Not many out there like this - very helpful for active learning
929006
There are so many anatomy books out there that just try and cram information into your brain, but this one is useful for actually helping you apply the information and test yourself. We need more books like this.
4298646
My 4 year old son knows some sight words (can identify them on
flashcards or multiple choice) but has a hard time picking them out in
books. And just shuts down when asked to sound words out even though
he knows all the letters and sounds. He is familiar with LeapFrog but
primarily for more advanced books that his older sister has used. So
he was excited to have one just his speed. He was already familiar
with Paw Patrol and the story of The Great Robot Rescue so it made the
book that much more accessible.

As for the learning, he actually is learning independently with this
book. In particular I've found that both my kids did quite well when
there wasn't the "pressure" of a teacher and they just got to explore.
I think for my son, this book demonstrated to us that he is ready for
LeapFrog books. The book is well designed to not be too instense of
teaching so as to bore him or intimidate him but is full of activities
that I find sillly, but he thinks are great. And he has even begun to
grasp the concept of basic phonics, that vowels can have different
sounds. Our family has been users of LeapFrog for about 5 years now,
and the books are getting better. This is a very good one for a young
child learning site words and some basic vowel phonics (short and
long).

I think this is the power of LeapFrog. It's not a system to repalce
human-to-human teaching. However, it certainly can augment it, and I
found that both of my kids do very weell in the non-intimidating
evnironment where they feel in control, where they can spend as much
time on concepts they want, both to reinforce and be comfortable with
the easy ones and learn the more difficult ones at their own pace. In
many ways he feels that his time on LeapFrog is a game, play time. So
we can have focused homeschool time, in a more formal setting, augment
that with learning apps on the iPad, and now let him interact in his own way at his own pace in a physical book with LeapFrog.
1156128
The 5-Minute Teacher, written by Mark Barnes, really opened my eyes as a pre-service teacher to revolutionize my teaching so that I am a "modern learner". This means teachers are transforming the way they teach to keep up with modern learning to appeal to students. Barnes discusses that by running a student-centered classroom with interactive (but brief) teacher instruction, can help teachers adapt to these methods of the modern learners.

I also thought that it was interesting that Barnes said that teachers in this sense are highly skilled and know when to "get out of the students way". This means teachers will learn when the time to let the students work is critical, and that it is up to their 5 minutes of the lesson to be thought provoking enough where the students will hear the instructions and go on assignments and activities. Reducing a lecture from 20 minutes to 5 minutes is quite the jump but Barnes does a great job explaining the standards for teachers in this sense, and what makes a lesson good enough to release students to go and work.

I highly recommend educators reading this book because it is an interesting view on how we can refresh our teaching by putting forth effort to little instruction, deeper meaning for students to find on their own, utilizing peers to help, and let them lead their own classroom. This is a very refreshing book that can enhance lessons and the classroom. The idea of delivering quick and stimulating lessons to motivate students to work is extraordinary and I would love to talk to a teacher that has read this book, and tried Barnes' advice. This was a really easy read and I don't regret buying this book at all! I encourage all teachers to read this just to see what you could change about your own classroom, and why this type of instruction is effective and beneficial for students. Barnes shares practical strategies that I think all educators can put into their own style and run with. Student-centered environments seem to be working in the education world, and Barnes is definitely on it!
169223
When personal one-on-one instruction is not available, the best way to learn any software is the "classroom-in-a-book/ disk" style.

This is where material and lessons are laid out and as the lesson progresses you work right along with it, stopping and reviewing or perhaps going through the lesson again for reinforcement. You're learning visually as well as by tactile engagement.

This is fundamentally different than just tutorials or even glossary-type books (think "Dummies") where there is no legitimate way to gauge your progress.

This is where a program like the "Learn AutoCAD 2013" comes in handy because you have a 8-hours of a virtual classroom where instructor Scott Onstott introduces a very good overview of AutoCAD and the many, many features that are a part of this industry-leading software.

The software itself can be played directly from the dvd drive on your computer or you can create a file/ image file and play it directly from your computer without the disk.

Additionally, should you ever need to refer to this video material but are not at home, Wiley gives you an access code in the folder and a dedicated webpage to view the tutorials there. Registration is necessary, but in the case of the AutoCAD 2013 disk-- a lot for that series seems to have had corrupted.  I've talked with customer service several times and I'm still waiting on them to send me a new passcode to access the online archive.

***  ***
The videos are HD. When opened, it takes up your entire screen space, so if you want to get the best viewing option for this and/or the series, it may be best to have a second monitor available if you're have AutoCAD and want to work alongside it.

The video showcase is broken down into chapters.  When this header is opened, you have a brief synopsis detailing the overview of the chapter.  Each chapter also has sub-categories, so you can watch just the specific episode that you want.

1. User Interface
2. Getting Started
3. Creating Objects
4. Learning To Draw Accurately
5. Manipulating Objects
6. Controlling Object Appearances w Layers & Properties
7. Understanding Blocks
8. Accessories & Managing Content
9. Using Hatch Patterns & Gradients
10. Writing & Editing Text
11. Working With Data
12. Dimensions
13. Using Constraints
14. Working in 3D
15. Creating Documentation

***  ***

Each episode is about 7-10 minutes long.  Just enough time to thoroughly explain a section and digest it before moving on to the next section.

Mr. Onstott's diction is excellent, with precise and a patient disposition--much like one of the better kinds of teachers you've come across.

As it said, the hardest part is in getting started and as complicated as AutoCAD is inherently, this is, in my opinion, the best way to learn any subject apart from a real, live classroom setting.

But, this shouldn't be your only resource for learning AutoCAD--it is an efficient and cost-saving alternative but you should also have a library of architectural books at your fingertips.

LEARNING AutoCAD 2013--- 5 stars.
3577246
My daughter is a quick learner, and so this series is much better for her than Bastien or especially Alfred's. John Thompson introduces "something new in every lesson," just like his motto.  A teacher could assign only one song per week and the student would still be moving along learning a lot of new material.  With the Bastien method, a teacher must skip songs, or assign 4 or 5 songs to a bright student, plus more songs from supplementary material. My student would rather practice fewer challenging songs than so many easy songs. Alfred's is even slower than Bastien.  They all have their place, but for the older students, or quick learners, the John Thompson is actually better than the "gentler" more slow moving methods, which can become very boring or even insulting to quick students.  ...Faber and Faber moves more slowly than Thompson, but seems to cover a lot of special techniques from the very beginning, with the use of the pedal beginning even in book one, so that may be another series to look into, if this one doesn't have enough teacher helps.  John Thompson has two beginning books, the Teaching LIttle Fingers to Play and Teaching Little Fingers to Play More which was later added by another author to bridge the gap.  I highly recommend them as well.
3038760
This is an excellent way to learn how to code! I have found that most programming books have very long chapters to read, so by the time you have finished the chapter, you forget much of it. Another problem is that many don't even give exercises at the end the chapter. A Smarter Way to Learn JavaScript has short chapters followed by 20 interactive questions so you have immediate feedback on your comprehension of the material. Subsequent lessons also include previous material so it makes it hard to forget what you have learned. I wish all programming books had a similar method.
3387560
As a teacher, I'd like to think I've never fallen into the "try harder" trap (i.e., just telling students to try harder rather than providing specific assessment). That said, I find grading to be a real challenge. It's difficult to provide student feedback in ways that encourage them to discover the answers on their own.

Enter "Leaders of Their Own Learning." This book makes the case that learning and assessment should be a continuous process, focused on student portfolios and cumulative learning. They explain their methods clearly enough such that even somebody like me who isn't steeped in the education literature can follow along. A problem I have with most of these types of books is that it's easy to talk about teaching in abstract, but often difficult to implement in practice when you're in front of a classroom. So, the authors include a DVD demonstrating their techniques IN PRACTICE. There's no excuse now.

This book obviously focuses on K-12 education. I don't know how useful it will be beyond that. I teach at the college level, which is obviously very different (we don't have nearly as much interaction with students). Also, I wonder how these techniques would apply to overburdened public schools. Still, I think any type of education would benefit from their advice.
3420973
My child (5 years old) is learning so much Spanish - this is a very innovative concept. The CDs teach spanish by directing my child in many fun activities - such as setting the table and playing restaurant, using finger puppets- Bobby and Maria to learn greetings and interacting with the plush animals. My child is very engaged. Plus on the DVD there are stories - completely in Spanish to reinforce the vocabulary. Very interactive - it constantly prompts you to speak. Lots of songs too, which again reinforce the vocabulary and phrases. Well worth the money -you get so much and it is nice to be away from the computer screen and do age appropriate and tactile learning.
3977569
This book has many research-based learning activities (and some instructional strategies) to use in the classroom. It's an easy read and being as I'm ELA middle school based, I found much of it helpful (especially in designing big ideas/essential questions) for building a unit. I don't think this book would be good for elementary teachers, it seems too mature for their age group but that is my humble opinion with almost no experience working with younger students.
3947735
This book is AMAZING in that it appears to be written by an educator and with the intention of making the student successful. Like most law textbooks, it provides questions and scenarios as a learning tool. Unlike most law textbooks, however, it actually provides answers and explanations, creating a study-guide feel throughout. Organizing a textbook in this manner is PERFECT because it may obviate the need for a separate study guide, or at least optimize learning. It would be great to have other textbook providers take a similar approach. The author seems to have taken great care in creating a positive experience (not just a textbook), even down to adding color and a few pictures to provide a friendlier, approachable feel. I am soon to be a 1L and am grateful for books with the student in mind. THANK YOU!!
3987702
I have read this book in bits and pieces and find it extremely useful. Finally, we got a book that can be used in classroom settings. There are some typos (hence four stars) that will hopefully get fixed in the future editions. The book also has a lot of new insights to offer that can only be gleaned from the vast existing literature on the topic with excruciating labor. Agreed that this book is pricey but for what it has to offer, I think it was money well spent.
3451545
I studied Spanish with a teacher 8-10 years ago and haven't been back to it since because I started on Mandarin Chinese. Now I'm heading to Spain this year and want to pick it back up. I started listening to Accelerated Spanish podcast which lead me to Spanishin1month.com and this book. I'm enjoying the mnemonic approach. It's the first time I've gotten a better grasp of the direct object placement in Spanish. The gradual learning of words through mix of English and Spanish helps make it more digestible than full immersion which just becomes noise when you don't understand anything (which he explains really well in the book). It's a great tool to use along with videos and podcast. Note - it heavily references grammar structure and terms (which I LOVED), but don't be intimidated by that if you are not a grammar nerd like some of us. It's very effective with the visuals and story to help solidify the concepts, structures and words to better UNDERSTAND the language not just memorize it.
3371714
On lesson 88 now with my 5 1/2 year old son, and so am ready to write a review.

My son has been in very progressive environments since starting nursery school.  While I am whole hardheartedly for this, it also meant that he was never "taught" to read.  I don't think reading by age 5 is necessary.  Maybe by 6-7.  But, I understand the pressures, and have experienced it myself: When he entered a new kindergarten as a young 5 year old (at a very progressive school), they were concerned that he couldn't sight read letters, let alone sight read some simple words. So I got this for him, figuring it was a low cost (if slightly high effort, see below) solution that was worth a try, and probably couldn't hurt.  I am so amazed at the results, that I now recommend it to all my friends.

The book does take dedication.  Doing it EVERY night, no matter what, is really important.  Finding the right time to do it, for your child, is also very important, so that it becomes part of the routine.

Here is why this book is amazing, from multiple perspectives:

First, this (phonics) is the appropriate way for children to learn to read.  Not to sight read, or memorize, or regurgitate, or copy or guess based on pictures mindlessly, like they do in so many classrooms.  But to actually read and sound out.  My son can now sound out almost any word he comes across in his kindergarten classroom, even novel words.

Second, it uses --intentionally or not-- tried and true, empirically robust psychological principles of learning.  Spacing (of new concepts/letters/words), and generation.

Third, each lesson is just long enough time to make it challenging, but not to make it overly frustrating/too hard/over the top.  We do it after dinner each night, and my son still has enough time to play for a bit once he's done.

Fourth, the stories are semi-quirky.  If the kid pays attention, they may notice this, and it will make them more engaged.  This is especially true at the end of the book.  Eg, story 87 is called "The eagle meets a beagle -- part 1" but the whole story is about the beagle.  My son said, "wait, but where's the eagle?"  Then he flipped to the next story (I let him peak) to find out.

Fifth, and maybe I shouldn't say this, but the author is very responsive.  I emailed her with a question, and incredibly, she answered within a day.

Thank you so much for this book!
1065128
This is an excellent resource, and while primarily written for the elementary or secondary school teacher, there are plenty of suggestions and scenarios for parents too.  The book focuses on what can be done to encourage smart learning.  There is some mention of the research, but again, the focus is on the "how" and not as much on the "why".  It does not try to be a book on the psychology of learning, but a how-to book to improvement in learning.

Experienced teachers will find themselves agreeing with many of the points made in the book, but there are quitely likely additional techniques and strategies to incorporate into your everyday toolbox.  For the younger teacher, this is an excellent way to add a few more years of experience under your belt, with very much less effort.

I most heartily suggest this, but more importantly share this information with your colleagues.  No man is an island, and it is not very effective to be the only one teaching: "learning smarter".
1367433
Finally I've found a book that teaches the way that I teach; Cover everything but fast if the student knows the area and slower where the skill is new. And using interesting example spreadsheets (Fastest cars in the world, Best-selling music albums of all time and so on)

My first thoughts at seeing this book were disappointment at the fact that it is in black and white and self-published by an IT training company without the slick graphic design of the big publishers. But, as they say, 'never judge a book by its cover'.

The layout is really easy to read with each step title summarized in bold font so you can see where to skip the stuff you (or your students) know and where to concentrate. Some of the larger publishing houses could learn a thing or two from this layout.

Each chapter has a summary exercise to consolidate the learning.

Every page seems to have gems that not many people know at all. For example, if you select a single cell at the top left of a set of figures, say,  and then hover over the right edge and double click, it selects to the right edge of the figures. Double-click on the bottom edge and it selects the table downwards. And, Excel has a fast, accurate, text-to-voice command that will read back your figures to you to check them (either along the row or down the column as you want).

I would have liked the book to say that it covered the Microsoft Certified Application Specialist exam syllabus - which I think it does (or at least, in combination with the soon-to-be-published Advanced Skills book but this is a minor quibble.

Overall, I've seen many books on Excel but this one is the best I've found so far. I'm looking forward to trying Mike Smart's other books.
2360747
As an author who depends almost exclusively on spell check and editors, I wish I had had a book like this to learn from.

My 10 year old daughter struggles with dyslexia and speech/ language delays which makes spelling even more of a challenge. She doesn't always hear words as they are spoken, so trying to teach her from a phonetic base just wasn't working for us.

Dyslexia Games is our favorite new resource and we're enjoying trying out some excellent curriculum that is truly helping her.

In Master the Top 150 Misspelled Words you will find 45 spelling exercises that engage learners and support knowledge in a comfortable, casual way. Children will be asked to:
Color each word making the word introduction smooth
Fill in the missing letters to foster observation
Write in missing words to prove increased familiarity
Write words in print and cursive to insure recognition
Practice writing (creativity with line art fonts is encouraged)
Play pattern games that improve reasoning and observation and support the dyslexic student by retraining the brain to notice what it would otherwise miss.
Your child will learn 150 misspelled words without even trying. It is so natural and user-friendly that my daughter enjoys doing it. This book has increased her spelling, reading, vocabulary and reasoning.

You can order your copy on Amazon for $24.95.
51340
Being 63, I expected to have lots of difficulty learning a new language. Not so with the total immersion method of Rosetta Stone.  I'm half way through the first level and have learned much faster than I did as a young student being subjected to the endless vocabulary lists and grammar exercises. This method is truly intuitive and much easier, at least for me. I listen to the Audio Companion just before going to sleep at night. Great reinforcement. Technically, the product is extremely interactive and easy to use, flexible and adaptive to individual needs. I was hesitant to spend so much, but I am thrilled with my decision.