Align Your Language Arts Workshop Curriculum with the Common Core Standards

"The standards are part of an urgent effort to push and shove and hoist and pull the entire system of education toward higher expectations.  That work is utterly necessary."

-- Lucy Calkins

The Common Core Reading and Writing Workshop series provides grade-specific yearlong curricular plans for reading and writing workshops that are carefully aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS).  Growing out of the Reading and Writing Project's community of reflection and practice, these plans describe Lucy Calkins and her colleagues' latest thinking and insights on how to teach the essential skills and strategies of proficient readers and writers; hot to progressively build on student learning; and how to fully address the CCSS in your reading and writing workshops.  Provided in an easily accessible electronic format (PDF), these curricular plans can be quickly downloaded and immediately support your reading and writing workshops.

Each grade-specific curricular plan:

• offers a yearlong workshop curriculum that includes unit rationales, crucial mini-lessons, practical teaching tips, and descriptions of student work;
• is updated annually to reflect the latest research and state-of-the-art teaching practices;
• unpacks related Common Core State Standards and aligns them with appropriate units of study;
• builds on the scaffolds and practices detailed in the Units of Study series;
• provides the teaching points needed to implement a spiraling curriculum;
• suggests performance assessments that guide differentiated instruction and target crucial skills and strategies;
• models best practices by explicitly describing Lucy and her colleagues' teaching moves and language.

Some of the ways the Curricular Plans support the Common Core Standards:

Whether used as a stand alone resource or in conjunction with the Units of Study series, these curricular plans let you grow alongside the community at the Reading and Writing project as they develop more effective workshop instruction and better address the Common Core State Standards.

To learn more, please visit http://www.heinemann.com/ or do not hesitate to contact me directly.

Feelin' Math-Tastic!!!

Math is HOT, HOT, HOT right now. Why?

Common Core State Standards for Mathematics are sweeping the country.  However, books by popular Heinemann authors already provide solutions for meeting the new CCSS.  In fact, Heinemann has long been considered a reliable source of math solutions for grades Pre-K through 12. Some of our more popular titles include the following:

Children’s Mathematics (Carpenter et al): Heinemann’s all-time top selling math title (100,000+ copies sold) provides you with the foundation necessary to engage children in discussions of how they think through problems—providing suggestions for what problems to give and insight into what responses to expect, and how children's thinking will evolve. [Grades K-3 / 1999 / 128pp / Paperback + CD-ROM]

Thinking Mathematically: Integrating Arithmetic and Algebra in Elementary School (Carpenter et al): integral to the Children’s Mathematics trilogy provides numerous examples of classroom dialogues that indicate how algebraic ideas emerge in children's thinking and what problems and questions help to elicit them. [Grades K-6 / 2003 / 160pp / Paperback]

Accessible Mathematics (Leinwand): the book every teacher and administrator should read shows how small shifts in the good teaching you already do can make a big difference in student learning! [Grades K-12 /  2009 / 128pp / Paperback]

Math Misconceptions and Activities to Undo Math Misconceptions (Bamberger): hot, hot topic of mathematics intervention! Aligned with the NCTM Standards, these practical guides include classroom vignettes and problem-based situations that provide additional insight into the misconception or error pattern that is being described. 

But, wait!  There's more!  Heinemann has introduced NEW titles that are sure to improve upon even the most advanced classroom skills:

Extending Children’s Mathematics (Empson/Levi): the follow-up volume to Heinemann’s bestselling Children’s Mathematics addresses the urgent need to help teachers understand and teach fraction concepts.   Fractions remain one of the key stumbling blocks in math education, and here Empson and Levi lay a foundation for understanding fractions and decimals in ways that build conceptual learning.

Mastering the Basic Math Facts (O’Connell): provides insights into the teaching of basic math facts, including a multitude of instructional strategies, teacher tips, and classroom activities to help students master their facts while strengthening their understanding of numbers, patterns, and properties.

Lesson Study Step-by-Step (Hurd/Lewis): this topic is catching on all over the country, with lesson study conferences and institutes scheduled in multiple cities throughout the summer and fall.  Here is the how-to-guide to reinvigorating your entire math department.

Do not forget about our popular math program, Contexts For Learning Math (Fosnot). Each unit, subcategorized by grade level uses carefully crafted math situations to foster a deep conceptual understanding of essential mathematical ideas, strategies, and models.  Now, a study shows how it thoroughly aligns to the Common Core Standards for Math!  Click HERE to view the full report as a .pdf file. 

 So, what is next?  If you see any math titles listed above that you cannot live without, please do not hesitate to contact me today!  Or, follow the links above to learn more about each title.

Do you have an opinion or would you like to submit a review of your favorite math product?  Please leave a comment here for others to enjoy!

LLI Take Home Books Sale Has Been Extended!

Now extended until September 30th!  But do not delay!  Order now and be prepared when your classroom doors open in August.

Order before June September 30, 2011 and save an additional 10% off list price on student take-home packages for the Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention systems.  Buy now for next year and SAVE when you order with Discount Code LITTLE.

LLI Take-Home Books

Each of the 300 color Little Books in LLI are available as a black and white Take-Home book so that children can share their learning with families and begin to build their own home libraries.

LLI Orange Take-Home Book Package Includes 6 complete sets of 70 books.
Kindergarten / 978-0-325-02107-2 / Reg. $105.00

Special offer $91.88 

LLI Green Take-Home Book Package Includes 6 complete sets of 110 books.
Grade 1 / 978-0-325-02108-9 / Reg. $165.00

Special offer $144.38

LLI Blue Take-Home Book Package Includes 6 complete sets of 120 books.
Grade 2 / 978-0-325-02109-6 / Reg. $180.00

Special offer $157.50

LLI My Writing Books
Support student-writing development and practice with these little booklets that are just the perfect size for beginning writers.

LLI My Writing Book Package 18-pack, 6 of each color.
Grades K-2 / 978-0-325-02110-2 / Reg. $22.50

Special offer $19.69

Data-driven Instruction - Now Accessible to Every School & Teacher

Hot off the press (which calls for two posts in one day)!　

　

"’Data-driven instruction is a new watchword for education, but no one says which data to collect. In busy classrooms, we just don’t have time anymore to collect data that isn’t absolutely essential to helping readers improve."

Now, data-driven instruction is available to you…yes, you!

What is Accessible Assessment?

It’s Heinemann’s newest book, a framework for effective reading assessment that streamlines assessment with just 9 tools—assessments the research says are absolutely crucial.

What are three reasons a school would purchase Accessible Assessment?

1. A cost-effective, research-driven alternative to much more costly assessment programs.
2. To support data-driven instruction and increase consistency and common language about assessment.
3. To save money! The

How does Accessible Assessment make life easier for classroom teachers?

• Effective—a navigable, explicit framework for effective reading assessment
• Efficient—it only measures what the research says is essential to measure
• Manageable—shares assessments plus calendarized planning tools and recording forms

See below for more information on this product.  Then contact me immediately if you have questions, or order your copies today.  These will fly right off the shelves!

— Michael Opitz, Michael Ford, and James EreksonAccessible Assessment Book Study Bundle saves schools $49.50 on 15 copies.

What Are You Doing This Summer?

What are you doing this summer?  Why not travel and add to your wealth of instructional knowledge?

Heinemann Multi-Day Institutes offers the opportunity to deepen the Heinemann one-day workshop experience by expanding your professional learning over two or more days. Study matters of critical classroom importance, asking and answering your toughest instructional questions with some of the top educational thinkers in the country - our authors.

When the day's sessions are over, enjoy a night on the town in some of the best places to visit in the country, with colleagues who have joined you or new friends you've made during the day.

Here are some upcoming events which may interest you:

San Antonio, TX...June 19 - 22, 2011
Book by Book: Lessons for Unlocking Literature
English/language arts teachers and content teachers in grades 4–12, as well as supervisors and administrators, will find useful information.
This year we'll be guided by these questions:

What strategies help struggling readers develop the skills and competences they need to read and write the range of texts they will encounter now and in the immediate future?

What tech tools do we need to reach the "digital natives" of today's classrooms?

Each day begins with an optional (but you won't want to miss) writing class where our writer-in-residence helps us improve our own writing so we can do the same with students.
*Register by May 30th and save 15%

Boothbay Harbor, ME...June 26 - 29, 2011
4th Annual Boothbay Literacy Retreat
This year we'll look closely at how technology is changing (or not) the way we think as we look carefully at what it means to be literate in a Google-based world. We'll continue to explore how globalization and automation are changing the world and think carefully about what it means to prepare students for this environment. These topics will be considered against the backdrop of high stakes tests, restricted school budgets, overcrowded classrooms, and underfunded mandates. And, as always, we'll pay particular attention to how these topics affect our students who struggle the most.
*Register by May 30th and save 15%

Newport, RI...July 27 - 28, 2011
Literacy Learning and the Development of Thought: Teaching Literacy Well in an Era of Growing Demands
In this two-day institute, participants will explore their own reading and writing and will extrapolate their insights to elementary and middle school classrooms. Ellin Oliver Keene, Debbie Miller, and Bruce Morgan will each address the whole group on issues related to helping children read fluently, think deeply about books, and write effectively throughout the curriculum. Following each keynote, participants will have an opportunity to work in small groups with each of the presenters to focus on their own reading and writing and to draw conclusions about effective practices in their own classrooms.

Third Grade Reading Skills and Poverty Linked to HS Graduation

The hot topic in education these days is Common Core Standards.  These "evidence-based [standards are] aligned with college and work expectations, [including] rigorous content and skills, and are informed by other top performing countries. They were developed in consultation with teachers and parents from across the country so they are also realistic and practical for the classroom." (source)

That being said, perhaps educators should double- and triple-ensure that our 3rd Graders are receiving the best instruction via the most effective practices possible.  Why?

A new report, Double Jeopardy: How Poverty & Third-Grade Reading Skills Influence High School Graduation, released on April 8, 2011 finds that students who don’t read proficiently by third grade are four times more likely to leave without a diploma than proficient readers. The report, funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, is a longitudinal study of nearly 4,000 students and their parents. It is notable in breaking down for the first time the likelihood of graduation by different reading skill levels and poverty experiences.  You can read the entire report as a .pdf by going here.

What does this mean for Alabama educators? 

Heinemann has long been a source of excellent intervention products.  Fountas and Pinnell's Benchmark Assessment System (BAS) and Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) are your proven effective choices, especially for your Tier II and Tier III needs. 

Also, reading workshops are popular in today's classrooms.  Units of study for Teaching Reading: A Curriculum for the Reading Workshop, Grades 3–5 by Lucy Calkins and her colleagues from the Teachers College Reading and Writing Project have helped hundreds of thousands of teachers launch and implement rigorous and responsive reading and writing workshops. Now they have written an unprecedented curriculum for the reading workshop based on their work—Units of Study for Teaching Reading.  This is an extremely rigorous and responsive course of study for students Powerful and empowering professional development for teachers.

Lastly, do not forget about the popular series Catching Schools and Catching Readers by Barbara M. Taylor.  In Barbara M. Taylor's own words, "When we're true to children's developmental needs and know which books to put in their hands, good things fall into place. The key is to focus on the children and the practices we know help them to read at each grade level."  This series is available for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th/5th grade levels.  But remember, starting early is the best practice to building a solid educational foundation.

Help! My math program doesn't doesn't cover all the Common Core Math Standards!

Help! We need to address the Common Core Math Standards but our math program doesn’t cover all of them. Whatever is a teacher to do?

Says a Heinemann-voice over full of bravado, “CFL Math to the rescue.”

Recently, an independent study by the Washington State Office of Public Instruction established Contexts for Learning Mathematics as:

• the best K-6 supplemental math program for teaching strategy development
• one of the best supplemental math programs for its universal access and cultural relevance.

Now it has another badge of honor: Contexts for Learning Mathematics is uniquely positioned to help teachers meet and exceed the Common Core Mathematics Standards without abandoning an existing math program.

Thus, whether used as supplemental units or as replacement units, Contexts for Learning Mathematics provides you with the tools you need to engage all of your students in the study of mathematics.

Each of the three leveled programs (Purple: K-3; Orange: 3-5; Green: 4-6) contains the following:

• An overview book outlining the program
• A set of unit books full of investigations, games, and minilessons that foster a deep conceptual understanding of essential mathematical ideas.
• Eight read-aloud books (K-3) or several large full-color posters to visually and imaginatively engage your students into the program
• Yearlong resource guides for further enrichment
• A resources CD-Rom with videos and reproducibles





Here is a crosswalk showing how the program's individual unit books and resource guides address specific math standards. These can be used to fill the gaps in any math program. The results speak for themselves...CFL: Math is truly a flexible, cost-effective way to address the Common Core Math Standards.

Please take a moment to view the crosswalk.  If you would like to request samples or further information about Contexts For Learning Mathematics, contact me.  Or, feel free to post a comment at the end of this post.

Reading Across The Curriculum isn't so SCARY!

Do you get frustrated when the unanimous groan echoes from students at the very word "reading"?  Heinemann has the solutions to all of your content-area reading challenges.

Introducing Texts and Lessons for Content-Area Reading.  Heinemann favorites Harvey "Smokey" Daniels and Nancy Steineke have teamed up to support content-area and language-arts teachers alike by pairing more than 75 short, kid-tested reproducible nonfiction texts with 33 simple, ready-to-go lessons that deepen comprehension and support effective collaboration.  And we all know that comprehension and collaboration are just what the new Common Core State Standards call for (CCSS, 2010).

If you like Texts and Lessons, you will love Subjects Matter: Every Teacher's Guide to Content-Area Reading.  So much so, that now Heinemann has paired the two books together for a specially-priced bundle!  Save 20% when purchasing them together!

See the flyer below:

(click on each image to enlarge in a new window)

The Inside Guide to the Reading Writing Classroom

Leslie Blauman is a contributor to the wildly popular Comprehension Going Forward.  Now she has helmed a wonderful title every elementary teacher should read:

The Inside Guide to the Reading-Writing Classroom, Grades 3 - 6

Look closely over the flyer below, then follow the above link to check out more information on her book.  Let me know if you have any questions.  If you have purchased this title and/or know someone who has, please leave a comment with your feedback.  I would love to hear from you!

Spanish-Language Benchmark Assessment System (SEL)

Heinemann is so glad to finally introduce the newest member of the Fountas and Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention (LLI) family!  The research-proven (more on that to come) method of the A-Z gradient is now available for all of your Spanish-speaking students with this.  Now you can maintain even higher fidelity when benchmarking your students' abilities.

Request a Sampler of the new Sistema de evaluación de la lectura   New from Fountas & Pinnell Sistema de evaluación de la lectura Grados K–2, Niveles A–N A comprehensive Spanish language assessment system that is meaningfully linked to classroom instruction From the authors of the bestselling Benchmark Assessment System comes the much anticipated assessment system for Spanish-speaking students. Sistema de evaluación de la lectura is a one-on-one, comprehensive assessment to determine instructional and independent reading levels (A–N) and for placing students on the Fountas & Pinnell Text Level Gradient™. 28 brand-new, original student books written in Spanish by native Spanish-speaking authors—not translations or adaptations from English Newly created Spanish versions of the components found in the Fountas & Pinnell Benchmark Assessment System 1 Developed and field tested by bilingual literacy experts, working under the supervision of Drs. Gay Su Pinnell and Irene Fountas Request your free Sampler containing a case study, sample student books, free alphabet poster and more.* *Login or registration required Fountas and Pinnell Sistema de evaluación de la lectura Grados K–2, Niveles A–N 978-0-325-02823-1    $310.00    Order now for Summer 2011 delivery   Heinemann | 361 Hanover Street | Portsmouth, NH 03801 | 800.225.5800

LLI Take-Home books are on sale for a limited time only

Now extended until September 30th!  But do not delay!  Order now and be prepared when your classroom doors open in August.

Order before June 30, 2011 and save an additional 10% off list price on student take-home packages for the Fountas & Pinnell Leveled Literacy Intervention systems.  Buy now for next year and SAVE when you order with Discount Code LITTLE.

LLI Take-Home Books

Each of the 300 color Little Books in LLI are available as a black and white Take-Home book so that children can share their learning with families and begin to build their own home libraries.

LLI Orange Take-Home Book Package Includes 6 complete sets of 70 books.
Kindergarten / 978-0-325-02107-2 / Reg. $105.00

Special offer $91.88 

LLI Green Take-Home Book Package Includes 6 complete sets of 110 books.
Grade 1 / 978-0-325-02108-9 / Reg. $165.00

Special offer $144.38

LLI Blue Take-Home Book Package Includes 6 complete sets of 120 books.
Grade 2 / 978-0-325-02109-6 / Reg. $180.00

Special offer $157.50

LLI My Writing Books
Support student-writing development and practice with these little booklets that are just the perfect size for beginning writers.

LLI My Writing Book Package 18-pack, 6 of each color.
Grades K-2 / 978-0-325-02110-2 / Reg. $22.50

Special offer $19.69

Create Your Own Bundle for Catching Readers

Do you enjoy the Catching Readers series by Barbara M Taylor?  You may be familiar with the Bundles options Heinemann offers, allowing you to buy more and save more.  Well, now you can build your own bundle!

 

That's right, now you can purchase multiple copies of any combination of Catching Readers for K, 1, 2, 3, 4/5 and Save with Bundles!

• 1-14 copies, $25.00 each
• 15-29 copies, $22.50 each
• 30-44 copies, $20.00 each
• 45+ copies, $17.50 each

This option is available now online, via phone, or fax orders.  So go Catch some great Readers!

What others are saying:

“Consider daily life for a child struggling with reading. Imagine what it is like to go through school day after day feeling that you are bad at the one thing that schools seem to value most. Barbara Taylor brings decades of research and development to the question of how to help struggling readers become successful. The Catching Readers series could not come at a more important time, as RTI leads schools to invest more than ever in small-group reading instruction.”—Nell Duke, Michigan State University

“Barbara Taylor’s approach gives struggling readers second reading lessons right in the classroom—not in some room down the hall. With details, specifics, and examples that only someone who has spent many hours in the classroom could know, Barbara guides you step by step through her proven, three-day lesson sequence.”—Patricia Cunningham, Wake Forest University