Secret Stories


Book Description

An educational toolkit for teaching phonics, consisting of a book, posters and musical CD, all of which provides for multiple options and inputs for learning, including: visual-icons, auditory and kinesthetic motor skill manipulations, as well as a variety of dramatic and emotive cuing-systems designed to target the affective learning domain. This "backdoor-approach" to phonemic skill acquisition is based on current neural research on Learning & the Brain--specifically how our brains actually learn best!The Secret Stories® primary purpose is to equip beginning (or struggling, upper grade) readers and writers, as well as their instructors, with the tools necessary to easily and effectively crack the secret reading and writing codes that lie beyond the alphabet, and effectively out of reach for so many learners! It is not a phonics program! Rather, it simply provides the missing pieces learners need to solve the complex reading puzzle--one that some might never solve otherwise! The Secrets(tm) are sure to become one of the most valuable, well-used, and constantly relied-upon teaching tools in your instructional repertoire!




Visual-Spatial Learners


Book Description

Are you looking for ways to differentiate your instruction to meet the needs of gifted visual-spatial learners? You've found it in Visual-Spatial Learners: Understanding the Learning Style Preference of Bright But Disengaged Students (2nd ed.). Visual-spatial learners are students who show advanced abilities with computers, maps, construction toys, and puzzles. The techniques outlined within these pages help all learners succeed—regardless of preferred learning style. Based on the most current understanding of the brain's hemispheric functions, the author provides a number of strategies and lesson plan ideas to help make your classroom a successful learning environment for all learners. These strategies address preparing students to succeed on timed tests; easing the pain of handwriting; teaching spelling using imagery; incorporating mnemonics, rhyme, and other tricks that engage the right hemisphere of the brain; helping students stay focused and on track; getting—and keeping—students organized; and much more!




A Day at the Berns Family Farm


Book Description

With a cute family farm story, phonics, and colorful illustrations, this amazing book is great for any young reader. Come along with the Berns as they have a full day of excitement.




The Vowel Family


Book Description

The members of the Vowel family have a hard time talking until their children, Alan, Ellen, Iris, Otto, and Ursula, are born, and when one of them gets lost one day, it takes their Aunt Cyndy to fix the problem.




Circus Vowels


Book Description

Samuel L. Seal explains how the vowels interact to produce their short or long sounds.




How to Use Decodable Books to Teach Reading


Book Description

Sixty-five percent of U.S. fourth graders are not proficient readers because their teachers have not been taught how to teach reading using evidence-based methods. Up to 20% of children have dyslexia. Few receive the individualized teaching they need from their schools. To help parents and teachers who want to teach their children using an evidence-based, effective method, Pamela Brookes, the mother of a child with dyslexia, discusses their daily routine as she teaches her daughter to read using the decodable DOG ON A LOG Books series. As the author of DOG ON A LOG Books, Pamela also shares how to choose where in the series to start. She shares how she teaches each of the phonics rules used in the book series along with the reasons for teaching the syllable types and handwriting. Although this booklet is meant to guide parents and teachers using DOG ON A LOG Books, the information can be adapted and applied to any systematic series of decodable books. How to Use Decodable Books to Teach Reading is edited by Dr. Nancy Mather, a professor in learning disabilities, reading, and writing to make sure it follows the scientific research on teaching reading. This edition includes information on Steps 1 to 10 of the DOG ON A LOG phonics rules. Additional steps will be added as the future decodable chapter books are created. All DOG ON A LOG Books follow a structured literacy/Orton-Gillingham based phonics sequence. You can download printable gameboards, flashcards, and other literacy materials at www.dogonalogbooks.com.




The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading (The Ordinary Parent's Guide)


Book Description

A plain-English guide to teaching phonics. Every parent can teach reading—no experts need apply! Too many parents watch their children struggle with early reading skills—and don't know how to help. Phonics programs are too often complicated, overpriced, gimmicky, and filled with obscure educationalese. The Ordinary Parent's Guide to Teaching Reading cuts through the confusion, giving parents a simple, direct, scripted guide to teaching reading—from short vowels through supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. This one book supplies parents with all the tools they need. Over the years of her teaching career, Jessie Wise has seen good reading instruction fall prey to trendy philosophies and political infighting. Now she has teamed with dynamic coauthor Sara Buffington to supply parents with a clear, direct phonics program—a program that gives them the know-how and confidence to take matters into their own hands.




The Apple Pie Tree


Book Description

We have a special tree in our yard -- an apple pie tree!Colorful collage illustrations follow each season as an apple tree grows leaves, fragrant blossoms, and tiny green apples. Soon the fruit is big, red, and ready to be picked. It's time to make an apple pie! Here is a celebration of apples and how things grow -- sure to delight young readers all year long.




Animal Strike at the Zoo. It's True!


Book Description

There's an animal strike at the zoo! oh no, oh my! What's a zookeeper to do when the lions and tigers and bears refuse to roar and prowl and growl? And when little Sue, who has been waiting all year for this trip to the zoo, enters the gate, will the animals decide to give their strike a break? Karma Wilson's fun, playful text paired with Margaret Spengler's bright and lively pastels create an unforgettable, irresistible zoo of chaos and fun!