Your all-in-one guide to selecting the very best early literacy materials!Learning to read and write is too important to be left to chance, so it's absolutely critical that the early literacy curriculum and literature you use in PreK and kindergarten environments reflect the very best research and instructional practices. But, with the proliferation of new products, what's the best way to start? What criteria should the curriculum meet? Which research-based best practices should be represented? Early Literacy Materials Selector (ELMS)uthe first dedicated evaluation tool for early childhood literacy materialsuprovides all the answers.Step by step, this one-of-a-kind toolkit will help you:Recognize the characteristics of high-quality literacy materialsWork in teams or individually to evaluate your resourcesUnderstand the importance of the research baseEstablish a baseline against which new literacy materials can be comparedAll in all, there's no better resource to ensure we put our youngest students on the right path to school readiness and success.'Teachers, administrators, and curriculum directors will appreciate the clear guidance for conducting a systematic review of core program materials. A highly effective tool for examining the quality of early literacy materials, ELMS is the first of its kind, and will be a welcome resource.'uSusan B. Neuman, ProfessorUniversity of Michigan'A much needed resource for considering features of curriculum materials in a systematic way. I know of no other tool like it for early childhood materials.'uJudith A. SchickedanzBoston University

The Coping Power Program is designed for use with preadolescent and early adolescent aggressive children and their parents and is often delivered near the time of children's transition to middle school. Aggression is one of the most stable problem behaviors in childhood. If not dealt with effectively, it can lead to negative outcomes in adolescence such as drug and alcohol use, truancy and dropout, delinquency, and violence. This program has proven effective in helping to avoid these types of problems.
The parent component of the program consists of 16 group meetings also held during the 5th and 6th grade school years. Parents are taught ways of reinforcing their children's positive behaviors, as well as effective discipline techniques for eliminating negative behaviors. Skills for improving family communication, providing academic support in the home, and building family cohesion are also a focus. Parents also learn how to give effective instructions and establish age-appropriate rules and expectations for their children at home. In addition to these basic parenting skills, the program describes relaxation techniques that parents can use to deal with their own stress. Tips for taking care of personal needs and effective time management strategies also help to ease the challenges of parenting an aggressive child.