Brookes Publishing
Great ideas; using service-learning and differentiated instruction to help your students succeed.
Gent (special education, Clarion U. of Pennsylvania) explains how to integrate service learning into the K-12 classroom, as a way to differentiate instruction and promote inclusion of all students. She describes the history of service-learning and its rationale, and how to combine standards-based instruction with giving back to the community, including preparation, identifying community needs, planning and implementing activities, using it to teach critical thinking and reflection, documenting the effects on students and the community, recognizing contributions, and sustaining the learning. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
One child, two languages; a guide for early childhood educators of children learning English as a second language, 2d ed. (CD-ROM included)
Since publication of the 1997 edition of Tabors' (Harvard Graduate School of Education) text, the number of young English language learners (ELLs) in the U.S. has increased substantially, and with it the need for resources to help early childhood educators develop techniques to more effectively serve their young learners. Revised and updated throughout to reflect current developments in early childhood education research and practice, the second edition features a stronger focus on literacy and how to incorporate effective literacy teaching in the early childhood classroom, expanded information about assessment practices that are effective for second-language learners, and a new chapter on internationally adopted children. The text also includes a new study guide for use in professional development workshops and in education courses. Reproducible forms and tools are included on the accompanying CD-ROM. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The paraprofessional's handbook for effective support in inclusive classrooms.
Aimed at novice paraprofessionals in inclusive classroom settings, this guide contains tips and case studies that will help these practitioners support and challenge their students while remaining personally energized. Causton- Theoharis (teching and leadership, Syracuse U.) has more than 10 years of experience as a paraprofessional instructor, and she provides advice on resolving difficult behaviors, making informed decisions about content- specific accommodations, facilitating peer support and avoiding stress and burnout. An appendix provides additional resources for paraprofessionals. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Peer buddy programs for successful secondary school inclusion.
Hughes (special education and human and organizational development, Vanderbilt U., Tennessee) and Carter (rehabilitation psychology and special education, U. of Wisconsin-Madison) outline steps for implementing a program to address issues of inclusion and community engagement in middle and high schools through structured partnerships between special and general education students. The first section provides a legislative, philosophical, and research basis for the initiative and presents different models for accommodating certain school needs. The chapters that follow discuss how to start the program and identify, recruit, and train participants. Final chapters cover evaluation and maintenance as well as how the program might be connected to the larger school and community contexts. Vignettes from the authors' pilot program in Nashville, Tennessee support the text, along with sample materials. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Practically speaking; language, literacy, and academic development for students with AAC needs.
Twenty-two academics, researchers, and speech-language clinicians from the U.S. and New Zealand contribute 14 chapters to a text for professionals and preprofessional students — particularly educators and speech-language pathologists — who serve K-12 children with significant communication challenges in school settings. The text is based on the contributors' years of experience in teaching, researching, and delivering augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) services to students with a variety of abilities, characteristics, and interests. Focusing on achievement in core language and literacy competencies required for academic and social contexts, the chapters provide guidelines, strategies, and tools for addressing student needs, curriculum demands, the nature of social contexts, and required technology supports within a complex school environment. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Program administrator's guide to early childhood special education; leadership, development, and supervision.
Unique in addressing both early childhood and special education (ECSE), Taylor, McGowan (both education, Johns Hopkins U.), and Linder's (education, U. of Colorado, Denver) book is suitable as a text for preservice professionals and as a resource for new administrators. The 16 research-based chapters, contributed by 17 American academics and ECSE classroom teachers will help readers provide strong leadership in all facets of program development for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. Topics addressed include historical and contemporary issues and events related to ECSE, family-centered ECSE programs, effective leadership and supervision, interagency collaboration, screening and evaluation, technology needs of ECSE programs, health-related practices in ECSE settings, financial and business aspects of nonprofits program leadership, transitions and service coordination, safety issues, legal issues, program evaluation, and proposal writing and grant management. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The promise of pre-K.
Arguing that high-quality pre-kindergarten programs improve student achievement in school, Pianta (education, U. of Virginia, Charlottesville) and Howes (education, U. of California, Los Angeles) assemble nine chapters by a group of American researchers and scholars in education and child development who consider programs in the US. They first discuss national issues such as standards, funding, location, goals, program assessment and accountability, and class characteristics. They then analyze five state-funded pre-kindergarten programs in New York, Maryland, Louisiana, Georgia, and North Carolina, which have operated since the mid-1990s, their characteristics, funding, implementation, quality, and effectiveness. The volume is aimed at early childhood professionals, policy makers, researchers, and teacher educators. It is the first in a series from the National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education, and is based on presentations and discussions that took place during its 2007 Leadership Symposium. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Real life, real progress for children with autism spectrum disorders; strategies for successful generalization in natural environments.
When children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) can generalize new skills across different settings, they make long-term improvements in behavior and social communication. In this book, Whalen, a licensed psychologist and board certified behavior analyst, brings together material that will help professionals integrate generalization into the most poplar autism interventions. Case studies and examples bring the strategies to life. Forms and checklists for planning interventions and instruction and tracking children's progress are included. The book is for special educators in pre-K through grade 8, early interventionists, SLPs, and other professionals. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Reversing the odds; improving outcomes for babies in the child welfare system.
Babies and young children in America's child welfare system have a high prevalence of physical, cognitive, and social-emotional delays, and often don't have access to the services and supports that could make all the difference. This book shows early childhood practitioners how to navigate the child welfare system and collaborate with a wide range of other professionals to meet young children's needs. The first part of the book summarizes research on the importance of early relationships, early literacy, effective health care, and early intervention services. It includes a review of the newest law passed by Congress concerning children in the welfare system, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008. The second half of the book is devoted to real-life case examples that illustrate strong collaborations among the child welfare, legal, health care, early intervention, and early childhood education systems. These step- by-step stories will enable readers to apply the book's lessons, especially its major lesson on the importance of collaboration between those working inside and outside of government and the court system. Dicker is a member of the faculty of the Department of Pediatrics, The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The roots of phonics; a historical introduction, rev.ed.
Balmuth (emeritus, Hunter College, City University of New York) offers a concise history of how modern English phonics developed in this text for pre- and in-service reading teachers and reading specialists. Through a historical presentation of the relationship of English phonics to spelling, writing, and reading, the book offers insight on the importance of phonics in education over several centuries. Quotes from Noah Webster, Horace Mann, and many others are included. The book was originally published in 1982 by McGraw-Hill. A second edition was published in 1992 by York Press. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Sibshops; workshops for siblings of children with special needs, rev.ed.
Meyer and Vadasy's revised guide describes the Sibshops model for providing opportunities for the siblings of children with special needs to obtain peer support and education within a recreational context. Originally developed for use with 8- to 13-year-old siblings, the model is adaptable to other age groups of children and parents. Designed as a resource for agencies working with families of children with special needs — ideally co-facilitating Sibshops with adult siblings of people with special needs — the text contains some 100 inexpensive, high energy games and activities, with in-depth instructions and reproducible forms. The updated edition contains 30 new activities, stories from siblings of all ages, and references reflecting research findings since publication of the first edition. Meyer directs the Seattle-based Sibling Support Project, dedicated to the siblings of persons with special health, developmental, and mental health concerns; Vadasy is with the Washington Research Institute in Seattle. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Sounds like fun; activities for developing phonological awareness, rev. ed.
Drawing on 35-plus years of experience in the speech-language pathology field, Spector presents a text for professionals working with students in grades 3-12 to help them develop their metaphonological skills, including speech-language pathologists, classroom teachers, special education teachers, learning disabilities specialists, remedial reading specialists, teachers of students with a hearing impairment, and teachers of ESL. The text contains some 75 warm-ups and activities with clear facilitators notes and activity materials. The text was previously published as Sound Effects: Activities for Developing Phonological Awareness (Thinking Publications, 1999); additional changes to the revised edition are not stated. No subject index. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Talk to me, baby!; how you can support young children's language development.
This practical, accessible guide for parents, child care providers, and family support professionals presents techniques for supporting early language experiences, from baby babbling through the pre-literacy skills of kindergartners. The book provides language building activities, gives advice on books for children, and provides background on young children's emotional and social development, memory, bilingualism, and the process of learning to read, with summaries of research written in reader-friendly terms. A study guide at the end of the book provides review, reflection, and discussion questions, plus observation and application activities for each chapter, making the book useful for classes and training workshops. Bardige is vice president at the A. L. Mailman Family Foundation. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Teaching students with dyslexia and dysgraphia; lessons from teaching and science.
Berninger (multidisciplinary Learning Disabilities Center, U. of Washington, Seattle) and Wolf (Slingerland Institute for Literacy, Bellevue, Washington) present the first book for K-12 teachers on how to provide effective literacy instruction to students with any of the three learning disabilities requiring differentiated instruction — dyslexia, oral and written language learning disability (OWL LD), and dysgraphia — while meeting the needs of all students in the class. Coverage includes an overview of the historical and contemporary contexts; feasible, effective classroom strategies for teaching students with dyslexia and related disorders to read and write; research findings from science, clinical, and instructional disciplines; alternative building-level plans for teaching students with specific written language disabilities within and across grade levels; professional development issues for practitioners interested in basing their educational practice on science; and a summarization of key principles for general educators. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Universal design for transition; a roadmap for planning and instruction.
Thoma (special education and disability policy, Virginia Commonwealth U.), Bartholomew (adjunct instructor, Virginia Commonwealth U.) and Scott (independent in-home counselor and special education teacher) use the universal design for transition (UDT) model to show teachers and educators how to help students with disabilities make informed choices about their futures. The authors provide instructions on how to enhance students' self- determination skills, assess students' strengths and needs, develop customized IEPs and assist in exploring career possibilities. Sections are also devoted to helping students make the transition to both college and community life. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
Using skilled dialogue to transform challenging interactions; honoring identity, voice, and connection.
Barrera (special education program, U. of New Mexico) and Kramer (special education, National U. in Costa Mesa, California) show educational professionals how the behavior of young children can be interpreted in the context of culture and diversity so that challenging interactions can be addressed more effectively. The authors use case studies and discussion questions to demonstrate respect, reciprocity and responsiveness to these dialogues that will result in increased confidence and communication skills in these children. Tips are also provided for dismantling stereotypes that can be obstacles in teacher-student and student-student relationships. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
The way to work; how to facilitate work experiences for youth in transition.
This guide will help educators, transition specialists, and employment specialists assist high school students and young adults with disabilities to find work experiences and jobs. The book is framed by the belief that the culmination of publicly supported education for youth with disabilities should be real adult employment. There is special emphasis on recruiting and retaining employee partners who gladly host youth in their workplaces. Luecking, president of a nonprofit dedicated to improving education and employment outcomes for people with disabilities, draws on actual cases of youth served by his organization. The book shows how to help youth choose and pursue work experiences, and describes approaches for identifying, developing, organizing, and monitoring work-based learning opportunities in authentic workplaces. Most chapters contain sample forms and guidelines. The book will be of interest to policy makers and youth advocates alike. (Annotation ©2009 Book News Inc. Portland, OR)
