Book Description
Comprehensive and practical, this guide reveals the benefits of using multisensory instruction in any classroom. After they review 50 years of research and clinical experience with children and adults with learning disabilities, the contributing authors explain how and why multisensory methods work.
The result of their efforts is a thorough volume that puts theory into practice with specific teaching approaches that promote:
phonological awareness
alphabet skills
spelling
grammar
reading accuracy and fluency
reading comprehension
handwriting
composition
organization and study skills
communication with parents
In addition, the book pays special attention to the connection between oral language and literacy, the history of the English language, transition into the general classroom after special education, adult literacy, and high-functioning adults with learning disabilities. Field-tested instructional materials and activities are included, along with observation and assessment models.
Customer Reviews:
Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills.......2006-06-28
This book gives language teachers a great wealth of information regarding dyslexia and reading problems.
A parent's point of view.......2003-02-10
...this is a great book that I've searched for. It pulls tons of useful information about dyslexia into one spot. Only one warning I would send out to parents - this is a textbook not a "pop culture" book. I've found the reading slow going as I'm unfamiliar with many of terms and concepts as I'm not a linguist or teacher. Having said that, I belive I now understand how to help my daughter learn easier which will open many previously closed doors to her. The textbook is worth the effort!!
Goldmine of Theory and Practicality.......2000-03-18
In Multisensory Teaching of Basic Language Skills, Dr. Judith Birsh has succeeded in bringing together the expertise of a constellation of respected and well-known contributors to produce what will undoubtedly become a highly prized and much-used text/reference book in the field of dyslexia and learning differences. Calling on various authorities to write sections in their area(s) of greatest interest and strength, she has developed a greatly needed resource for understanding, teaching, assessing, and parenting those who have dyslexia and related disorders.
Beginning with the definition and characteristics of dyslexia, a discussion of the latest research in the field, and the need for all teachers to understand the structure of the English written code, the book gives the prospective reader an overview of the eighteen chapters by offering chapter summaries. Other aids for the reader include extensive references for each chapter; graphics and other illustrations; a glossary of key terms; and a most carefully organized appendix of materials and sources.
In an enlightening and forthright discussion of multisensory instruction, the authors of the first chapter address the issue of lack of research studies concerning the efficacy of multisensory teaching. They conclude, however, that there is theoretical support for this approach and that, until research is able to confirm or disprove the effectiveness of multisensory instruction, it behooves teachers to rely on their own experience and professional judgment, as well as on the professional judgment of others who, over the years, report student success when multisensory instruction is used.
The Chapter One discussion of multisensory methods provides the platform upon which the remainder of the book is built. Subsequent chapters proceed logically from the role of oral language to the importance of phonological/phonemic awareness and alphabetic knowledge in the teaching of accurate decoding and reading fluency. A most helpful treatise on the teaching of reading comprehension follows discussion of these vital elements of effective reading from a multisensory perspective.
Readers will also find instructive and well-written sections on such subjects as multisensory mathematics instruction; oral language; phonological awareness; spelling; handwriting (including the multisensory presentation of manuscript letter forms); organization and study skills; and several other subjects. In addition, chapters dealing with adult and high functioning dyslexics, parenting issues, and transition to the general classroom and content areas present materials of high interest and utility.
Instructors in university undergraduate and graduate classes will find this book to be an excellent choice as the text for reading disability courses. It is suggested that the editor and publisher consider developing an instructor's manual and, perhaps, a student guide as supplementary materials for this book.
Having just ordered five copies of this book for use in our university classes for training dyslexia specialists, this reviewer submits that those who deal with learning different individuals will find this book to be a goldmine of theory and practicality.
Jo Polk, Certified Academic Language Therapist and Director of the Learning Therapist Certificate Program, Southern Methodist University
Customer Reviews:
Great for a beginner painter.......2007-06-02
I found this book to be very easy to read and helpful with basic concepts needed for a strong foundation in painting with oils. I especially like the info about shading, color for impact and components to make your work more polished.
a bit disappointed.......2007-04-09
I should have listened to the other reviews. The images are yellow toned and it makes it very difficult for a beginner to learn how to mix paint and get the right colors. The book also doesn't guide you on this matter which makes all the difference. I haven't used this book once.
so so book.......2007-01-06
I read this and found only some info helpful. For a beginner this wasn't what I was looking for.
many good tips.......2007-01-06
This book is written by an artist that has a lot of obvious talent and ability which is always a good start for how-to-paint books! His approach to colour particularly sticks in the mind. There are no complete step-by-step demonstations (beginning to end mapped out)- but many snapshots of some of the processes and some of the stages he arrived at before the finished product. Particularly useful for artists interested in landscapes and alla prima. I would recommend this as a book which complements an artist's personal tuition program - but not a book for complete beginners I wouldn't think.
Good beginner instructions.......2007-01-06
I used this book when I first started oil painting, and have referred back to it since. It has good basic instructions - my only critisism is that every painting shown seems to be in the same colors! Everything isn't yellow, after all. I thought maybe there was something wrong with the photos - or else the artist just likes sticking to one color scheme. It did make me look at my own palette more critically. Now I consciously try different color schemes on paintings, just for variety - so maybe it was a good thing...
Customer Reviews:
Best watercolor book for beginners.......2007-05-20
When I decided to take up watercolors I ended up purchasing a library of books - almost twenty - but the best one of them all for a beginner is this book by Jack Reid. He not only takes you through all the technical details of watercolors - materials, washes, techniques but, before confusing the beginner with mixing and using colors, he first ensures that you have a solid understanding of values. The most brilliant colors in the world will not help a picture where the values are wrong or non-existant. Jack Reid starts the student with monochrome landscapes through most of the book until you really understand and can produce an excellent piece of art using only color in all of its tones and values. Then you reproduce the same picture using one, then two, and working up to five colors. By the time he takes you through a full painting - a step that most watercolor books jumped into at the start - you have a much better mastery of your medium, of planning your landscapes, of being able to work wet into dry or wet into wet. By the time I completed his work I was able to go back to some of the earlier books and now successfully complete their exercises. I could concentrate on the best use of color because I clearly understood how to the apply the tones and shades and values of those colors to enhance the picture. This is an outstanding book for beginners and one I highly recommend.Watercolor Basics: Let's Get Started (Watercolor Basics)
excellent book.......2007-05-13
This book is really really good for the beginner artist learning watercolors..Its easy to follow and understand. I would recommend this book to anyone, even if you already are dabbling in watercolors and want a couple of lessons in it, this is also a great book to help you out.
Great for begners.......2007-02-19
I got this for my nephew. He has really enjoyed it.
Watercolor basics/Let's get started.......2006-03-09
By far the best beginner book I have ever picked up. I have used some of the ideas in this book to teach workshops and have had tremendous success with people that have never picked up a brush. You can"t go wrong
Good, but video instruction is perhaps better.......2006-03-05
I've purchased quite a few instructional books on both watercolors and oils. While I found this one easy to follow for the absolute beginner, in practice, I found the exercises to be a bit stilted. What I mean by that is in attempting to reproduce his paintings, step by step, I found that it took away the wonder and spontenaity one might experience while sketching and painting a simple still life set up. I understand the theory behind the book, and the value studies are interesting, but I think that simply practicing washes, and also practicing with simple still lifes might be more rewarding. I've watched a few videos on watercolor painting which have been more helpful than any book.
Book Description
The second edition contains new units, more exercises, and a free Audio CD with recordings of example sentences so students can hear the grammar structures they are learning. The Basic Grammar in Use Workbook provides students with further opportunities to practice difficult grammar points. It also helps to consolidate their understanding of related grammar topics, such as the different ways of expressing the future. This Workbook offers a wide range of activity types that include opportunities to work with grammatical structures in meaningful contexts. It also includes review sections for each group of units in the Student's Book. These groups, such as the Present and Past, Modals, and Articles, are listed in the table of contents of each Student's Book. This workbook comes with an answer key (an edition without an answer key is also available).
Customer Reviews:
Great Book.......2007-06-27
I love working with the text book, and now that I got the workbook...ual it's been even better...Great exercises!!
Good for Adult Basic Literacy ABL and English as a Second Language ESL .......2007-02-13
This is a great book to use with adults needing more practice with grammar!
Customer Reviews:
in-depth!.......2005-11-22
I am in graduate school and read this for class--while I think it's interesting, I think it's a difficult read unless you're actively teaching. Read it if you find yourself teaching Basic Writing (BW) students, are interested in learning more about the social aspects of BW students (i.e. how the lower echelon of students feel about its treatment vs. those students in higher tracks) or the psychology of the student in general. If you are going to use it, it might be best to focus initially on what you are strongest in, i.e. syntax, grammar, spelling. While overall I found it interesting in theory, it was a difficult read and hard to grab practical information from it.
It's THE book.......2004-09-11
I can't agree with Dr. Bruce Leeds more. This is THE book for the teachers of basic writers. Also, it is food for thought for ESL writing teachers. This book is a classic. I am waiting for another equivalent classic for an ESL writing teacher like me.
The Best of Its Kind.......2003-12-28
With the patience and attention to detail of a saint, Professor Shaughnessy hunted, and found, patterns in her students' writing that allowed her to lift each student to his or her true potential. This is THE book for the teacher of basic, first-language writing. Her prose is stunning in itself and is a model for the kind of clear, elloquent writing she would espouse. Certainly the best of its kind and as yet to be equalled.
A humane, wise, window-opening book.......2000-04-06
In the dry world of composition theory, Shaughnessy's brilliantdiscussion of error in student writing stands as a landmark. Aftertwenty-plus years, this book remains highly readable and one of the half dozen most important books in the field. I particularly admire the writer's refusal to slip into the pseudo-scientific jargon that typifies the trendy, flimsy, unreadable literature that comprises the field of composition. Anyone who teaches writing at a high school or college level would benefit from reading this fine book.
Product Description
Looking for tips on how to teach a student who speaks only a little English or none at all? This quick and easy guide provides advice for preparing for a new student, assessing needs and abilities, communicating with a student's family, and more.
Customer Reviews:
For US students only!.......2007-07-08
I teach English to children in France and this book has very little content geared for my needs and not worth the $12 I spent. I love to teach with mini-books that I create myself, so I was drawn to the title. However, I found the ones offered here very dull, i.e. copying number words, rather than engaging their creativity by having them illustrate the number word. Other mini-books teach the Pledge of Allegiance, This Land is Your Land, and writing the alphabet - also not appropriate for my needs. But as someone who is always looking for appropriate clip art for my lessons, I agree with the other reviewers that the illustrations are appealing and helpful for teaching basic vocabulary, and can be used in many ways.
Excellent.......2006-03-10
I used this book to teach 2nd graders of an Elementary school in Mexico. They loved the activities!
Beginning ESL.......2005-09-14
Although this book is more for children, there are some pages I was able to use for my adult ESL course. There are some nice diagrams along with good ideas on how to begin a level one class.
Invaluable resourse.......2004-07-31
I recently taught ESL in China for a few weeks and found this book incredibly useful. Although marketed as being for grades 1-4, I found this book helpful for even high school students--it depends more on the level of language proficiency than anything else. For example, I used the "parts of the body" page to review what my students already knew, and then they filled in more complicated words such as thigh, shoulder, ankle, etc. The money page has very realistic drawings of the various coins, all of which were new to my students. The food pages were very helpful before moving on to more complicated lessons on ordering in a restaurant. A great book for a modest price!
Excellent for Young Learners!.......2003-04-27
As a teacher of young learners, I struggle to find resources that truly meet the needs of my students, most of whom are just beginning to read and write in English. This book, however, has proven to be a goldmine. Kids and parents alike love the make-and-take books, while I love the flexibility of each unit. I've used the simple drawings to make charts, flashcards, games, etc. to accompany thematic units and have even used a few of the worksheets to review basic concepts with older kids. I'm giving the book a four instead of a five because the unit topics are quite basic. Once students know colors, numbers, letters, shapes, body parts, basic food items, and basic school terminology, this book basically goes back on the shelf until you get your next room full of beginners. But if you teach young learners with limited language skills, this book is a must have.
Book Description
Teach writing skills using this innovative new approach that has been proven to work in classrooms just like yours. The Four Square method can be used with all forms of writing and will fit any reading or language arts program. This step-by-step approach is built around a simple graphic organizer that first shows students how to collect ideas and then helps them use those ideas to create clear and polished prose. Open-ended reproducibles make the technique accessible to writers of all ability ranges. Also great for content area writing.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, visual approach to teaching kids to write reports.......2007-03-03
This approach is soooo much better than the outlining approach I learned over 30 years ago. I have no idea why it is so much easier for kids to fill in boxes than fill out an outline, but for some reason it is. My kids are writing basic reports quickly and easily and without the tears and frustration we had last fall. The method is easy to learn and use, and I highly recommend it.
However, if you are more interested in teaching creative writing, then I wouldn't use this approach - in my view, 4-square is well suited to non-fiction reports and essays, but not for writing adventure stories, etc...
this rocks.......2006-11-06
This is the best writing curriculum ever! When I taught my daughter the first lessons, she responded, "That was school? I didn't even know we were doing school!" It's easy to teach, very visual, and makes the child feel like a writing pro with the first lesson.
AN UPDATE.......2006-09-02
3 years later and I'm back with an update. I still like 4 Square as a graphic organizer.
The structure is easy for children to understand. You will get writing that is organized with details.
I can say that I have moved away from it as my ONLY graphic organizer. If you plan on using 4 Square I would couple it wih 6 TRAITS materials or the authors 4 Square additions/extensions.
Students do need to be taught voice, word choice, and sentence fluency, in addtion to organization.
Great writing tool!.......2005-12-16
Very helpful for teaching young kids how to compose well written paragraphs and reports. Recommended!
Four Square Writing Method.......2005-10-11
I love this method of teaching. I have taught 4th grade for the past 2 years. The school I taught at last year used this method. My class loved this method and their writing improved. I moved to a new school this year and loved this method so much I had to buy my own book. I started using it with my class now, and they love it. It makes writing so much easier. My class always wants to know when it is time to write. I recommend this book to anyone who teaches writing.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointingly scant content.......2002-10-09
I know I'm going to anger some of the folks who really believe in this book, but I was really disappointed with how slim and scant the educational content was. There are very many black and white illustrations of the students' work related to Itten's teachings. And his outlook is very pure and creative. I really enjoyed that aspect of this book, but expected more meat! I wanted to know more specifically about conflict. I wanted him to go deeper. As it is, he brings up a well ordered set of concepts, explains them clearly and then moves on. In my opinion this book is wildly overpriced. I probably would give it four stars had it only cost me between seven and fifteen dollars. At thirty and change it's not worth it.
lighting the creative spark in everyone.......2001-07-18
This book is not a step by step syllabus to follow blindly. Itten wrote this book to share the fundamental principles that he taught all his students (no matter how advanced) before allowing them to pursue higher classes and goals at his school.
The book is broken down into sections that (to anyone who's had art training) seem simple enough: chiaroscuro, form, color, rhythm, etc. but Itten teaches not so much the technical aspect of art as a new way of seeing the world, a way of creating from the whole body and mind, not just with a paintbrush (or computer graphics program).
The sections are all punctuated with many examples of student work that relate to the topic covered. Often, it is these examples that really drive his points home.
Just as Itten believed that everyone was capable of being creative and thought the basic course was valuable to all levels of art students and even teachers, this book is applicable for both those who are looking for an introduction into creating, and those who consider themselves expert artists already. I guarantee there will be at least one idea in the book to make you stop and ponder and suddenly challenge your way of thinking on the matter.
Itten is a god, bow down........2001-04-27
Itten made the world as we know it today. Without his guidence, none of the products you buy, art you look at, or anything else would be what it is today. If you are a designer or art monger, you owe it to yourself to read this book. It is a discription of his Basic Course (everyone had to take it...) at the Bauhaus in Weimar written by Itten himself.
Customer Reviews:
I guess it depends on what you mean by serious.......2007-04-08
When she says serious... in the last few pages she tells you about becoming a full time artist, pros and cons kind of thing and options. She gives suggestions of places you can look into to show your work, but does not tell you how, just where to go. She does however say to go to the library to find out more or the internet. I guess most people don't know that, to me it is obvious. But hey, now you know and you didn't have to buy the book!
The artwork in the book sucks. It lacks depth and looks flat. Sure there is color, but it all seems to have the same pressure to it. Some may be better than others, buy my eyes don't want to look at it long. So, a tip that I know in becoming a serious artist is that if you actually want people to buy your work, you will want to create something that captures the attention of the viewer and keeps them there. The more they look at your work or the longer, the more likely they will buy it. The only one in there that looked pretty cool was the monopoly picture.
It's odd, she shows some basic examples of creating the illusion of 3D using tonal values from light to dark as well as discussing form, volume and space... but does not fully carry it through in her own work.
I just think if your going to learn from an artist, you would want to learn from someone who can give a good example. Why not learn it the right way the first time? There are too many other books that could do it better for ya. Check out books by Ann Kullberg, Janie Gildow, Gary Greene, Vera Curnow, or even Bernard Poulin. These artists have books for beginners and advanced, check them out and find the level best for you. They are better examples to follow. And if you want to start selling find a book strickly for that. Though Ann Kullberg, in "colored pencil portraits step-by-step has a section where she explains how she sells her portraits.
Are you kidding?.......2007-03-30
How did this artist ever get this published? The artwork in this book is so amateurish I did not even want to read what he/she had to say. I don't want my pieces to look like theirs. It looked like junior high artwork. The proportions of animals were totally incorrect, color wasn't eye catching, pieces looked like crayon drawings. This must be self published. I returned the book I didn't even care that I lost my shipping costs, I would never look at it or read it again.
Not for beginners.......2007-02-06
I think this may be a fine book for more advanced artists. There was little help for true beginners,even"serious " ones. There was much philosophy and opionion, but little practical help.
THE book on Colored Pencil........2007-01-25
If you can only have one book on colored pencil, let it be this one. I had to buy another one when my professor saw it. It is another book that I read with pen and highlighter in hand. I couldn't just read it I had to study it.
The only book you need.......2006-10-29
If you can only buy one book on the art and craft of colored pencil, buy this one! If you have a hundered books on art, I'd still say: you need this one! Bet Borgeson is well known for her intelligence, wit, humor, and her refusal to "talk down" to the reader or student. Page for page, there is more useful information in this book than in any other art book on my shelves -- and most of it is invaluable for artists working in any medium. From the basics of "getting started," to the philosophy of an artist's life, this book is jam-packed with useful and thought provoking information. Its richness and quality call to mind Richard Schmid's _Alla Prima_ or Rex vicat Cole's _ The Artistic Anatomy of Trees_, two of my other personal favorites. I love this book!
Book Description
Basic Connections provides basic information about expressions and usages that facilitate the flow of ideas and thoughts in written and spoken Japanese. It explains how words and phrases dovetail, how clauses pair up with other clauses, how sentences come together to create harmonious
paragraphs. Since this is a book about the basics it starts with the fundamentals, explaining first the two types of Japanese sentence-"A is B" and "A does B." Then it proceeds to the problem of the modifier and the modified-a matter of "which is which." Wa and ga naturally get considerable play;
after all, it is downright impossible to speak properly without them. There is also a discussion of linking nouns and noun phrases, not to speak of verbs and verb phrases. The book goes on to devote a whole chapter to common mistakes and troublesome usages. The final chapter attempts to pin down
some particularly slippery locutions: such as toshite, imada ni, sore kara, whoppers like "Sentence A-te sae inakereba, Sentence B," and many more.
Any beginning or intermediate student, having spent a certain amount of time and energy studying this book, will be able to speak and read Japanese in a much more coherent fashion.
Customer Reviews:
anthing BUT basic.......2007-04-17
I bought this book in order to prepare myself to take the JLPT4 exam. And, well, I was in for a shock. The title is nothing if not misleading. The grammar covered DOES NOT focus on what you would expect to be basic material. Of the hundred odd "connections" that the author has chosen, only a handful are JLPT4, and the other half are split between JLPT3 and JLPT2. Other cons are that the language of the author is of a very wordy and academic nature, so the explanations seem more complex than clear or concise! And, contrary to the premise that much of this book is aimed at beginners, in the majority of cases the author clearly expects readers to already have a grasp of intermediate grammar, thus leaving far too many things improperly explained, skimmed over, or even lacking in any explanation at all.
However, this is not to say that this book is a waste of good paper. If you are of an intermediate-higher level (read: higher JLPT3 and above) it can come in quite useful, because it at least alerted me to a lot of aspects many other grammar books did not even touch on, even though it failed to explain many of these in detail. And if you're a beginner, consider it for future reference, but don't be in any hurry to buy it.
If you have a certain backround- it's a nice book.......2006-11-04
The field of language books and Japanese language in particular, is as enormous as can be. It's important to know where to start, and how to accumulate information in order to make a steady move forward while learning any language. This book, though trying to give you as much general information about the language as possible, is not for beginners. If you want some real basic Japanese, try any Kodansha book or any other college students book that will give you the right start. Although not for beginners as I said, it's a very handy book for the more experienced Japanese learner, and will give you bunds of information that'll make your language familiarity better. Again, a book not to start from, but a great supplementary didactic tool for the advanced user.
Clear and In-Depth!.......2005-11-13
This is a great book for beginning/intermediate Japanese students. It describes the usage of particles, select verb phrases, and common sentence patterns very thoroughly, especially where appropriate context is required. Instead of just saying "A kara, B" means "because of A, B", this book delves into the complexities of kara implying direct cause and effect, even blame.
As for the use of romanji, it's annoying and ill-suited to a book that is not for absolute beginners. However, in a way it's also better than furigana because it's easier to practice reading kanji. I find that I've developed the annoyingly lazy habit of just reading furigana even if I know the kanji.
All in all, a great supplemental text!!
I love this book.......2005-03-11
This is a very good book for beginners, but you still have to sit down and practice the basics with it... it's very good.
The most important grammar book you'll find?.......2004-05-31
This could be the most important Japanese grammar book you could buy, and I'll tell you why. If you're already learning Japanese, you know how complex the sentence structures and grammar can be. It's one thing to be able to get your ideas across in a reasonably intelligent manner, but it's another thing entirely to make what you're saying flow and sound natural. This book teaches you how to connect ideas and sentences so they more naturally flow into the next one. Now, if you're like me, you might be really good and saying things in Japanese, as long as you don't have to build on what you said the sentence before, or put together one long thought or sentence. This book shows you how to "look ahead" so you can figure out how to construct the sentence from the beginning so that, by the time you get to the end, everything has neatly connected itself along the way.
My only regret is I didn't find this book sooner than I did. It is truly invaluable for the beginning student, and even for the intermediate student, as well. Don't even hesitate to buy this book. It is cheap and EASILY worth the price.
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