Book Reviews
If you are like me, I LOVE books! So, I thought you might be interested in some of my favorites in the field of teaching. I’ve grouped them into different categories. They are all available through my favorite book store, Amazon.com. Just click on the link if you want more information.
Donnalyn Yates
Category: Read Aloud
Hailstones and Halibut Bones (Adventures in Color)
by Mary O’Neill
A Treat for All the Senses
This book is a treasure! I bought Hailstones and Halibut Bones (Adventures in Color) when I was teaching third grade, and no other poetry book touched my students like this one did. After reading it aloud slowly, in order to savor each color, children wrote verses to express their feelings about their favorite color. We used watercolor to explore a gradient wash on paper. Verses were carefully printed on the colored paper and hung on the wall. Everyone could read and enjoy the creative work of each student. I love reading this book for my own pleasure too. It stimulates my creativity.
Buy now on Amazon: Hailstones and Halibut Bones (Adventures in Color)
Six Sick Sheep – 101 Tongue Twisters
by Joanna, Stephanie Calmensen, Cole
Tongue-Twisters Tantalize Teachable Tots
Six Sick Sheep is a book that helps emerging readers focus on the phonetics of individual words. I tutor children who are struggling readers, and I find the silliness of the tongue twisters hold their attention. They are forced to look at each word and sound it out, in order to read it correctly. I find this book an indispensable aid in my teaching.
Buy now on Amazon: Six Sick Sheep – 101 Tongue Twisters
Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back
by Shel Silverstein
Lafcadio, my favorite read-aloud book
Every year when school starts, I pull out my well-worn copy of Lafcadio, dust it off, and read the first chapter to my excited third graders! They are hooked! We spend the next few weeks with this wonderful read-aloud book. We never want it to end, but when it does, with a thought provoking ending, I have my students write about their version of what might happen next. Shel Silverstein is brilliant and this book is a must for every child and teacher’s library.
Buy now on Amazon: Lafcadio, The Lion Who Shot Back
Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany
by Jane O’Connor
Fancy Words = Scintillating Vocabulary
As a teacher, when I spot appealing books that also are teaching tools, I’m hooked! What I love about this book is the appropriateness for a broad range of ages. My 3 year old grand-daughter is learning how to use many of these colorful words as well as students in third grade. The illustrations capture a child’s imagination and aptly illustrate the meaning of the words. I have nothing but praise for all of Jane O’Connor and Robin Preiss Glasser’s books.
Buy now on Amazon: Fancy Nancy’s Favorite Fancy Words: From Accessories to Zany
Category: Writing, Vocabulary & Spelling Skills
Vocabulary Cartoons: Building an Educated Vocabulary with Visual Mnemonics
By Sam Burchers
As a teacher, I have seen the amazing results of visual and association techniques for remembering information. I love this book because it is fun, plus the picture is not forgotten and is easily associated with the vocabulary word. I’d like the author to consider writing another book geared more for the primary grades. If you have a kinesthetic learner, act out the definition, in order to retain the meaning. This book is a welcome addition to my library of teaching materials.
Buy now on Amazon: Vocabulary Cartoons
Building Your Vocabulary (Scholastic Guides)
by Marvin Terban
Stimulate Children’s Writing
It’s important to me for a teaching book to be well organized and easy to use. Building Your Vocabulary meets this criteria. As a teacher, this book is in constant use. I finally put little tabs on each chapter to make it easier to refer to, in a “teachable moment.” The section titled “100 Great Words” stimulates young writers to expand their vocabulary. You can’t go wrong with this book.
Buy now on Amazon: Building Your Vocabulary (Scholastic Guides)
Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary
by Sue Young
Time to Rhyme!
This book has been invaluable to me as a teacher for many years. I love the way it is organized. Often children have a difficult time recognizing the rhyming sound at the end of the word. By using this book as a springboard for rhyming words, the students are able to think of their own. In the classroom it is used frequently for writing poetry. I use rhyming in the books I create, and I’m able to find the exact word I need in this compact dictionary.
Buy now on Amazon: Scholastic Rhyming Dictionary
Better Spelling in 5 Minutes a Day
Fun Spelling Activities for Kids and Parents on the Go Intermediate Grades
by Mark Pennington
Rules for Spelling Words
Have you ever looked at all the exceptions for the “i” before “e” rule? As a teacher, I find most children have difficulty applying this rule. I use creative methods to help students memorize many of the “ie” words. For example: “friend” can be remembered by saying “I am a friend to the end.” It’s easier to remember the helpful phrase in place of a rule. I like the organization of the chapters and most of the exercises are excellent. The English language has many exceptions to the rules, therefore children need to learn how to recognize the correct spelling. I feel this book gives creative opportunities to become better spelling detectives. I recommend it to parents and teachers.
Buy now on Amazon: Better Spelling in 5 Minutes a Day
Category: Teaching/Parenting Skills
Raising Lifelong Learners: A Parent’s Guide
by Lucy Calkins
I believe if every parent read this book and embraced the concepts, our children would have the necessary background to become life-long learners. As a teacher, I found Lucy Calkins’ book, The Art of Teaching Writing an indispensable tool. I feel this book which is written to parents, falls into the same category. The home is the place where children are either encouraged to become learners or learn to tune-out education. I highly recommend both books for teachers and parents.
Buy now on Amazon: Raising Lifelong Learners: A Parent’s Guide
Category: Teaching Math
Addition & Subtraction (Kid-Friendly Computation)
by Sarah Morgan
At Last, Visual Math!
I bought this book to use in my classroom and found it to be a life-saver for my visual learners. Many of them struggle with math concepts until they can see something concrete and visual. I like the way the author provides strategies for all the learning styles of students. It has many reproducible black line masters to use at home or in the classroom. Naturally you need to follow up by teaching children to memorize all the facts after they understand the concept.
Buy now on Amazon: Addition & Subtraction (Kid-Friendly Computation)
Skill-Building Math Activities Kids Can’t Resist!
More Than 20 Easy, Interactive Learning Activities and Games That Make Teaching Math Fun
by Michelle Ramsey
Math Activities for Different Learning Styles
Most visual learners need to learn math by seeing a picture of the concept. This book meets that requirement by using familiar objects in a fun and engaging manner. Kinesthetic learners like to manipulate and touch, and there are plenty of games and activities to satisfy their learning style. As a teacher I found the ideas in this book to be the perfect solution for my active students. I frequently use math learning centers and these ideas make the activities fun and useful.
Buy now on Amazon: Skill-Building Math Activities Kids Can’t Resist!
Shoe Box Math Learning Centers
Forty Easy-to-Make, Fun-to-Use Centers with Instant Reproducibles and Activities That Help Kids Practice Important Math Skills–Independently, Grades 1-3:
by Jacqueline Clark
Independent Math Centers Challenge Kids!
As a teacher, I find that challenging kids to work on their own or in a small group is a great learning experience. Shoe Box Math is the answer to the teacher’s dilemma of how to set up a math center. This book provides reproducibles, easy to follow instructions and meets the standards being taught. My students love the projects!
Buy now on Amazon: Shoe Box Math Learning Centers
Teaching Math with Favorite Picture Books
Hands-on Activities and Reproducibles to Teach Math Using More Than 25 Picture Books (Grades 1-3)
by Judy Hechtman
Helping Visual Learners
Visual learners often struggle with math. They need to see a representation of the math concept. This book is the answer to that problem. Using picture books to teach math is a wonderful combination of math and literacy. There are lots of reproducibles to make the process easy. You won’t be disappointed!
Buy now on Amazon: Teaching Math with Favorite Picture Books
Math, Manipulatives & Magic Wands:
Manipulatives, Literature Ideas, and Hands-On Math Activities for the K-5 Classroom
by Karen Simmons & Cindy Guinn
Makes Math Fun!!
I love this book and my students love the projects! It is easy to use with pictures that show the visual outcome. It’s clear which NCTM standards are being addressed. There are lots of reproducible sheets to help teachers and parents. Its packed with creative ideas to make teaching math easy!
Buy now on Amazon: Math, Manipulatives & Magic Wands
Category: Learning Challenges
How To Reach And Teach Children with ADD/ADHD: Practical Techniques, Strategies, and Interventions
by Sandra F. Rief, M.A.
Understanding ADHD
As an educator, I appreciate the usefulness of this book. This edition captures Sandra Rief’s passion for teaching ADHD students and makes it easier for teachers and parents to better understand their needs. I met Sandra at a teacher conference and was impressed with her knowledge and understanding of learning challenged children. Sandra Reif takes a complex subject and simplifies it into readable material. I highly recommend this practical book.
Buy now on Amazon: How To Reach And Teach Children with ADD/ADHD
