New Releases by Bob Sornson

When Eli's neighbor hurts his ankle, he needs help! Eli steps up and walks Mr. Hawthorne's dog every morning and every afternoon, on sunny days and even on the gray wet days. When the other neighbors learn that Mr. Hawthorne has twisted his ankle, they want to help as well. In Eli's neighborhood, people show up to help each other.

When the new girl arrives at their classroom she is shy and unsure around the other kids. So Kiara and her friends decide to help Callie learn to feel special and safe in their class. With a little effort from her new friends, Callie is offered the gift of trust

The Virtues and Values Series helps children grow in emotional intelligence by introducing essential virtues through heartwarming, relatable stories. Each book highlights a key value-- encouraging kids to understand, reflect on, and live out these lessons in their everyday lives.Book 3: Wrapped in Kindness - Kids Learning to Notice Kindness follows Ozzy as he navigates a rough day. When everything seems to go wrong, his mother gently wraps him in love and kindness, helping him recognize all the people who supported him throughout the day. This touching story inspires young readers to notice the kindness around them and nurtures a spirit of gratitude for the care they often overlook.

When Eli and Ozzy accidentally knock down Clara at school they are given a chance to learn to see other people with greater RESPECT. With the help of Mrs. Shoma the boys take a respect walk, and it opens their eyes to the amazing stories of the people around them. Eli and Ozzy is book two in the Virtues and Values series.

When Clara goes to her Grandparent's farm, she and her cousin Kiara make the choice to notice the things that make them feel happy and grateful. Grumpy or Grateful is the first in our series of books which explore some of the virtues, values, and experiences that help us grow as humans. Each book is a journey of discovery, watching the characters discover, understand, and choose the virtues and values that will help them live with greater purpose and joy. We hope these stories, and the activities available to support each story, will assist parents and guardians as you strive to build your families and raise strong humans.

Pressured by standardized testing and rigid pacing guidelines, many schools are forced to cover too much content too quickly, without being able to meet the needs of individual students. In this powerful book from acclaimed author and presenter Bob Sornson, you’ll learn how shifting from curriculum-based instruction to competency based, personalized learning can help students become more successful, confident, and engaged learners. Each chapter is easy to digest and provides compelling research, strategies, and anecdotes to inspire conversation and action. This second edition provides updated statistics and examples of schools successfully using competency based learning models to help you bring about meaningful change. Teachers, administrators, and community leaders will all find practical resources and a clear rationale for transforming our current educational system into a new, dynamic model of teaching and learning.

After Emily asks her big sister what the word "empathy" means, she decides to pay closer attention to others during her day. What she learns will change the way she looks at her world!

This book offers a careful look at how we came to have our traditional education system, and how it met the needs of a different time. By looking back at the past we can take on the task of change without casting blame, but with understanding. We will consider the systems design of the curriculum driven one-size-fits-all educational model, why it no longer meets our needs, and how to devise a system which can deliver a better future for our children and for ourselves as educators.

The ultimate resource for establishing a solid foundation for mathematical proficiency, Essential Math Skills provides hundreds of engaging, easy-to-implement activities and practical assessment tools. This standards- and research-based resource identifies the core math skills that must be measured at each grade level in Pre-K through third grade. Teachers can easily identify the skills from earlier grades that may need reteaching as well as appropriate activities for students who are ready to tackle higher-level skills. Students build confidence as they develop deep understanding and successfully advance through the skills. The creative strategies presented for teaching each skill include the use of manipulatives, visual-motor activities, exploration, inquiry, and play. When they experience success with these fun tasks, students can't help but fall in love with math!

How do you react when you or your friend is mistreated by a peer? Do you speak up or do you stand by? Learn what Wendy does when two classmates treat her disrespectfully and how she teaches one of them not to be a bystander. It's Time to Stand Up and Speak Up! For Yourself and Others will demonstrate to readers how to deal with difficult bullying situations in a respectful and safe manner. "Most students find themselves in the bystander role at some point, and they need to have the confidence to do the right thing. This book is a great tool for teaching students what they should do when they need to Stand Up and Speak Up for themselves or someone else. The book uses situations students face on a regular basis to teach them a positive problem-solving technique." - Sue Fitzsimonds, teacher, counselor, author

"This book is a joy to read! Positive and practical are the two best words to describe it. Every early childhood educator would benefit from reading Fanatically Formative." —Richard L. Allington, Professor of Literacy Studies University of Tennessee, Knoxville "I could not put this book down. The captivating message reignited my passion for quality and joyful teaching. The discussion questions at the end of each chapter will serve as springboards for stimulating discourse." —Kathleen A. Robbins, Principal MacGowan School, Redford, MI Transform your K-3 classrooms into effective centers of learning! Helping children experience early learning success and acquire essential skills by third grade is a crucial part of any school reform effort. Yet, many teachers and children are overwhelmed by the ineffective curriculum-driven education system and the "rush to cover" climate in schools. Fanatically Formative shows how you can rediscover the joy of teaching and help children fall in love with learning again. This book traces the journey of a teacher as she works through the challenges of formative assessment and responsive instruction to discover the practices that will help her students succeed. K-3 teachers, principals, and district administrators will learn how to: Set clear, attainable learning outcomes Make teaching responsive to the whole child Monitor student progress toward essential skills Build a truly positive classroom and school culture Collaborate to help young children succeed With surveys, lists of essential skills, study questions for PLC groups, and highlighted summaries of key points, Fanatically Formative offers a clear and powerful vision for your early learning success initiative along with the action steps to achieve your goals.

When Pete starts at a new school, he soon finds out that being a bystander to bad behavior is not tolerated.

If you're an educator or a parent, this book is a must-read. Develop school cultures where students feel safe, connected, and ready to learn. The easy-to-read storytelling style of Dr. Sornson's latest book, Creating Classrooms Where Teachers Love to Teach and Students Love to Learn, captures the essence of using Love and Logic to build successful school cultures. Learn to set limits in the classroom without anger. Create a culture of learning among faculty and parents. Build strong connections between home and school. Enjoy stories that illustrate the practical application of Love and Logic.

Each year thousands of young children come to school without good early learning experiences and are unprepared for school learning activities. Others have experienced physical or emotional setbacks that make learning difficult and frustrating. In Preventing Early Learning Failure, expert educators describe practices that can help children find success in school. Topics include a look at what's important in reading and math; the nature of true learning disabilities; and problem solving using the Instructional Support Team model, with a report on an elementary school that has adopted that model and changed the lives of many at-risk learners. Other chapters report on basic sensory skill development at the kindergarten level, and reflect on the concepts and practices that make a difference in the lives of young learners. The authors examine four programs, including the widely heralded Success for All program, that show promise in helping children get ready for early learning success. The authors also describe effective preschool programs and principles, and they look at how an awareness of multiple intelligences and individual learning needs can be useful. Three of the chapters include stories that illustrate some ways to prevent failure. One story describes a classroom teacher who learned to think differently about student behavior, another describes innovative ways a school dealt with three "problem" children, and the third tells about the productive relationship of a young boy, his mother, and his teacher. We cannot afford to let children in the early years of school fall into a pattern of failure that will affect them, their families, and their communities throughout a lifetime. Preventing Early Learning Failure offers practical approaches to help develop every child's capacity for learning and ensure that no child will be left behind. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.