Thinkquiry Toolkit 1 - 2nd Edition by Pcg Education (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

Essential, easy-to-implement tools for teachers to help improve literacy across the content areas, as mandated by the CCSS

Thinkquiry Toolkit 1, Second Edition, is a collection of teacher instructional practices, student learning strategies, and collaborative routines that improves reading comprehension and vocabulary learning in grades 4 through 12. Each practice, strategy, or routine is research-based, high impact, multi-purpose and effective in improving student learning across multiple content areas. It addresses the importance of the ability to read, write, speak, listen, and think well enough to learn whatever one wants to learn, to demonstrate that learning, and to transfer that learning to new situations. Thinkquiry Toolkit 1 iscomprised of five sections:

1. Overview of the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy and the related instructional shifts
2. Selecting the Right Tools for Maximum Learning
3. Laying the Foundation Before Reading/Learning
4. Building New Knowledge During Reading/Learning, and
5. Expanding and Deepening Understanding After Reading/Learning

If teachers collaboratively use these practices, strategies, and routines; teach them to students; and use them regularly across content areas, students will develop confidence and competence as readers, writers, and learners.

A division of Public Consulting Group (PCG), PCG Education provides instructional and management services and technologies to schools, school districts, and state education agencies across the U.S. and internationally. They apply more than 30 years of management consulting expertise and extensive real-world experience as teachers and leaders to strengthen clients' instructional practice and organizational leadership, enabling student success.

From the Back Cover

A New Edition of the Key Resource for Developing Excellent Readers, Learners, and Thinkers Across the Curriculum

The Second Edition of Thinkquiry Toolkit 1 offers teachers of students in grades 4 through 12 a collection of reliable instructional practices, student learning experiences, and collaborative routines proven to develop reading comprehension and vocabulary learning. The approaches in Thinkquiry Toolkit 1 have been used successfully by classroom teachers for the past 20 years in a variety of educational settings and locations. The updated second edition incorporates the instructional shifts fundamental to the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy (CCSS ELA & Literacy).

The Thinkquiry Toolkit explains the implications of the CCSS ELA & Literacy for content literacy instruction, and provides strategies and approaches that implement the instructional shifts in all classrooms. As teachers of literacy in all disciplines align their instruction to the CCSS, they need proven tools, approaches, and strategies to support their students--and Thinkquiry provides those resources.

This edition of Thinkquiry includes an overview of the CCSS ELA & Literacy and its instructional shifts as well as an explanation of how Thinkquiry's research-based, experience-tested strategies and approaches is a strong resource that helps students and teachers achieve the literacy goals of the Common Core.

In addition to the tools, strategies, and approaches, Thinkquiry provides a wealth of useful templates. For each of the tools presented, there is a set of examples of what the tool might look like "in action" and in various content areas. Classroom scenarios, at the end of each section, offer a vision of how the tools can be used in the classroom.

Thinkquiry Toolkit 1 gives teachers an essential resource to help students develop the confidence and skills they need to be excellent readers, learners, and thinkers. Look for Thinkquiry Toolkit 2, which will focus on strengthening writing strategies across the content areas.

About the Author

PCG Education, a division of Public Consulting Group (PCG), provides instructional and management services and technologies to schools, school districts, and state education agencies across the United States and internationally.