NLDline
Subj: THE SPECIAL ED ADVOCATE, VOL. 1, NO. 21,
(December 16, 1998)
Date: 12/16/98 7:42:52 PM Pacific Standard Time
From: pwright@wrightslaw.com (Pam and Pete Wright)
Sender: owner-special-ed-advocate@wrightslaw.com
To: special-ed-advocate@wrightslaw.com
============
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==============
ANNOUNCING – NEW BOOKS AND MUSIC AT THE ADVOCATE’S BOOKSTORE
When we added the Advocate’s Bookstore to the web site, we asked you to
send us your book recommendations. Many of you did – and we want to tell
others about your suggestions.
The Advocate’s Bookstore is organized into several sections – each
section has a separate web page and web address.
1. Learn about the Disability
2. Learn about Effective Educational Practices
3. Learn about Tests and Evaluations (How to Measure Educational
Progress)
4. Learn about Your Rights and Responsibilities
5. Learn How to Negotiate and Persuade
6. Books for Parents
7. Books for Children
8. Advocate’s Gift Shop for Books and Music
9. Recommend a Book, Artist, Resource
10. Contact Us
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1. LEARN ABOUT THE DISABILITY
Pamela Martens, SLP from San Diego wrote:
"There is a wonderful book that I HIGHLY recommend for professionals and
parents: “Central Auditory Processing Disorders-Mostly Management” by
Gay Masters, Nancy Stecker, Jack Katz (ed.)
“It gives the reader an overview of CAPD, neuroscience background and
the relationship between CAPD and ADHD. The book covers a variety of
strategies and approaches to remediation. This is an incredible
resource. Very approachable reading too."
To read more about this and other books about disabilities, go to
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/bks_disability.htm
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2. LEARN ABOUT EFFECTIVE EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES – “WHAT WORKS”
Several Special Ed Advocates asked: "How can I write good IEP goals and
objectives?"
We asked our experts – and this is what we learned.
Margaret Kay says that the best book written on this subject is
“Preparing Instructional Objectives: A Critical Tool in the Development
of Effective Instruction” by Robert F. Mager.
“Preparing Instructional Objectives” will help you master the elements
of writing a well-stated objective, including how to describe the
performances you expect to achieve, identify the conditions under which
you expect the performance to occur, and set criteria for acceptable
performance.
To check out books on Effective Educational Practices – including
“Preparing Instructional Objectives” go to
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/bks_educate.htm
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3. LEARN ABOUT TESTS & EVALUATIONS – HOW TO MEASURE PROGRESS OBJECTIVELY
Remember “The Matthew Effect?” discussed in an earlier newsletter. We
have received a lot of email about declining IQ scores. Keith Stanovich
is the psychologist who coined the term “The Mathew Effect” ("the rich
grow richer, the poor get poorer") to describe the impact of reading
disorders on IQ. You can learn about the Matthew Effect at -
http://www.wrightslaw.com/ltr_Pat_falling_IQscores.html
Dr. Stanovich has written an excellent book called “How to Think
Straight About Psychology.” He wrote this book for the "consumers of
psychological information" - which includes you, the parents of special
ed kids.
You’ll find this and several other excellent books about tests and
evaluations at-
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/bks_tests.htm
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4. LEARN ABOUT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES
You’ll find several new books in our legal and advocacy section.
Check out “Legal Research: How to Find and Understand the Law” by
Stephen Elias & Susan Levinkind. “Legal Research” is a step-by-step
guide – you’ll learn what's in a law library and how to use it; how to
find and update statutes, regulations & cases; how to explore online
resources; how to write a legal memorandum.
Another excellent - and entertaining - resource is “May It Please the
Court: First Amendment Live Recordings and Transcripts of Oral Arguments
Made Before the Supreme Court” by Peter Irons. (Book and four 90 minute
cassettes)
“May It Please the Court: First Amendment” includes a school-prayer
case; a decision in which the Court upheld students' right to wear black
armbands to protest the Vietnam War; a case striking down a state law
criminalizing flag burning; and the 1971 Pentagon Papers case.
Other cases address display of religious symbols; "public indecency";
reporters' right to protect their sources; religious use of drugs;
censorship of school newspapers; discrimination based on sexual
preference; draft-card burning; and libel (including the Larry
Flynt-Jerry Falwell and New York Times Co. v. Sullivan cases)
For these and other good books about law and advocacy, go to
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/bks_law.htm
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5. LEARN TO RESOLVE CONFLICT – TO NEGOTIATE & PERSUADE
Beg? Threaten? We tell parents that they need to present their child’s
case in a way that makes school people – and hearing officers - want to
give the child what he or she needs. This is a tough concept for many
parents - but it’s important to learn.
Read how to apply this concept when you write letters to the school -
http://www.wrightslaw.com/DRAFT_Letters.html
Here are two books that will help you survive the next school meeting:
“How to Read a Person Like a Book” (paperback; audio-cassette version
too.)
“You Can Negotiate Anything” - recommended by Florida attorney-mediators
Diana Santa Maria and Marc Gregg in their article “Seven Steps to
Effective Mediation” at our web site.
For more information about these and other books about conflict
resolution and negotiation, go to –
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/bks_negotiate.htm
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6. JUST FOR PARENTS
Kids are a “challenge” to raise – and children with disabilities are no
different. Here is a book that will help you keep the lines of
communication open with your children –
“How to Talk So Kids will Listen, and Listen so Kids will Talk.”
One reader said "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen” should be in the
Business/ Management section. It says the same things high-priced
consultants say -- treat people with respect, do not deny their
emotions, state the facts (only) and shut up and listen. The book talks
about giving praise and recognition - another reason to use it in real
life, inside the family AND outside in the "real" world."
You’ll find more books for parents at -
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/bks_parents.htm
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7. POP QUIZ
QUESTION: What do these people have in common? Ray Charles, Ella
Fitzgerald, Percy Mayfield, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Percy
Mayfield.
ANSWER: All are featured artists in the New Music Section of the
Advocate’s Bookstore.
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8. GIFT SHOP NEWS
The bookmaster has been busy, adding new books to The Advocate’s
Bookstore. She has also added some of our favorite music to the Gift
Shop – just for the fun of it. Here are some books – and music –
you’ll
find in the Advocate’s Bookstore.
Our Gift Shop has expanded into FOUR Sections –
* * Heroes and Heroines * *
* * The Children’s Corner * *
* * For Grownups * *
* * The Music Room * *
Here is a sample of the books and music you’ll find in the Gift Shop–
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/gift/bks_gifts.html
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* * HEROES AND HEROINES * * -
“Dream Makers, Dream Breakers” – Biography of civil rights activist and
Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.
“Hitchhiking Vietnam” – Armed with a camera and blank tapes, a young
woman hikes through Vietnam.
“Helen Keller: A Life”
“The Endurance: Shackleton’s Legendary Antarctic Expedition”
“The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea”
“Thinking in Pictures” by Temple Grandin
“Yes, You Can Heather!” Heather’s mother tells the story of her deaf
daughter’s struggles to achieve her dream – to become Miss America.
============
* * THE CHILDREN’S CORNER * *
“All Kinds of Minds” by Mel Levine. Five children discover their
strengths and overcome problems caused by their disabilities.
“Keeping a Head in School: A Student’s Book about Learning Abilities and
Learning Disorders” by Mel Levine
“Eagle Eyes: A Child’s Guide to Paying Attention” by Jeanne Gehret.
“The Don’T-Give-Up-Kid and Learning Differences Book” by Jeanne Gehret.
===============
* * FOR GROWNUPS * *
“THINK FAST!” Includes chapters about advocacy and emotions written by
Pete and Pam Wright.
“Presumed Ignorant: Over 400 Cases of Legal Looniness, Daffy Defendants,
and Bloopers from the Bench” by Leland Gregory.
“In the Mind’s Eye: Visual Thinkers, Gifted People With Dyslexia and
Other Learning Difficulties, Computer Images and the Ironies and
Creativity” by Thomas West.
“The Pretenders” by Barbara Guyer.
“The Quality School: Managing Students Without Coercion” by William
Glasser.
“ADD: A Different Perception – The Hunter in a Farmer’s World” by Thom
Hartmann.
“Cold Mountain” by Charles Frasier.
“Under the Tuscan Sun” by Frances Mayes.
===============
**THE MUSIC ROOM**–
Good Holiday Sounds - “Holiday Pops/Keith Lockhart, Boston Pops”
The Best of Ray Charles: The Atlantic Years
The Genius of Ray Charles
Oh, Lady Be Good! Best of Gershwin Songbook
Ella Fitzgerald Sings the Cole Porter Songbook
Beg, Scream & Shout! The Big Ol’ Box of 60’s Soul
Sweet Soul Music – Voices From the Shadows
“twenty-five” by Sweet Honey in the Rock
Check out the Gift Shop at
http://www.wrightslaw.com/bkstore/gift/bks_gifts.html
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9. RECOMMEND A BOOK, ARTIST, RESOURCE
If you want to recommend a favorite book, musical artist, or other
resource, drop a line to bookmaster@wrightslaw.com
Tell us what makes your recommendation special – what you learned, how
it helped you.
=========
10. CONTACT INFORMATION
Pete and Pam Wright
The Special Ed Advocate
P. O. Box 1008
Deltaville, Virginia 23043
Email: webmaster@wrightslaw.com
http://www.wrightslaw.com/
The resources at this site are copyrighted by the authors and/or
publisher. They may be used for non-commercial purposes only. They may
not be redistributed for commercial purposes without the express written
consent of Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright.
Appropriate credit should be given to these resources if they are
reproduced in any form.
Copyright 1998 Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright. All rights
reserved.
END