Builds problem-solving skills through creative and imaginative activities invities critical and innovative thinking. Invities critical and innovative thinking. Stimulates divergent thinking while making learning fun
The fastest way to keep your students engaged It′s an all too familiar sight: that glazed look in your students′ eyes. They′ve been sitting or listening for too long. What they need is an Energizing Brain Break--a quick physical and mental challenge that′s like hitting the refresh button on your computer, but for your students. This practical full-color flip book contains 50 highly effective, classroom-tested brain breaks that you can put to immediate use across the grades. No preparation or supplies are required; just one to two minutes of your time when you see a need. You′ll find pictures, directions, and online videos for activities such as: Slap Count Letters: students alternate slapping each other′s hands while spelling a word Rock, Paper, Scissors, Math: partners reveal a certain number of fingers to each other, and the first person to add them together wins Bizz-Buzz: groups of students count from 1 to 40 using a combination of numbers and words There′s no better way to help students remain sharp and alert, reenergized to take on the next task of learning!
A practical guide to teaching the way a child’s brain learns best In this update of a bestselling classic, you will learn how to develop children’s capacity and will to read. Each sequential chapter is practical, eye-opening, and exactly what you need to engage young learners, plan lessons, partner with parents, and align your PreK-3 classrooms to the science of learning and the science of reading. Gain the latest insights on: Brain development from birth to age eight, plus the skills to nourish it, age by age and grade by grade What the latest neuroscientific research now says about oral language acquisition The evidence base for practices such as read alouds, inventive spelling, and sustained silent reading Why vocabulary building must happen concurrently with phonological processing, decoding, fluency, spelling, and writing How to artfully combine explicit teaching of skills with playful, multi-sensory routines every day All aspects of memory are needed to develop successful readers. When we engage children’s brains and build our teaching practices around what we know about how the human brain makes meaning, literacy learning makes more sense for children... and for us.
Use trauma-informed strategies to give students the skills and support they need to succeed in school and life Nearly half of all children have been exposed to at least one adverse childhood experience (ACE), such as poverty, divorce, neglect, homelessness, substance abuse, domestic violence, or parent incarceration. These students often enter school with behaviors that don’t blend well with the typical school environment. How can a school community come together and work as a whole to establish a healthy social-emotional climate for students and the staff who support them? This workbook-style resource shows K-12 educators how to make a whole-school change, where strategies are integrated from curb to classroom. Readers will learn how to integrate trauma-informed strategies into daily instructional practice through expanded focus on: The different experiences and unique challenges of students impacted by ACEs in urban, suburban, and rural schools, including suicidal tendencies, cyberbullying, and drugs Behavior as a form of communication and how to explicitly teach new behaviors How to mitigate trauma and build innate resiliency through a read, reflect, and respond model Let this book be the tool that helps your teams move students away from the school-to-prison pipeline and toward a life rich with educational and career choices. "I cannot think of a book more needed than this one. It gives us the tools to support our students who have the most need while practicing the self-care necessary to continue to serve them." —Lydia Adegbola, Chair of English Department New Rochelle High School, NY "This book highlights the impact of trauma on children and the adults who work with them, while providing relevant and practical strategies to understand and address it through reflective practices." —Marine Avagyan, Director, Curriculum and Instruction Saugus Union School District, Sunland, CA