Linking assessment, teaching and learning (First Steps)

"Engages students in inquiry that leads to the discovery and understanding of a general principle they can apply to their own independent reading" --

In this off-beat book perfect for reading aloud, a Caldecott Honor winner shares the story of a duck who rides a bike with hilarious results. One day down on the farm, Duck got a wild idea. “I bet I could ride a bike,” he thought. He waddled over to where the boy parked his bike, climbed on, and began to ride. At first, he rode slowly and he wobbled a lot, but it was fun! Duck rode past Cow and waved to her. “Hello, Cow!” said Duck. “Moo,” said Cow. But what she thought was, “A duck on a bike? That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever seen!” And so, Duck rides past Sheep, Horse, and all the other barnyard animals. Suddenly, a group of kids ride by on their bikes and run into the farmhouse, leaving the bikes outside. Now ALL the animals can ride bikes, just like Duck! Praise for Duck on a Bike “Shannon serves up a sunny blend of humor and action in this delightful tale of a Duck who spies a red bicycle one day and gets “a wild idea” . . . Add to all this the abundant opportunity for youngsters to chime in with barnyard responses (“M-o-o-o”; “Cluck! Cluck!”), and the result is one swell read-aloud, packed with freewheeling fun.” —Publishers Weekly “Grab your funny bone—Shannon . . . rides again! . . . A “quackerjack” of a terrific escapade.” —Kirkus Reviews

Follows a child through all the big first grade moments.

Standards-Based Connections Reading for grade 2 offers focused skill practice in reading comprehension. A skill assessment will point out students' learning gaps. This allows teachers to choose appropriate student pages for individualized remediation. The student pages emphasize five important reading comprehension skills: summarizing, inferring, story elements, comparing and contrasting, and cause and effect. The book includes high-interest fiction and nonfiction, with texts about moving day, volcanoes, Laura Ingalls Wilder, planets, poetry, and more. --Each 96-page book in the Standards-Based Connections Reading series includes a skill assessment, an assessment analysis, targeted practice pages, and an answer key, making this series an ideal resource for differentiation and remediation. The skill assessments and assessment analyses help teachers determine individualized instructional needs. And, the focused, comprehensive practice pages and self-assessments guide students to reflection and exploration for deeper learning!

Lucy has big hair, eats fun foods and is teased by a boy named Ralph at school because she is different. She tries to be brave but she wishes the teasing would stop. What should I do? she asks herself over and over. Lucy's Papa Gino reminds her to do the right thing and treat people with kindness. So when Ralph gets stuck on the playground and needs help, will Lucy use this chance to teach Ralph a lesson? Or will she have the courage to be true to herself and make the right choice with an act of kindness? Readers of all ages can empathize with Lucy's brave journey as she sets out to rise above Ralph's mean words, stay true to herself and build her self-esteem every step of the way. This book comes with a free Reader's Companion, complete with discussion questions, lesson plans and activities for children to go beyond the book. Download your copy direct from the publisher website. The best book for teaching kindness and confronting bullying. Spaghetti in a Hotdog Bun is perhaps the most beloved book by award-winning author Maria Dismondy. It carries the key message of love, courage and positivity supported by the many advocates of positive parenting solutions. It will sit comfortably on your shelf alongside other books that focus on emotions, confidence and bullying. Like the work of Adir Levy (What Would Danny Do?) and Jacquelyn Stagg (Kindness Starts with You).

Mastering second grade reading and writing is fun and exciting with this book that combines language arts activities with puzzles and humor to lower the barriers to learning and build essential skills. Reading and writing are two of the most important building blocks for future learning, and Highlights(TM) brings Fun with a Purpose® into these essential activities for second graders. Our award-winning content blends reading and writing skills with puzzles, humor, and playful art, which makes learning exciting and fun. Second grade reading and writing skills such as phonics, word recognition, and key ideas will help students improve and will build confidence in the classroom.

This book is the richest, most comprehensive guided reading resource available today and the first systematic offering of instructional support for guided reading adherents.

Teachers facing the challenge of meeting the diverse reading needs of students will find the structure and tools they need in Jan Richardson's powerful approach to guided reading. Richardson has identified the essential components of an effective guided reading lesson: targeted assessments, data analysis that pinpoints specific strategies students need, and the use of guided writing to support the reading process. Each chapter contains planning sheets to help teachers analyze assessments in order to group students and select a teaching focus Includes detailed, ready-to-go lesson plans for all stages of reading: emergent, early, transitional, and fluent

Contains activities based on the United States Dept. of Education's Reading First program.