New Releases by Lester Laminack

How can we move children from simply talking about things to learning to take action – and feeling empowered to enact change? This book shows you exactly what this can look like in an elementary class setting. It details the structures and instructional strategies classroom teachers can adopt to help their children create positive outcomes for their communities while also building identities for themselves as real agents of change. Topics include building empathy and compassion, helping students become aware of issues within their communities, creating brave environments so students can engage in productive discussions around sensitive topics, engaging students in research that answers their needs and those of their community, and supporting students into action. Classroom examples, practical tools, and student voices are featured throughout. With this book by your side, you can debunk the false deficit-based assumptions that young people aren’t ready for activism, and you’ll see what is possible when we commit ourselves to integrating civic learning into our classroom literacy instruction.

A gentle intergenerational tale for young readers about the importance of patience and the fascinating work of beekeeping, from award-winning author Lester L. Laminack and celebrated illustrator Jim Lamarche. Henry wants nothing more than to be like his Aunt Lilla and work with the beehives on their Lowcountry farm. He watches her every day, working hard outside in her bee suit, but what amazes him the most is her ability to communicate with the bees. Henry feels certain he can, too. Then one day, Aunt Lilla tells him the bees are preparing to leave the hive and may leave the farm entirely. Henry believes it is up to him to communicate with the bees and convince them to stay, before it''s too late. An author''s note includes additional information about bees and bee conservation.

Because high-level comprehension cannot be divorced from wide-ranging texts To be literate is to think through multiple perspectives, exploring diverse texts, and using the power of story to give students the life skills to discuss just about anything with critical curiosity. Critical Comprehension transforms this vital work into an accessible, three-step lesson process. Using picture books, multimodal texts, and thoughtfully framed questions, each differentiated lesson expands students’ understanding of a text through: First read: the "movie read", during which the text is read without interruption Second read: The teacher poses questions that probe deeper meanings through interaction with the text to summarize, name and highlight issues, analyze and infer, to make more informed decisions about what to believe and what to question. Third read: Harnessing students’ curiosities, the class revisits the text to talk back to theme, symbols, central idea, or social, cultural, historical influences at work on author and audience Popular media, classic novels, breaking news — the world’s content is ready for students to absorb. But are we ready to help them read it well? Equipped with this resource, the answer is, Yes, we are.

15 ready-to-use mini-lessons introduce students to techniques and literary elements they can use to craft their own writing. On the companion website, the author explains how writers work with both audible and visual craft.

Meet your new "Best Friends!" This kit by Lester L. Laminack guides you and your students as you venture deep inside books and engage in the rich discussion and literary analysis of an interactive read-aloud through the use of grade-specific "Best Friend Books."