Summer is a great time to rest, recharge, and allow your mind to think and plan for the upcoming school year. I know I always had overambitious summer plans of what I was going to do, and most didn’t happen, but I usually was able to get through a good PD book to help inspire me for the year. Today I want to share with you 5 books I have recently read to help you find one that is a perfect fit for your summer reading! I will share a brief overview, why I liked it, and who else might like it. I also have to share a little secret…I kinda have a problem with buying PD books, so make sure you leave your favorite in the comments below so I can add more to my Amazon shopping cart!
1. EL Excellence Every Day by: Tonya Ward Singer I absolutely loved this book and would highly recommend it to any teacher of ELLs. The ideas are laid out in an easy-to-use, simple format and really helped me take a very in-depth topic and break it down into bite-size pieces. This would be a great place to start for a classroom teacher that is trying to better support the ELLs in their classroom. There are a ton of practical, easy-to-implement ideas and examples. Click the picture to find it on Amazon!
2. Unlocking English Learners’ Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible by Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney Snyder. This was another great read when it comes to growing in the knowledge of how to support ELLs in the mainstream classroom. Diane and Sydney share a wealth of knowledge and depth about this topic. I would recommend it for teachers who have worked with ELLs for a while because the material is very meaty and could be overwhelming for a new teacher. My favorite part of this book was all the different checklists and charts they provide to get a clear idea of how to begin co-teaching, working with ells and more. Click the picture below to get yourself a copy!
3. The Writing Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo This is one of those must-have books for your resource library. The best part is it is a wealth of ideas for supporting your students in writing in a variety of methods. This would be a great book to skim through during the summer so that you are familiar with the process and strategies before the year begins. It will then become a “go-to” book for all things writing-related. If you have been struggling with supporting ELLs in writing, this is a great book to help you with that! Click the picture below to grab your copy.
4. Disrupting Thinking: Why HOW We Read Matters by Kylene Beers and Robert E. Probst. One of my favorite things to do is teach a child to read. This book will take you deeper into the why behind it and will revive your purpose and passion for placing the students at the center of their reading. This book helps serve as a reminder that the end goal is not to have readers, but to create a love for reading through challenges, disruptions, and ultimately pushing students to become thinkers! If you are looking for some fresh ideas and inspiration, this is a must-have book for you!
5. The Writing Revolution by Judith C. Hochman and Natalie Wexler. I just recently started reading this and can see how life-changing this book will be for whatever age group/subject you teach! The reason why this book is so powerful is that it shows easy-to-use strategies to build a writing foundation for all students through content subjects. You won’t have to find time during the day to “add in” writing lessons, but instead, you’ll allow what you are already teaching to bring in critical writing opportunities to help your students increase their skills in a natural way.
What are you reading this summer? Let me know in the comments below!
One Comment
This book was first recommended to me by a middle school principal. After reading this book, there are easily a handful of changes that I would make to my assessing and grading procedures if I were to return to the classroom as a teacher.