"Awesome collection of teaching strategies for all elementary teachers of literacy." Karen Jamison, Florida College

The many activities included here for teaching the language arts in grades K–6 were designed to meet the instructional needs of in-service and future teachers. All activities identify the NCTE/IRA standards with which they are aligned and feature an easy-to-follow organization that includes clear procedures for implementation, authentic assessments of teaching objectives, and suggestions for differentiated instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners and English learners.

This book presents a comprehensive view of teaching the language arts in grades K–8. It offers a balanced approach between direct instruction and integrating the language arts with other content areas. It explores the important topics of community and caregiver involvement in education and offers thoughtful coverage of diversity in the schools. Readers will find practical teaching ideas in every chapter.

"Literacy in Grades 4-8 is certainly a comprehensive text that provides educators with a complete guide to reading instruction. I found that this book provides detailed explanations of a variety of concepts, issues, activities, and assessments, all of which are connected to reading instruction. In fact, I found this book to be so thorough in explaining reading processes and skills that I have started recommending it to preservice teachers and to my fellow inservice teachers." Stephanie Grote-Garcia, Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi, in Education Book Reviews

This book helps future and present teachers create a balanced, comprehensive early literacy program that places direct skills instruction within the context of rich, varied reading and writing experiences. It also prepares teachers to meet the challenge of today's diverse student population. More than 35 hands-on classroom activities with step-by-step directions coupled with numerous assessment tools make this a valuable resource for teachers. Striking a Balance provides comprehensive coverage of core topics in a concise manner and yet sells for about half the price of comparable books.

These teaching activities for communication education in grades 7-12 have been tested in classrooms and found to be successful in helping students develop competencies in the fundamentals of communication, speaking, listening, and media literacy. The book (and its companion for K-6 classrooms) can be used by future teachers in communication pedagogy and language arts courses and by current teachers in communication or the content areas.

"It is so important for new teachers to know and be able to design curriculum around discipline standards as well as state graduation standards. As soon as I saw these books, I changed my book order. I (and my students) thank you." Judy Litterst, St. Cloud State University