"Teaching and Assessing Spelling" Mary Jo Fresch & Aileen Wheaton

2002, 155 pgs, Scholastic Teaching Resources, USA.

Following on from "Spelling Smart", "Teaching and Assessing Spelling" nicely creates an umbrella program - more like a philosophy, actually - that both programs can co-exist in. (In fact, it was nice to note "Spelling Smart" in the bibliography of "Teaching and Assessing Spelling", confirming the complementary nature of both programs.)

"Teaching and Assessing Spelling" similarly rejects the old model of memorisation, both as a demoralising and incorrect model of spelling instruction. The focus is once again on conceptual learning of spelling patterns, providing a thorough sequence in which to learn these through (although, the authors are quick to note that this is not necessarily to be adhered to in strict sequential order).

Fresch and Wheaton have developed their own assessment method, dubbed the SKI - for Spelling Knowledge Inventory - which will work for any child from prep to the upper grades. They range from I to IV. The stages match developmental stages that the authors identify early on, specifically:

- I. Print and Symbol Awareness

- II. Print and Sound Awareness

- III. Print and Sound Connections

- IV. Self-Reliance

The authors point out that at all stages of spelling - or, as they prefer, word study - students are in need of direct and tailored instruction in order to consolidate and progress their level of understanding. They note that the stages are on a continuum, so at any particular stage, students may have one foot in one, and one foot in the other.

The book is replete with examples that demonstrate how to use the SKI Assessment, and also what to do with the results. They provide examples and suggestions of how to program for spelling instruction that focuses on discovery and word patterns, without really demanding that you adhere to any particular model. There is similarly a focus on etymology as a way to discover words in their irregularities, and to foster enthusiasm in words.

An extensive appendix is included, that facilitates creation of your specific SKI Assessments through word banks and forms.

As with "Spelling Smart", I believe that this program will encourage a richer, more thorough knowledge of spelling in students, and furthermore, will assist a burgeoning appreciation of words. As Fresch and Wheaton say in "Teaching and Assessing Spelling", "you'll begin to look at words in a different way" - both yourself and students.

"Spelling Smart" Cynthia M Stowe

2002, 415 pgs, Jossey-Bass Publishers, USA.

"Spelling Smart" is a complete spelling program that incorporates best practice research, and importantly, considers the child at the centre. It is specifically for students with spelling difficulties. There is a short section at the beginning outlining the theory, discussing implementation, and diagnostic assessments to use to prepare your students for the program. Most of the book is comprised of the 40 lessons that make up the program.

It is a valuable program that dismisses the old practice of memorisation - that is, having students memorise a list of words, with a weekly test to see how they fared. Stowe points out that this is actually a test of memorisation, not spelling skill, so the learning is not conceptual. The program aims to teach spelling with an understanding of the regular spelling patterns. Students are charged with discovering the different sounds that the English language can make, and at the same time, build their self-confidence as they make real learning progress.

The program focuses on the regular spelling patterns - not the irregularities that are so often talked about, the "spelling demons". Stowe mentions that the regular spelling patterns make up about 85% of words (p18), thus the bulk of the program should be about the regular patterns. The remainder are dealt with through regular use (not memorisation), reading, and noticing through reading or modeling.

Etymology (the study of word origins) is encouraged as both a way to explain the inconsistencies in the English language and nurture a fascination with language that can facilitate further interest in study.

Spelling lessons focus on using words in context, and highlighting spelling patterns through a range of different activities. A number of reproducibles are offered for each unit.

"Spelling Smart" is a sequential, systematic spelling program, that focuses on real learning of spelling patterns, thus leading to better spellers and writers. With students at the centre, this program is a bedrock for students with spelling difficulties, and will boost their confidence as they progress.

"Notebook Know-how: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook" Aimee Buckner

2005, 127 pgs, Stenhouse Publishers, USA.

Aimee Buckner shares her experiences in the classroom with writer's notebook - and she has a wealth of experience. "Notebook Know-how" provides a lot of useful, practical and accessible strategies to use in your own writer's workshop, specifically for the writer's notebook.

The writer's notebook is a tool - wonderfully underscored in the this book - that enables a writer to practise the craft of writing. Buckner begins by stating that her class writes a lot, some filling up two whole notebooks in a year. Through this essential practise, real progress with skill and strategy can take place.

And strategy is key. This book is replete with strategies that you can use immediately in your own classroom, such as "history of a name". At this point, I will make the distinction that Buckner does - this is a book of strategies, not writing prompts. With strategies, student writers can learn a craft, and begin working towards independence. A writing prompt will only suffice to help in the moment.

Strategies are provided for all facets of the development of the notebook - beginning (launching), expanding topics, writing from reading, genre study, editing and assessing. Each strategy is genuine, and I can see the real teaching and learning in it. There is a handy summary of the strategies in a table at the beginning of the book. Buckner also has her class keep a handy reference list of the strategies taught at the back of their notebook - easy to use when needed, and also a way to encourage responsibility for learning.

Bucker somewhat echoes the teaching style of Debbie Miller, in her use of modeling with rich literature all of the time. She also keeps a writer's notebook, and shares some of her entries as mini-lesson examples. With these real examples for lesson fodder, a real lesson can take place. Students will be able to see the purpose of the lesson when the example before them demonstrates it.

"Notebook Know-how" is a purposeful and essential part of teaching writer's notebooks. Use it to help bring the best out of student writers.

"Words, Words, Words" Janet Allen

1999, 160 pgs, Stenhouse Publishers, USA.

"Words, Words, Words" is all about vocabulary (if you didn't already work it out by the title), and Janet Allen presents this rather robust volume packed with strategies and lesson ideas. Allen begins by acknowledging the nebulous art of vocabulary instruction - in which it is mostly delivered in a skill-drill method - and many teachers' frustrations with this. The ever-present push for improved test scores often drives teachers to this method, believing that it is one way that will deliver results.

In short, no, this method does not work. Allen's research, presented early in the book, shows that vocabulary is best taught in context, accompanied by copious amounts of reading. The rather dry method of presenting a word list, and then sending children off to find the definitions of those words, will not ensure they learn the words. Further to this thought, they may be able to remember the word until the test perhaps, but won't learn the word. They haven't conceptualised the word and taken it to heart.

Allen provides a large number of strategies and lesson outlines, based on excellent suggestions for integrating vocabulary instruction into a busy classroom. Underpinning the suggestions is the idea of matching vocabulary instruction with reading. For example, pre-teaching words that may be encountered in a guided reading text, or shared text, is recommended, though forget the tell the definitions business. Allen provides excellent outlines and lesson ideas that encourage discussion among students about vocabulary, and enables them to interact with the words they are about to use - truly thinking about the words they know and can learn.

A tenet in this book is to encourage the joy of words and word play. Allen lists through a descriptive bibliography a large range of useful references for sharing this joy of words. It is important that students take these new words they encounter and work with them as they learn. Allen states, "words should be used in a meaningful context between ten and fifteen times". (Ch 3) This is supported by her research, that leads vocabulary knowledge through different stages. (Ch 2)

Allen quotes research by Nagy et al (1987) stating that "from 25 to 50% of annual vocabulary growth can be attributed to incidental learning from context while reading" (Ch 2), showing us the importance of reading in our learning environments, and lots of it.

Vocabulary instruction is an essential part of that literacy learning, and this book will help you to integrate it into your reading lessons.

"Reading with Meaning" Debbie Miller

2006, 209pgs, published by Stenhouse Publishers, USA.

Debbie Miller is an inspirational teacher, who lives and breathes her teaching, infusing the classroom with her personality. It is clear to see through her writing in her book, "Reading with Meaning". She takes us on a journey of a year with her year 1 class of 27. By the end of the year, they are reading with comprehension rich enough that you would be pleased if a year 4 student spoke with such confidence!

The beginning third of the book is comprised of how she sets up her classroom, ideas and ethos. Miller writes with a friendly, conversational style that is easy to digest. Of course, it helps that her ideas are fantastic and worth reading! Her passion, dedication and rigour are palpable through the pride she expresses in her class, and the evidence she presents.

The next section of the book delves deeper - how to get into teaching and learning comprehension. Specifically, Miller discusses schema, creating mental images, inferring, asking questions, importance, non-fiction comprehension, and synthesising. Granted, it is a lot to cover, but, by about half-way through this set of comprehension strategies, you get a feel for the method that Miller uses. She is deliberate and strategic when introducing and implementing new skills and concepts, and follows a particular method (which is discussed in the beginning section).

Miller provides evidence at the end of each strategy chapter, showing the confidence and level of understanding of her students with each skill. She uses rich literature, mostly picture books, as her examples when modeling during lessons, and provides an excellent list of books at the end of the book (and each chapter).

This book is filled with lots of "wow" moments - things that I am inspired to try. I can now see a clearer way, and a more deliberate way, to teach comprehension. I will be returning to this book for suggestions for future lessons.

"Classroom Discussions: Using Math Talk to Help Students Learn" Chapin, O'Connor and Anderson

2003, 204pgs, published by Math Solutions Publications, USA.

Classroom Discussions provides an excellent resource for bringing discussion into your maths lessons. It is a carefully structured book - first providing the background for the approach, the theory, the strategies themselves, and finally some vignettes, that I always find useful to put the strategies into context. In fact, the strategies are outlined using vignettes, enabling us to really see their effectiveness.

The "talk moves" suggested are in actuality nothing terribly new, just new in this context of mathematics discussion. If you are the kind of teacher used to giving out questions or worksheets, and telling students answers, then this will be a quite different approach. This approach is probably more used in subjects that lend themselves easily to inquiry - science, humanities, even literacy studies. But this book will show you that mathematics, too, can be discussed in an inquiry fashion.

By using the five talk moves suggested, your maths lessons will be richer, and student understanding will be deeper. Isn't that what we're on about?

The authors make a few poignant points early on in the book. This method of discussion will also assist the students in their development of self-regulation, as it provides the necessary practise they will need to hone that skill (p8). Students must provide evidence for their claims - especially if they are going to disagree with another student (p9). The ground rules for respectful discourse must be laid down early, as the kind of discussions they will be having require it.

When mathematical concepts are logical in fashion, for example, 2 cats and 2 dogs, how many animals? then a discussion can be had based around it (probably not that example though!). However, when concepts are linked to social conventions, such as mathematical symbols, there is no way for students to 'discover' this by themselves, so it is better to just tell them. (p18)

The vignettes at the end of the book are illustrative, in that the first one (out of two) goes horribly wrong, and it is made clear how to fix the problems. One of the things I noticed in the that vignette is that students are required to ask other students to repeat what they had said if they did not hear or were not listening. I think that is a valuable tool, as it makes students responsible for their listening and learning - encouraging them to take a more active role in it.

I will be slowly activating these talk moves into my maths classes - but, as the authors warn, only limiting myself to one new thing at a time!

"How to Give Effective Feedback to your Students" Susan M. Brookhart

2008, 113pgs, published by ASCD USA.

Feedback is a powerful tool that a teacher can wield, and used correctly, can make the different between quality learning, and ineffective learning. And so, in this book by Susan M. Brookhart (who has an extensive career in this specific field of education), feedback itself is dissected so that each teacher who reads it can add it - as effective feedback - to their toolbox.

Brookhart begins by outlining at first what effective feedback is. There is a clear difference between good and bad feedback, and it can make the difference in particular in the learner and their motivations. There are a number of things at play within a student's mind when attempting to learn - the least of which is the actual task. Prior learning, self-confidence, self-efficacy, and more, cogitate together to form a response, making it difficult to follow any kind of script. Therefore, teachers need to get better at giving good feedback, and there are hallmarks of this.

Ensuring the correct timing, amount (of feedback), mode and audience are important. Then you have feedback content to ensure: focus (should primarily be the task or process), comparison (again, should either be criteria or self-referenced), function, and valence (always positive, always positive).

Brookhart goes on to assist with both written and oral feedback. There is a time and place for both, depending on the age of student, in particular, and the task that you are talking about. There are some great ideas from vignettes that I believe I will use very soon. For example, there is a test review sheet, that draws attention to why a student got a question wrong (rather than telling them why yourself). This process brings out students own self-efficacy in themselves as learners, and challenges them to improve themselves. That is the real meaning of scaffolding, I believe.

There are also content-specific suggestions for feedback, which really outline that good feedback can span all areas. It really doesn't change much, as long as it is phrased correctly. Finally, Brookhart looks at how best to differentiate feedback for different types of learners. She underscores the fact that all learners deserve feedback, as all learners can benefit from it.

"Rethinking Homework" Cathy Vatterott

2009, 180 pgs, published by ASCD USA.

"Rethinking Homework" is for those questioning the role homework has in our teaching, and indeed, in our students' very lives. I have always found homework a difficult area to settle effectively, there are many considerations, and not limited to the teacher's own. Parents weigh in on this matter, and the students themselves are a part of the field.

Vatterott writes well. You can feel her own frustrations with homework that led her to begin writing the book. She begins by outlining a little homework history, and within is a reminder of the place of school at the turn of the 20th century. School is a very different place, yet homework, to some degree, remains the same! (p3)

She urges us to confront our own dubiously held beliefs that homework is "sacred", and cannot be altered. Many of these beliefs are held without questions - it is an accepted cultural dogma that exists beyond us. I must admit that I was surprised that I, too, held those beliefs. Here I was, thinking that I was progressive! The "swinging pendulum" (p25) of the homework movement has in itself created a divisive arena of opinions on what homework is best.

Vatterott spends an entire chapter (Ch 2) addressing the role of homework within the family. This is not out of place, considering that homework takes place in the home. I noted a great respect for variation amongst family values - and a great variation exists. Nonetheless, it is important - regardless of any congruence with your own beliefs - to convey this respect when issuing homework. If we are to gain any effective partnership with parents, then this point is underscored.

Another belief is communicated, that of teachers being underprepared to plan, distribute and develop homework themselves. Teachers do not learn about homework when training at university. Teachers learn how to "do" homework from other teachers, or from a school policy. Either way, they are continuations of what happened before. In other words, homework, the "old way" is maintained.

Vatterott provides some excellent surveys and forms to engage parents and students in more productive methods of homework. I have used some of them already, and can see a changing opinion of homework within the year level. Students are beginning to see homework as purposeful, and something that can assist with being more productive with study.

Chapter 3 goes on to look at (mostly) recent homework research, in particular pointing at some of the flaws of this research in educational discussions. In essence, most of the research is either "broken" in some way, or limited in its capacity to assist us as educators. But, thankfully, we are not left there despairing. Vatterott goes on to provide us with some inalienable tenants about learning that can be applied to homework.

Chapter 4 and 5 are practically-minded, and will provide you with enough material to begin your own rethinking on homework. Chapter 5 in particular offers some vignettes of schools and teachers that have made efforts to improve their schools' homework practices.

I found "Rethinking Homework" a timely, hopeful, and useful book, which I will continue to use to inform my own homework procedures. Anyone who wishes to update their own homework practice to a more research-based method, that is modern and more respectful of both students and families, will find this book helpful. What we know about students, and the way they learn, has been transformed in the last 10-20 years. It is time then, that homework is brought into line with this knowledge.