A Parent's Guide to Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Your Child Roots and Wings (American Academy of Pediatrics) Review

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(More customer reviews)As a single parent of a fourteen year-old daughter and a seventeen year-old son, I see the tremendous stress that my children and their friends struggle with on a daily basis. They are striving to be strong and independent while trying to balance the pressure to get good grades, deal with peer pressure and friends who are exploring risky behaviors, handle family tensions, and just figuring out to grow up to be the adults they want to be. This MUST HAVE book for all parents provides a realistic and easily understandable method of reconnecting with our teens, and gives us the tools we need to teach them not only how to handle the stresses they face now, but how to grow into resilient adults who will be prepared to face the challenges ahead. In fact, so much of the advice in this book is about raising children of any age to become strong and resilient, that I wish that I had read this book 10 years ago, although as a parent of teens I am finding it incredibly helpful in our everyday lives right now. This book also includes a special section at the end - one for pre-teens and one for teens that they can read themselves, and worksheets they can use to build their own stress reduction plan. My kids actually read this section, and described it as "cool", but I like it because it reinforces the strategies modeled in the book. If you buy only one book on parenting -- BUY THIS BOOK!


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Today's children face a great deal of stress - academic performance, heavy scheduling, high achievement standards, media messages, peer pressures, family tension. Without healthier solutions, they often cope by talking back, giving up, or indulging in unhealthy behaviors. Show your child how to bounce back - and THRIVE - with coping strategies from one of the nation's foremost experts in adolescent medicine. This 7-C plan for resilience that helps kids of all ages learn competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control to help them bounce back from challenges. You'll find effective strategies to help your children and teens:

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Inquiry-Based English Instruction : Engaging Students in Life and Literature Review

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(More customer reviews)I recommend this book to teachers hoping to energize their literature or writing classes by positioning all students as creative, ambitious researchers capable of critiquing or even transforming worlds outside the classroom. When I discovered it two months ago, it struck me as just the resource I needed for revitalizing my college survey of multicultural literature for freshman and sophomores, a course which sometimes engaged and sometimes bored students. I have since redesigned materials for the course, using Beach and Myers' idea that to fully understand literature-or our own lives-we must think of individual people (whether characters in a story, authors of those stories, or ourselves and others in the real world) as part of larger systems or "social worlds," acting to protect and continue those systems or to challenge and change them. The book clearly delineates the components of social worlds and is full of sample activities and assignments; with these, I have revised my own discussion questions, presentation assignments and writing prompts. I have also shown Chapter 8, "School and Sports Worlds," to several high school teachers, who now plan to assign the ethnographic inquiry projects outlined there rather than assigning traditional research papers. This is a practical, accessible, entirely useable book.

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This valuable resource offers an alternative framework for middle and secondary school English instruction. The authors provide concrete strategies for engaging students in critical inquiry projects about the social worlds they inhabit or about those portrayed in literature and the media, their peer, school, family, romance, community, workplace, and virtual worlds.

You will find numerous examples of middle and high school students using various literacy tools (language, genres, narratives, signs, multimedia, and drama) to study, represent, critique, and transform these worlds. Rather than simply studying about literacy practices, this new framework shows how students learn best through active participation driven by a need to critically examine and promote changes in their social worlds.

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What a Coach Can Teach a Teacher (Counterpoints: Studies in the Postmodern Theory of Education) Review

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(More customer reviews)In this phenomenal book, Duncan-Andrade provides a handbook for anyone interested in education. Building on a solid theoretical framework, he weaves an argument on lessons one can draw from looking at the relationship successful coaches have with their athletes and shows how to apply them in the classroom. He teaches how to incorporate their coaching styles and philosophies to help students succeed. Following a basketball program over the course of a year, case studies shows readers the source and outcomes of these pedagogical lessons.
This book is very easy to read, but in no way is it a light read. The ideas discussed are rich; a reader will find themselves rereading this book to find new insights to incorporate into their teaching practices. This book should not only be a must read for instructors but can also be used by parents to help motivate their children's love of knowledge. Finally, to echo another reviewer, the subtitle misleads readers into thinking that this book is specific to education in an urban setting. Duncan-Andrade has written a book that is both essential and relevant to any learning environment.

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There is very little research and writing done by urban educators to document effective practices in urban schools. In response, this book has been written by a long-time urban classroom teacher and coach to provide insight into effective program building and educational practices. The book rejects the up-by-your-bootstraps theory of success, offering in its place a set of concrete strategies to teachers and educational leaders who are committed to fundamentally rethinking the business-as-usual approach which continues to fail urban school children. This book is well-suited for classes working with educational leaders, classroom teachers, sports coaches, and educational researchers.

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The Educated Child: A Parents Guide From Preschool Through Eighth Grade Review

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(More customer reviews)As a mother of three -- one in public school, one in private and one home-schooled -- I am deeply concerned about my children's education. I've lost count of the number of books I've read in the past 16 years on educating children. Some books were worth my time, many were not. Mr. Bennett's book is standing tall at the top of my list of "best reads". I'm sure we all have horror stories coming out of our kids' education (i.e., the huge amount of wasted time in the classroom, the lack of control in the class, the political correctness of revisionist history), but this book really can help. Mr. Bennett begins by explaining the importance of a solid education that engages a child's imagination by first making sure that child can read well. He builds on that by reminding parents that the main responsibility for educating our kids rests on our shoulders, not the school's. The book goes into detail about more than the Three R's, but covers those subjects extremely well, also. He reminds us that as parents it's up to us to speak up and go to bat for our kids throughout their education thus insuring they get the help they need. Throughout the book are checklists, questions to ask your child's teachers, book lists for you to insure that your child reads what is truly worthy of his time, and tips for incorporating the arts into your child's life. This book is like having a one-on-one conversation with a great educator who will give you the confidence you need to take control of your child's education. Help your child succeed by reading this book and then putting it into practice!

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High School's Not Forever Review

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(More customer reviews)I really loved this book. It had a lot of information that most teens do not know. Some teens think they can only talk to their friends about personal things that are bothering them. Students think teachers are just against them and just don't care about them. I know this book relates to me. Some of the stories told by the students, I could relate to. I felt the exact same way they did. I recommend this book to any teen who is having trouble in life and needs help dealing with it or anyone interested in reading a very interesting and educational book.

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Your survival guide to the maze that is the maze that is the high school experience

With real-life stories from teens across the country - as well as high school "survivors" - this book paints a real picture of how teens like you feel about the struggles and triumphs of the daily grind and how they get through it.

If you ever feel like you're on the sidelines or that the pressure to perform, conform or maintain appearances gets to be too much, this is the book for you!

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Using Authentic Video in the Language Classroom (Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers) Review

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(More customer reviews)Jane Sherman offers explanations of the rationale behind using authentic video which are convincing even to the technologically resistant old guard. Classrooms are clearly enlivened and teaching can be rendered more effective with even simple applications of the ideas presented. A glance through the plethora of suggestions inspires the reader to imagine implementing the ideas as soon as possible and to dream up other ways to creatively use film to stimulate authentic communication among students. Sherman has gifted educators with a thorough treatment of ways to use film in the language classroom. I, for one, admit that my teaching is the better for having read and used it. Using Authentic Video in the Language Classroom (Cambridge Handbooks for Language Teachers)

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Using film and video in the classroom is motivating and fun but can be daunting for the teacher. This book guides and supports teachers with plenty of practical suggestions for activities which can be used with drama, soap opera, comedy, sports programmes and documentaries. Many of the activities will lend themselves for use with DVD and webcasts.

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Globalization: Culture and Education in the New Millennium Review

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(More customer reviews)I had a great experience ordering this book! It is a very useful resource and less expensive than my school book store.

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Globalization defines our era. While it has created a great deal of debate in economic, policy, and grassroots circles, many aspects of the phenomenon remain virtual terra incognita. Education is at the heart of this continent of the unknown. This pathbreaking book examines how globalization and large-scale immigration are affecting children and youth, both in and out of schools. Taking into consideration broad historical, cultural, technological, and demographic changes, the contributors--all leading social scientists in their fields--suggest that these global transformations will require youth to develop new skills, sensibilities, and habits of mind that are far ahead of what most educational systems can now deliver. Drawing from comparative and interdisciplinary materials, the authors examine the complex psychological, sociocultural, and historical implications of globalization for children and youth growing up today. The book explores why new and broader global visions are needed to educate children and youth to be informed, engaged, and critical citizens in the new millennium. Published in association with the Ross Institute

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Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook Review

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(More customer reviews)Raising a Gifted Child-A Parenting Success Handbook is a new release from Prufrock Press. Author Carol Fertig writes a popular blog on gifted children at the Prufrock press website, and has many years of experience as a classroom teacher and gifted education specialist.
In the introduction, Fertig states, "There is no one way to define giftedness and no 'correct' prescription for working with highly able individuals. Instead of giving you 'magic' solutions, in this book, I have provided a large menu of strategies, organizations, and web sites to help you help your child learn and develop." She follows through on her promise with an open view of giftedness and myriad ways to encourage learning and personal growth.
I won't run through every chapter here, but I will offer some of the highlights. Chapter One, "Who Is This Kid Anyway?" discusses reasons to test. The author also advises parents not to get hung up on labels or test scores,but to pay attention to strengths and challenges instead.
Chapter Two, "Understanding Gifted Kids" has a useful chart of concomitant characteristics of giftedness. Verbal proficiency, for instance, can be positive when it means a child is articulate, but also negative in cases when the verbal child dominates conversation. A goal oriented individual may get tasks done, but also may be seen as stubborn and inflexible. Recognizing particular tendencies and proclivities will help children to learn to focus on the positive aspects of their strengths. Significant time in this chapter is also devoted to perfectionism, and social skills, asynchrony, and the extrovert/introvert scale are covered as well.
Fertig is a former teacher and parent to two gifted children. In chapter Four, "Parental Responsibilities", she encourages parents to work on improving school situations and not just complaining about them. In her words, "To be effective, parents of bright children have the responsibility to learn as much as they can about gifted education, to work with schools and districts in constructive ways, and to offer enrichment and other learning opportunities outside of school."
Chapter Seven, "Specific Subjects" is full of many suggestions and links for parents and children to explore. Various programs, competitions, print resources and clubs are mentioned, and all are categorized by subject and described by the author. This section in itself is a good reason to buy this book. There are also further resources listed in the back of the guide.
Carol Fertig sees gifted children as unique individuals and her message is clear. She wants parents to know their kids, know their options, and be proactive about providing educational challenges.

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From the author of the nation's most popular blog on parenting gifted children, comes the definitive how-to handbook for parents, Raising a Gifted Child: A Parenting Success Handbook. Raising gifted children isn't easy, but when armed with the practical knowledge and tools in this exciting book, parents can navigate the maze of raising bright kids, leading to success in school and beyond.This book offers a large menu of strategies, resources, organizations, tips, and suggestions for parents to find optimal learning opportunities for their kids, covering the gamut of talent areas, including academics, the arts, technology, creativity, music, and thinking skills. The focus of this definitive resource is on empowering parents by giving them the tools needed to ensure that their gifted kids are happy and successful both in and out of school.Additional topics covered include volunteering at your child's school; different school options and specialty programs; tips for handling special circumstances; specific suggestions for each core content areas; and strategies for finding the best resources for parents on the Web. This easy-to-read book is sure to be a favorite of parents of smart kids for years to come!

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Out of Bounds: When Scholarship Athletes Become Academic Scholars Review

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(More customer reviews)Many athletes have written about their sports journeys; many professors have applied academic theories to sports; but never before have the two genres merged into a riveting book. Using the life stories of six different athletes--each representing a different race and/or gender and/or class--and deftly applying various academic theories, but always in clear English, Jabari Mahiri and Derek van Rheenan extrapolate worlds of meaning from their evidence. In so doing they ask the crucial questions about race, gender, and class in sports, particularly at the intersection of sports and education, and then they provide some remarkable answers. This book is essential reading for everyone interested in sports and education, and it should become a classic in the field.
Review by Murray Sperber, Professor Emeritus of English & American Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, author of Beer and Circus: How Big-Time College Sports Is Crippling Undergraduate Education

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Out of Bounds explores the trajectories and challenges of exceptional men and women athletes who later became outstanding academic scholars. The book reports findings from participatory, qualitative research, and problematizes ways we have come to think about the separation and integration of athletic and academic practices—embodied in both institutions and individuals, and reflected through intersecting categories and experiences of race, gender, and social class. Through the provocative and surprising narratives of gifted athletes who became prolific scholars, this book offers significantly new ways of thinking about the connections, contradictions, and possibilities of sports and schools.

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CliffsAP English Language and Composition Review

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(More customer reviews)I had a really bad experience with my AP Lang class; the teacher never did anything relevant to the AP exam, and all we did was read novels and put together scrapbooks that somehow related to the books. When May arrived, I knew that I was in trouble, and I borrowed this book from my library, and I absolutely attribute my 5 on the exam to it. The practice questions are extremely similar to the real thing, and the explanations are in the right line of thinking that you have to bring the exam in order to do well, and that's all that this exam is about, just how you think. The essay samples are also really well evaluated, and the book offers a glossary on literary terms that you'll have to know. The book is good for quick preparation (I literally had a little over a week with this book) and long-term practice (which is what I wish I had done instead of freaking out a week beforehand). This is definitely the book to get!

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Your complete guide to a higher score on the *AP English Language and Composition examWhy CliffsAP Guides?Go with the name you know and trustGet the information you need--fast!Written by test prep specialistsAbout the contents:Part I: Introduction* Review of the format and scoring of the recent examPart II: Analysis of Exam Areas* Description of the multiple-choice section and effective test-taking techniques* Overview of the essay section and strategies for successPart III: Diagnostic Mini-TestPart IV: Past AP English Language EssaysPart V: Glossary of Important Terms for the ExamPart VI: 6 Practice Tests* 6 full-length practice tests followed by answers and explanationsPart VII: Suggested Reading List*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.AP Test Prep Essentials from the Experts at CliffsNotes?

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Audio in Media Review

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(More customer reviews)This was my college text for Broadcasting in 1984/85 and I taught Radio Production from this book. I am a video editor (Avid) and a freelance audio engineer having mixed/recorded over 500 music performances. I STILL reference this book. It is easy to understand, direct and thorough; maybe the only textbook you might keep.

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In AUDIO IN MEDIA, Ninth Edition, Stanley Alten-internationally recognized as a scholar and expert in the area of audio production-continues to provide students with an introduction to the basic techniques and principles necessary for audio production in today's media. The clear and current illustrations and photos and student-friendly writing in Alten's market-leading text have helped professors effectively teach this technically-based course to thousands of introductory audio production students. Comprehensive, technically accurate, and up-to-date, the text covers informational, perceptual, and aesthetic aspects of sound as they apply to each stage of the production process-from planning to post-production.

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Building Resilience in Children and Teens: Giving Kids Roots and Wings Review

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(More customer reviews)Dr. Ginsburg breaks it down and builds us (and our kids) up. This book helps parents understand why kids have difficulty solving their own problems. The author acknowledges clearly (as a dad of 2 teens himself) how hard it is to get out of the way while our kids are doing the hard work of growing up. Then he teaches us how to give them the skills they need so that we can have confidence in them, and let them face the challenges on their own two feet. Better yet, he tells us WHY we should and gives us the courage to do it.
Building Resilience in Children and Teens builds resilience in parents by boosting our own "7 crucial C's." Dr. Ginsburg practices what he preaches by teaching parents healthy coping mechanisms, building our confidence and competence to handle our children's pain as they make mistakes and learn to fix them on their own.
I echo the reviewer who said "Run, don't walk, to your computer to order this book!"

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Families, schools, and communities can prepare children and teens to THRIVE through both good and challenging times. Building Resilience in Children and Teens offers strategies to help kids from 18 months to 18 years build seven crucial "Cs" - competence, confidence, connection, character, contribution, coping, and control - so they can excel in life and bounce back from challenges. The book describes how to raise authentically successful children who will be happy, hardworking, compassionate, creative, and innovative. Dr. Ginsburg reminds parents that our goal is to think in the present and prepare for the future, to remember that our real goal is to raise children to be successful 35-year-olds. It's about more than immediate smiles or even good grades; it's about raising kids to be emotionally and socially intelligent, to be able to recover from disappointment and forge ahead throughout their lives. The stable connection between caring adults and children is the key to the security that allows kids to creatively master challenges and reach their highest potential. This book offers concrete strategies to solidify those vital family connections.Resilience is also about confronting the overwhelming stress kids face today. This invaluable guide offers coping strategies for facing the stresses of academic performance, high achievement standards, media messages, peer pressure, and family tension. Young people too commonly survive stress by indulging in unhealthy behaviors or by giving up completely The suggested solutions offered here are aimed at building a repertoire of positive coping strategies. Kids who have these healthy strategies in place may be less likely to turn to those quick, easy, but dangerous fixes that adults fear. The book includes a guide for teens to create their own customized positive coping strategies.The second edition of this award-winning book continues to focus on parents, but now also offers wisdom about how schools and communities can best support families. It is updated throughout and entirely new chapters offer strategies on how best to: support military families, confront the negative portrayal of teens, prevent perfectionism and support authentic success. Finally, the book now guides parents how to recharge and rebound when their own resilience reaches its limits.

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Stagg's University: The Rise, Decline, and Fall of Big-Time Football at Chicago (Sport and Society) Review

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(More customer reviews)Problems facing college football programs today include paying players, questionable player eligibility, and the fact that the bottom line is money-money-money. This book shows that these same problems were a factor in the development, rise, and fall of one of the pioneer college football programs.
Book gives insight into the history of the University of Chicago football program. Book focuses on the policy behind opponent scheduling, maintaining the eligibility of marginal students, and the issues of money-money-money. Good review of Stagg's career at the school, where he was viewed as the most important figure at the university for most of his tenure. Fine review of the decision to discontinue the sport, the first school from a major conference to do so.

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For this first case study of college football by a social historian, Lester has brought life to the story of a university football program that had an unusual beginning, a glorious middle, and a unique and inglorious conclusion. The nation's first tenured coach and the most creative and entrepreneurial of all college coaches from the 1890s to the 1920s, Amos Alonzo Stagg headed a program marked by creation of the letterman's club and by the dominant use of the forward pass, of jersey numbers, and of the collegiate modern T formation. Stagg, who had been an all-American football player at Yale University, joined the company of nine former college or seminary presidents and academic notables including John Dewey, Thorstein Veblen, and Albert Michelson when he was named associate professor of physical culture and coach of the football team at the University of Chicago in 1892. Within fifteen years the charismatic Stagg had developed a program so powerful that more Americans knew of it than of the physics experiments of Michelson, who in 1907 became the first U.S. citizen to win the Nobel Prize.The logical commercial trail established by Stagg and University President William Rainey Harper helped change football into a mass entertainment industry on American campuses. This fascinating look at the birth of bigtime college sport shows how today's gridiron glory and scandal were prefigured in Chicago's football industry of the early twentieth century, presided over by the brilliant, combative, saintly, but very human Amos Alonzo Stagg.

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Jackie's Nine: Jackie Robinson's Values to Live By Review

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(More customer reviews)but I also seldom read a book this good. With chapters on Courage, Determination, Teamwork, Persistence, Integrity, Citizenship, Justice, Commitment and Excellence, this book can be read in one sitting or by the chapter (as each is an individual story). Some of the writing is Sharon's and some of it is Jackie's. Others contribute, including Roger Kahn, Christopher Reeve & Jackie's wife, Rachel. Baseball fans will enjoy stories detailing Jackie's initial meeting with Branch Rickey, stealing home in the World Series and his relationship PeeWee Reese. This is a great book to read with your children or to your children.

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Sports Psychology For Dummies (For Dummies (Lifestyles Paperback)) Review

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(More customer reviews)As an educator of 36 years, holding an MS Degree (plus 60 hrs.
of continued Graduate credit) and awarded Master Teacher of Ohio
status, I find this book a great resource for anyone interested
in helping children create a balanced life! Most prevalent in the
news recently are the multitude of head injuries and other lifelong
injuries caused by inappropriate expectations of parents and coaches
for young children to achieve physical (sports related)accomplishments beyond their developmental capabilities. Be sure to read the section entitled "Differentiating Between Your Motivation and Your Kids'(motivation)!" This is a "real-life" manual for all
adults seeking to create a healthier future for our children!

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Acquiring the winning edge in sports-the mental edge
Mental conditioning is now seen by many to be as critical to sports success as physical conditioning. And for parents eager to ensure their children have a winning edge-as well as a future college scholarship-nothing could be more critical to success. This book offers readers a comprehensive program to gain that winning edge, providing training tips and techniques along with helpful advice to keep in mind while competing. With practical advice on how to strengthen concentration (and when you shouldn't concentrate), talk yourself into winning, and develop routines that will lead to consistent improvement, the book's full personalized program will help any athlete gain over time the winning edge in any sport
With tips on how to regulate your energy to avoid exhaustion; and how to enhance your team's chemistry through sports psychology
Loaded with real-world examples from amateur and professional sports of all kinds

Applicable to not only sports-but business as well-Sports Psychology For Dummies will enhance any competitor's motivation, focus, and will to win, when facing life's toughest challenges.

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