Tag: Literacy and Learning Collection

Books of interest to teachers

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At the beginning of a new school year, everyone is looking to be their best in the classroom — and that includes teachers! Here are just a few items from our Literacy and Learning Collection that can bring a fresh perspective to teachers. Summaries provided by the publishers.

Teaching reading fundamentals and strategies with social-emotional learning by Marjorie S. Schiering
This book provides six different strategies for teaching the fundamentals of reading with social-emotional learning in mind. With engaging lesson plans, there is a strategy for every learner, including the teaching of thinking with reciprocity among three phases, and recognizing feelings with distinguishing thinking from feelings, as well as their impact on teaching and learning. Memory and comprehension types are also given attention. Oral reading guidelines and silent reading directives are provided along with emphasis on differentiated instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners. Awareness of how everything in the classroom is connected to social-emotional learning helps meet the needs of all learners.

The advocate educator’s handbook : creating schools where transgender and non-binary students thrive by Vanessa Ford, M.A.T., and Rebecca Kling
So often, the resources available to adults advocating for transgender students are boring, overly focused on abstract policy, don’t include the voices of transgender people, or don’t spend enough time on tangible and practical ways to improve the lives of trans kids. This book includes practical tools that readers can start using on day one, personal stories from its co-authors, input from both trans youth and trans adults, and model policies for teachers, school administrators, and public policymakers. There are ways to engage trans youth, and youth allies to ensure adults are advocating with youth, not simply for youth.

Shift teaching forward : advancing career skills to prepare tomorrow’s workforce by Kelly Cassaro with Dana Lee
How can teachers prepare students for academic success and the ever-changing job market? What are employers looking for in applicants, and how do we coach jobseekers to be ready on day one? In Shift Teaching Forward, author Kelly Pesce Cassaro gives educators the knowledge, insight, and practical advice they need to prime students for the social, emotional, and behavioral skills they need to thrive. Modern demands task educators to not focus not only on standards alignment and technical skills, but also on the soft skills that will make students excel academically and stand out as job candidates.

The new assistive tech : make learning awesome for all! by Christopher R. Bugaj.
School districts often struggle to develop consistent practices for meeting the needs of special education students. You’ll learn how embracing student-centered approaches like project-based learning and growth mindset help support students with disabilities. You’ll get guidance on how to plan and execute education experiences using technology centered around students’ individual needs. And you’ll discover how to effectively and consistently evaluate and select technology supports based on the specific needs of an individual student, while actively including the learner in the technology consideration process.

Bring history and civics to life : lessons & strategies to cultivate informed, empathetic citizens by Karalee Wong Nakatsuka and Laurel Aguilar-Kirchhoff.
This user-friendly guide will empower and equip teachers to take a fun, interactive approach to using technology to teach history and civics. Although all U.S. states have standards for the teaching of history, there’s a lack of consistency when it comes to teaching civics. How can educators better prepare their students to become engaged, informed and empathetic citizens? One way is by harnessing the power of digital learning to make history come alive for students, establishing a climate and culture that encourages students to be effective collaborators and lifelong learners who care about and contribute to society. With this book, two dynamic, award-winning educators draw clear connections between history, civics, community — and technology — in meaningful and actionable ways to deepen students’ understanding of democratic processes and civic engagement.

Resurgence : engaging with Indigenous narratives and cultural expressions in and beyond the classroom edited by Christine M’Lot and Katya Adamov Ferguson.
Resurgence is a powerful collection of Indigenous voices in poetic, artistic, and narrative texts to support teachers in bridging existing curricular plans with rich, living texts and expressions. Christine M’Lot and Katya Ferguson have made the decision to treat each submission as a “living text” that acts as a springboard for engagement with Indigenous voices and pedagogies that teachers can use with students of all ages (K-12). Each narrative, poem, or artistic expression provides a gift to teachers that evokes critical reflection of past and current teaching practices and inspires new quests and questions.

Ready-to-use resources for grit in the classroom : activities and mini-lessons for building passion and perseverance by Laila Y. Sanguras.
Ready-to-Use Resources for Grit in the Classroom provides tools to help teachers, students, and families understand and foster passionate, creative, and curious grit in all students. It can be difficult and time consuming to figure out how to develop grit in the classroom. This resource includes student activities and mini-lessons that can be completed in fewer than 10 minutes, with activities on topics from goal setting to re-examining failure to optimism. Interactive and engaging, this book challenges students to rethink failure, push past obstacles, and passionately pursue their interests. Featuring helpful teacher instructions, Ready-to-Use Resources for Grit in the Classroom is the perfect addition to any educator’s social-emotional learning library.

Advice on maximizing outdoor play can be found in these books

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There is still time to enjoy the great outdoors before summer ends. Even when the seasons change you can still spend time with your family in nature. If you are looking for a little guidance on playing with your kids outdoors, the Literacy and Learning Collection can help. (Descriptions from the publishers)

Finding ecohappiness : fun nature activities to help your kids feel happier and calmer by Sandi Schwartz – Raise calmer, happier, healthier children with these fun, hands-on nature activities for parents and kids to enjoy together. What we all suspected intuitively for generations, science has now confirmed: spending time connecting to nature is a safe, effective tool to help improve our health and happiness. In Finding Ecohappiness, author Sandi Schwartz guides families in building regular habits of experiencing nature to reduce stress and boost mood. She explores key positive psychology tools from a nature-loving perspective. You will learn some simple, practical tips for incorporating these tools — awe and gratitude, mindfulness, creative arts, outdoor play and adventure, volunteering, food, and animals — into your daily routine to help your children thrive and live a happy, balanced life.

Young adventurers : outdoor activities in nature by Susie Rae – Outdoor activities are fun, exciting, and can be found right around the corner! Get outside and ride a bike, climb a mountain, or spot wildlife and go camping. Whether in the local park, your backyard, or amongst the trees in a nature preserve — the great outdoors is the place to be! Young Adventurers energizes children to get out of the house and enjoy the outdoors, engage with their surroundings, find new friends and gain confidence through important experiences, while learning to appreciate the wonders of nature.

Balanced and barefoot by Angela J. Hanscom –Today’s kids have adopted sedentary lifestyles filled with television, video games, and computer screens. But more and more, studies show that children need “rough and tumble” outdoor play in order to develop their sensory, motor, and executive functions. In this important book, a pediatric occupational therapist explains why unrestrained movement and outdoor play are vital for children’s cognitive development, and offers fun, engaging activities to help ensure that kids grow into healthy, balanced, and resilient adults. Available in print or as audio book on CD.

Play the Forest School Way by Peter Houghton and A Year of Forest School by Jane Worroll – The rise of the Forest School movement in recent years is part of a groundswell of concern about the wellbeing of our children, with many media scare stories about child obesity, ‘nature deficit disorder’ and lack of exposure to risk. These books bring the activities and ‘learning through nature’ ethos of Forest School to the parents of nursery and primary school-age children. Both are packed full of ideas and celebrate the Forest School philosophy of encouraging self-esteem, confidence and social skills through engagement with nature.

Books about being a dad from our Literacy and Learning Collection

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The Literacy and Learning Collection is full of items that include learning to be the best parent you can be. Here are some books that focus specifically on the experience of being a dad. (Descriptions from the publishers.)

Dad skills : how to be an awesome father & impress all the other parents by Chris Peterson – This handy, amusing book is perfect for the busy guy who has his eye on the “Father of the Year” award. Organized by the child’s stage and age range, each chapter covers essential insights and techniques to keeping kids happy, safe, healthy and stopping them from torturing their parents. Following the style of its tongue-in-cheek predecessor Manskills, Dadskills wraps valid, incredibly useful information inside humorous writing. Chapters cover all stages of the journey: Baby Wrangling, Dealing with Toddlers, The Single-Digit Challenge, Managing Tweens, Taming Teenagers, and Prepping for the Empty Nest.

Geek dad : awesomely geeky projects and activities for dads and kids to share and The geek dad book for aspiring mad scientists by Ken Denmead – These books offer projects for all ages to suit any timeframe or budget. These books will help scientists-in-the-making discover how our world works with creative project ideas. Supergeek and father of two, Ken Denmead created the ultimate, idea-packed guide guaranteed to help dads and kids alike enjoy the magic of playtime together and tap into the infinite possibility of their imagination.

Dad’s maybe book by Tim O’Brien – In 2003, as an older father, O’Brien resolved to give his young sons what he wished his own father had given to him: a few scraps of paper signed “Love, Dad.” Maybe a word of advice. Maybe a sentence or two about some long-ago Christmas Eve. Maybe some scattered glimpses of their aging father, a man they might never really know. In this book, O’Brien moves from soccer games to warfare to risqué lullabies, from alcoholism to magic shows to history lessons to bittersweet bedtime stories, but always returning to a father’s soul-saving love for his sons.

Measuring up : a memoir of fathers and sons by Dan Robson – A tender memoir of fathers and sons, love and loss, and learning to fill boots a size too big. Dan Robson’s father was a builder, whose high-school education was enough not only to provide for his family, but to build a successful business. When he dies, nothing in his son’s world feels steady anymore. Dan never learned the blue-collar skills he admired, because his father wanted him to pursue his dream of becoming a writer. Tender and unflinching, Measuring Up is a story of love, mourning, and learning what it means to be a man.

The world’s best dad after divorce : a guide to co-parenting for divorced dads by Paul Mandelstein – Packed with advice from family counseling experts, anecdotes from divorced parent groups, interviews with fathers, mothers, and children, and the author’s own first-hand experiences, The world’s best dad during and after divorce is a realistic, yet compassionate approach to parenting during and after divorce. The user-friendly format combines bulleted lists with practical suggestions, exercises, and even sample dialogues that make even the most difficult conversations with children and former spouses more manageable. Most importantly, this guidebook empowers men to be the best fathers they can be: fathers who are present and accountable, loving and leading, competent and caring.

7 books about motherhood from our Literacy and Learning Collection

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The Literacy and Learning Collection features a wide range of topics to help you navigate family life with infants through teens and beyond. Here are seven books that focus specifically on the experience of being a mom. (Descriptions from the publishers.)

The 30-minute money plan for moms : how to maximize your family budget in minimal time by Catey Hill – Catey Hill has created smart, simple strategies to help you maximize your money in minimal time. Drawing on extensive research on the actual cost of raising a child at each age, she’ll show you how to save in every area of your life, from lowering your grocery bill (without coupons!), to saving on education and childcare, to dealing with high-interest credit card debt, and more. And she’ll show you how to do all that in less than half an hour.

Being happy, raising happy : the empowered mom’s guide to helping her spirited child bloom by Maureen Lake – Being a mom is a lot of work. Being a mom of a spirited child can be exceptionally challenging. Moms who want to change their stress and anxiety levels and make a difference in the lives of their children and family need to take steps towards wellness. Being happy, raising happy is for loving and caring moms who somehow forgot about their own needs, desires, and the impact they want to make in the world and want to start their journey towards revitalizing the mind, body, and spirit.

The Better Mom : growing in grace between perfection and the mess by Ruth Schwenk – Mothering is messy. Our joy and hope in raising children doesn’t change the reality that being a mom can be frustrating, stressful, and tiring. But just as God is using us to shape our children, God is using our children and motherhood to shape us. In The Better Mom, author Ruth Schwenk, herself a mother of four children, says there is more to being a mom than the extremes of striving for perfection or simply embracing the mess. We don’t need to settle for surviving our kids’ childhood. We can grow through it.

Brave new mom : a survival guide for mindfully navigating postpartum motherhood by Jessie Everts – Brave New Mom brings a mindfulness-based approach to new parenthood that encourages self-exploration, self-compassion, self-care, and connection. It incorporates findings from research on postpartum mental health, practices for feeling your best after having a baby, and a warm and compassionate voice for new mothers everywhere. This book gives new moms permission to see, feel, and celebrate their amazing abilities and to gather the support they need.

Help, I’m failing as a mom : the survival guide to raising a child with a mood disorder by Tanya Trevett – Written for parents who want to learn how to live with their child’s mood disorder in a healthier way, author Tanya Trevett shares what she has learned in her fifteen-year journey. Among lessons learned: The secret to letting go of guilt so they can be a better (and happier) parent; Understanding the complexities of mood disorders and why it takes a village; Methods and activities for hope and healing; Rediscovering the joy, pride, and the unconditional love moms have for their children.

The Little Book of Support for New Moms – Doula Beccy Hands and midwife Alexis Stickland know what a challenge it can be to balance self-care with motherhood. In The Little Book of Support for New Moms, they bring together decades of experience to share invaluable tips and tricks to boost confidence and calm frazzled nerves-plus answers to all those questions new moms may be too embarrassed to ask. Tackle the fourth trimester with easy recipes to nourish your postpartum body and five-minute fixes to restore your sense of humor.

Mom Babble : the messy truth about motherhood by Mary Katherine Backstrom – In Mom Babble, Mary Katherine (MK) Backstrom offers up hope, humor, and spiritual inspiration to families in the trenches of parenthood. With laughter, crying, and eye-rolls MK’s, oh so, real essays about raising littles will delight all the not perfect, not always holy, not completely normal, messy, honest and wonderful moms that read them. MK’s conversational approach connects with readers like dear friends cozied up on a coffee date.

 

Books Celebrating Neurodiverse Parenting

- Beth Leave a comment

Neurodiversity Celebration Week is March 18-24, 2024. This time is used to celebrate people who think, move, process information, and communicate in different ways. The term neurodiversity is used to take a balanced view of an individual’s unique strengths and challenges. (Taken from the website www.neurodiversityweek.com)

The Davenport Public Library’s Literacy and Learning Collection features books about that may help you in parenting a neurodivergent child or thrive as a neurodiverse family. (Descriptions provided by the publishers.)

Low-Demand Parenting : dropping demands, restoring calm, and finding connection with your uniquely wired child by Amanda Diekman — Author and autistic adult Amanda Diekman discusses her experience as a parent to her own neurodivergent children. In the book, she outlines a parenting approach that finally lowers the bar for the whole family, enabling the equilibrium of the home to be restored. Low-Demand Parenting allows you to drop the expectations that are making family life impossible and embrace the joyful freedom of living life with low demands. Full of practical resources and scripts that are easy to implement in busy everyday life, this book is your guide to parenting your uniquely wired child.

Views from the Spectrum : a window into life and faith with your neurodivergent child by Ron Sandison — Author and autistic adult Ron Sandison shares the inspiring stories of twenty remarkable young adults with autism and the loving families who support them. This book serves as both a how-to guide for parents as well as an uncanny view into the world of autism. In every interview Ron reveals that, while there are similarities among the young adults featured, each is uniquely talented. Full of anecdotes, expert research, parenting tips, prayers, and devotion, this book is a celebration of autism and of faith.

Avoiding Anxiety in Autistic Children : a guide for autistic wellbeing by Luke Beardon — One of the biggest challenges for the parent of any autistic child is how best to support and guide them through the situations in life which might cause them greater stress, anxiety and worry than if they were neurotypical. Dr. Luke Beardon has put together an upbeat and readable guide that will be essential reading for any parent to an autistic child, whether they are of preschool age or teenagers. This practical book gives insight into the nature of the anxiety experienced by autistic people. Socially and emotionally this book covers challenges such as bullying, friendships, relationships, puberty and sex education.

8 keys to parenting children with ADHD by Cindy Goldrich — Parenting children with ADHD, whether diagnosed or undiagnosed, can be challenging and complex. But just as a child who struggles with reading can learn to decode words, children with ADHD can learn patience, communication, and solution-seeking skills to become more confident, independent, and capable. This book, rich with optimism, tips, tools, and action plans, offers science-based insights and systems for parents to help cultivate these skills.

Raising Twice-Exceptional Children : a handbook for parents of neurodivergent gifted kids by Emily Kircher-Morris — Just because a child is gifted doesn’t mean they don’t have other types of neurodivergence, like ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and more. Conversely, even children with one of these diagnoses can be cognitively gifted. Raising Twice-Exceptional Children provides you with a roadmap to understand the complex makeup of your “gifted-plus,” or twice-exceptional, child or teen. The book helps you understand your child’s diagnosis, meet their social-emotional needs, build self-regulation skills and goal setting, and teach self-advocacy. It also shows you effective ways to collaborate with teachers and school staff, and it offers advice on finding strength-based strategies that support development at home.