This honest, clearly written, and accessible book shows how to use Family Dialogue Journals (FDJs) to increase and deepen learning across grade levels. Written by K–12 teachers who have been implementing and studying the use of weekly journals for several years, it shares what they have learned and why they have found FDJs to be an invaluable tool for forming effective partnerships with families. Learn from first-hand accounts how students write weekly about one big idea they have studied, ask a family member a related question, and then solicit their writing in the journal. Through these journal entries, they share their family knowledge with classmates while actively engaging with the curriculum. In turn, teachers extend the academic discussion by writing to each family and incorporating their funds of knowledge into classroom lessons—writing about everything from the use of thermometers to life in Michoacán, Mexico. Family participation in the FDJs is remarkably high across ages, ethnicities, and economic realities. “This is an incredibly readable book that is highly useful for teachers, teacher educators, and university researchers interested in this powerful practice. The descriptions of the classrooms are riveting and exemplify the kind of teaching we would all like to see in every classroom.” —Kathy Schultz, dean and professor, Mills College “Family Dialogue Journals is a beautiful, socially conscious book offering so much wisdom for curriculum, classroom norms, and creating learning-focused contexts. Readers will be immersed in classroom contexts, teachers’ decisionmaking processes, and practical advice about how to foster a humble, genuine, ongoing dialogue built upon mutual respect and openness with their students and students’ families. Family Dialogue Journals doesn’t just demonstrate the power of interpersonal relationships, it links those dialogues and relationships directly to curriculum and supporting students’ critical literacies of both community and academic ways of knowing and being Family Dialogue Journals is a beautiful, socially conscious book offering so much wisdom for curriculum, classroom norms, and creating learning-focused contexts.” —Stephanie Jones, professor, University of Georgia

"Amy Carney talks straight about the problems parents face when it comes to raising a child in today's complicated world and then shares practical advice, solutions and strategies on how to better connect family values with your behaviors, attitudes, and decisions while simultaneously preparing your son or daughter for adulthood. In this book, you'll learn how to better: LEAD: Embrace your parental authority. LOVE: Cultivate a strong and connected family culture. LAUNCH: Prepare your child for adulthood"--Amazon.com.

Promote a climate of trust, academic growth, and positive behavior by launching each school day with a whole class gathering. This comprehensive, user-friendly book shows you how to hold Responsive ClassroomMorning Meetings, a powerful teaching tool used by hundreds of thousands of teachers in K-8 schools. In the new edition of this essential text, you'll find: Step-by-step, practical guidelines for planning and holding Responsive Classroom Morning Meetings in K-8 classroomsDescriptions of Morning Meeting in action in real classrooms100 ideas for greetings, sharing, activities, and messages: some tried-and-true and some newUpdated information on sharingGuidance on adapting meeting components for different ages and abilities, including upper grades and English Language Learners.Explanations of how Morning Meeting supports mastery of Common Core State Standards, 21st century skills, and core competencies enumerated by the Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL).

(sponsored by the Family School Community Partnership Issues SIG) Promising Practices for Engaging Families in Literacy fulfills the need from parents and teachers to improve home/school assistance in every child’s literacy development. Literacy skills are required and valued in all academic areas and at all levels of education from preschool through adulthood. This volume provides suggestions and support to improve parent/child involvement in literacy activities from preschool through teacher education programs. Research is provided to undergird the documented practices that increase student academic achievement through improved literacy skills across academic areas. Practices include connections between home and school across age groups, developmental needs groups, universities, community groups, and technologies.

On the frontline of critical issues in education today, this volume covers new ground for teachers and teacher educators for whom crisis is a daily part of their work. Exploring the relationship between crisis and literacy, its aims are to improve educators’ ability to recognize, cope with, and avoid crisis, and to advance their understanding of the dynamic relationship between crisis and cultural, historical, and political literacy practices.

Programming & Planning in Early Childhood Settings explores a range of approaches to curriculum and to documenting children's learning in early childhood settings. This valuable resource for early childhood education students and practitioners provides a broad view of the concepts and issues in early childhood curriculum. Chapters reflect ongoing discussions about what is meant by the terms 'planning' and 'programming' in the context of early childhood, what is authentic curriculum for young children, and effective teaching strategies to extend young children's learning. The strong focus on sociocultural theories of learning promotes awareness of children's diverse experiences, competencies and learning styles, and helps readers recognise the need for collaborative partnerships between educators, children and families in order to develop appropriate programs. Thoroughly revised and updated, this new edition shows how chapters of the text are relevant to the Australian Professional Standards for teachers, and highlights connections to the school-based context. Numerous real-life examples, reflections, articles and case studies assist students to understand a variety of educational theories, philosophies and frameworks. Throughout the book there is a focus on the processes of reflection, evaluation and ongoing improvement.