questions surrounding the study of poetry in the classroom.What is poetry?--from poems old and new to celebrating children's poetry;How do poems work?--from painting pictures with words to tricks of the trade;Why should we share poems with children?--from increasing word power through poetry to poetry as a way of thinking.The book also covers:ways to present poems--from using narration and mime to a model for presentation;when children write poems--from patterns for poems to using riddles, personification, and stream of consciousness;classroom concerns--from assessment techniques to tips for choosing and displaying poems in the classroom.An updated bibliography of the very best children's poetry anthologies and books for children complement this remarkable book.

Whether or not to teach formal grammar in the classroom is a hot topic. Teachers need help in making sense of the issues. Grammarama! offers a powerful classroom context and practical strategies for helping students cope with all aspects of grammar and language usage. It provides:

All student activities are accompanied by detailed teacher guidelines that provide background, outcomes, ways of introducing the activities, and an answer key. Suggestions for group work and assessment complement this valuable classroom tool.

Language is constantly changing. This remarkable resource shows you how students can make powerful connections with language that last a lifetime.

How do we make writing meaningful to students? A leading educator and a popular novelist present a refreshing exploration of how the challenges of professional writers can give students new insights into writing.

The Write Genre presents a balanced approach to writing workshops in grades 3–9. It provides hands-on activities that focus on all stages of the writing process, with teacher-directed assignments and self-selected writing lessons that emphasize writing to learn. These unique lessons are designed to help students write with a concrete purpose and audience in mind and complete assignments that are more focused and authentic.

Organized around six writing genres, more than fifty mini-lessons deal with specific skills that help students write effective fiction and nonfiction in such genres as:personal memoir— from techniques involving a personal memoir timeline and organizer to great ways to start, create powerful paragraphs, and cut the clutter;fictional narrative— from character, plot, and dialogue to point of view and conflict resolution;informational report— from strategies for reading nonfiction and K-W-L-S organizers to adding voice and style;opinion piece— from loaded words and other persuasive writing techniques to business letters and topical issues; procedural writing —from incorporating visuals and interviewing experts to techniques for writing imperative sentences; poetry – from teaching the tools and specific forms of poetry to creating a poetry anthology.

For easy classroom implementation, the key elements of many mini-lessons are also presented in reproducible pages, including frameworks, organizers, prompts, checklists, and grids.

The book offers chapters devoted to the writing process, writing workshop, and using rubrics for instruction and assessment. The concluding chapter pulls all the threads together with a multi-genre project that involves students in using the skills they have learned throughout the school year.

Making Words Stick shows you how to move beyond spelling lists and rote memorization to make words both meaningful and memorable for all your students. It builds on the connection between vocabulary and comprehension and guides teachers in their most important task— building a strong literacy foundation.

Full of efficient, effective, and engaging strategies, this useful guide explores innovative ways to organize vocabulary instruction in the grade 1 to 8 classroom. It demonstrates how to: create a positive, student–centered environment for the concept-based, multi-layered learning of words;teach vocabulary during shared reading, guided reading, and independent center time;incorporate visual displays of read aloud/picture study vocabulary to develop important conceptual knowledge;introduce think-and-search prompts and stretch charts to expand word knowledge during shared reading;build reading and writing independence with a wealth of fun small-group, and word-play challenges.

From the role of semantics and syntax to original classroom-tested activities, this imaginative guide helps you give your students the lifelong gift of words and language.

This handy tool guides students through the seven essential steps for writing successfully in any form, from idea to draft to revision to final product. The layout is inviting and offers a valuable review of the essentials:Why Write?RAFTS to focus and discover Pre-writing strategiesStrategic DraftingThe Power of VoiceRevision that WorksResponse and Feedback

Seven Steps to Successful Writing helps writers get started, stay motivated, and complete pieces of writing they are proud to share. Its straightforward and easy-to-read format will ensure that writers return to it again and again.

Informal Assessment Strategies explores the power of informed assessment practices on teachers, on instruction and, most of all, on the literacy success of students. Beth Charlton shows teachers how to use the results of assessment and how to find time to assess in an increasingly-crowded school day. She challenges teachers to reflect on their own practice, encourages them to explore the why, what, and how of assessment, and presents techniques to help busy teachers listen, question, and observe students, and focus on student strengths and abilities. These observations form the foundation for lessons that build on what students know.

Informal Assessment Strategies addresses the three fundamental components of successful teaching and learning:asking questions that engage students as they investigate, theorize, communicate, share, and reflect on their learning;observing students as they interact with others, participate in lessons, and complete assignments;planning well thought-out lessons that reflect an awareness of the curriculum, what a student can do, what the student needs to know next, and how the student and teacher measure success.

With student and teacher reflections sprinkled throughout, this highly-readable book is rooted in the life of the classroom. It shows teachers how to foster true engagement and nurture students who are involved in, aware of, and excited about their learning.

Talking, Writing, and Thinking About Books shows teachers how to engage students in reading, responding to what they read, and improving reading comprehension. It features 101 ready-to-copy, single-page activities that involve students in all aspects of the reading process. The activities encompass the complete range of the language arts; students use writing, talk, drama, visual arts and other media to express their thoughts and ideas. The full array of text components—character, setting, plot, personal response, language, and words—are also covered. An ideal complement to any literature study, the activities are organized around the major components of language arts:

The activities in Talking, Writing, and Thinking About Books are flexible enough to use with individuals, partners, and small groups, and in conjunction with a wide variety of texts from novels to newspapers. In addition, the busy teacher will find time-saving assessment forms (for teacher and student) invaluable. Simple tools give the teacher a quick record of student work habits and quality of work. A companion checklist for students helps them reflect on their work, follow directions, and complete tasks.

Now more than ever before, students in all disciplines must know how to write with clarity and conviction. Whether they're studying science or social studies, they have to learn to collect and analyze information, and communicate their own ideas with precision.

This book helps teachers of content-area subjects discover ways to help their students become better, more capable writers. It shows them how to take students through all the steps involved in producing written documents—from generating ideas to researching to revising and editing—and provides them a wealth of practical tips for supporting and encouraging student work. Exploring Writing in the Content Areas suggests specific techniques designed to help students:organize information into paragraphs;use visual elements like photographs, charts, and diagrams to enhance written text;find and document secondary source material;create powerful pictures using words.

This practical guide also explains how teachers can provide student writers with the concrete, constructive feedback they need, and demonstrates how assessment can guide effective teaching practices.

Students aren't the only ones bullying in schools. Teachers, principals, and parents bully too. Together they create a bullying culture that strikes at the heart of effective learning and teaching. A bullying culture harms everyone it touches—targets, student bystanders, teachers, parents, and even society at large.

To eradicate bullying, the school community must first acknowledge its existence in all forms. This timely book explores the background and issues related not just to student-on-student bullying but to all forms of bullying found in schools. It then goes on to illustrate how schools can devise—and enforce—a policy that works. This indispensable guide offers an anti-bullying blueprint that explains how to:recognize a systemic culture of bullying;neutralize the power imbalance that enables bullies;create an environment free of sexual, racial, and cultural stereotyping;use cooperative learning to foster respect for differences;empower students through positive reinforcement; counteract the “blame the victim” mentality.

Principals in today's schools face the complex challenge of being both visionary educational leaders and effective managers. They struggle to meet the conflicting needs and expectations of the staff and students, the parents, trustees, and even those in the wider community. They constantly strive to create a quality school environment that encourages learning for all.

A teacher educator, researcher and consultant, Susan Church has a long-standing interest in the complexities and challenges of educational leadership. In The Principal Difference she explores the issues that confront school administrators, and demonstrates how best to provide the leadership today's schools need. It draws on the latest research and personal case studies to outline how educational leaders can:meet both external expectations and their school's own stated goals;be accessible, responsible, and accountable;respond to and make use of outside assessments;encourage and respect cultural diversity;work collaboratively with teachers and other staff members;engage students, parents, and members of the community.

While demanding and at times stressful, the work of a principal can offer great rewards. This practical book shows principals how to transform their schools into more efficient, responsive learning communities as they learn to better meet the needs of students, staff, and the whole community.

Just what teachers need to incorporate the rich diversity of home and out-of-school experiences in classroom instruction! This book explores innovative ways to motivate students using all forms of communication — books, magazines, blogs, movies, zines, the internet, television, music, comics, texting, newspapers, rap, video games, collector cards, and more. Based on the belief that literacy takes place everywhere, the book promotes learning strategies that incorporate what we see, read, hear, and do every day. The stories of students, teachers, education leaders, and parents bring immediacy to this powerful book.

Tutoring Adolescent Readers shows teachers how to reap the benefits of one-to-one teaching by using volunteer tutors. It provides the information you need to incorporate a tutoring program that addresses a variety of student needs — from students who are unmotivated or have different learning styles to those learning English for the first time or who have a learning disability.

Teachers will learn everything they need to create an effective tutoring program that supports classroom instruction.Setting up a tutoring program — from defining the roles and responsibilities of tutors to recruiting and training volunteers;Working with dependent readers — from identifying readers who need more help to tips for dealing with the specific learning needs and styles of students;Using explicit instruction — from encouraging tutors to recognize where students are and how to set goals to monitor and assess student progress;Promoting fluency and word recognition — from teaching cueing systems and modeling effective reading strategies to using specialized techniques for introducing and reviewing decoding skills.

Resources that teachers can copy and use with tutors are an important part of this handy resource. These materials explain the essentials of reading instruction and investigate the variety of techniques that good readers use.

The skills required to write an essay are the same skills required to write a speech, to prepare a persuasive argument, to prove a point, or to explain an idea. If we can help our students acquire these skills as we teach “the essay,” we will have assisted them in accomplishing truly valuable life skills.

Essay Writing contains easy-to-incorporate lessons along with tips for teaching specific concepts that range from pre-writing exercises to revising and editing to celebrating the final product. This down-to-earth look at the foundations of good essay writing is full of useful ideas and strategies that help students:build skills in writing on a wide range of topics; distinguish between formal and informal writing;use effective pre-writing techniques such as brainstorming, making an outline,gathering information, and evaluating the relevance of information;gain confidence as they begin to recognize what works and what doesn't.

The book incorporates a wide range of innovative approaches to teaching essay writing — from how to “picture” and “act out” an essay to a winning format for a topic sentence and using scattergrams to turn brainstorming into constructive outlines. Throughout the book, assessment tools and marking keys support simple marking techniques that consider not just the final essay, but effort and time on task.

The Writing Circle explores classroom writing groups as a powerful structure for giving students the support and guidance they need. Based on a common structure found in the writing world outside of school, these groups provide an ideal way for students to learn from each other. Under the teacher's guidance, young writers can work together on all aspects of the writing process—sharing drafts of writing, responding to each other's works-in-progress, and building confidence in themselves as writers.

The writing process is dynamic; writers move from one stage to the other and back again doing two—or three or more—things at once. Students become more energized when they tap into this dynamic process and interact with peers. Writing circles have the added bonus of giving teachers lots of opportunities to observe, advise, learn, teach, and take part in writing circle discussions.

This comprehensive resource includes everything needed to support writing circles in the classroom. Sample lessons outline specific learning goals and offer suggestions for student and teacher roles. Many of these lessons require that the teacher guide the writing circles, step-by-step, through activities, but the groups gradually gain their own momentum as students become more independent, skilled, and confident writers.

Effective listening skills are essential for successful social interaction at home, at school, and in the community. Guided Listening illustrates how teachers can champion purposeful listening and help students better understand their language strengths and needs. It offers a practical framework that shows the value of recording and sharing the ideas of others; provides opportunities to identify the norms and conventions associated with oral language; and frees students to listen more attentively, organize their responses, and watch for the subtle cues that are an important part of listening.

The strategies in this practical book involve students in:analyzing and synthesizing information;making inferences and predictions while listening;transferring these skills to their independent reading and learning.

Tools that complement the strategies include reproducible graphic organizers, rubrics, forms for recording student progress, and numerous worksheets. Suggestions for choosing guided listening texts and a comprehensive approach to assessment complete this valuable resource.

This practical book offers effective and creative activities that help young students master the skills they need to grow as writers. Among the topics discussed, the book thoroughly explores the important beginning steps, such as:putting pencil to paper;identifying and printing letters of the alphabet; exploring sound–symbol matches.

This playful 32-page flip book explores all aspects of poetry — from guidelines and an overview of poetic forms to the Top Ten lists of various poetry favorites. Handy reproducible masters are also provided which include a poetry timetable, ten questions to ask about any poem, an observation checklist for teachers, and a personal poetry inventory for students.