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Both the new national curriculum in Australia and the Common Core State Standards in America have identified literacy as a cross-curricular capability that is critical to school and future success. This book will assist content-area teachers in understanding and teaching the literacy skills that apply to their various subjects. The role of literacy learning in humanities and social studies, science and technical subjects is explained in detail, including examples of lessons designed to ensure student mastery. Although the focus of the book is on unpacking the Common Core, there is significant correspondence with the Australian Curriculum, and Australian teachers will find much of value for enhancing their instruction.

Each thematic unit integrates activities across the curriculum in English, maths, science, social studies, art, music and life skills. Many of these activities encourage cooperative learning and suggestions, and patterns for display boards are provided. Culminating activities enable students to synthesise their knowledge in order to create products that can be shard beyond the classroom. Each thematic unit includes: literature selections, planning guides, writing ideas, homework suggestions, curriculum connections, group projects, a culminating activity and a reading list. Each book provides activities and lesson ideas based on two or more popular children’s stories.

You’ve probably heard that teaching is a journey. So . . . where are you on yours?

That all depends on which challenges you’re currently facing. Trying to solve them all at once would lead to disorientation and burnout, so where to start? For guidance, join five of America’s leading thinkers, consultants and writers on teaching and learning as they demonstrate the power of self-reflection to achieve ever-deeper insights into your own strengths – and ever-better results from your students.

Research shows that vocabulary is the best support for students’ comprehension of narrative and information texts. Often, vocabulary instruction focuses on a few target words in specific texts. However, to understand the many new words in complex texts students need to know how words work. This book, written by an award-winning authority on reading instruction, shows teachers how to make small changes to teach more words and also how words work. Many of these small changes involve enrichments to existing vocabulary practices, such as word walls and conversations with students. Each chapter includes descriptions of teachers’ implementation of small changes to support big gains in students’ vocabulary. This book offers practical steps that F-8 teachers can use in any reading program.

Educators know engagement when they see it, but can they articulate how it forms? In Loving What They Learn: Research-Based Strategies to Increase Student Engagement, Alexander McNeece explains how competence, autonomy, relatedness and relevance are the keys to engagement, and from those connections, a cycle of self-efficacy emerges. Knowing the science behind behaviours and how to increase student competence and autonomy, foster healthy relationships and connect content to real life means F-12 teachers and administrators can create a culture where all students dive deep into their learning.

Theresa A. Roberts is currently a senior research associate at the Oregon Research Institute and an independent consultant for PreF–Year 2 professional and programmatic development in literacy for English-fluent and emergent bilingual children. She conducts classroom-based research on vocabulary learning and reading foundations. Her most recent research, funded by a grant from the United States Institute of Education Science (IES), is designed to determine the most effective classroom instruction for teaching preschool children the alphabet. She is a professor emeritus at the California State University, Sacramento.

Theresa R. Fitzgerald has been a fourth grade teacher with the Linden Community Schools since 1992, shortly after graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree through the University of Michigan-Flint. She earned her master's degree in Math/Science Elementary Education through Eastern Michigan University. Theresa has presented maths and science workshops and staff development locally, and has been involved in the development of science and maths curriculum. Her latest ventures involve increasing the use of technology across the curriculum and developing science activities.

Dr. Harms is Director of Curriculum Development at the FPG Child Development Institute and Research Professor Emerita in the School of Education, UNC-CH. Dr. Harms is recognised internationally for her work in assessing the quality of educational and care settings. She has also developed a variety of curriculum materials and staff training resources. Dr. Harms has provided extensive in-service training and consultation in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia.