Explore the what, why, and how of close reading to give students in grades K 2 the tools they need to be successful. In this must-have guide, teachers will learn the key elements of a close reading lesson as well as strategies for analyzing and selecting a text and how to support students based on their progress and performance. The included lesson template will allow teachers to not only use the provided lessons and texts but also create their own. Correlated to standards, this book includes grade-specific sample close reading lessons and digital copies of teacher and student resources.

Reflections on the Psalms provides insightful commentary on each of the Psalms from the same experienced team of writers that have made Reflections for Daily Prayer so popular. It offers inspiring and undated reflections on all 150 psalms, with longer psalms split into parts in accordance with the Lectionary. Each reflection is accompanied by its corresponding Psalm refrain and prayer from the Common Worship Psalter, making this a valuable resource for personal or devotional use. Specially written introductions by Paula Gooder and Steven Croft explore the Psalms and the Bible and the Psalms in the life of the Church.

"I will give you the treasures of darkness and riches hidden in secret places, that you may know that it is I, the Lord, who calls you by your name." This verse from Isaiah led priest Barbara Mosse to question our assumptions about the dark times in life. We tend to associate darkness with the absence of God, yet the season of Advent is all about the unseen workings of God in preparation for new life and new hope. This book explores the many gifts of God that can be found not only during this season, but also at those times in life when we feel engulfed in darkness. Barbara Mosse is a priest in the Diocese of Portsmouth. she is presently involved in ordination training and regularly leads retreats and quiet days on different aspects of spirituality. She has many years experience of parish ministry and she lives in Emsworth, Hampshire.

Gaining the skills to critically read a wide variety of informational texts is more important than ever for today's K-12 students. This carefully crafted book offers 40 standards-based instructional activities that teachers can immediately put to use in the classroom. Clear rationales and step-by-step instructions are provided for implementing each strategy, together with helpful classroom examples and suggested texts for different grade levels. In a large-size format for easy photocopying, the book includes 44 reproducible worksheets. Purchasers get access to a Web page where they can download and print the reproducible materials. (Prior edition title: 35 Strategies for Guiding Readers through Informational Texts.) New to This Edition *Now features more strategies, including 16 that are completely new. *Explicit links throughout to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and other current standards. *Two additional strands of activities: Reading Closely and Discussion. *Numerous new and revised reproducible tools--all downloadable.

Offering fresh alternatives to common instructional practices that fail to get results, this accessible, highly practical guide highlights ways to motivate middle school students while enhancing content-area learning. Each chapter features an enlightening case study of a teacher whose current strategies are not supported by research; describes effective instructional alternatives, illustrated with concrete examples; and lists online resources and lesson examples. Emphasis is given to supporting critical engagement with texts and drawing on technology and new literacies. The book covers specific content areas--including science, social studies, math, and literature--as well as ways to teach oral literacy and writing across the curriculum.