The Best Back-to-School Books for 2021
- Book Guide /
- Book Sample
- Education
Start the school year off right with some of the bestselling education books! Whether you’re gathering inside the classroom, teaching virtually, or incorporating a hybrid learning model, we’ve got the perfect books for teachers and educators, parents, and students to have a successful school year. We’ve put together a list of essential back-to-school books and downloadable resources that’ll help you prepare for the year.
Teach Reading with Orton-Gillingham
Heather MacLeod-Vidal & Kristina Smith
Give young readers the tools they need to improve reading fluency and master letter-sound relationships with this teacher-friendly book of engaging lessons based on the proven Orton-Gillingham (OG) reading approach. Teach Reading with Orton-Gillingham offers research-based suggestions and instructions to make reading multi-sensory. With 9 unique units and 72 fun and adaptable lessons, this book will help kids to better understand key reading concepts and ultimately teach them to love reading, with customizable activities. Whether you’re working one-on-one, within small groups, or in a whole-class setting, bringing Orton-Gillingham teaching into your classroom has never been easier. This easy-to-follow resource guide is sure to help your struggling students or those with dyslexia start reading today.
Getting Started with Teacher Clarity
Marine Freibrun
Bringing teacher clarity into the classroom has never been easier or more effective! When students understand the why and how of learning (through “teacher clarity”), it’s so much easier for them to fully engage with the process and achieve their goals. Getting Started with Teacher Clarity details the benefits that clear communication can have in your elementary classroom, from breaking down the basics of teacher clarity and shared learning progressions to providing classroom-ready activities. Plus, you’ll discover suggestions for effective classroom teaching practices.
Talking with Your Toddler Activity Book
Teresa Laikko, M.S., CCC-SLP & Laura Laikko, M.S., CF-SLP
Help your child master language and speech with this engaging activity book packed with family-friendly exercises, conversation topics, and vocabulary recommendations. Whether you’re at home or on the go, Talking with Your Toddler Activity Book is perfect for practicing speech and encouraging verbalization. In addition to over 40 different activities, each project ends with reading suggestions, silly song recommendations, and talking tips to keep the inspiration going! Written by the authors of Talking with Your Toddler, the activities make for a wonderful bonding experience between parents and children, or a fantastic classroom-ready resource for teachers and speech language pathologists.
The Growth Mindset Coach
Annie Brock and Heather Hundley
Created by teachers for teachers, this is the ultimate guide for unleashing students’ potential through creative lessons, empowering messages and innovative teaching. The Growth Mindset Coach provides all you need to foster a growth mindset classroom. Studies show that growth mindsets result in higher test scores, improved grades and more in-class involvement. When your students understand that their intelligence is not limited, they succeed like never before. With the tools in this book, you can motivate your students to believe in themselves and achieve anything.
A Parent’s Guide to Virtual Learning
Dr. Felicia Druden
Say hello to the all-in-one primer designed to help busy parents make the most out of digital platforms, understand teaching strategies, and fully support their child’s education. Written by fellow parent and experienced educator Dr. Felicia Durden, A Parent’s Guide to Virtual Learning breaks down how virtual learning works and provides simple techniques for reinforcing classroom instruction, all with the busy parent in mind. Now, parents can take the mystery out of digital education and gain the tools they need to stay energized while making their child’s virtual learning experience fun and effective!
Morning Meetings and Closing Circles
Monica Dunbar
Opening up and winding down the school day has never been easier with this easy-to-use classroom management resource book full of creative ways to start and end each day and bring student engagement to a whole new level. Ideal and fully adaptable for elementary and preschool teachers, this book lays out tips, tricks, strategies, and activities for quick, fun, effective, and highly interactive all-class meetings, with 100 classroom-ready ideas that encourage teachers and students. Complete with in-class options that are easily adapted to distance learning, Morning Meetings and Closing Circles is the perfect guide to creating a welcoming and productive environment in which both students and teachers can thrive.
Introduction to Google Classroom
Annie Brock
Google Classroom newbie? No worries! Experienced educator and coauthor of the best-selling The Growth Mindset Coach, Annie Brock, takes readers step-by-step through the most common Google Classroom features and terminology. Packed with tips, tricks, troubleshooting, helpful screenshots, and activity ideas to keep students of all ages engaged, Introduction to Google Classroom is indispensable as the future of teaching technology evolves. Now teachers of all grade levels can master the basics of communication and education using the Google Classroom file-sharing service.
Classroom-Ready Number Talks for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Teachers
Nancy Hughes
Our classroom-ready number talks collection will make students look at math differently. Turn boring numbers into fun math classes with strategies designed to teach students mental math problem-solving skills. With the help of these books, teachers can spend less time planning and preparing materials and more time engaging with students and helping them learn important math skills. For more number talks books, check out Classroom-Ready Number Talks for Kindergarten, 1st and 2nd Grade Teachers, Classroom-Ready Number Talks for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Teachers, and Classroom-Ready Number Talks for 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Teachers.
The Growth Mindset Classroom-Ready Resource Book
Annie Brock & Heather Hundley
Whether it’s the first day of school or midway through the year, you can start cultivating a growth mindset culture in your classroom today with The Growth Mindset Classroom-Ready Resource Book. From the authors of the best-selling The Growth Mindset Coach comes this easy-to-use resource book that will help even the busiest teachers hit the ground running with lesson plans that ultimately improve grades, increase class engagement, and unleash your students’ full potential. A perfect supplement for any teacher looking for more support, this book’s tools are designed to banish fixed mindsets and motivate your students to believe in themselves.
The Cars, Trucks, Trains, and Planes Pre-K Workbook
Celeste Meiergerd
Kids love cars, boats, planes, and trains. And now they’ll enjoy learning too! The Cars, Trucks, Trains, and Planes Pre-K Workbook is a fun way for students to learn letter and number tracing, shape recognition, counting, sight word practice, and so much more. Each page is filled with a dump truck, tractor trailer, or another vehicle that kids can enjoy as they learn. After completing the exercises in this activity book, your child or student will be ready for the next grade level.
Restorative Practices at School
Becky McCammon
Restorative practices have been shown to increase classroom time and student engagement while reducing suspensions, bullying, and absences. But building a school-wide restorative culture does not happen in a day. Your intention and daily practice are key to creating meaningful change in your classroom, your school, and your life. Designed with every educator in mind, from teachers and paraprofessionals to counselors and administrators, Restorative Practices at School will allow you to reflect on and enhance your restorative journey. Inspired by an urban district’s work in whole-school implementation, the activities in this book provide clear pathways for consideration, exploration, and celebration of restorative practices.
The Supportive Classroom
Laura Anderson, PsyS and Jon, MA
More than half of US children have experienced at least one traumatic event in their young lives. As a result, teachers and educators seek trauma sensitive practices that can help all their students feel safe, become resilient, and, ultimately, develop into engaged, enthusiastic learners. But supporting the individual needs and diverse circumstances of every student can be difficult for educators who are already strapped for time and energy.
Written by two experienced school psychologists, The Supportive Classroom helps you understand trauma, build empathy, and develop a safe and stress-free classroom. This book provides all the necessary tools to build a trauma-sensitive learning environment. Created with every type of educator in mind, from teachers and paraprofessionals to school psychologists and counselors, this book offers a blueprint across grade levels and educational settings to incorporate trauma-informed care into all spaces.
And Off You Go to Change the World
Ashten Evans
Written by our very own editor, Ashten provides positive messages alongside beautiful illustrations to uplift and encourage preschool and kindergarten graduates on their big day. And Off You Go to Change the World is the perfect gift for our little learners.
Download a free coloring page here.
Student Success Through Micro-Adversity
M. Jane & Ty Bricker
Encourage your students to be resilient, persevere, and overcome adversity with this breakthrough teaching method. Student Success through Micro-Adversity incorporates small, difficult challenges—called micro-adversities—into the classroom. These micro-adversities can be actionable activities, like trying to solve a puzzle that is missing a few pieces or conversation starters that build emotional intelligence. Written by two teachers, one a former US Army Ranger, this teaching method combines a disciplined and hard-working military perspective with the important foundations of a trauma-sensitive classroom.
–Tyanni Niles
