Reading Strands


Book Description

This book was written to help you to understand and to discuss fiction with your children. The ideas presented here are based on the knowledge that there can be great joy in reading, and that good literature can enrich anyone's life. Of course, there is value in solitary reading, but the enjoyment that can be found in stories is greater if it can be shared with others. There are models here of conversations with young readers as a way of showing how reading experiences can be enjoyed by both the young readers and their teachers.




How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read


Book Description

In this delightfully witty, provocative book, literature professor and psychoanalyst Pierre Bayard argues that not having read a book need not be an impediment to having an interesting conversation about it. (In fact, he says, in certain situations reading the book is the worst thing you could do.) Using examples from such writers as Graham Greene, Oscar Wilde, Montaigne, and Umberto Eco, he describes the varieties of "non-reading"-from books that you've never heard of to books that you've read and forgotten-and offers advice on how to turn a sticky social situation into an occasion for creative brilliance. Practical, funny, and thought-provoking, How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read-which became a favorite of readers everywhere in the hardcover edition-is in the end a love letter to books, offering a whole new perspective on how we read and absorb them.




My Life with Bob


Book Description

"For twenty-eight years, Pamela Paul has been keeping a diary that records the books she reads, rather than the life she leads. Or does it? Over time, it's become clear that this Book of Books, or Bob, as she calls him, tells a much bigger story. For Paul, as for many readers, books reflect her inner life--her fantasies and hopes, her dreams and ideas. And her life, in turn, influences which books she chooses, whether for solace or escape, diversion or self-reflection, information or entertainment. My Life with Bob isn't about what's in those books; it's about the relationship between books and readers"--




Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons


Book Description

A step-by-step program that shows parents, simply and clearly, how to teach their child to read in just 20 minutes a day.




Strands of Bronze and Gold


Book Description

The Bluebeard fairy tale retold. . . . When seventeen-year-old Sophia Petheram’s beloved father dies, she receives an unexpected letter. An invitation—on fine ivory paper, in bold black handwriting—from the mysterious Monsieur Bernard de Cressac, her godfather. With no money and fewer options, Sophie accepts, leaving her humble childhood home for the astonishingly lavish Wyndriven Abbey, in the heart of Mississippi. Sophie has always longed for a comfortable life, and she finds herself both attracted to and shocked by the charm and easy manners of her overgenerous guardian. But as she begins to piece together the mystery of his past, it’s as if, thread by thread, a silken net is tightening around her. And as she gathers stories and catches whispers of his former wives—all with hair as red as her own—in the forgotten corners of the abbey, Sophie knows she’s trapped in the passion and danger of de Cressac’s intoxicating world. Glowing strands of romance, mystery, and suspense are woven into this breathtaking debut—a thrilling retelling of the “Bluebeard” fairy tale.




Writing Strands (Teaching Companion)


Book Description

Provides helpful guidance for anyone using the Writing Strands curriculum! Unlike a traditional guide that focuses specifically on one book or level, this teaching companion is supplemental for any level of the program. Teachers will find this an invaluable resource, not only for using the Writing Strands curriculum but also for teaching any course that includes writing and literature as a component. The Teaching Companion provides a helpful overview of the Writing Strands system, as well as additional information on a range of writing, grammar, and literature issues that a teacher may face. Includes general guidelines on how to approach drafting papers with students and how to give effective writing feedbackProvides discussion of the most common difficulties that students encounter, as well as tips on how to help students overcome these challengesDiscusses how to encourage a lifelong love of reading in students, including suggestions on how to ask good questions when discussing booksOffers suggested goals and objectives for teaching literature, broken down by ageExplains the various elements of fiction and differences in literary genres, and includes appendices with information on basic citation, advice on teaching vocabulary, commonly confused words, and glossaries of grammar and literary terms. Special attention is also given to the needs of developing readers, with additional supplemental information on teaching techniques for young readers and tips for helping them understand the meaning of what they read and develop critical thinking skills. We highly recommend that teachers read the Teaching Companion before their students start the course and that they continue to consult it as needed as students learn additional concepts.




Building Communities of Engaged Readers


Book Description

Reading for pleasure urgently requires a higher profile to raise attainment and increase children’s engagement as self-motivated and socially interactive readers. Building Communities of Engaged Readers highlights the concept of ‘Reading Teachers’ who are not only knowledgeable about texts for children, but are aware of their own reading identities and prepared to share their enthusiasm and understanding of what being a reader means. Sharing the processes of reading with young readers is an innovative approach to developing new generations of readers. Examining the interplay between the ‘will and the skill’ to read, the book distinctively details a reading for pleasure pedagogy and demonstrates that reader engagement is strongly influenced by relationships between children, teachers, families and communities. Importantly it provides compelling evidence that reciprocal reading communities in school encompass: a shared concept of what it means to be a reader in the 21st century; considerable teacher and child knowledge of children’s literature and other texts; pedagogic practices which acknowledge and develop diverse reader identities; spontaneous ‘inside-text talk’ on the part of all members; a shift in the focus of control and new social spaces that encourage choice and children’s rights as readers. Written by experts in the literacy field and illustrated throughout with examples from the project schools, it is essential reading for all those concerned with improving young people’s enjoyment of and attainment in reading.




A Writer's Notebook


Book Description

Tap into your inner writer with this book of practical advice by the bestselling author of How Writers Work and the ALA Notable Book Fig Pudding. Writers are just like everyone else—except for one big difference. Most people go through life experiencing daily thoughts and feelings, noticing and observing the world around them. But writers record these thoughts and observations. They react. And they need a special place to record those reactions. Perfect for classrooms, A Writer’s Notebook gives budding writers a place to keep track of all the little things they notice every day. Young writers will love these useful tips for how to use notes and jottings to create stories and poems of their own.




Writing Strands: Beginning 1


Book Description

Learn Language Arts Through Creative Writing! Students will begin developing a solid foundation in communication as they develop their creative writing skills in Writing Strands Beginning 1! Through interactive lessons, simple guided writing assignments, literature evaluation, and role-playing, students will learn how to: Use adjectives to construct sentencesPresent actions in a logical sequenceWrite conversations using dialogue structureDescribe objects by observing and defining differencesRead and evaluate literatureand so much more! A Comprehensive Approach Writing Strands Beginning 1 takes a comprehensive approach to language arts, teaching students components of grammar, sentence construction, logical sequencing, and structure while also developing the student's reading, writing, and speaking skills. Students learn how to read and evaluate literature, practice spelling, address envelopes, learn the importance of eye contact, and so much more! Fully Updated for a New Generation! With over a 30 year history, Writing Strands has proven itself to be a solid, powerful tool for teaching students to write and communicate clearly. Writing Strands Beginning 1 includes a convenient daily schedule and has been fully updated, clarified, and simplified for ease of use. Writing Strands Beginning 1 is a hybrid course that combines Reading Strands and Writing Strands Level 2 into one course. Worksheets are now provided to add structure to reading assignments chosen by the teacher. Students will rotate writing and reading assignments each week—thus also learning to write through literature because good readers make good writers! Additionally, the Bible is now used as the literature base for teaching how characters are developed within the elements of literature. Writing Strands Beginning 1 Features: Suggested Daily Schedule—saving you time!Student WorksheetsTeaching InstructionsNew literature component3-hole punched, perforated pages Course Features: 30-45 minutes per lesson, 5x per weekRecommended Grade Level: 5 - 8Designed for student & teacher to work through togetherEquivalent to Writing Strands Level 2




Strands of Starlight


Book Description

In the first book of the epic Strand Novels, a victimized young woman sets out to avenge the wrongs committed against her and her elven protectors In the mid-fourteenth century, when the lands of Adria are replete with violence and intolerance, plot and counterplot, Miriam—an uncommonly gifted healer—is accused of witchcraft by the Inquisition, imprisoned, and tortured. After escaping, she is assaulted by Roger, baron of Aurverelle, who violates her and then leaves her for dead. Her salvation appears in the form of Varden, an Elf of Malvern Forest, whose magic first heals her, then provides her with the strength and stature she requires to pursue her revenge against those who have so grievously wronged her. Thus begins Miriam’s battle against her past, against her present, and even, in the end, against herself. Grand in scope and firmly grounded in the history of medieval Europe, Strands of Starlight is an engrossing and adventure-packed story of defeat and redemption, vengeance and compassion, and the power of a single individual to change the fates of countless others. Strands of Starlight is the first book of the Strand Novels, which continue with Maze of Moonlight and Shroud of Shadow.