Thursday, January 10, 2013

120+ Resources for Your Parents: From Bullying to Special Needs Children

I recently put together a listing of resources for our parents, which covers everything from Bullying to Special Needs Children. I would have liked to add this as another page (tab at the top) but I have reached Blogger's limit of 20 pages. In order to properly bookmark this page, click on the title of the post first. If you have any resources to add, please comment below the post.





BULLYING
Beatbullying- site is for grades K-7
Bullying Prevention Tips- from Edutopia 
The Bully Roundup- interactive game
Bullying-WEBMD's website
Cybersafety Pathfinder- on this webpage
Dealing with Bullying- Teen Health's site
Dr. Phil: Bullied to Death- the psychologist speaks about the recent teenage suicides
How to Spot a Bully- take the quiz
It's My Life- from PBS
Jared High's Story- thirteen year old boy who committed suicide after he was bullied.
Nineline- Covenant House's website offers a hotline to assist kids in crisis
No Bully- information includes statistics
Stop a Bully- the 3 R's to stop bullying
The Student Pledge to Stop Bullying- your child can sign and submit the pledge
Teens Against Bullying- see how much you really know about bullying
 
COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR KIDS
25 Ways to Talk So Children will Listen
Comunicating with Children

Talking with Kids About Tough Issues- covers drugs, divorce, terrorism, HIV/AIDS, sex

DIVORCE
DivorceCare- locate local support groups to deal with divorce
DivorceNet- more than 20,000 downloadable documents, divorce library, chat and a daily answer desk
Divorce Source- search by state for information on all issues
Hiring a Lawyer- Martindale-Hubbell Lawyer Locator lists each attorney's areas of practice, work experience, education and contact info


DRUGS
The Anti Drug.com - English online service from the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign
Drug Facts-from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Drug-Free America- from the Partnership for a Drug-Free America
La Anti Droga- Spanish online service from the National Youth Anti-DrugMedia Campaign.
National Institute On Drug Abuse- information for parents, teachers and health professionals
Su Familia- National Hispanic Family Health Helpline (1-866-783-2645)

FACT SHEETS
The Brady Center-guns in our nations schools
Kids' Planet Species Fact Sheets- over 50 species covered
Open Doors 2004- country fact sheets
Reading Fact Sheets- from the Department of Education


HEALTH ISSUES
Allergy and Asthma
Audiology & Speech Language Pathology Programs (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association)
Eating Disorders and Pre-Teens & Teens- this site covers anorexia, bulimia & binge eating disorders
Evaluating Health Web Sites- from the Highland Regional Library Cooperative
Find a Dentist (NJ Dental Association)
Find a Family Doctor (American Academy of Family Physicians)
Genetic Counseling Resources (National Society of Genetic Counselors)
Search for Eating Disorder Treatment Providers (National eating Disorders Association)


INTERNET SAFETY
CyberAngels- world's oldest & largest Internet safety organization
Cybersafety-a page dedicated to safe Internet practices
Cybersmart! -Internet safety tips for elementary school students
Get Netwise- how to steer clear of spammers, hackers, identity theft; keep kids safe online
NetMom- Internet safe house; newsletter, message boards
Parents' Guide to the Internet- U.S. Dept. of Education


PARENTING
About Our Kids- information on mental health for children; resources for parents & professionals, this site is sponsored by the NYU Child Study Center
EmTech- extensive listing of resources for parents
Family Education Network- contains news and articles on all topics; also includes an Idea Exchange area
Family Fun- articles on crafts, cooking, planning parties, traveling etc.
Help and Hope for Single Parents
Help for Parents of Teenagers
Inside the Teenager's Brain- from the PBS program Frontline
Making Lemonade: The Single Parent Network
Mothering Magazine- the magazine of natural family living
New Jersey Cares About Bullying- how to end bullying & how adults can help
ParenTalk Newsletter (pre-teen years)- many issues covered here, from mental development to school issues, physical development, behavior and emotion
Parenthood- online encyclopedia of parenting topics
Parenting Adolescents- award winning site; ask a social worker questions
Parents and Teens- from a Christian perspective
Parents Without Partners- international, non-profit organization
What Works- ideas from parents
 

SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN
Arc of the United States- works through education, research & advocacy to "improve the quality of life for children & adults with mental retardation & related developmental disabilities".
Autism: Intervention and Strategies for Success- written by Autism consultant and author Susan Stokes; articles on effective strategies to use with autistic learners, including assistive technology, Asperger’s Syndrome, early childhood interventions, and communication skills.
The Center for New Discoveries in Learning- find solutions for ADD, ADHD, dyslexia correction
CHADD.org- information on ADD
Exceptional Parent Magazine- information, support, outreach, ideas, encouragement for parents of children with disabilities
Gallaudet University Library- research site contains resources for the deaf
Inside the Autism Treatment Maze- see the latest treatment options available for autism and new ways of helping autistic children connect with the world.
New Guides for ADHD Treatment
Our Kids- list of 800 people representing children with varying diagnoses
Room 5 Autism-  helps parents and teachers of students with autistic spectrum disorders; contains photos of materials and activities used with autistic children in the classroom.
Special Education News- help with behavior management, conflict resolution; information state by state
Understanding the Student with Asperger's Syndrome- Karen Williams provides the seven defining characteristics of Asperger's syndrome, as well as suggestions and strategies for addressing these symptoms in the classroom.
United Cerebral Palsy

 

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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Most Popular Posts in 2012

Thank you to everyone who has followed the blog and shared posts I have made in the past year. With over 230 posts in 2012, I am amazed at all the great people I have met via the Internet. Please let me know if there are any resources you are looking for and I will gladly provide them. These are posts from 2012 that received the most hits:

30 Resources to Help Our Children Cope with Tragedies

60 Titles for Reluctant Readers K-4

18 Places Where You Can Find Free Kindle and Nook Downloads

Study Skills for Your Students: 57 Sites and Apps

340+ Sites with Tips, Tricks and Shortcuts for the iPad

22 Great Places It You Teach Research Skills

Friday, January 4, 2013

56 Books for Reluctant High School Readers

This is the last installment of my books for reluctant readers. Today's list is for high school students. All three lists are available under the tab "Books for Reluctant Readers" at the top of this page. You can download a PDF copy of the high school list here.


11/22/63- Stephen King

Blank Confession- Pete Hautman

Bluford High Series- (various authors)

The Book Thief- Marcus Zusak

Box Out- John Coy

Breathing Underwater- Alex Finn

Chasing Lincoln's Killer- James L. Swanson

Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul- Jack Canfield

The Chocolate War- Robert Cormier

Cirque du Freak Series- Darren Shan

City of Glass Series- Cassandra Clare

The Coldest Winter Ever- Sister Souljah

Dairy Queen- Catherine Gilbert Murdock

Dope Sick- Walter Dean Myers

The Duff (Designated Ugly Fat Friend)- Kody Keplinger

Fat Kid Rules the World- K.L. Going

The Fault in Our Stars- John Green

Feed- M.T. Anderson

The First Part Last- Angela Johnson

The Giver- Lois Lowry

Glimpse- Carol Lynch Williams

Gone Series- Michael Grant

Gossip Girl Series-Cecily von Ziegesar

Guinness Book of World Records- any year, any book

Hunger Games Trilogy- Suzanne Collins

I'd Tell you I Love you, But Then I'd Have to Kill You- Ally Carter

Just Listen- Sarah Dessen

King Dork- Frank Portman

The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini

Life of Pi- Yann Martel

Looking for Alaska- John Green

Monster- Walter Dean Myers

My Sister's Keeper- Jodi Picoult

One Hundred Young Americans- Michael Franzini

Paper Towns- John Green

Payback Time-Carl Deuker

The Perks of Being a Wallflower- Stephen Chbosky

Push- Sapphire

Rikers High- Paul Volponi

Ripley's Believe it or Not- any year, any issue

Rooftop- Paul Volponi

Scars- Cheryl Rainfield

Seventeen Ultimate Guide to Style: How to Find Your Perfect Look- Ann Shoket

Shiver Trilogy- Maggie Stiefvater

Someone Like You- Sarah Dessen

Star Wars Character Encyclopedia- DK Publishing

Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes- Chris Crutcher

Stuck in Neutral- Terry Trueman

Ten Things We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have)- Sarah Mylnokski

The Top Ten of Everything- Caroline Ash

The Truth About Forever- Sarah Dessen

Twilight Series- Stephenie Meyer

Uglies Trilogy- Scott Westerfeld

Vampire Academy Series- Richelle Mead

What I Saw and How I Lied- Judy Blundell

Zombie High Yearbook '64- Jeff Busch

Being Green: Try the CleanPrint Browser Tool

CleanPrint  works with all browsers, including Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer and Safari, by allowing you to delete, images, text (You can change the font size as well) and ads before printing. Less printing means less ink and less paper. NOTE: You most likely will need your school tech person to download the add-on for Firefox and Internet Explorer. I was able to get the bookmarklet for Chrome. (Couldn't see about Safari because my school has all PCs)

 
Thanks to Free Technology for Teachers for posting.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

60 Titles for Reluctant Readers K-4

This is a follow-up post to books for reluctant middle school readers.  The last of these posts will cover grades 9-12. You can download a copy of the list below HERE.


 PICTURE BOOKS
The Adventures of Taxi Dog- Debra Barracca

Bad Kitty Books- Nick Bruel

The Berenstain Bears- Stan and Jan Berenstain

Clifford Books-Norman Bridwell

Corduroy Books- Don Freeman

Curious George Books- H.A. Ray

Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten! The Story of Little Red Riding Hood as Told by the Wolf- Trisha Speed Shashkan

I Spy Books- Jean Marzollo

Knuffle Bunny- Mo Willems

No, David!- David Shannon

Olivia and the Fairy Princesses- Ian Falconer

Richard Scarry's What Do People Do All Day?

Dr. Seuss Books

The Polar Express- Chris Van Allsburg

The Three Ninja Pigs- Corey Rosen Schwartz

Where the Wild Things Are- Maurice Sendak

Where's Waldo Books- Martin Handford


CHAPTER BOOKS and BEYOND
Arthur- Marc Brown

The Big Field- by Mike Lupica

Big Nate Series- Lincoln Peirce

Boxcar Children Series- Gertrude Chandler

Amber Brown Series- Paula Danziger

The Baseball Card Adventures- Dan Gutman

Brian's Winter- Gary Paulsen

Bunnicula Series- James Howe

Cam Jansen Series- David Adler

Captain Underpants Collection- Dav Pilky

The Chet Gecko Mysteries- Bruce Hale

Mr. Chickee's Funny Money- Christopher Paul Curtis

The Cricket in Times Square- George Selden

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series- Jeff Kinney

Encyclopedia Brown Series- Donald J. Sobol

Fantastic Mr. Fox- Roald Dahl

Flat Stanley Collection- Jeff Brown

Freckle Juice- Judy Blume

Frindle- Andrew Clements

Frog and Toad Series- Arnold Lobel

Goosebumps Series- R.L. Stine

Granny Torrelli Makes Soup- Sharon Creech

James and the Giant Peach- Roald Dahl

Judy Moody Series- Megan McDonald

Junie B. Jones Books- Barbara Park

The Kids of the Polk Street School Series- Patricia Reilly Giff

Lawn Boy- Gary Paulsen

Lunch Money- Andrew Clements

The Magic School Bus Series- Joanna  Cole

Magic Tree House Series- Mary Pope Osborne

Matt Christopher's Sports Series

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane- Kate DiCamillo

My Teacher is an Alien- Bruce Coville

The Ralph Mouse Collection- Beverly Cleary

Ribsy- Beverly Cleary

Shiloh- Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

Sideways Stories from Wayside School- Louis Sachar

Skinny-Bones- Barbara Park

Stuart Little- E.B. White

Superfudge- Judy Blume

The Twits- Roald Dahl

My Weird School Daze Series- Dan Gutman

Wonder- R.J. Palacio

Sunday, December 16, 2012

30 Resources to Help Our Children Cope with Tragedies

 There are no words I can say about what happened in Newtown, Connecticut without getting on my soapbox about gun control. This madness has to end. (Here is a timeline of worldwide school shootings and mass shootings since 1996.) As teachers, we go through lock-down drills on a regular basis, praying that we will never have a real life and death situation. If not for those practice drills, teachers in Newtown would not have known what to do on Friday. Angela Maiers posted "There is No Lesson Plan for Tragedy-Teachers YOU Know What to Do" on her blog. It is a must-read. My heart is so heavy and I have been asking "why" just like everyone else. I am anxious about going to work tomorrow, not because I don't feel safe, but because I'm worried about our kids and how they have reacted to Friday's massacre. Here are resources to aid you and to aid parents in helping kids deal with the violence.





10 Tips to Help Your Kids Deal with Violence- from Parenting Press 

10 Ways to Put Brakes on Mass Shootings in Schools- from CNN


10 Ways to Talk to Students About Sensitive Issues in the News- New York Times guest post


Checklist to Help Prevent Violence in Schools
- 10 things you can do 


Columbine Legacy: Schools Safer?- from CBS News

Dealing with Tragedy: Tips and Resources for Teachers and Parents


Discussing Hate and Violence with Your Children- from the National PTA 

Hello Grief- "a place to share about grief and loss"

 
Helping Children Cope with Tragic Events
- many sources from Share My Lesson 


Helping Kids Cope with Violence in the News- child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Bob Hilt gives advice in a video

Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of School Shootings- from the American Psychological Association



How to Talk to Kids About a School Shooting

How to Talk to Kids About Violence- 2011 article from the Washington Post


No Lesson Plan for Tragedy- from Teaching Tolerance, this was written 5 years after Columbine


Preparing for the Worst Case Scenario- written by Kristopher Sill


School Violence and the News- from Kids' Health 


Six Lessons from the Horrors of a School Shooting- from Dr. Michele Borba, Education Consultant


Taking Aim at Violence in Schools- New York Times Learning Network lesson plan

Talking and Teaching About the
Tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut
- resources from the New York Times Learning Network



Talking to Children About Violence from the NASP (National Association of School Psychologists)

Talking to Kids About School Violence- downloadable PDF files cover guidelines for schools, recognizing when children need help, caring for kids after trauma, disaster and death

Talking with Kids About News- from PBS parents

TeacherVision Resources on School Violence

TeachersFirst Resources for School Violence-  10 resource links

Tragic Events in the News- The late Mister Rogers on video with advice on this page to aid parents

Tips for Talking to Children About the Shooting- from the New York Times health section

Unspeakable Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary- from Edutopia; many links from Edutopia and other sites listed

Friday, December 14, 2012

Reluctant Readers in Your School? Middle School Students Will Enjoy These 56 Titles

I admit it. As a child, I really didn't enjoy reading. The one time it was fun was when my dad would read with me before bedtime. I had chosen the story (the last one I remember was Nobody's Boy- French version here ) and over the course of many weeks read together. It was a wonderful bonding experience for me. Do parents today have time to read with their kids, or do they place them in front of the TV or computer to "entertain" them? Here's a great quote about books: "There is no such thing as a child who hates to read; there are only children who have not found the right book."- Frank Serafini

Author James Patterson began writing books for young kids when he found that his son didn't like to read. There a a few series books by now: Witch and Wizard, Maximum Ride, Daniel X and Middle School. Students in my school who didn't enjoy reading are checking out these books every day. I thought that a list of book suggestions for reluctant readers would be very helpful, so read on...... today's books are for grades 5-8, depending on the student's reading level. I'll be covering K-4 and 9-12 in the next few postings. You can download today's list here.

The Absolutely Amazing Adventures of Auggie Spinoza- Steven Stickler

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian- Sherman Alexie

After Eli- Rebecca Rupp

Al Capone Does My Shirts
- Gennifer Choldenko

Al Capone Shines My Shoes- Gennifer Choldenko

Artemis Fowl Series- Eon Colfer

Bad Island (Graphic Novel) - Doug Tennapel

The Batboy
- Mike Lupica

The Black Stone Prophecy- Alex Baj

Bud, Not Buddy- Christopher Paul Curtis

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Extra Credit -Tom Greenwald

Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading -Tom Greenwald

Chomp- Carl Hiaasen

Comeback Kids Series- Mike Lupica

Crispin: The Cross of Lead- Avi

Crossing the Wire- Will Hobbs

The Cruisers (3 books)- Walter Dean Myers

Crush: The Theory, Practice and Destructive Properties of Love - Gary Paulson

Daniel X Series- James Patterson

The Dawn Patrol- Don Winslow

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series -Jeff Kinney

Dork Diaries Books- Rachel Renee Russell

The Encyclopedia of Me- Karen Rivers

Flipped- Wendelin Van Draanen

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making- Catherynne M. Valente

The Girl Who Fell Beneath Fairyland and Led the Revels There- Catherynne M. Valente

The Graveyard Book- Neil Gaiman 

Grey Griffins Series- Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis

Holes- Louis Sachar

Hoops- Walter Dean Myers

Hoot- Carl Hiaasen

I Funny: A Middle School Story- James Paterson

Island of Thieves- Josh Lacey

Joey Pigza Books- Jack Gantos

Journal of a Schoolyard Bully: Notes on Nooglies, Wet Willies,  and Wedgies -Farley Katz

The Kill Order- James Dashner

Liar and Spy- Rebecca Stead

Lula Bell on Geekdom, Freakdom and the Challenges of Bad Hair- C.C. Payne

Maniac Magee- Jerry Spinelli

Maximum Ride Series- James Patterson

The Maze Runner Books- James Dashner

Middle School: Get Me Out of Here!- James Patterson

Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life- James Patterson

My Life as a Stuntboy- Janet Tashjian

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World- E.L. Konigsburg

NERDS Books- Michael Buckley

Peak- Roland Smith

Percy Jackson Series- Rick Riordan

Sean Yeager and the DNA Thief- David Jarrett

See You at Harry's- Jo Knowles

A Series of Unfortunate Events Series- Lemony Snicket

Stickman Odyssey, Book 1: An Epic Doodle- Christopher Ford

The Templeton Twins Have an Idea- Ellis Weiner

The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963- Christopher Paul Curtis

The Wish List- Eon Colfer

Witch and Wizard Series- James Patterson

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