The following books on education have been reviewed for the Harried Parent's Book Club. They are sorted by Guide Rating, with five stars being best.
In a book intended for teachers but of interest to parents who've been told their children can't possibly be accommodated, a behavior analyst and a psychiatrist explain to schools that it's not so impossible to handle kids with over-the-top behavior -- there are practical ways to understand, adapt, and accommodate. Really. 5 StarsMore »
All over the U.S., school districts are jumping into inclusion with both feet and their eyes closed, convinced that if you just put special ed kids in a mainstream classroom they'll magically fit in and start learning without any time or thought or money to be spent. If only. Teachers need this book, and they need it bad. But you may have to be the one to bring it to them. 5 StarsMore »
If you've used The Nurtured Heart Approach, as described in the book Transforming Your Difficult Child, with some success at home, you've probably wished there was a way to get your child's teacher to carry over the same techniques in the classroom. The Inner Wealth Initiative comes to the rescue by explaining the technique in a way that's meaningful to educators, with testimonials from principals for good measure. Read it, and send it to school. 5 StarsMore »
I was pretty crazy about the earlier edition of this book, and now it's back with 300 additional strategies and a more thorough description of exactly how schools can carry out an enthusiastic an effective inclusion program for students with special needs. You'll want to pass it immediately to your district's special-ed department, but let them get their own copy -- a lot of these strategies can help you teach and motivate your child at home, too. 5 StarsMore »
Executive functioning is a often overlooked problem for kids with neurological and learning disabilities, and it's about time someone gave it this kind of attention. If your child just can't seem to get going or get organized, he may need to be taught those skills just as carefully as you'd teach reading and writing and math. This friendly guide will help you understand and make a difference. 4.5 StarsMore »
The book cover calls this "a triumphant story of the power of the human spirit," and that's certainly true. It's also a story of the power of one teacher who had an impossible idea and made it happen. There are plenty of books that focus on the battles parents fight for their children, and they're worth celebrating. But let's hear it, too, for the special education teachers who work small miracles, unsung. In author Mike Kersjes' case, the miracle's as big as the moon. 4.5 StarsMore »
Regardless of whether your child has autism or another disability requiring special education, this useful handbook provides significant legal advice and information to help you take on the school district, or maybe avoid a confrontation altogether. Knowing your rights and options is a good start. 4 StarsMore »
Remember Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years? The actress who played her, Danica McKellar, grew up to become a math whiz, earning a Mathematics degree from UCLA and coauthoring a mathematical physics theorem. In this fresh and friendly book, she attempts to convince girls that math is easy and smart is cool. While it's not aimed at kids with learning disabilities, the tricks and strategies she suggests are perfect for them. 4 StarsMore »
If you get most of your information on special education politics and practices from advocates and lawyers, this book will serve as a nice counterpoint. Written by two school psychologists, it offers explanations more clear and calm than those you might get in the heat of a contentious Child Study Team meeting, and provides some perspective from personnel you might otherwise think of as "the enemy." 4 StarsMore »
Getting special-education students interacting with regular-education peers involves more than dropping the former into the latter's classroom. The authors share a program that pairs members of each group for academic and social assistance. It's really a guide for teachers, but there's enough information for parents to get the ball rolling. 4 StarsMore »
1. The Behavior Code
In a book intended for teachers but of interest to parents who've been told their children can't possibly be accommodated, a behavior analyst and a psychiatrist explain to schools that it's not so impossible to handle kids with over-the-top behavior -- there are practical ways to understand, adapt, and accommodate. Really. 5 StarsMore »
2. Inclusion: 450 Strategies for Success
All over the U.S., school districts are jumping into inclusion with both feet and their eyes closed, convinced that if you just put special ed kids in a mainstream classroom they'll magically fit in and start learning without any time or thought or money to be spent. If only. Teachers need this book, and they need it bad. But you may have to be the one to bring it to them. 5 StarsMore »
3. The Inner Wealth Initiative: The Nurtured Heart Approach for Educators
If you've used The Nurtured Heart Approach, as described in the book Transforming Your Difficult Child, with some success at home, you've probably wished there was a way to get your child's teacher to carry over the same techniques in the classroom. The Inner Wealth Initiative comes to the rescue by explaining the technique in a way that's meaningful to educators, with testimonials from principals for good measure. Read it, and send it to school. 5 StarsMore »
4. The Teacher's Guide to Inclusive Education
I was pretty crazy about the earlier edition of this book, and now it's back with 300 additional strategies and a more thorough description of exactly how schools can carry out an enthusiastic an effective inclusion program for students with special needs. You'll want to pass it immediately to your district's special-ed department, but let them get their own copy -- a lot of these strategies can help you teach and motivate your child at home, too. 5 StarsMore »
5. Late, Lost, and Unprepared
Executive functioning is a often overlooked problem for kids with neurological and learning disabilities, and it's about time someone gave it this kind of attention. If your child just can't seem to get going or get organized, he may need to be taught those skills just as carefully as you'd teach reading and writing and math. This friendly guide will help you understand and make a difference. 4.5 StarsMore »
6. A Smile as Big as the Moon
The book cover calls this "a triumphant story of the power of the human spirit," and that's certainly true. It's also a story of the power of one teacher who had an impossible idea and made it happen. There are plenty of books that focus on the battles parents fight for their children, and they're worth celebrating. But let's hear it, too, for the special education teachers who work small miracles, unsung. In author Mike Kersjes' case, the miracle's as big as the moon. 4.5 StarsMore »
7. Autism: Asserting Your Child's Right to a Special Education
Regardless of whether your child has autism or another disability requiring special education, this useful handbook provides significant legal advice and information to help you take on the school district, or maybe avoid a confrontation altogether. Knowing your rights and options is a good start. 4 StarsMore »
8. Math Doesn't Suck
Remember Winnie Cooper from The Wonder Years? The actress who played her, Danica McKellar, grew up to become a math whiz, earning a Mathematics degree from UCLA and coauthoring a mathematical physics theorem. In this fresh and friendly book, she attempts to convince girls that math is easy and smart is cool. While it's not aimed at kids with learning disabilities, the tricks and strategies she suggests are perfect for them. 4 StarsMore »
9. A Parent's Guide to Special Education
If you get most of your information on special education politics and practices from advocates and lawyers, this book will serve as a nice counterpoint. Written by two school psychologists, it offers explanations more clear and calm than those you might get in the heat of a contentious Child Study Team meeting, and provides some perspective from personnel you might otherwise think of as "the enemy." 4 StarsMore »
10. Peer Buddy Programs for Successful Secondary School Inclusion
Getting special-education students interacting with regular-education peers involves more than dropping the former into the latter's classroom. The authors share a program that pairs members of each group for academic and social assistance. It's really a guide for teachers, but there's enough information for parents to get the ball rolling. 4 StarsMore »