Little Teeka thought she had to be firm with the reindeer to get them ready for Santa's important flight, but when her bossy yelling only got their antlerstangled up, she knew she had to try something different."Beautifully conceived and finely wrought." -- Booklist (starred review)"Brett's precise, glowing illustrations, drawing on Swedish folk art, make this a beguiling Advent calendar of a book." -- Kirkus Reviews"AA? sweet Christmas fantasy that shows Brett at her best." -- Publishers Weekly"This tale with its humorous close-ups of stubborn reindeer and a sharp child protagonist should prove popular at story hours." -- School Library Journal

It’s easy to say we trust Christ for everything, but are we living that truth? We’ve been given clear instruction in a powerful promise for parents. God tells us in Deuteronomy to “teach our children diligently.” This passage and many others give us great insight as to how to do that and enjoy the promised blessing that always accompanies the mandates we are given. Learn the practical view of discipleship parenting, what God expects from parents, and how to put these truths into actionSee how parenting with the vision of teaching them diligently will intentionally bear fruit and affect change in your own life as wellMove beyond giving lip-service to what you believe, and make the conscious choice to rely on the wisdom of God’s holy instruction for your life and parenting. So, why are we as Christian parents still uncertain? Why do we live in fear? Why are we losing our children in record numbers? What can we do about it?

What is understanding and how does it differ from knowledge? How can we determine the big ideas worth understanding? Why is understanding an important teaching goal, and how do we know when students have attained it? How can we create a rigorous and engaging curriculum that focuses on understanding and leads to improved student performance in today's high-stakes, standards-based environment? Authors Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe answer these and many other questions in this second edition of Understanding by Design. Drawing on feedback from thousands of educators around the world who have used the UbD framework since its introduction in 1998, the authors have greatly revised and expanded their original work to guide educators across the K-16 spectrum in the design of curriculum, assessment, and instruction. With an improved UbD Template at its core, the book explains the rationale of backward design and explores in greater depth the meaning of such key ideas as essential questions and transfer tasks. Readers will learn why the familiar coverage- and activity-based approaches to curriculum design fall short, and how a focus on the six facets of understanding can enrich student learning. With an expanded array of practical strategies, tools, and examples from all subject areas, the book demonstrates how the research-based principles of Understanding by Design apply to district frameworks as well as to individual units of curriculum. Combining provocative ideas, thoughtful analysis, and tested approaches, this new edition of Understanding by Design offers teacher-designers a clear path to the creation of curriculum that ensures better learning and a more stimulating experience for students and teachers alike.

Every year, trolls knock down Kyri's door and gobble up her Christmas feast. But this year, the trolls are in for a surprise: a boy and his pet ice bear on their way to Oslo have come in from the cold. And once the ice bear is finished with the trolls, you can bet they won't come knocking next Christmas Eve! Once again, Jan Brett creates an original Christmas story full of warmth and magic. Featuring beautiful borders, intricate illustrations, and a stunning display of the Northern Lights, Who's That Knocking on Christmas Eve? will rightfully take its place among Jan's Christmas favorites with the whole family.

Discover new, practical methods for teaching literacy skills in your early childhood classroom. Has teaching early literacy skills become a stumbling block to getting your preschool students kindergarten ready? Break out of the tired “letter of the week” routine and learn how to transform your lessons with fun and effective techniques. Teach Smarter: Literacy Strategies for Early Childhood Teachers will equip teachers to infuse every aspect of their teaching with exciting hands-on literacy teaching methods that engage students and help them build authentic connections with books, so that 100% of their students will have a strong literacy foundation and will be fully prepared for success in kindergarten and beyond. Respected author Vanessa Levin, veteran early childhood educator and author of the “Pre-K Pages” blog, breaks down the research and translates it into realistic, actionable steps you can take to improve your teaching. Features specific examples of teaching techniques and activities that engage students in hands-on, experiential learning during circle time, centers, and small groups. Offers a simple, four-step system for teaching literacy skills, based on the foundational principles of early literacy teaching Demonstrates how to build your confidence in your ability to get 100% of your students ready for kindergarten, long before the end of the school year Understand the problems with traditional literacy teaching and identify gaps in your current teaching practice with this valuable resource.

"This is the turtle that slid into the pond and ate the snake that dropped from a branch and swallowed the fish that swam after the frog -- JUMP, FROG, JUMP!" This infectious cumulative tale will soon have the young frogs you know jumping and chanting with joy.

If you are a homeschooler or teacher who is looking for fun ideas on how to teach science, then this book is for you! Its hands-on approach is designed to capture students' interest and promote a love of science and learning. The first ten chapters are for younger children ages 4-7, while the second ten chapters are for children ages 8-13. Each chapter is filled with fun science activities that teach a particular science concept. The activities are designed to use common household items, so you won't need to buy lots of expensive scientific equipment or chemicals. This book is sure to get your kids loving science!