Sunday, January 6, 2013

Differentiating Instruction with Menus for the Inclusive Classroom: Language Arts Grades 6-8, by Laurie E. Westphal


Differentiating Instruction with Menus for the Inclusive Classroom:
Language Arts Grades 6-8
Author: Laurie E. Westphal
Editor: Sean Redmond
Publisher: Prufrock Press
Publication date: November 1, 2012

I can't say enough great things about this series. On the other hand, I'm a preschool teacher, so my lesson planning looks a lot different than that described in this book, so why should you believe me? Because I'm an awesome book reviewer, that's why!

And also because my partner Mike teaches middle school English and Social Studies (junior high, as it's known here in Canada) and this is what he had to say:
"I particularly liked the way the choice boards were set up with 'free choice' options. Like in the bingo or tic-tac-toe menus, the whole board may have different things like "write a newspaper article" or "create a children's book" but then in the centre there'll  be "free choice." Of course the kid is going to choose that. But the trick is for 'free choice' they actually have to come up with their own project idea and write a proposal explaining it and get it approved before they even start. But writing a proposal is something you can grade them on! So it's like getting them to do a bonus assignment before they even do the real assignment. And the whole time the student is thinking he's getting away with something because he chose the 'free choice' square. Genius."
I couldn't have said it better myself.

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Differentiation That Really Works: Math (6-12)


Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program Primary 2


How to Handle Difficult Parents 2nd ed. Proven Solutions for Teachers


Changing Tomorrow 2



Differentiation Instruction with Menus for the Inclusive Classroom: Social Studies (6-8)


Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from the publisher for the purposes of writing a review, though the review did not necessarily need to be favourable, just honest. I frequently read and review books for this reason, but I am always very truthful (and, I hope, fair) in my reviews. Therefore any opinions expressed are strictly my own (except in the case of educational resource books, in which case I often consult other educators to help me assess the books, which I usually mention in my reviews).

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