When Lori Patin first received her diagnosis of Parkinson’s at age fifty-five, she wanted to cry until she died. When she made up her mind to fight the disease, her husband and caregiver, Bob, took a stand beside her. In Lori’s Lessons, author Carol Ferring Shepley tells the story of the Patins’ love throughout the course of the disease and how it affected their lives. But this memoir is about much more than Lori’s struggle against Parkinson’s disease, a progressive, incurable, degenerative disorder that affects the central nervous system. It’s also the story of someone who has faced a terrible challenge, met it head-on, and refused to concede. In the struggle, she has learned vital lessons about life itself. Lori’s Lessons shares how for fifteen years, Lori fought relentlessly, but in the summer of 2011 she lay in a coma. At the time, Bob thought the best he could hope for was to bring her home with a nurse. Thanks to a miraculous remission, however, today she doesn’t even have tremors. Offering inspiration and hope, Lori’s Lessons presents a 360-degree perspective on how Lori attacked the disease. She has taken many pharmaceuticals, but the two strongest drugs in her regimen are hope and faith.
In this fully revised and expanded third edition of the bestselling Reciprocal Teaching at Work, Lori D. Oczkus provides both tried-and-true and fresh solutions for teaching reading comprehension. Reciprocal teaching is a scaffolded discussion technique that builds on the Fab Four strategies that good readers use to understand text: predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing. With a focus on these four evidence-based and classroom-tested strategies, Oczkus presents new ways to use reciprocal teaching to improve students' comprehension while actively engaging them in learning and encouraging independence. Appealing to students and teachers alike, reciprocal teaching encompasses social aspects of teaching and learning with modeling, think-alouds, and discussion. This helpful guide is packed with fresh material, including * More than 40 new and updated step-by-step lessons and minilessons that reflect current thinking and best practice. * Dozens of rich suggestions for diving into informational texts. * Updated research and relevant results that show the effectiveness of reciprocal teaching. * Creative and targeted tips that capitalize on the specific benefits of whole-class settings, guided reading groups, and literature circles. * Ideas for differentiating instruction for struggling readers and English language learners. * New and newly designed support materials, including reproducibles, posters, bookmarks, and a lesson planning menu. With a wealth of ideas to get you started—and keep you going—this is the all-inclusive resource you need to help students become active, engaged, and independent readers who truly comprehend what they read. Reviews and Testimonials "Literacy coach and author Lori Oczkus knows how to take the best of what works from long-established research and showcase it to make teaching and learning more effective, engaging, and enjoyable. In her latest edition of Reciprocal Teaching at Work, she demonstrates how to scaffold instruction so that all K–12 students can benefit from reciprocal teaching techniques, what she calls the "Fab Four"—predicting, questioning, clarifying, and summarizing—in whole-group, guided reading, and book club settings, for both fiction and informational texts. In clearly delineated lessons and minilessons, Lori deftly shares how to support students' learning, including English language learners and students who struggle, so they can successfully apply and monitor those four discussion strategies—as well as troubleshoot problems—to yield significant progress in their reading comprehension. Filled with great practical ideas, this gem of a book is a must-have for all literacy educators!" —Regie Routman, author of Read, Write, Lead; Literacy Essentials, and Reading Essentials "Reciprocal teaching works to push students into deeper learning. There are decades of research on the impact of this instructional approach, and this book shows you how to implement and refine the practice such that all students succeed." —Doug Fisher, author of Checking for Understanding and Visible Learning for Literacy "One of the great instructional research discoveries of the past three decades has been the efficacy of reciprocal teaching for improving student learning and reading comprehension. More than anyone, Lori Oczkus has explored practical ways for making reciprocal teaching an integral part of nearly any classroom setting. This current work by Lori represents the epitome of her work in translating reciprocal teaching research into practice. Readers will find this immensely readable book filled with strategies that can be easily implemented and that will improve student learning. If you are interested in improving your students' reading achievement, you need to read this book!" —Timothy Rasinski, author of The Fluent Reader and Close Reading with Paired Texts "In this new edition of Reciprocal Teaching at Work, Lori Oczkus offers new thinking while reinforcing the best practices that make her ideas timeless. Through these engaging lessons and smart instructional moves, you will empower your students to build the confidence and competence they need to become strong, independent readers." —Donalyn Miller, author of The Book Whisperer "On every page of this book, in every activity and plan, the voice of a gifted and empowering teacher inspires the reader. In a major revision of her classic work, Lori Oczkus engages the immediacy and demands of today's classrooms with the most robust constellation of strategies for teaching comprehension. She compellingly demonstrates how the "Fab Four" are engaged across the grades, and she powerfully scaffolds, supports, and reassures teachers in their efforts to incorporate reciprocal teaching across a broad communication, textual, and digital terrain." —Shane Templeton, Foundation Professor Emeritus of Literacy Studies University of Nevada, Reno, NV
Quilty Fun includes complete instructions for her incredibly popular Bee in My Bonnet Row Along quilt, along with 10 brand new coordinating projects! This book is jam packed with over 100 pages of projects, tips and inspiration to use all around your home, and the book is spiral bound to last use after use.
“A self-help guide to the Native American spiritual growth process . . . attainable even if one lives in a modern urban setting.” —Library Journal For centuries, tribal shamans have used these remarkable healing practices to bring spiritual seekers into harmony with the world around them. In keeping with that Native tradition, mystic Mary Dean Atwood uses symbolic stories to illustrate the power of shamanic techniques, and offers detailed guidance to help you change your thought patterns, eliminate mind-cluttering worries, and develop contact with your spirit guide. Master the secrets of rock divination, animal-spirit communication, and message reading—and embark upon a life-altering vision quest to find your higher self.
"Being small is the worst! No one ever picks me for their sports team and my feet hurt from standing on my tiptoes all the time. There can't be anything good about being small‚]‚€‚]right? "
Lori Nichols’ enchanting debut features an irresistible, free-spirited, nature-loving little girl who greets the changing seasons and a new sibling with arms wide open. When Maple is tiny, her parents plant a maple tree in her honor. She and her tree grow up together, and even though a tree doesn’t always make an ideal playmate, it doesn’t mind when Maple is in the mood to be loud—which is often. Then Maple becomes a big sister, and finds that babies have their loud days, too. Fortunately, Maple and her beloved tree know just what the baby needs.
The Good, Good Sheriff is a collection born from a dream to meld the art of storytelling with truths founded upon the ideals of individuality, personal responsibility, love and hope.