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OTHER RESOURCES / IDEAS

Teachers and parents need a place to turn. All of the material listed here is included because of its proven ability to
Save the brains!

INTRODUCTION: SRA/McGraw-Hill has launched the Direct Instruction eSuite, a comprehensive set of online tools that are worth a look. A product tour is available online by clicking here.

THE SCIENCE OF READING INSTRUCTION AND NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND: http://ednews.org/articles/18700/1/The-Science-of-Reading-Instruction-and-No-Child-Left-Behind/Page1.html

AN EXAMPLE OF REAL CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT: http://www.baltimorecp.org/

TOTALLY FRUSTRATED ABOUT BEHAVIOR? http://www.empoweringparents.com/index.php

CURRENT RAVE-FAVE SITE: Stuff from Zig Engelmann (You must go here!)

FOCUS ON DIRECT INSTRUCTION

• Prof. Plum on Eduquackery, Constructivism and etc.
• Biography of Siegfried "Zig" Engelmann
• SRA Direct Instruction
• A Very Good Article on Direct Instruction
• Theory of Instruction by Siegfried Engelmann and Douglas Carnine (the only comprehensive theory of instruction with which I am familiar)
• Martin Kozloff on Direct Instruction and etc.
• Google search on Project Follow Through
• The National Institute for Direct Instruction
• Association for Direct Instruction
• Wikipedia entry on Direct Instruction
  

Sol Stern praises the federal Reading First program but criticizes the way
his home city has implemented it.

From the typewriter of Zig Engelmann, his website.

FOCUS ON PUTTING CHILDREN FIRST: Dr. Laura

FOCUS ON PRECISION TEACHING

CATALOGS ON EFFECTIVE TEACHING, LEARNING, STUDY SKILLS - tell them you're a home schooler to receive full discounts (you are, after all).

• Direct Instruction Reading, Writing, Math, all grades
• Annette Goodheart's On-Line Laughter Store (critical for everyone)
• Natural Consequences
  

SOME IMPORTANT BOOKS and ARTICLES

• Cultural Literacy, what every American needs to know: E.D. Hirsch
• Teaching Social Skills: Boys Town Press
• The Schools We Need, why we don't have them: E.D. Hirsch
• The Well-Managed Classroom: Boys Town Press
• Generalized Compliance Training: A Direct-Instruction Program for Managing Severe Behavior Problems, Siegfried Engelmann - this hard to find and out-of-print book is worth the search for those in need of severe behavior modification. Begin your search at Amazon.
• Deschooling Society: Ivan Illich
• Island: Aldous Huxley
• INFERRED FUNCTIONS OF PERFORMANCE AND LEARNING, Siegfried Engelmann and Donald Steely, available through Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. Tel: 201­258­2200
• An Incomplete History of the Mess We Are in
• Motivation, Motivation and Setting Goals and Objectives - Jim Rohn
  

READING/WRITING

• Test Your Child's Ability to Read
• Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Lessons: Siegfried Engelmann (be sure to get accompanying video)
• Handwriting Practice Sheets to Accompany "Teach your Child to Read in 100..." (above)
• Reading Mastery, K - 6
• Corrective Reading, grades 4 - 12
• Brainsarefun Reading (formerly Donaldson Reading), all grades
• Writing: the Whimbey Writing Program: How to analyze, organize and write effectively
• Handwriting and penmanship

LINKS WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EFFECTIVE LEARNING

• Core Knowledge Foundation
• Corrective Mathematics (grades 4 - adult)
• David Klein's Math Site
• Dr. Laura
• Handwriting and Penmanship
• How a Real Curriculum Looks (The Baltimore Curriculum Project)
• Mathematically Correct
• Martin Kozloff on Direct Instruction and etc.
• National Right to Read Foundation
• Parenting with Love and Logic
• Research Based Reading Program for Home Use
• Roy Masters on Learning: Listen to about five hours of free live radio feeds
• Social Skills for Youth
• Spelling Mastery (all grades)
• Tough Love
• What the Research Says About Effective Teaching
• What you can do when you are through making excuses about urban education (Thaddeus Lott in Houston)
• Choosing Good Schools

DYNAMITE TAPES FOR ACCELERATED LEARNING / STUDY SKILLS

• The World's 100 Greatest Books
• The World's 100 Greatest People
• The Art of Exceptional Living
  

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE (read the reviews on Amazon)

• Pimsleur Foreign Languages

ARGUABLY, THE MOST IMPORTANT SKILL YOU WILL EVER LEARN (contrary for what you may have heard, keyboard skills are going to be essential for many years to come)

• Free Stamina Typing Tutor
  
  

LINKS TO UP-TO-DATE EDUCATION NEWS

I JUST CAN'T HOME SCHOOL

A MOST INSTRUCTIVE STORY

• How I Decided to Become a Teacher and Ended Up Getting Sued for $20 Million

MORE FUN WITH BRAINSAREFUN

• Donaldson Exercise
• An Incomplete History of Personal Computing
• 100 Reasons to Kill Your Television Set and Video Games

My apologies for any links that may no longer link. The Net changes so fast that even I, dear reader, can't keep up.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE: OTHER RESOURCES / IDEAS © April 2001 by Rory Donaldson. All rights reserved. In order to help reverse the tide of academic failure and optimize success, individuals are encouraged to copy Brainsarefun solutions for non-commercial use at no charge. Contents may not be sold or repackaged in any manner without the written permission of Rory Donaldson. Since all material is copyrighted, please ensure that this entire copyright notice and contact information continues to be attached to each article you download. Mr. Donaldson appreciates the feedback. Additional solutions may be viewed and downloaded at no charge by logging on to brainsarefun.com. New titles are being released regularly.

Suggestions and comments encouraged, email: roryd@brainsarefun.com.

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