The American Accent Guide, Second Edition: A Complete and Comprehensive Course on the Pronunciation and Speaking Style of American English for Individuals of All Language Backgrounds / book and 8 CDs
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • It's the best!
  • A complement to Ann Cook's American Accent Training
  • An Excellent Work
  • In terms of bang-per-buck, I think one will be hard-pressed to find a better investment.
  • A very good treatment of intonation
 The American Accent Guide, Second Edition: A Complete and Comprehensive Course on the Pronunciation and Speaking Style of American English for Individuals of All Language Backgrounds / book and 8 CDs
Beverly A. Lujan
Manufacturer: Lingual Arts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Language Experience ApproachLanguage Experience Approach | Contemporary Methods | Education Theory | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Phonetics & PhonicsPhonetics & Phonics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0963413945

Book Description

This highly sought after program with an international following provides thorough instruction on the intonation, stress, rhythm, and the sounds that work together to give American English its distinct "accent".

Produced by a speech-language pathologist with expertise at training all components of American English speech, this program imparts a wealth of insights and techniques, accompanied by clear graphics.

This new edition includes 8 CDs featuring a variety of male and female voices, and more conversational exercises. Interactive exercises use everyday language of social-casual to professional-business-technical situations.

The American Accent Guide is highly relevant to speakers of all language backgrounds who want to attain mastery on all aspects of English as commonly spoken in North America.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars It's the best!.......2007-03-14

I recently purchased this product. I haven't got immensed into it but from listening to the CDs, it's concise, and applicable to daily conversations. I especially like the fact that it used the voices of both male and female. Other products I've perused only use one gender. I would recommend this product to anyone who wants to speak standard American English.

5 out of 5 stars A complement to Ann Cook's American Accent Training.......2007-01-17

I bought this book because although I can pronounce words perfectly in English, I still have some problems with intonation. I have used Ann Cook's American Accent Training but there were still things not really covered in her book. The American Accent Guide has only two chapters on the subject but the last chapter on Intonation is covered in a way that I had never seen and goes beyond Cooks' book. It's really good. I highly recommend it but if your main interest is on intonation, you should also buy the American Accent Training since the latter has more exercises on intonation. However, if you also have problems with the sounds of English, The American Accent Guide is the perfect book for you. Maybe the only one you will ever neeed. My wife who is a U.S. born American is not happy with the book because I'm really losing my Brazilian accent which she thinks is very sexy. She says I sound too much American now. Well, if you're like me, that's not a bad thing, is it? We can always work on the sexy part some other way.

5 out of 5 stars An Excellent Work.......2007-01-09

This is a complete and well rounded work. Eventhough I have been living in the US for over 17 years and earned an AS and a BS, I found myself having difficulties in the pronunciation of the english words. I have gotten a lot of helps from my kids, however after applying the American Accent Guide to my daily routines for a couple months, I have been feeling a lot more confident to express myself. The digital media is professionally prepared and the speakers are pleasant and very well articulated. I used the cds in my car and also ripped them into my mp3 player to listen to when I am excercising and riding with someone.
The Accent guide has helped me to be more aware of the subtle nature of the English Language. If you would like to speak the American Idiom better and more fluently this is a great resource to have. It works!!!!

5 out of 5 stars In terms of bang-per-buck, I think one will be hard-pressed to find a better investment........2007-01-05

This book and CD program provides a systematic and intuitive approach for ESL learners who wish to improve their English at their own pace. Good investment for the price.

First, my native language is Chinese. I have been in the US for six years; and have had no intensive training in English. I consider myself an average, or slightly above average, ESL learner. Like many native speakers of syllabic languages, I had a tendency to apply the stress and intonation patterns of my first language when speaking English. In addition, I used certain vowels interchangeably. Listening to radio or hiring a tutor did not help much because I still couldn't figure out what to listen for and how I should sound. I always felt uncertain when speaking English.

The American Accent Guide has definitely been a big help and is the most insightful material I have used. The lessons can work as individual modules, but if you go through them in order a few times you will see that the organization is integral to gradually raising your awareness of how the speech factors work together to form the American accent.

The American Accent Guide also does a great job in conveying the ideas through integrating visual and audio aids. The Rhythm section is a good example: the practice sentences come with markings to show the stress in sentences, and the CD walks you through sets of sentences that have the same rhythm structure, which brilliantly demonstrate the idea of how to use stress and rhythm to improve the flow of speaking. It's really a very intuitive and effective approach that helps with both speaking and listening comprehension.

Another strength of the material is that the practice sentences are quite useful in daily life, unlike many ESL textbooks with phrases that have little practical use and get boring after a few repetitions.

In short, the American Accent Guide is a well thought-out and executed study guide for ESL students of all levels One can listen to it again and again and each time learn something new to work on. In terms of bang-per-buck, I think one will be hard-pressed to find a better investment.

3 out of 5 stars A very good treatment of intonation.......2006-11-23

After looking through the contents of the book and the amount of information it contained I was more than eager to buy it. After all, all that I needed for my pronunciation classes was there: comprehensive charts and graphs , streamlined layout, IPA symbols, grapheme-phoneme correspondence tables for problem areas such as the long / i / sound, and on top of that, a package with 8 CD's in a neatly-enclosed folder. Yet, oddly enough, I felt like something was missing. Then I reached the last chapters. "Boy, there's something new here," I thought. Very few authors have treated intonation this well: The attitudinal / emotional aspect of intonation is explored at length: higher pitch tones for heightened emotions and politeness. Swinging pitch inflections and slightly rising inflections for casualness. Longer pauses for the expression of meaning. So, although I think some of the sound discrimination exercises may lack creativity and sometimes fall short of raising students'awareness , the last chapters saved the day and may explain why shelling out over US$ 60 for this manual might have been a good decision after all.
The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition (Read-Aloud Handbook)
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Awesome
  • should be required
  • A beautiful Book
  • Read Aloud Handbook
  • Every parent should read this book
 The Read-Aloud Handbook: Sixth Edition (Read-Aloud Handbook)
Jim Trelease
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0143037390

Book Description

For more than two decades, millions of parents and educators have turned to Jim Trelease's beloved classic to help countless children become avid readers through awakening their imaginations and improving their language skills. Now this new edition of The Read-Aloud Handbook imparts the benefits, rewards, and importance of reading aloud to children of a new generation. Supported by delightful anecdotes as well as the latest research, The Read- Aloud Handbook offers proven techniques and strategies—and the reasoning behind them— for helping children discover the pleasures of reading and setting them on the road to becoming lifelong readers.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Awesome.......2007-09-24

I am a elementary teacher and I think this book is awesome! It is important for teachers and parents alike. I wish I'd seen it when my children were babies. If more parents read this it could make a real difference with their children's reading abilities and attitudes.

I bought one for my daughter who is a middle school reading teacher and one for my son and his wife who are about to have a baby. Next I'm buying one for my student teacher. EXCELLENT!

5 out of 5 stars should be required.......2007-09-09

This was a gift to me from my pediatrician. I read the entire thing. The evidence is quite remarkable as to the importance of reading to children, the earlier the better. I would recommend this to every parent who wants the best for their child.

5 out of 5 stars A beautiful Book.......2007-08-24

The Read-Aloud Handbook is a beautiful book i love this book it so entertaining breathtaking, enlightening, full of knowledge. I love every second of this book. I hope to take some ideas from the book and make give my three year old son a great start in life by start reading to him. I got the book two days after i made the purchase. Thank Excellent Book i definitely will recommend this seller.

5 out of 5 stars Read Aloud Handbook.......2007-08-03

As a teacher and as a parent I would recommend this book to anyone who lives with or works around children. It is an easy read with practical, common-sense advice. I love the book suggestions that are listed, and have begun giving the book as a baby shower present.

4 out of 5 stars Every parent should read this book.......2007-06-29

This book makes so much sense in providing facts, research, and personal examples on how reading aloud to kids helps them develop a love of the written word, develop vocabulary, spelling and grammar skills, listening comprehension, fluency, and many more skills. It is presented in an entertaining format as Jim Trelease summarizes his many years as the "read aloud guy". A "must have" for the collection of any parent or teacher.
Also includes excellent lists of books for specific uses and age groups.
Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving Success Through 50 Target Skills
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • good job breaking down the steps of writing
  • GREAT resource!
  • Makes writing seem easy!
  • The Best for teaching writing
  • Hands-On Writing Tools for Young Writers
 Razzle Dazzle Writing: Achieving Success Through 50 Target Skills
Melissa Forney
Manufacturer: Maupin House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0929895487

Book Description

Get ready to transform "ho-hum" intermediate-grade writers into mature writers who love to write -- and perform well on assessments.

Razzle Dazzle Writing shows you how to teach narrative and informational writing through mastery of 50 key, target writing skills.

Your students succeed because Razzle Dazzle Writing:
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Move your students to the next level with Razzle Dazzle Writing!

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars good job breaking down the steps of writing.......2007-07-19

Great ideas for beginning writers in terms of organization. Breaks down the steps simply. Explains what makes interesting writing.

5 out of 5 stars GREAT resource!.......2007-05-09

I have used this book with my own lessons and bought it for all the 2-5 teachers in my building. Very user friendly. Has great ideas for mini-lessons and wonderful resources to copy for students to keep in their wirters' notebooks. I highly recommend this book!

5 out of 5 stars Makes writing seem easy!.......2007-01-16

This book is aimed toward older students, grades 3-8, but I have 2nd graders. Another teacher at my school recommended it, so I gave it a try. While not every lesson is appropriate for my grade level, a lot of it is. I especially like how there is a mini-play (2 or 3 minutes) to go along with the lessons. My students love the section of word choice, where there is a play of Strong Verb vs Weak Verb (like a boxing match). It has reproducible reference sheets for the students to use for transition words, color words, strong verbs, etc. These are great to add to a writing folder. I can't imagine how great this would be for the intermediate grades. Great resource! Especially when you aren't given much of a guideline on how to teach writing!

5 out of 5 stars The Best for teaching writing.......2007-01-14

I work in a sixth grade classroom with second-language learners. This book is the best. I showed it to my fifth grade colleague, and he bought it. What is great about this book is that it has lists of words you can give to the kids such as strong verbs or sight words or transition words. It has wonderful teacher sheets to copy for teaching mini lessons. I used many of her ideas such as show/don't tell, or teaching similes or teaching dialogue. Seriously was not a book that I put on the shelf and rarely looked at. It's hard buying a book and not being able to thumb through it, but I tell you that you won't be disappointed with this one!

4 out of 5 stars Hands-On Writing Tools for Young Writers.......2006-07-18

I enjoyed this book. It gave some very practical advice on creating a workshop environment for writing in the Intermediate grades. I have used the ideas (modified) with younger writers and they are equally as beneficial.

I think this is a must have for anyone who would like to put some Umphhh back into writing in the classroom.
Teaching Reading Sourcebook: Sourcebook for Kindergarten Through Eight Grade (Core Literacy Training Series)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    		Teaching Reading Sourcebook: Sourcebook for Kindergarten Through Eight Grade (Core Literacy Training Series)
    Bill Honig , Linda Diamond , Linda Gutlohn , and Jacalyn Mahler
    Manufacturer: Academic Therapy Publications
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    Early Childhood Experiences in Language Arts, 7E
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      		Early Childhood Experiences in Language Arts, 7E
      Jeanne M. Machado
      Manufacturer: Thomson Delmar Learning
      ProductGroup: Book
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      Words Their Way: Letter and Picture Sorts for Emergent Spellers
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • A "must have" for anyone implementing Words Their Way.
      • Reading Specialist
      • A MUST for K-2 teachers.
      		 Words Their Way: Letter and Picture Sorts for Emergent Spellers
      Donald R. Bear , Marcia Invernizzi , and Francine Johnston
      Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
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      Book Description

      This book provides teachers with concept sorting ideas followed by picture sorts for developing phonemic awareness, alphabet knowledge, letter recognition and concept of words in print. This companion volume augments that content with numerous reproducible sorts that specifically address the needs of the syllables and affixes speller. Accompanying the sorts are step-by-step directions for guiding pupils through the sorting lessons, as well as follow-up activities and tips for using the sorts to their best advantage. Designed for elementary educators' use as part of a reading curriculum where emergent spelling is covered.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars A "must have" for anyone implementing Words Their Way........2007-07-28

      Sorts 1-5 are concept sorts, 6-11 are picture sorts for phonological awareness, 12-14 are alphabet knowledge sorts, and 15-27 are sorts for beginning consonant sounds. Assessments are included for each group of sorts. Instructions for introducing/demonstrating the sorts are given, as well as notes for the teacher, literature links for read-aloud, extension activities and my favorite - shared reading texts. I think that this is a fabulous resource and after teaching first grade for 5 years, I plan on implementing Words Their Way in my kindergarten classroom in September. I also think that this is a must have for anyone planning on implementing the program. I don't think that the WTW textbook offers the range of resources in this book.

      5 out of 5 stars Reading Specialist.......2005-10-24

      This is a very helpful book for ESL Kindergarteners! I have all the Words Their Way books and have used them at every grade level in my elementary school.

      5 out of 5 stars A MUST for K-2 teachers........2005-02-21

      Like the other Words their Way materials, this volume continues the wonderful tradition of combining excellent teaching ideas with the black line masters so you can use the strategies immediately. This level is especially appropriate for students learning letter/sound relationships. It gives dozens of poems and stories which have sorts to support teaching them. There are old faithfuls such as "It's raining, it's pouring" to new poems that teach phonemic awareness, rhyming, visual discrimination and sight words. My favorite is the alphabet printed in several different fonts so students can learn all the ways 'A' might look. I wish I had this 21 years ago when I started teaching. I use it daily now.
      Reading and Writing in Elementary Classrooms: Research Based K-4 Instruction, Fifth Edition
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        		Reading and Writing in Elementary Classrooms: Research Based K-4 Instruction, Fifth Edition
        Patricia M. Cunningham , Sharon Arthur Moore , James W. Cunningham , and David W. Moore
        Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
        ProductGroup: Book
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        Practice With Purpose: Literacy Work stations for Grades 3-6
        Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
        • A Must-Have for Intermediate Grade Teachers
        • Literacy Work stations for Grades 3-6
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        • fantastic!!!
        		 Practice With Purpose: Literacy Work stations for Grades 3-6
        Debbie Diller
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        Customer Reviews:

        5 out of 5 stars A Must-Have for Intermediate Grade Teachers.......2007-08-12

        This book, like Diller's companion book for K-2 teachers, is a wealth of information for those teachers who recognize the importance of differentiating instruction, engaging the learner, and losing mindless worksheets that only serve the purpose of occupying the student's time while the teacher teaches small groups. Whether you are experienced with managing literacy workstations or a new convert, you will get an in-depth look at management of stations, keeping the stations meaningful and engaging throughout the year, and assessing the students' work. This book is the best I have seen for practical, easy to implement, true literacy activities. I highly recommend it for teachers and administrators of students in grades 3-6.

        3 out of 5 stars Literacy Work stations for Grades 3-6.......2007-07-29

        I went for this book as soon as I saw it on line - there is little out there for grades 5&6 when it comes to centers. While I got some good ideas, I was disappointed overall. The examples seem to focus on the lower grades, 3rd and 4th, and it left me wanting more information and examples for older kids. I am also unclear on how the novel we might be using in class fits into this concept. One area I did find especially helpful was how to organize and get started at the beginning of the year. It eased some fears for this first time work station user.

        5 out of 5 stars Literacy Work Stations.......2007-06-28

        Better than the "Literacy Work Stations for K-2"! Excellent and practical strategies for teaching, especially for the new teacher trying to figure it all out. A book worth having in the classroom professional library.

        5 out of 5 stars A Must Have for Guided Reading.......2007-06-27

        This book has answered all of the questions I have had about organizing centers during my literacy block. During my reading groups, I have wanted to have centers going at the intermediate level, but have been intimidated by the amount of work involved in setting them up. The author has shared ideas in creating centers that are logical, smart, efficient, necessary and don't involve staying up until midnight each night. Too bad I didn't have this 10 years ago!

        5 out of 5 stars fantastic!!!.......2007-03-30

        This book is full of wonderful ideas that are easy to implement. It is a great continuation of Literacy Stations for Sk to grade 2. I will use this book for a long time.
        Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • Wake up and smell the RESEARCH people!
        • Interesting and useful, once you get past the lengthy digressions
        • Mosaic of Thought : Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop
        • Excellent book for the progressive teacher
        • Are you kidding me?
        		 Mosaic of Thought: Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop
        Susan Zimmermann , and Ellin Oliver Keene
        Manufacturer: Heinemann
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        Similar Items:
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        ASIN: 0435072374

        Book Description

        You will be reluctant to set this book aside until you have visualized, inferred, synthesized, and questioned the immediate application to your classroom. - Kansas Journal of ReadingHow do students become thoughtful, independent readers who comprehend text at a deep level? To find the answers, authors Keene and Zimmermann embarked on a journey into the thought processes of proficient readers - a journey through poems and essays, classrooms and workshops, humor and reflection. Mosaic of Thought chronicles that journey, which ultimately led the authors to elaborate on eight cognitive processes identified in comprehension research and used by successful readers. These serve as models for the strategies offered in this book - strategies intended to help children become more flexible, adaptive, independent, and engaged readers. Mosaic proposes a new instructional paradigm focused on in-depth, explicit instruction in the strategies used by proficient readers. The authors take us beyond the traditional classroom into the literature based, workshop-oriented classrooms. Through vivid portraits of these remarkable environments (all participants in the Denver-based Reading Project of the Public Education ; Business Coalition), we see how explicit instruction looks in dynamic, literature-rich readers' workshops. As the students connect to background knowledge, create sensory images, ask questions, draw inferences, determine what's important, synthesize ideas, and solve problems at the word and text level, they are able to construct a rich mosaic of meaning. Straightforward and jargon-free, Mosaic of Thought has relevance to all literature-based classrooms, regardless of level. It offers practical tools for inservice teachers, as well as essential methods instruction for preservice teachers at both the undergraduate and graduate level. Indeed, anyone interested in literacy will benefit from the authors' challenge to rediscover the thought processes that inform our own comprehension.

        Customer Reviews:

        1 out of 5 stars Wake up and smell the RESEARCH people! .......2007-06-26

        Whole language lives on, only now it is under the guise of 'balanced literacy' or Mosaic of Thought. Does anyone out there think perhaps that one of the most prolific readers and writers of our time (Thomas Jefferson) used any of this fluff when comprehending author's such as Homer, Herodotus, Thucydides, Plato, or Shakespeare? The purpose of literacy is to gain new knowledge rapidly. It is the key to our economic and political well being. Spending hours on an inane piece of text that does not increase the child's knowledge base is useless. All these 'comprehension' strategies are taught to the point of insanity. I have news for you Zimmerman, there is a difference between learning a strategy and using it. Children are not using these inane strategies when it comes time for real life application. I could go on and on about the uselessness of these so called 'new ways to teach reading', instead I will give you a list of worthwhile texts that are far more grounded in what advanced readers REALLY do while examining text. HOW TO READ A BOOK, by Mortimer J. Adler. This book is over sixty years old and well worth your time to read. It was first published well before idiots like Ken Goodman and Stephanie Harvey came on the scene with their backwards way of thinking. Second, THE KNOWLEDGE DEFICIT by E.D. Hirsch-very thought provoking look at all the stupid strategies American schools are injecting into their curriculums. Third, READING INSTRUCTION THAT WORKS by Michael Pressley. Again, if you really want some bare bones info on improving comprehension - read this. Please teachers, wake up and question your research. It must ALWAYS be questioned. Don't believe that just because someone was published, they are correct. In order for research to be valid it is first and foremost peer reviewed. That means a third party with no vested interest in the success of the program leads a well designed study on it's effectiveness. SEcond, valid research is replicated many times over. This way multiple researches are testing the same technique and for the most part producing like results. Look for references in publications such as the Journal of Educational Psychology, or another reputable journal. Just because someone had their 'research' printed in The Reading Teacher, does not make it valid. GET INFORMED PEOPLE AND REMEMBER...DON'T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ. HEH HEH.

        3 out of 5 stars Interesting and useful, once you get past the lengthy digressions.......2007-06-17

        Although I enjoyed this book and found the strategies exciting and compelling, it was horribly frustrating to read. Here's a comprehension strategy to use when reading this book: Skip the first 5-6 pages of each chapter. The author starts each chapter with text that connects, in some abstract way, to the theme of the chapter. While the points are usually valid, they could easily be summed up in a page or so - not 6. While I think I understand her overall point that we as teachers should be aware of the strategies we use as we read, her constant modeling of this gets to be really, really, irritating.

        5 out of 5 stars Mosaic of Thought : Teaching Comprehension in a Reader's Workshop.......2006-03-02

        This is an excellent reference for teaching comprehension strategies in the elementary classroom. As a teacher, I refer to this book often. The authors have presented a straight forward guide explanining the importance and logic of their teaching methods. I have used these techniques in my own classroom. I have seen definite improvement in my sudents' comprehension. These improvements have been apparent in boh informal assessments as well as formal evaluations. I would definitely recommend this book to other teachers and homeschooling parents.

        5 out of 5 stars Excellent book for the progressive teacher.......2006-02-19

        As an educator, I try to look for teacher's literature that goes beyond the worksheets and attempts to get at the belief system and structure of what is considered "best practices" in education. This book challenges teachers to delve/question their belief systems, practices and own schema to help better understand how our students think and eventually teaching them a new and deeper way of looking at literature.
        If you are looking for photocopies and cookie cutter projects, then go to your local teaching store for the newest Carson Dellosa or basal reader. This will not be the book for you. If you want to teach kids how to think, analyze, question, visualize and deeper comprehend literature then this is the book for you. Enjoy it with your colleagues. It really changed my teaching practices for the better.

        2 out of 5 stars Are you kidding me?.......2005-11-17

        I read this during my master's program. It is alot of wasted text. I wish it had listed the strategies, attached appendices and not had so much additional mumbo jumbo. This is awesome for discussions on comprehension, but useless as a day to day guide. I will keep my Atwell and Fountas books on hand instead.
        50 Writing Lessons That Work!: Motivating Prompts and Easy Activities That Develop the Essentials of Strong Writing (Grades 4-8)
        Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
        • 50 Writing Lessons that Work
        • Too short, and better books exist
        • A Great Book For Motivating Non-Writers!!
        • Not bad
        • Great resource!
        		 50 Writing Lessons That Work!: Motivating Prompts and Easy Activities That Develop the Essentials of Strong Writing (Grades 4-8)
        Carol Rawlings Miller
        Manufacturer: Scholastic
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        4. Teaching Powerful Writing: 25 Short Read-Aloud Stories With Lessons That Motivate Students to Use Literary Elements in Their Writing Teaching Powerful Writing: 25 Short Read-Aloud Stories With Lessons That Motivate Students to Use Literary Elements in Their Writing
        5. Fun With Grammar: 75 Quick Activities & Games That Help Kids Learn About Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, and More : Grades 4-8 Fun With Grammar: 75 Quick Activities & Games That Help Kids Learn About Nouns, Verbs, Adjectives, Adverbs, and More : Grades 4-8

        ASIN: 0590522124

        Book Description

        Motivating Prompts and Easy Activities That Develop the Essentials of Strong Writing
        Boost creative and expository skills with this teacher-written resource! Lessons are designed to make students want to write well: organize their ideas, write focused paragraphs, make transitions, use strong adjectives and verbs, write dialogue, revise, and more! Includes reproducibles.

        Customer Reviews:

        3 out of 5 stars 50 Writing Lessons that Work.......2007-05-07

        This is good for students who need focus, but not for students who need basic skills.

        3 out of 5 stars Too short, and better books exist.......2007-02-19

        I was disappointed to discover this book is more like 50 activities, not 50 lessons. I realized only after I ordered this book that it is a slim 64 pages. Each "lesson" is like an idea for a student writing assignment, although many of them are not particularly inspired. I tried to use this book with middle school students, but many of them complained that the assignments were cliche and forced them to write on prompts they had heard before (like write an autobiography, describe someone's personality in a paragraph, write about something that annoys you, write about the weather today, etc.). I felt that half of these prompts were things that as a teacher, I could easily come up with on my own. The other half are fine and good, but brief. For my purposes, this book could be condensed to a two-page list of creative writing / essay topics.

        At 9.99 for 64 pages, you are better off spending 19.99 on a 300 page book that will last beyond a few weeks, and do more than list off writing prompts.

        This book could be useful if you are teaching 4th-5th grade students, and like to have the structure of a book to guide you through getting the class excited about a single writing prompt. If you're a more creative type (and not a by-the-line, I read a cookbook for every detail type), you're better off giving yourself an hour to brainstorm a bunch of writing prompts, typing them up, and using your own ideas.

        5 out of 5 stars A Great Book For Motivating Non-Writers!!.......2006-11-28

        I have my own tutoring service I have used this book to help my students who do not like writing. The prompts located in the book are great ways for children to use their imagination and be creative in many different ways and capacities. I would suggest this book for any teacher or parent who is trying to finds ways to help that struggling student to enjoy writing.

        3 out of 5 stars Not bad.......2006-11-06

        This is a generally good book. I like that it spends a little more time on some of the concepts that are generally difficult for students.

        5 out of 5 stars Great resource!.......2005-11-26

        Great resource for lessons, sponge activities, and substitute lessons. Highly recommend for all teachers who want useful support for their writng program.

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