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News and updates to http://brains.org and Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum(R) Site for Educators: http://help4teachers.com
~~The NO-MEMBERSHIP-REQUIRED website ~~

You can subscribe to this newsletter at: http://help4teachers.com/newsletter.htm
Unsubscribe & EMAIL CHANGE information link at the bottom of this newsletter
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SECTION ONE: Teaching Tips -
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Teacher Tip # 1: Contact another teacher in your building to see if
your students can bring by their display projects and demonstrations
to share with their class. It's a good chance for your students to
present their learning, and it adds to the other teacher's class as
well. Lou Clifford, Shadow Ridge HS., NV.

Teacher Tip # 2: I have found that if I use colored markers during
teaching, it engage students and helps with learning and questions.
Students are able to indicate a color on the board to ask questions.
This is great in my math class where various steps to a problem
are in different colors. Brandi Strickland, Parker MS, NC

Teacher Tip # 3: Leave a copy of your lesson plan with the teacher
across the hall or next door if you plan to be absent. If the substitute
needs help that teacher can offer advice or assistance and if the lesson plan
is misplaced, there will be another copy. Sandra Schellen, Wichita Falls, TX.

Send your favorite teaching tip to me at Kathie@brains.org
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SECTION TWO: Hot Topics
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HOT TOPIC #1: Young children with ADHD who later also develop conduct
disorders are at a greater risk for substance abuse and criminal behavior.
However, researchers have found that the parenting of these children has a
large effect on their outcome. Maternal depression poses the greatest risk
for these children and positive parenting during the early years with these
children offers significant protection again these risk factors.
Chronis, A. et al. (2007). Developmental Psychology, Vol 43(1) 70-82

HOT TOPIC #2: Why aren't children getting enough sleep? Researchers
had thousands of children and adolescents keep diaries of their day activities.
Some interesting patterns were found. African American adolescents and
Hispanic children got the least amount of sleep. More time spent on meals
and stricter household rules predicted the most amount of sleep for both children
and adolescents. The diaries showed that children don't get enough
sleep as they move into adolescence, due to (in order of impact):
earlier school start times, more hours of homework, jobs outside the home,
less time spent on family meals and fewer household rules. Adam, E.; Snell, E;
Pendry, P. (2007). Journal of Family Psychology, Vol 21(1) 4-19.

More Hot Topics at the websites!

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SECTION THREE: Website updates
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****************NEW at the Help4Teachers.com WEBSITE********************

*** New Layered Curriculum® units:
~~ Tiffany Seguire in Perth, ON sent a unit on Global Issues (grade 12)
~~Christy Aymami in Marrero, LA sent 4 HS physical science units.
~~ Gerald Bailey in Emporium, PA sent a unit for The Minister's Black Veil.
~~Sandra Fischl in Port Hope, ON sent a grade 9 geometry unit.
~~Chrissy Allen in Milford, CT sent a preschool unit.
~~Jeff Battle in Brevard, NC sent a 7th grade unit on Circulation and Immunity.
~~Terry Shay in Traer, IA sent a 6th grade Music History unit.

VIEW ALL THE SAMPLE UNITS AT: http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm
********************************************************************************
If you are looking for the Layered Curriculum® text or workbook,
remember you can buy the set discounted at our bookstore:
http://help4teachers.com/books.htm

Don't forget our Layered Curriculum® video training kits are also
available for schools, districts and regional professional development
centers. http://help4teachers.com/video.htm

****************** THE BRAINS.ORG SHOP: *******************************
The Brains.org shop is your source for the best selling books on
brain-based education, differentiated instruction, parenting, and
educating exceptional students. We also carry colored overlays.

You can order directly online with a credit card at:
http://brains.org/store/index.htm
Or fax your institutional Purchase Order to 208-979-0678.
************************************************************************
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SECTION FOUR: Kathie's Email
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Dear Kathie,
I recently heard you speak at a workshop in Grand Rapids MN. It was a
wonderful presentation, thank you for all the knowledge and laughter you
brought to us! I have a question about the fluency intervention you
mentioned. I believe you said that if you read with a student a passage
at their level each day, modeling fluency as you read and then they read
that there will be an increase in fluency. I wonder if you could tell me
a little more about that process as I didn't get it written down. I know
you said one to one, and for about 10 minutes each day?? Just seeking out
a little more information on this. Thanks again, Janet

~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Janet. The technique is called "guided oral reading" and if you
google that term,you will find many websites that explain variations in how
to do that. If you need more information, one of the best books on the topic
that I've seen is Sally Shaywitz's "Overcoming Dyslexia" which you can usually
find at your library or bookstore or we carry it at the Brains.org shop.
Good luck with it. -Kathie
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Dear Kathie - I've looked at a lot of the lesson plans on the website and I'm
still not sure what goes in the A layer. Some teachers seem to just put
harder or longer assignments in that layer which don't always seem to
involve critical thinking. I'm confused on the A layer. Marty B., NE.

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Marty, Ideally, the A layer should involve some type of "real world" debate
issue. You want to help students take that step from classroom learning and
application to real world issues where there may not be an objectively right or
wrong answer. Try to find topics where students could find research to support
more than one view. The A layer should have students mix basic, hard evidence
with ethics, values and morality. The A layer doesn't necessarily need to be
a complex or time-consuming assignment. I'm aware that not all the units
at the website are true Layered Curriculum® units in that many do not involve
this type of thinking for the A layer, but I think the units have so many creative
and interesting assignment ideas in other ways and are therefore helpful to other
teachers as they design their own. So I've made the decision to post them
risking the fact that it may cause some confusion. I hope that helps.
- Kathie

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SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
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Happy April to everyone and I must also wish a very happy 23rd birthday
today to my oldest son, Keegan.

I do hope everyone is enjoying their spring and the longer days (at least here in
the northern hemisphere).

I'll be heading out west next week back to Clark County School District
in Las Vegas for 2 days with the teachers there working on Layered
Curriculum®. I've got new workshops on the calendar for Illinois and
and a couple new workshops in the making for Quebec and Texas.

My calendar is updated if you are looking for outside registration
information for any of our scheduled workshops. Right now we have
workshops open to outside participants in Chicago, San Antonio,
Paramus, NJ (near NYC), San Juan Capistrano, CA; Miles City, MT;
Midland, MI; Macomb, IL; Toronto; Indianapolis & Polson, MT.

Contact information is available on my calendar page:
http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm

I am opening my spring 2008 calendar now so let me know if I can check a
date for a conference or workshop for your district.

As always, my best to you and yours,

Kathie
=================================================
Workshop information is available at the website
http://help4teachers.com/workshops.htm
or
call: 603-249-9521
email: kathie@brains.org
Brains.org and Help4Teachers is located at:
54 Ponemah Road
Amherst, NH 03031

Layered Curriculum® is a trademark developed by and registered
to Dr. Kathie F Nunley. Usage information available at:
http://help4teachers.com/usage.htm
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---

Dr Kathie F Nunley

Layered Curriculum(R) . . . because every child deserves a special education (tm)
Brains.org & Help4Teachers.com
54 Ponemah Rd
Amherst NH 03031
PH 603.249.9521
FX 208.979.0678