We’re Thankful for...
By Patricia Broderick and Allen Raymond

Pure Joy
There's a major new reading program that really is pure Joy… written by none other than renowned children's author Joy Cowley. It's for grades K-1 and is called, fittingly, Joy Starters.

The 72-title series encompasses 12 themes, all available in three formats: Lap Books (12" x 16"), Guided Reading Little Books (4 1/8" x 6 7/8") and Take-Home Little Books.

Joy began writing for children because one of her own children had a reading problem. She knew that, especially for young children, reading had to be fun, and stories had to be enjoyable to keep kids working at achieving fluency. Joy Starters does all that while incorporating phonemic awareness, phonics instruction, fluency and vocabulary instruction. All Joy's work in the children's reading area has incorporated these basic, tried and true tenets and the result has been reading success through the years for thousands of children.

Joy's new program for Dominie Press refines this approach even further. The 12 themes of this program are Mathematical Concepts, Spatial Concepts, Senses, Emotions, Family, School, Community, Sports, Time and Space, Nature, Health and Communication. These are the staples of a good early childhood curriculum, so it's easy to see that combining these with building reading skills and a true love of reading is bound to be a winner.

We really liked the fact that the main characters in many of the stories deliver character education messages without beating the reader over the head. Another aspect we particularly liked is the fact that the development of the story line in each book prepares a child for chapter books.

Each theme is accompanied by its own rhyme chart for shared reading and other literacy activities. From Duck Dance to Dinner, Eggs or any of the other titles, You'll note a sense of "can do" and real fun in the skills acquisition process. The Teacher's Guides also offer exciting activities to encourage creativity and thinking skills.

Naturally, there are also Joy Readers available. This is a Guided Reading Collection of 480 books (80 titles of six copies each). There are evaluation sets, starter sets, leveled sets ranging from mid-K and working through first grade. Nothing was left to chance in this program; it includes the best from one of our very best authors in education. Pricing depends on what you're buying, so call 800-232-4570 or visit Dominie at www.dominie. com

We can't emphasize enough what a seminal experience this will be for your beginning reading "explorers." Joy Cowley never disappoints.
www.dominie.com

New Middle School Teachers...
This one's for you: Day One & Beyond. It's a 200-page book that really holds your hand through the nerve-wracking first days – and months – of middle school teaching. The subtitle is "Practical Matters for New Middle Level Teachers" and practical it is.

Rick Wormeli addresses everything from the unique nature of middle school teaching to discipline, grade books and record keeping, grouping, teaming, dealing with homework, parents, substitute teacher plans, relating to students and the critical issue of one's own professional development.

We had the good fortune to hear Rick's presentation at the Basic School Eastern Consortia Summer Institute in July, where he discussed the necessity for teachers to take risks. It was simply outstanding. His information is practical, tested and solidly based in sound educational practice. Rick was one of the first National Board Certified Teachers in the country.

The style of this book is eminently readable and just jam-packed with use-right-now ideas. So don't wait to buy your copy. We think it's helpful for teachers at any level and well worth the $19.95 (plus s/h). Another great book from Stenhouse Publishers.
www.stenhouse.com

History – Hands On!...
Has some new entries for fall 2003 in this series from tlc (Teaching & Learning Company).

We saw Henry Ford, Mayflower and Dinosaur Dig. Each of these books has 32 pages and is for grades K-4. The books are like little encyclopedias of information; all kinds of research are reported. For instance, in Mayflower there are activities based on information like male names in use at the time, female names, different spellings of common words, life aboard the Mayflower, games, hobbies, a typical day in the life of a woman, clothing, writing a compact for living and so on. It's a very comprehensive look at the people we called the pilgrims. (Did you know they called themselves "saints?" We didn't.)

This same technique is used in the other titles, all written by a teacher. At just $6.95 a title, this seems like a must buy for every K-4 classroom. Try your school supply store or tlc. They have other new releases and some old standbys you might need.
www.teachinglearning.com

Help is Here...
For those all-important skills kids need for writing competency, there's a comprehensive new program called Write! – Foundations and Models for Proficiency and it's available from Curriculum Associates, Inc. It's for grades one through eight and adult education.

The complexity of the writing process is encapsulated simply and neatly in the structure of this series. There is teacher-directed instruction and practice in grammar, usage and mechanics, (GUM), as well as instruction and assessment of writing, writing activities based on writing models, application of graphic organizers, writing prompts in test-taking formats and both peer and student/teacher interaction.

In a nutshell, there are two major parts to each student book in this series: Foundations and Models. The Foundations part handles the GUM, and Practice and Writing prompts utilizing the GUM skill learned. Revising and editing skills are also addressed.

Test prep is included so students will be familiar with the format of standards-based tests. This consists of three reading selections followed by 18 selected-response questions. Students work progressively through the three selections. (Books One and Two differ somewhat in the number of activities and selected-response questions.)

The second major part of the program covers the Models. The writing forms of descriptions, narratives, expository essays, etc. are introduced. Students study a writing sample that responds to a writing prompt. They learn about graphic organizers and use them in their own writing.

Students are given four prompt-driven, rubric-scored models which they read, then find and correct the GUM errors. They read and score four additional models and write and revise their own piece. This is the point at which peer collaboration comes into play.

In the Making Connections activities that are part of each lesson, students' eyes are opened to the real world application for their writing. Again, there are writing prompts included in Part II, followed by writing tips that define the genre explained in the lesson. This whole procedure enables children to cruise through testing day, confident and secure in their knowledge.

Check the Curriculum Associates website for prices on the complete program: student books (144 pages), student response books (grades 3-8, Part I book – 32 pages, Part II book, 48 pages), teacher guides (64 pages) and transparencies (available for grades 3-8).

This program can take the pressure off every teacher. It covers everything kids need to know about writing, so you don't have to worry. Good job!
www.curriculumassociates.com

A Name We Know and Love...Heinemann
Except that this time we're talking about a division of Heinemann that was new to us. It's called Heinemann Library and the subhead reads, "Publishers of K-8 Nonfiction." This company produces absolutely beautiful trade books. And, the range of content in the Heinemann Library catalog is awesome! There are Heinemann State Studies, which have individual books for the history of a specific state and include information about the people, regions and resources, native people, plants and animals and much, much, more.

We also saw some health books (K-2) and a series on animals and pets. These books are great social studies resources, while at the same time they're providing the opportunity for reading in the content areas. These books are about $22.95 plus s/h. Visit the Heinemann Library website to see the full range of titles that are available.
www.heinemannlibrary.com

Another Old Reliable Name...Mead
But there's nothing old about Mead's ideas or service. Have you seen their new subject Class Notebooks? They're wonderful. Not only does the English Class Notebook have a see-through plastic triangle that includes a ruler and all sorts of shapes templates. It also has Grammar Rules (punctuation, eight parts of speech, etc.), Spelling Rules, Writing Aids, Literature information, Vocabulary Helps and Proofreader's Marks included for quick reference. These notebooks make it so easy for kids!

We also saw Science Notebooks and Math Notebooks, and both of them included the same type of helpful information found in the English Notebook. We can't imagine anyone functioning without these books. They'll make your job so much easier. These are must-sees and must-haves for your kids. At your local retail store.
www.MeadWeb.com

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November/December, 2003, Vol.34, No.3