Yellow Bird and Me

Meet Eddie Minetti, human whirlwind and third-grader. He thinks, moves, and speaks quickly and it often gets him into trouble. One day at school, Eddie arrives late because he forgot his lunch, misses part of his spelling test, is accused of cheating, knocks over things, and loses the classroom’s pet rat and that’s only part of the morning! His exasperated teacher, Mrs. Pinck, says, “I’ve had enough, Eddie, enough!” That’s all it takes, and soon the entire class is taunting Eddie with his new nickname, Eddie Enough.

Labeled “dyslexic and profoundly learning disabled with attention and behavior problems,” Jonathan Mooney was a short bus rider — a derogatory term used for kids in special education and a distinction that told the world he wasn’t “normal.” Along with other kids with special challenges, he grew up hearing himself denigrated daily. Ultimately, Mooney surprised skeptics by graduating with honors from Brown University. But he could never escape his past, so he hit the road. To free himself and to learn how others had moved beyond labels, he created an epic journey. He would buy his own short bus and set out cross-country, looking for kids who had dreamed up magical, beautiful ways to overcome the obstacles that separated them from the so-called normal world.

*This book contains adult language.

This widely adopted text and K-8 practitioner resource demonstrates how successful literacy teachers combine explicit skills instruction with an emphasis on reading for meaning. Distinguished researcher Richard L. Allington builds on the late Michael Pressley’s work to explain the theories and findings that guide balanced teaching and illustrate what exemplary lessons look like in action. Detailed examples offer a window into highly motivating classrooms around the country. Comprehensive in scope, the book discusses specific ways to build word recognition, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, especially for readers who are struggling.

New to This Edition
*Updated throughout to reflect important recent research advances.
*Chapter summing up the past century’s reading debates and the growing acceptance of balanced teaching.
*New and revised vignettes of exemplary teachers.

Ted Cheltoni, 12, has a good friend, a great girlfriend, and would have a pretty normal life if it weren’t for his little brother, Harry. Harry’s not bad on purpose, but Ted would sure like to fix the kid up so everybody would stop asking him to undo Harry’s hyperactive, outrageous behavior. The tension at home gets so bad that Ted’s afraid his parents will get divorced. One day, after Harry finds out he’s suspended from school and kicked off the bus for the following week, Ted finds him packing to leave home. Ted knows he has to do something, and quick, to help his little brother.

This book is about people and about the challenges and rewards of living with dyslexia. The author’s goal is to give the reader encouragement, and to de-emphasize the negativity that comes with a learning difference. The 142 interviews are packed with practical coping strategies that will help you get through your journey with dyslexia.

On the first day of fourth grade, Hank’s teacher assigns a five-paragraph essay, “What I did on my summer vacation,” and he knows he’s in trouble. It has always been difficult for him to read, write, and spell so he decides to “build” his assignment instead — to “bring Niagara Falls into the classroom, water and all.”