“God, please help me...another game of Candy Land...” Quite a few dads spend time with their kids. However, many have no clue what their kids really need. Enter author Jay Payleitner, veteran dad of five, who’s also struggled with how to build up his children’s lives. His 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad combines straightforward features with step-up-to-the-mark challenges men will appreciate: a full year’s worth of focused, doable ideas—one per week, if desired uncomplicated ways to be an example, like “kiss your wife in the kitchen” tough, frank advice, like “throw away your porn” And, refreshingly... NO exhaustive (and exhausting) lists of “things you should do” NO criticism of dads for being men and acting like men Dads will feel respected and empowered, and gain confidence to initiate activities that build lifelong positives into their kids. Great gift or men’s group resource!

Be your child's best advocate! Children with special needs who succeed in school have one thing in common--their parents are passionate and effective advocates. It's not an easy job, but with The Everything Parent's Guide to Special Education, you will learn how to evaluate, prepare, organize, and get quality services, no matter what your child's disability. This valuable handbook gives you the tools you need to navigate the complex world of special education and services, with information on: Assessment and evaluation Educational needs for different disabilities, including multiple disabilities Current law, including the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Working within the school system to create an IEP The importance of keeping detailed records Dealing with parent-school conflict With worksheets, forms, and sample documents and letters, you can be assured that you'll have all you need to help your child thrive--in school and in life!

Karen Quinn has successfully taught hundreds of parents how to prepare their children for testing, and Testing For Kindergarten is her ultimate, comprehensive guide to having fun while teaching to the underlying abilities every test assesses. Whether your child is going to a private kindergarten or a public school, he or she will most likely be tested—and placed in classrooms according to those results. But information about intelligence tests is closely guarded, and it can be difficult to understand what your kids need to know. As an expert who has successfully taught hundreds of parents how to work with their own children, Karen Quinn has written the ultimate guide to preparing your child for kindergarten testing. The activities she suggests are not about “teaching to the test.” They are about having fun while teaching to the underlying abilities every test assesses. From the “right” way to have a conversation to natural ways to bring out your child’s inner math geek, Quinn shares the techniques that every parent can do with their kids to give them the best chance to succeed in school and beyond. It’s just good parenting—and better test scores are icing on the cake.

For Assessment courses in Early Childhood Education. One of the most accessible and practical textbooks available on assessing young children from infancy through age 8. It provides the full range of types of assessment and how, when, and why to use them. An excellent introduction to assessing young children, Assessment in Early Childhood Education continues with the inclusion of all types of assessments that can be used with infants and young children. Key changes and updates to this edition include: updated and streamlined figures, examples, and models of assessment that aid pre-service teachers to learn how to apply the principles of quality assessments; new activities at the end of the chapters provide opportunities for students to apply their own performance activities to demonstrate understanding of chapter contents; the effects of No Child Left Behind have been updated; newly revised information on children from diverse cultures and languages and children with disabilities has been added; and information on new and current trends toward accountability are discussed, as well as the impact of high-stakes testing.

Written expressly for early childhood educators, and those who support their professional development, this handbook distills essential knowledge about how to help all PreK-3 learners succeed. Leading experts describe doable ways to create effective learning environments and implement instructional practices with a strong evidence base. Engaging vignettes illustrate discussions of such topics as differentiated instruction, response to intervention, the Common Core standards, social and emotional learning, assessment, and teaching across the curriculum. Each chapter links cutting-edge research to practical applications, examples, and professional development activities.