Literacy Resources for Teachers

Bainbridge, Joyce. Pantaleo, Sylvia. Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom. Edmonton, AB: University of Alberta Press, 1999.

• Learning with Literature in the Canadian Elementary Classroom is an excellent resource that includes objectives, setting the organizational tone and purpose and guiding the reader. A great deal of information is also included about Canadian authors and illustrators. This resource covers literary genres such as picture books, traditional literature, poetry, novels, multi-cultural literature and non-fiction. Each chapter includes an annotated list of other recommended professional resources.

Baker, Deirdre Baker. Setterington, Ken. A Guide to Canadian Children's Books in English. Toronto, ON: McClelland and Stewart, 2003.

• A guide to the very best in Canadian children’s books for parents, teachers, and librarians. This resource includes 500 recommended titles, all by Canadian writers and illustrators. This resource touches upon various genres such as board books, concept books, picture books, traditional tales, poetry and rhyming stories, books for beginning readers, novels for those aged 7 to 12 and those 12 and up, as well as non-fiction books.

Booth, David. Even Hockey Players Read: Boys, Literacy and Learning. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 2002.

• Even Hockey Players Read presents a variety of reading and writing strategies in attempts to promote authentic interactions between boys and literature. This resource focuses on the declining involvement of boys with books and offers strategies to help boys fulfill their literacy needs.

Booth, David. Swartz, Larry. Literacy Techniques: For Building Successful Readers and Writers. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 2004.

• This resource explores a wide breadth of techniques for teaching reading and writing. It also offers one hundred procedures and activities to be implemented in the classroom.

Booth, David. Reading Doesn’t Matter Anymore. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers , 2006.

• Reading Doesn’t Matter Anymore aims to redefine reading as an activity that embraces the needs and interests of students. This resource appeals to both teachers and parents as it offers ways to encourage emerging readers. The book includes over one-hundred literacy events that celebrate reading in all its forms.

Booth, David. Reading and Writing in the Middle Years. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 2001.

• This resource addresses relevant reading and writing strategies for students in grades four to eight. This book demonstrates how reading and writing strategies can form the basis for continued learning.

Fitch, Sheree. Swartz Larry. The Poetry Experience. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers , 2008.

• The Poetry Experience includes a variety of programs and activities to infuse your balanced literacy program with new life. It also includes guidelines, an overview of poetic forms, lists of poetry favourites and reproducible masters.

Gear, Adrienne. Reading Power: Teaching students to think while they read. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 2006.

• This resource promotes reading comprehensions by exploring the importance of creating powerful opportunities for a more thoughtful, engaging and interactive reading experience. The resource focuses on five strategies that help the reader to connect, question, visualize, infer, and transform the text they are reading.

Gould Lundy, Kathleen. Leap Into Literacy: Teaching the Tough Stuff So It Sticks!. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 2007.

• This resource includes ten chapters full of an engaging, imaginative, differentiated literacy instruction. This text includes a variety of excellent ideas to help transform your own literacy program.

Peterson, Shelley. Writing Across The Curriculum: Because All Teachers Teach Writing. Winnipeg, MB: Portage and Main, 2006.

• Excellent resources full of ideas for teaching writing in content areas complete with unit plans and assessment strategies.

Swartz, Larry. The New Drama Themes. Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers , 2002.

• This resource includes over one hundred engaging and inventive games and drama activities addressing such important themes as bullying and exclusion.

Swartz, Larry. The Novel Experience: Steps for choosing and using fiction in the classroom., Markham, ON: Pembroke Publishers, 2006.

• The Novel Experience includes a variety of programs and activities focusing on the importance of using novels in a balanced literacy program that promotes a variety of novel-reading experiences. It also includes strategies to use to use before, during and after reading that will assist the reader with the development of their reading skills.