With insight and humor, this motivating guide shows how to bring executive functions (EF) to the forefront in K-8 classrooms--without adopting a new curriculum or scripted program. Ideal for professional development, the book includes flexible, practical, research-based ideas for implementation in a variety of classroom contexts. It shares stories…

Every educator wants to know: "What has the greatest impact on student success?" The answer: executive function skills. They are crucial for students' academic success and personal growth, yet many of our students lack the skills required to engage in learning, such as organization, planning, time management, and self-regulation. This…

Synthesizing the breadth of current research on the teaching and learning of writing, the third edition of this definitive handbook has more than 90% new content, reflecting the growth and dynamism of the field. Leading scholars--including many international voices--review major theories, developmental issues, and instructional approaches for…

Children's Approaches to Learning (AtL) represents how children seek learning opportunities in their classrooms. It can include children's persistence, attention, and initiative. It has often been studied using a composite of a teacher-rated scale. However, person-centered approaches may account for heterogeneity in children's learning approaches,…

"Educating Gifted Students in Middle School: A Practical Guide" (3rd ed.) helps educators with the challenging task of understanding and meeting the needs of gifted students in middle school. This revised and updated third edition: (1) Provides a rationale and framework that middle schools can use to fill the service gap for gifted and…

Teach some of the most important skills your students will ever need! "Please, try harder." "Please, pay attention." "Please, behave." Most students want to do what it takes to succeed, but sometimes that's easier said than done. Executive function skills such as self-regulation, focus, planning, and time management…

Recent findings from the Kids Activity and Learning Study complement North Carolina's multidimensional approach to promoting school readiness by emphasizing the integrated nature of motor and cognitive development in early childhood. Children whose motor skills improved the most over the course of an academic year also tended to demonstrate the…

What makes some teachers more effective than others? What pedagogies and practices are fads and which are backed with quality evidence? Which teaching strategies give teachers the biggest learning bang for their buck? The authors have surveyed the research literature and carefully curated 50 elements of effective teaching--elements such as direct…

Twice-exceptional (2e) learners have often been misunderstood, disciplined, unchallenged, and left behind. Even as awareness of 2e students has grown, educators are still in need of practical tools to recognize and support their twice-exceptional students. This book answers that need, providing teachers with accessible information about…

How do we prepare students to become problem-finders, innovators, and entrepreneurs who can thrive in a global society? The Common Core charts a pathway to success, yet we know that checking off each standard one by one will not achieve the kind of results we want. This powerful book by bestselling author Nancy Sulla has the answers. She explains…

This brief, produced by WestEd as part of a collection of Crisis Response Resources, provides guidance and resources to help educators support students with disabilities -- ranging from mild to low-incidence -- through distance learning prompted by the COVID-19 crisis. Many of the structures and supports for students with disabilities that were in…

The purpose of this article is to familiarize teachers with the concept of executive functioning and to provide them with a collection of strategies that they can use to help support middle and high school students with planning, organization, task-initiation, and impulse control.

To address the needs of the high population of students with learning disabilities at their school, the author and a colleague created an inclusion science class that focuses on active, hands-on science. The course prepares students of various learning abilities for the state-mandated end-of-course biology assessment. Many of their students have…

When it comes to academic work, students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) often have the required knowledge but struggle to get their thoughts down in writing. This is a practical guide to teaching and improving writing skills in students with ASD to meet academic writing standards and prepare for the increased expectations of higher education.…

Young children's capabilities continue to be revealed through brain and other scientific research. These advances in knowledge have led to the implementation of more progressive learning experiences in preschool programs. More in-depth explorations accommodate young children's intellect and they help children develop life skills as competent…