[MOSAIC] a new book!!

[ginger/rob]

Some of you may remember a while back when author Elaine Garan wrote us 
asking if we would contribute pressing questions for her upcoming book. 
Well, the book is about to be released and Elaine did use many of our 
questions!!!

Title:
Smart Answers to Tough Questions: What Do You Say When You're Asked About 
Fluency, Phonics, Grammar, Vocabulary, SSR, Tests, Support for ELLs, and 
More by Elaine Garan
(published by Scholastic)

Here is the info from the back cover-
"An indispensable guide for classroom teachers, literacy coaches, 
administrators, and teacher educators, Smart Answers to Tough Questions 
addresses today's most pressing issues in language, literacy, teaching, and 
learning- in conversational language and a reader-friendly format.  The 
questions are real ones, some posed by educators themselves, and other 
frequently addressed to educators by parents, administrators, and the media. 
Each tough question is followed by a research-based "Bottom-Line Answer" 
that is drawn from government reports, stripped of jargon, and translated 
into clear, accessible prose.

This essential desktop reference is a rich resource for grant writing, 
school newsletters, back-to-school nights, and presentations to the school 
board.  Each section in the book can also serve as the outline for workshops 
and reading methods courses.  In addition, Garan includes 100+ invaluable 
research quotes that are downloadable from the Web."

Here is an easy link to the Scholastic page:
http://tinyurl.com/37x36f

Here is an easy link to the Amazon page:
http://tinyurl.com/2q2hro

I was fortunate to read the draft for review and all I can say is BUY THIS 
BOOK!!!! Here is what I wrote for my review:
"Elaine Garan has synthesized the research and in basic English provided us 
with meaningful responses to the scrutinizing questions teachers are often 
asked.  We need this book to defend our teaching!"

Our own Joy W. wrote in her review:
"Not only does this book provide answers to tough questions, but it also 
draws a detailed picture of what research-based practices look like in the 
classroom.  I see this as a guidebook for best practices in literacy 
education, as well as a resource for talking with parents about these 
issues."

Our own Heather Wall wrote in her review:
I found the information to be invaluable not only for addressing parent 
questions, but also for informing fellow teachers of research-proven best 
practices.  This is an excellent resource- every literacy coach and staff 
developer should own this book!"

Ginger
moderator