Publisher Center for the Difficult Child Publication Date 1998
Authors: Howard Glasser, M.A. and Jennifer Easley, M.A.
I. Book Summary
Some children are more intense, more sensitive or have more energy to harness than the �average� child. Behavioral management methods that work on the average, more compliant child have brought parents and teachers to their wits� end when applied to the more intense child. Transforming the Difficult Child explains the four steps of a different behavior management system that any child, teacher, therapist or other professional dealing with children can apply.
It has worked beautifully for hundreds of difficult children from ages 4 - 21 years, setting these children free to control themselves and make full use of their many gifts, restoring order and learning to their classrooms, and turning their families back into functional, enjoyable, and nurturing homes. Like most methodologies that work for children with more challenges (whether they be physical, emotional, educational or spiritual), this plan helps the average child to thrive beyond other parenting methods.
II. Specific Information
This is a workable plan with clearly explained steps, anticipation of potential problems with their solutions, many illustrations, and practical encouragements. It is easier and also faster to reach success than one would expect. The book begins by explaining the much greater need for recognition that the difficult has and the ways parents and professionals inadvertently reward this deeply felt need with negative energy. As a culture �no�s� are amped up, while �yeses� such as �Thank you� and �Good job� are flat in contrast. Think about your employment. Which does the boss get the most worked up over: your successes or your failures? Your accomplishments or your mistakes?
The author uses the video game that so often especially draws challenging children as an illustration of what works, what doesn�t, and why. Basically in a video game �energy, reaction and payoff for the good stuff and �Oops, broke a rule�here�s your consequence�no energy, reaction and payoff for a violation.� This simple but brilliant structure results in mastery and accomplishment for the player. No one plays to lose.
Maybe like me you are thinking you understand the issues but you are stumped as to how to apply them. You want to up the positives for your child or your student. But how? How do you give positive recognition to a child who seems to take every opportunity to get negative attention? This book explains the how in four chapters explaining four levels or types of positive recognition: active, experiential, proactive, and creative. A system of credits-made-easy to pay for privileges and one simple yet effective consequence for broken rules is detailed in two more chapters. The final chapters and the appendices tell the reader how to extend success to the school, handling emotions and therapy, the ADHD child, and the authors� vision of the future.
III. Reader's Opinion
This book answered questions that have puzzled me for years � and the answers are practical and doable. The authors have a wonderful coaching style of presenting their ideas to parents and professionals. They will win over many a discouraged parent when they record their findings that the parents of these children are among the best. They have read, listened and sought help for both the parent and the child. They have tried many methods that work for other children but not for theirs. In other words this is long overdue recognition that the problem is not bad parenting or bad children; the problem is ineffective methodologies. The authors� emphasis on step-by-step changes rather than an immediate overall of the home (or classroom) is appreciated. In my opinion this is a common sense, much needed , encouraging presentation.
IV. Audience
This book is written first of all to parents of energy-challenged, sensitive, intense children. Teachers, academic language therapists, and other professionals who work with children and/or parents will also find practical help from this book. Every teacher has some difficult children in her class. It is not unusual for a child coping with learning differences in the academic setting to have also developed deep neediness for recognition and a pattern of meeting that need by drawing out negative, high energy reactions from those in charge of them. These authors explain and illustrate how the professional can use these methods with almost no cost of time or effort.
Publisher Paul Brookes Publishing Co. Publication Date 1998
Authors: Marilyn Jager Adams, Ph.D., Barbara R. Foorman, Ph.D., Ingvar Lundberg, Ph.D., and Terri Beeler, Ed. D.
I. Book Summary
Phonemic Awareness in Young Children presents the research that provides teachers, reading specialists, and academic language therapists with the �whys� for including phonemic awareness in their teaching. It also includes information on the structure of language and of this program and notes to special education teachers. A systematic series of games and fun presentations of the elements of phonemic awareness then follow in the next seven chapters. The final chapters and appendices present an introduction to letters and spellings, an assessment test of of phonological awareness for kindergarten and first grade classes, phonetic symbols of the English language, suggested schedules of the introduction of the games in the book, and a listing of additional materials, resources, advanced games, poems, finger plays, and an annotated bibliography of rhyming stories.
II. Specific Information
The phonemic awareness elements presented in this book through five or more games per element include: listening games, rhyming, words and sentences, awareness of syllables, initial and final sounds, phonemes and an introduction to letters and the sounds the letters represent. The book begins with an overview of the program and a brief description of each chapter�s purpose and games. Then each chapter begins with a more detailed explanation of the purpose of the games and the way that element fits into phonemic awareness.
The schedules for introducing the various games and activities include a chart for the use of the teacher to track her visits and revisits to the book�s activities. These charts are black line masters, which can be reproduced. The chapter, �Assessing Phonological Awareness� includes teacher demonstration pages and student testing forms which purchasers of the book are invited to photocopy for educational papers.
III. Reader's Opinion
This one hundred, seventy-eight page, paper back, spiral bound book provides nearly fifty games and activities and an assessment to use in the teaching of phonemic awareness.
Although the games are designed for groups, many could be adapted for use with a single student. It is undoubtedly worth its purchase price, especially for teachers and ALT�s working with groups.
IV. Audience
This book is designed for kindergarten and first grade classroom teachers and would also be helpful to special education teachers, remedial reading teachers and dyslexia therapists.
