Teaching the Way Children Learn (the series on school reform);

''There's never been a more timely book, one that brings to life what it is that we need and want for all our children, written by someone who has proven it can be done.''

-- Deborah Meier, educational reformer, writer, and activist


''Teaching the Way Children Learn is a powerful antidote to an educational climate based more on the punitive consequences of rigid accountability than on the possibility for real learning. This book will be a source of inspiration for those looking for a different vision of what schools should be.''

-- Sonia Nieto, Professor Emerita, University of Massachusetts, Amherst


''A wonderful story of the invention and successful maintenance of a school that believes in teaching the whole child. Teaching the Way Children Learn is rich and touching in detail and inspiring in its realistic account of how-to-do-it.''

-- Nel Noddings, Lee L. Jacks Professor of Child Education Emerita, Stanford University


This inspiring book reveals the invisible inner landscapes of how educators teach children from a variety of backgrounds to meet the challenging expectations of today's standards without sacrificing support for their developmental needs or their diverse ways of learning. Featuring ''images of possibility'' from an urban school, it describes effective, child-centered teaching in pre-K through fifth grade Each image is analyzed for the educational decisions that took place to make the experience effective, including the planning involved, the classroom environment and routines that supported it, how standards were addressed, how the teacher assessed student learning to shape instruction, and the impact on students. This practical resource is a must-read for pre- and in-service teachers and anyone committed to helping inner-city children succeed in school and beyond.


Book Features:

* Principles of teaching for understanding through active learning.

* Examples of effective, project-based, interdisciplinary curriculum.

* Alternate methods of preparing children for standardized tests.

* Descriptions of school-wide practices that create a community of caring.

* Strategies for involving families in school life.