Junior Books

I agree with everything the first reviewer said. As a Montessori teacher who plans to homeschool I would highly recommend this book to everyone who is in need of ideas for 2 year olds. My daughter is loving the activities we are doing. It includes great art projects that allow for true freedom of creativity with simple supplies that we typically have around the house. The finger plays, songs and reading suggestions that go with each topic are wonderful too (if you can find them at your local library - many of the books are older and no longer available in libraries but again they are great suggestions and you can always look for something along the same line). What a great find!

My husband is a full time student and we live in student housing. I received this from one of the neighbors that was taking classes in child care and education. I had completely forgotten I had it until my husband found it going through a box of books we were going to get rid of. I decided to look through it before getting hauling it off and I'm so glad that I did. It goes from September through June, with approximately 20 projects for each month, except for September which only has 15, with each month being broken down into 4 sub categories. For instance, right now we're working on October. There are four sections, labled Colors; Foods; Farms & Farm Animals; and Halloween. We're in the Colors section and today we made leaf paintings using leaves we collected yesterday in the Fall Walk. I know this is set up for 2 year olds, by my 35 mo loves it as well as my 19 mo. I have found all of the projects simple and fun to do with my little ones. They love having their projects displayed around the house and telling their father of them when he gets home from school or work. I had never meant to homeschool any of my children. I wouldn't really know where to start but since finding this book I have realized just what a bounty of information is actually out there and this way I could teach my little ones everything they needed to know at their own pace instead of pushing them through just to be able to meet an outline that teaches my children absolutely nothing. My oldest has had to repeat Kindergarten because he couldn't keep up with the rest of the class. I mean, come on, Kindergarten? What happened to that just being a year of socialization and fun while learning the basics of our numbers, colors and the alphabet? I was totally shocked at the anger I received from his teacher when he didn't pass any of his entrance tests to Kindergarten when I didn't even know he had to take these tests. I certainly didn't when I was in Kindergarten. But this book, and the other two in the series have been a major help to me in building my own curriculum until I choose an accreditied Homeschool system just so my little ones will learn the basics. Besides, this is a wonderful time to spend with them, watching their little faces light up with the joy of learning. I have also found the Skills Concepts Checklist that was provided beneficial in gaging where my children were and if they are on time developmentally wise.

Project-Based Learning with Young Children is obviously written by good teachers for good teachers. The book is well-organized and easy to read. It suggests ways of working with children that are very respectful of children and the learning process. The best parts of this book are the true-to-life stories of real children doing real work. Diffily and Sassman weave their own experiences working on projects with young children, as well as bringing in "voices" of other project-based learning teachers. I strongly recommend Project-Based Learning with Young Children to any K-1-2 teacher who is looking for authentic ways of teaching young children.

[...] Unbelievably, Diffily and Sassman have written the most concise and straight forward book for teachers who want a clear understanding of project based learning. This honest educational guide is written from real life classrooms. From the first day the children walk in your door, Project-Based Learning with Young Children lays the foundations for successful learning. The authors encourage teachers to start using projects a little at a time, building gradually to the long term experience. It's a rare nuts-and-bolts type of education book, with room for individual teacher innovation. Diffily and Sassman's love for children, teaching, and projects comes through every page. Skills, critical thinking, and assessment are all here. Project-Based Learning with Young Children is the most encouraging educational book I have read in years. My copy has pencil marks, sticky tabs, and notes written on every page. I have already begun integrating it into my school day with the small successes that make me want to continue to see how the children will continue to dazzle me. Treat your children, as well as yourself, to the rare learning pleasure with projects.

"Make a plan. Count the feet. Clear the land on this street..." It's time to raise the roof and build that dream house. From the planning, pouring concrete, sawing and hammering wood, laying pipes and wiring, to drywalling, hanging windows and doors, painting, carpeting and tiling, Anastasia Suen details all the things that need to be done before a house is ready to be lived in. Her rhyming text, written in short, simple sentences is perfect for the youngest "construction workers" always ready to build with pretend tools and hard hats. But it's Elwood Smith's bold, bright, and clever cartoon-like illustrations that really make this picture book a stand out. Each two page spread is rich in vivid color, engaging humor, and wonderful eye-catching details. "Plant the garden. Water the grass. The house is ready. We're done at last!" Raise The Roof is definitely a preschool crowd pleaser.

I loved the look of "Raise the Roof!": It has the energy of 1930's Disney animation, and a scruffy energy that made me think of a very sanitized R. Crumb. The pictures and the "cast" have an original, rhythmic feel to them, it's as if the pictures rhyme as well as the words!

We start with eventually turns out as a trick. A couple very busily draw blueprints, while their dog holds a portfolio titled "doghouse plans," and a book, "How to Build a Doghouse" lies on the floor next to his food bowl. Wacky geometrically-shaped details decorate each picture: Sharp-edged bushes, circular flowers that look like wood, and every where dots andtiny circles that add texture and the aforementioned scruffy dynamism to the backgrounds. The people and their dog have that rounded, puffy look that makes them look energetic and slightly unpredictable, as if they're going to burst out in song at any minute. Illustrator Elwood H. Smith varies the perspective, from scene-setting longshots to close-ups (likea series of pipes) that are almost abstract.

Anastasia Suen's verse is tightly constructed and similarly energetic. She describes the house-building with enough detail to make it realistic, but leaves out unessential descriptions that would dilute her focused story-telling. She introduces various subcontractors (e.g., an electrician, the cement guy) to increase interest, and, most importantly, makes the dog a co-equal in the house building. (even though, he's sometimes a little mixed-up!) Still, there's an interesting incongruity that young audiences might begin to detect: We saw that this was planned as a doghouse, and the pooch even dreams of one, but the interior and exterior dimenstions look awfully dog-gone big! "Put in sinks" (there's a great detail of the dog straining at a wrench) and "set the tile" (here the dog gets his paw stuck to one), "roll out carpet mile by mile." What kind of a doghouse is this, anyway?

Suen and Smith answer this on the last few pages, and anyone who has a dog will smile in recognition. WARNING, SPOILER AHEAD: They've built both a full size house AND a doghouse, but it's clear where the spirited dog will live: He sleeps in the big house with his people, and there's a "FOR RENT" sign on the little doghouse next to it! This is a fun, good-natured, and cleverly humorous book that excels in both story and illustration.

Mathematics instruction in today's classrooms is often looked upon as a chore, rather than something to be enjoyed. This book gives numerous examples of how to integrate mathematics in a fun way in your classroom, while at the same time following the curriculum standards established for your classroom. We need to change student's attitudes towards math, so that they see it as a necessary component of life, as well as something that more than just irrelevant computations. The suggestions in this book can be implemented easily into any classroom, as well as in the home. Definitely purchase this book, and help start to improve the negative attitudes that exist today about mathematics.

I have taken a few courses with David Whitin and he has shown me that the ideas in this book really work! If you teach elementary school, you MUST get this book. It is a must-have for every teacher!

I'm homeschooling a first grader and we started this book last year and he LOVES it. My son has some challenges in reading/writing but for some reason just breezes through these lessons happily.

The book mixes stories with quick comprehension, writing, and vocabulary questions that keeps each lesson feeling quick and interesting.

We recently lost our first copy of this book on a recent road trip, and I had to replace it fast - all the other reading curriculum books in my box left my son confused, frustrated and cold.

I'm homeschooling and I could go on the road with the Spectrum books. After trying several different curriculums, I stumbled across these books in the bookstore. They were an answer to prayer. There is an answer key in the back, so I haven't had to haul around a huge teachers edition. These books, all of them (we homeschool a 1st grader and 3rd grader and we use Spectrum Spelling, Writing, Reading, Language Arts, Vocabulary, Phonics, and Math) are exactly what we needed. My first grader LOVES the reading books. We ordered both, the regular Spectrum, and the one written by Mercer Meyer with the Little Critter characters. Childrens books (especially the ones written at her level) are SO expensive, and these reading books come with so many stories, and they have exercises for reading comprehension. I REALLY can't say enough. One thing I'd like to see them do? Add science and social studies/ history and geography to their mix... art and music while we are at it!!

This book is very user friendly with reproduceable worksheets and easy to follow directions. It is categorized and has information for parent instruction that is easily understood. Best tool I have purchased in recent years to teach handwriting skills.

great reference book. Has many good activities for teachers to include in their handwriting lessons.

This book is ideal for anyone who teaches physical education to children. It provides the reader with goals, teaching progressions and various activities that will help the children to reach the goals that have been set. Motor Skills & Movement also provides instructors a way of allowing children to move by setting up movement stations causing a more challenging and creative enviroment for the children.

great reference book for teachers. very appropriate activities for young children in the classroom setting. kids love the fun and exciting activities.

I'm an SLP and I use this book at least once everyday!!! Espeically with my older kids/school agers.

This is an updated version of a great book that has numerous lessons and activities to plan for speech/language therapy. Its also an excellent resource for classroom teachers and has extensive worksheets for all the major holidays. I use this book almost daily with my special education students aged 3 to 10. I find this book invaluable! Ellen D. Lunz MS CCC SLP. Speech/Language Pathologist

I have looked many reading/vocabulary books. This book is outstanding. It clearly outlined the vocabulary (with a word list) and reading skill objectives for 3rd graders. In the past I let my child read many fun books, but I never knew how much he really understood. My child's schoolteacher said he was pretty good. But later I found she said the same thing even for some really slow students.

This book will help your child grasp the expected words and reading skills regardless what is taught in school. It has three sections: vocabulary, word analysis, and reading comprehension. Each section highlights the required contents and provides specific drills. Like the Beestar weekly reading/vocabulary exercises (a very good web site www.beestar.org), the fine practice drills not only enforced my child's knowledge and skills, but also made up what missed from his classroom. A well-designed book with real contents. I highly recommend it.

If you're looking for a book full of activities to help your child with vocabulary, word skills, comprehension, research, phonics and more, this book is for you!


Sections include vocabulary (defining words, synonyms, antonyms, homophones, etc.), word attack (syllabication, vowel sounds, using a dictionary, context clues), and comprehension (locating information, note taking, organizing material correctly, using reference material effectively, etc.) Each grade level in this series includes more than 200 reproducible activities to help children master the sequential reading skills at that level. Complete answer keys for all activities are included.

I bought this book to help my son practice writing. The author has broken down the steps of writing to include brainstorming, organizing, and the usual plan, draft, edit, and write pieces. She emphasizes the last step which is "publishing" making the writing work worthwhile for the children to do. The activities are designed to be done by groups of children in a classroom setting but can be done one-on-one, too. She has easier steps for beginning writers and more advanced activities for advanced writers.

The pages in the book may be copied to hand out to the children and the binding is supposed to work that way. I found the binding a bit cumbersome and would have preferred spiral binding.

The book could be improved by better cross-reference or organizational helps so that activities can be selected more quickly and easily. The teacher needs to spend some prep time to use the activities, too. But otherwise, the author's extensive experience shines through to make useful writing exercises for children in grades 2 through 6.

This is an excellent reference for teachers looking for fun and educational writing projects. All the book's ideas can be used for 1st to 6th graders. The book has a great layout and it includes objectives,and ideas for both the more challenged and gifted learners. The lessons are well layed out, easy to use and it has great reproducibles. I would highly recommend this book to any teacher. Both teachers and the students enjoy the lessons in this book.