Art. Play. LEARN.
Recommended Resources
Educator's Professional Development
Whether you teach other people's children or your own, you need to keep up with what the most up to date research says. I have personally found all of these books to be very helpful and instructive. I have included links to the Amazon page where each book can be purchased. I hope you find this helpful.
This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel Levitin
I love this book because it gives so much insight into how our brains process sound. Not only were many of my ideas about why integrating music helps with retention re-enforced, but I was also inspired to create even more integration in specific teaching points.
This book takes a very neutral stance on bias. While other books can be preachy, Mr. Ross makes it clear that we ALL have bias. It is a natural human process to develop biases and therefore we all need to keep an eye on our own individual biases to see whether they are affecting other people in a negative way or not.
The Battle Over Homework by: Harris M. Cooper
This book provides the most up-to-date analysis of research results on homework efficacy. Rather than arguing to support any agenda on homework (anti-homework or pro-homework), Dr. Cooper and his team gather ALL of the research on homework, analyze it and report on their objective findings. It is a must read for any parent, teacher, administrator or education policy maker.
How We Learn: The Surprising Truth about When, Where and Why It Happens by: Benedict Carry
This book is a fun and easy read that will give you impressive insight into small adjustments you can make in your classroom strategies that will result in increased retention and long-term recall.
Homeschool
These are some websites with resources that I find valuable.
These books will give you information about how learning works that is super helpful in crafting the most efficient and effective homeschool learning environments.
How We Learn: The Surprising Truth about When, Where and Why It Happens by: Benedict Carry
This book is a fun and easy read that will give you impressive insight into small adjustments you can make in your homeschooling strategies that will result in increased retention and long-term recall.
For Your Students
These are books and other materials that I love. The underlined book names are linked to the Amazon page where you can buy them for your convenience.
English-to Spanish Gradient Learning Stories
Isabel and the Hungry Coyote by: Keith Pollette
A retelling of the Little Red Riding Hood Story with a Southwest flair. Spanish words get introduced one at a time so that the listener can glean the meaning entirely from context. Great for lessons on body parts.
Oh No, Gotta Go! by: Susan Middleton Elya
A sweet story about a little girl who desperately needs a bathroom.
Spanish words get introduced one at a time so that the listener can glean the meaning entirely from context. Great for lessons on place names.
La Princesa and the Pea by: Susan Middleton Elya
A retelling of the folk story The Princess and the Pea with a Latin flair. Spanish words get introduced one at a time so that the listener can glean the meaning entirely from context. Great for lessons on people words.
Paco and the Giant Chile Plant by: Keith Polette
A retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk with Spanish words interjected for contextual acquisition. Great for lesson on people words and adjectives.
All in Spanish Stories
¿Dónde está Oso? by: Jonathan Bentley
A sweet story about a little boy who is desperate to find his bear so that he can go to sleep with an ironic twist. Great for lessons on things in and around the home.
Spanish Translations of Books We Love in English
Buenas Noches Luna by: Margaret Wise Brown
Good Night Moon! Our favorite story about the great big room, everything in it and some things outside of it.
La Casa Adormecida by: Audrey Wood and Don Wood
The Napping House! A story structured like the 12 days of Christmas song in that the list builds and then counts backwards on each page.
Por Favor, Sr. Panda by: Steve Antony
Please, Mr. Panda! Poor Mr. Panda just wants to give away the donuts but he can't find anyone polite enough. I love this book for talking about feelings. Even though the story itself does not contain emotion words, the teacher can insert questions about how each of the characters is feeling and acting.
Oso pardo, oso pardo, ¿qué ves ahí? by: Eric Carle
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? A favorite with little kids because of it's simplicity and repetition. I love this book for animal vocabulary and adjectives (specifically colors).
Huevos verdes con jamón by: Dr. Suess
Green Eggs and Ham! A favorite from my childhood. This story has so much repetition and meaningful context. You can see what each new word means with the illustrations and since the structure stays the same it gives so much opportunity for substitution. Great for lessons on 'like' and 'don't like'.
Folk Tales from Around the World
Moon Over the Mountain by: Keith Pollette
A retelling of an Asian folktale from a Southwest perspective. Perfect for lessons on cultural perspective. This is a bilingual version for use in English speaking classrooms or Spanish speaking ones.