Best Books for Children

(This is from my family's Green Eggs and Ham breakfast)
I thought I would find the best books for your students to be reading. I found a great Web site by NEA. There are two different lists. Maybe you could check some on these out this summer and develop some great new lesson plans. That is what teaching is all about. Happy reading!




Here is the list that is divided by age groups:

Books for All Ages

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Where the Sidewalk Ends: the Poems and Drawing of Shel Silverstein by Shel Silverstein
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum
Heidi by Johanna Spyri

Books for Preschoolers - More Preschool Titles from TeachersFirst / TeachersAndFamilies

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see? by Bill Martin, Jr.
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Corduroy by Don Freeman
The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise
Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

Books for Children Ages 4-8 - More Primary Reading from TeachersFirst / TeachersAndFamilies

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
The Mitten by Jan Brett
Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
Oh, The Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
Strega Nona by Tomie De Paola
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by John Archambault
The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman
Jumanji by Chris Van Allsburg
Math Curse by Jon Scieszka
Are You My Mother? by Philip D. Eastman
The Napping House by Audrey Wood
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter
Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus
The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
Curious George by Hans Augusto Rey
Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox
Arthur series by Marc Tolon Brown
Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
The Art Lesson by Tomie De Paola
Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkina
Clifford, the Big Red Dog by Norman Bridwell
The Paper Bag Princess by Robert N. Munsch

Books for Children Ages 9-12 - More Books by Grade Level from TeachersFirst

Charlotte's Web by E. B. White
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
Little House on the Prarie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan
The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
The BFG by Roald Dahl
The Giver by Lois Lowry
James and the Giant Peach: A Children's Story by Roald Dahl
Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O'Brien
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
Matilda by Roald Dahl
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
The Trumpet of the Swan by E. B. White
The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson
Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Laura Ingalls Wilder Webquest
Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein
Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard Atwater
My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
Stuart Little by E. B. White
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare
The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Books for Young Adults - More Books by Grade Level from TeachersFirst

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls
The Cay by Theodore Taylor
The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

Here is the list that is for all students:

Teacher's Top 100 Books for Children

1. Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
   
   
2. Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
   
   
3. The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
   
   
4. Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
   
   
5. Good Night Moon by Margaret Wise Brown
   
   
6. I Love You Forever by Robert N. Munsch
   
   
7. Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
   
   
8. Oh! The Places You Will Go by Dr. Seuss
   
   
9. The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton
   
   
10. The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
    
    
11. Skippyjon Jones by Judy Schachner
    
    
12. Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco
    
    
13. The Cat In The Hat by Dr. Seuss
    
    
14. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss
    
    
15. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
    
    
16. The Mitten by Jan Brett
    
    
17. Crunching Carrots, Not Candy by Judy Slack
    
    
18. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willlems
    
    
19. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
    
    
20. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle
    
    
21. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst
    
    
22. Are You My Mother? by P.D. Eastman
    
    
23. Corduroy by Don Freeman
    
    
24. Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes
    
    
25. Stellaluna by Janell Cannon
    
    
26. Tacky the Penquin by Helen Lester
    
    
27. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
    
    
28. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
    
    
29. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.
    
    
30. Click Clack Moo: Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin
    
    
31. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
    
    
32. Horton Hatches the Egg by Dr. Seuss
    
    
33. Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
    
    
34. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder
    
    
35. Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
    
    
36. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
    
    
37. Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini
    
    
38. The Little Engine That Could by Watty Piper
    
    
39. The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone
    
    
40. The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
    
    
41. A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon
    
    
42. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett
    
    
43. From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
    
    
44. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
    
    
45. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
    
    
46. Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann
    
    
47. Olivia by Ian Falconer
    
    
48. The BFG by Roald Dahl
    
    
49. The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn
    
    
50. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
    
    
51. The Sneetches by Dr. Seuss
    
    
52. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
    
    
53. Tikki Tikki Tembo by Arlene Mosel
    
    
54. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
    
    
55. Bark, George by Jules Feiffer
    
    
56. Bunnicula by James Howe
    
    
57. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
    
    
58. Charlie the Caterpillar by Dom DeLuise
    
    
59. Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes
    
    
60. Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary
    
    
61. Frederick by Leo Lionni
    
    
62. Frindle by Andrew Clements
    
    
63. Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel
    
    
64. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
    
    
65. Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
    
    
66. Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion
    
    
67. Hop on Pop by Dr. Seuss
    
    
68. How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss
    
    
69. I Love You, Stinky Face by Lisa McCourt
    
    
70. Is Your Mama A Llama? by Deborah Guarino
    
    
71. Jan Brett’s books
    
    
72. Knots on a Counting Rope by Bill Martin Jr.
    
    
73. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
    
    
74. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel by Virginia Lee Burton
    
    
75. Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney
    
    
76. My Father's Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannett
    
    
77. My Many Colored Days by Dr. Seuss
    
    
78. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
    
    
79. No David! by David Shannon
    
    
80. One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
    
    
81. Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
    
    
82. Stephanie's Ponytail by Robert Munsch
    
    
83. Swimmy by Leo Lionni
    
    
84. The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes
    
    
85. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Warner
    
    
86. The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
    
    
87. The Empty Pot by Demi
    
    
88. The Five Chinese Brothers by Claire Huchet Bishop
    
    
89. The Giver by Lois Lowr
    
    
90. The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle
    
    
91. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
    
    
92. The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown
    
    
93. The Last Holiday Concert by Andrew Clements
    
    
94. The Napping House by Audrey Wood
    
    
95. The Quiltmaker's Gift by Jeff Brumbeau
    
    
96. The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats
    
    
97. The Story About Ping by Marjorie Flack
    
    
98. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
    
    
99. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
    
    
100. The Wide-Mouthed Frog: A Pop-Up Book by Keith Faulkner

RTI Program at Cedar Middle School

I thought I would blog about how the RTI program works at the school where I work. First of all, RTI stands for Response to Intervention. According to the National Center on Response to Intervention, Response to intervention integrates assessment and intervention within a multi-level prevention system to maximize student achievement and to reduce behavior problems. With RTI, schools identify students at risk for poor learning outcomes, monitor student progress, provide evidence-based interventions and adjust the intensity and nature of those interventions depending on a student’s responsiveness, and identify students with learning disabilities or other disabilities.

Our school first decided to attempt the RTI model three years ago. We decided that the middle school age group was suffering because not enough reading intervention was provided once students were out of elementary school. We decided to give all students in our school the Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI) and measure what reading level every student was on. This was no small task. We have 900 students in the middle school. It took three weeks and every spare hand we could grab. Teachers were testing on prep times and instructional assistants were watching classrooms so that teachers could help test. This QRI tests is a one-on-one reading test. We gave this test twice that first year. The students who were reading below third grade instructional were assigned to a reading intervention class. This is the TIER 3 level. This was available to all students, not just special education students. It was amazing to see the progress in these students. They were receiving reading instruction daily for 45 minutes and making a lot of progress. Students who were measured at reading on the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade levels were assigned to reading instruction groups for 45 minutes two times a week. This is the TIER 2 level. We teach the Anita Archer reading program, REWARDS, during this time. The students who were reading above fifth grade instructional level were assigned to the TIER 1 level. Classroom teachers are responsible to provide intervention that is needed at this level.

We just finished up the third year of RTI groups and still see growth in the students. For example, at the beginning of the year, we had 148 students in the TIER 2 group. We just ended the year with 109 students. That means 39 students made enough reading growth to exit the intervention groups. I see this as a huge accomplishment. Reading affects students throughout their entire lives. We have used the GRADE reading assessment this year and have found it more time efficient. The test scores are consistent with the QRI and the teachers are more willing to help with testing because it doesn't take as long as the QRI. If you are interested in learning more about the RTI system here is a great website http://www.rti4success.org/

Meet my cute SUU fans!

My first post has to be dedicated to my number one fans! These kids are patient and love SUU as much as their parents. Both my husband and I graduated with our BS degrees from SUU. My husband works at SUU now and I am a student again. As my son said just yesterday, "You're in school? I thought you had been there and done that?" Go T-birds!