Math coach, Kassia Omohundro Wedekind and literacy coach, Christy Hermann Thompson, have spent years comparing notes on how to build effective classroom communities across the content areas. How, they wondered, can we lay the groundwork for classroom conversations that are less teacher-directed and more conducive to student-to-student dialogue? Their answers start with Hands-Down Conversations, an innovative discourse structure in which students' ideas and voices take the lead while teachers focus on listening and facilitating. In addition to classrom stories and examples, Christy and Kassia provide 28 micro-lessons designed to help K-5 students develop and excercise their speaking and listening muscles. Inside Hands Down, Speak Out you'll learn how to: Build talk communities that are accessible to everyone, especially those whose voices are often traditionally left out of classroom discourse. Analyze classroom conversations in order to plan next steps for developing the classroom talk community Plan and facilitate three types of conversations across literacy and math Christy and Kassia believe that the development of dialogue skills is worth the investment of time not only becuase it has the power to deepen our understanding of literacy and mathematics, but also to deepen our understanding of ourselves, our communities, and the world.

"Hands Down, Speak Out is an innovative book that looks at how we can teach students how to talk and listen to one another, without all discourse running through the teacher. Kassia is a math coach and Christy is a literacy coach. Together, they show how to teach dialogue "micro-lessons" alongside content, both within and across math and literacy, so students become increasingly skilled and independent in conversations. Their hope is that students will have better, deeper discourse within the content areas, and also beyond the classroom"--

Based on over 1000 nationwide student surveys, these 10 deep engagement strategies help you implement achievement-based cooperative learning. Includes video and a survey sample.

Traditionally, small-group math instruction has been used as a format for reaching children who struggle to understand. Math coach Kassia Omohundro Wedekind uses small-group instruction as the centerpiece of her math workshop approach, engaging all students in rigorous "math exchanges." The key characteristics of these mathematical conversations are that they are: 1) short, focused sessions that bring all mathematical minds together, 2) responsive to the needs of the specific group of mathematicians, and 3) designed for meaningful, guided reflection. As in reading and writing workshop, students in math workshop become self-directed and independent while participating in a classroom community of learners. Through the math exchanges, students focus on number sense and the big ideas of mathematics. Teachers guide the conversations with small groups of students, mediating talk and thinking as students share problem-solving strategies, discuss how math works, and move toward more effective and efficient approaches and greater mathematical understanding. Although grounded in theory and research, Math Exchanges: Guiding Young Mathematicians in Small Group Meetings is written for practicing teachers and answers such questions as the following: How can I use a math workshop approach and follow a certain textbook or set of standards? How should I form small groups? How often should I meet with small groups? What should I focus on in small groups? How can I tell if my groups are making progress? What do small-group math exchanges look like, sound like, and feel like?

Before he was "Big Texas," he was "Zac the Snack Pack."Bianca Brannen knows time-mostly-heals all wounds. Including those your once loved ones might have unintentionally given you. (Those just take longer.)She thinks she's ready when a call has her walking back into her old friend's life. Or at least as prepared as possible to see the starting quarterback in the National Football Organization. Before the lights, the fans, and the millions, he'd been a skinny kid with a heart of gold. Waltzing out of Zac Travis's life should be easy. Just as easy as he walked out of hers.

If you've ever wished that learning math could be more joyful and playful for young learners, you're not alone. In Joyful Math: Invitations to Play and Explore in the Early Childhood Classroom, kindergarten teacher Deanna Pecaski McLennan opens her classroom doors to share the practical, yet innovative ways she integrates mathematical play throughout the school day. Each chapter of this easy-to-navigate, photo-filled book focuses on specific strategies, activities and examples of mathematical play within literacy, art, and outdoor explorations. Inside Joyful Mathyou'll find: A photo guide, including suggested tools and materials, to setting up a classroom environment and space that fosters mathematical curiosity and joy Dozens of open-ended and teacher-guided mathematical activities that are simple to set up and full of mathematical possibility Practical tips for including mathematical play across the day Suggestions and examples of ways to document and share children's learning experiences with families and communities Joyful Math will inspire educators to make space for joy and play in early childhood mathematics and give them the tools to make this vision a reality.

The bestselling, award-winning modern classic Speak is now a stunning graphic novel—adapted by Laurie Halse Anderson herself and brought to life visually by Eisner Award winner Emily Carroll. "Speak up for yourself—we want to know what you have to say." From the first moment of her freshman year at Merryweather High, Melinda knows this is a big lie, part of the nonsense of high school. She is friendless, an outcast, because she busted an end-of-summer party by calling the cops. Now nobody will talk to her, let alone listen to her. As time passes, Melinda becomes increasingly isolated and practically stops talking altogether. Only her art class offers any solace, and it is through her work on an art project that she is finally able to face what really happened at that terrible party: she was raped by an upperclassman, a guy who still attends Merryweather and is still a threat to her. Her healing process has just begun when she has another violent encounter with him. But this time Melinda fights back—and refuses to be silent. The groundbreaking National Book Award Finalist and Michael L. Printz Honor Book about consent, healing, and finding your voice comes alive for new audiences and fans of the original novel in Speak: The Graphic Novel.