The first book for K-12 educators written by an author who is both a neurologist and a classroom teacher. Willis explains the science behind the most effective teaching strategies.

Teaching adolescents can be quite challenging. Dr. Judy Willis, a neurologist and teacher, explains the inner workings of the adolescent brain. She uses the findings of brain research in her classroom to explain how parents and teachers can trigger untapped inspiration in students. Middle school education has often been a "black hole" for gifted students, seldom providing adequate challenge. By understanding how the brain works, however, we can make learning for all youngsters exciting and stimulating. The information and advice in this book will help parents and teachers design positive and rewarding learning experiences that will then be stored in long-term memory rather than "deleted" or "filtered out."

The Fall 2011 issue of the Kappa Delta Pi Record includes a review of Differentiated Literacy and Language Arts Strategies for the Elementary Classroom. From the review: "In today's inclusive classrooms, this book will be an excellent resource from which teachers can draw advice and find teaching resources that will assist them in designing effective instruction." Click here to read the book review on page 47! For courses in Methods of Reading for Elementary or Early Childhood, Methods of Language Arts for Elementary or Early Childhood, Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom, or Special Education and Language Arts. Although it can seem a daunting task to individualize learning for all students, this book provides specific "how-to" techniques to make it happen, equipping pre-service teachers with the tools they need to differentiate instruction for all students: general education, gifted and talented, challenged, or English Language Learners (ELL). This new text is much like a "how to" guide for differentiating instruction in for today's educators with a diverse population of students to serve. Seasoned with authentic examples from elementary teachers and their real classrooms, the text offers: a plethora of advice for implementing strategies in literacy-based classrooms; creative ways to create effective learning environments; appropriate instructional techniques based on students' abilities, learning profiles, and interests; and strategies to differentiate in the reading areas of emerging literacy skills, vocabulary, comprehension, fluency, writing, speaking, listening, and content area reading. Every chapter in the book includes specific illuminating classroom examples, questions for reflecting on the reading, active engagement ideas for further exploration of the topic, and conclusions. Unique to this text is the inclusion of a journal kept by an elementary teacher, whose classroom is visited in the text, demonstrating a year's worth of successful implementation of differentiation assessment and instruction. Keenly focused on the needs of pre-service teachers, with ample strategies to positively impact the classrooms of current teachers, Differentiated Literacy and Language Arts Strategies for the Elementary Classroom addresses the reader with an engaging personalized tone and demystifies the process of differentiated instruction for all teachers.

Drawing on her neurology expertise and classroom experience, author Judy Willis examined decades of learning-centered brain research to determine what information was most valid and relevant for educators. The result is a comprehensive and accessible guide for improving student learning based on the best the research world has to offer. Willis takes a reader-friendly approach to neuroscience, describing how the brain processes, stores, and retrieves material and which instructional strategies help students learn most effectively and joyfully. You will discover how to captivate and hold the attention of your students and how to enhance their memory and test-taking success. You will learn how to know when students are ready for learning and when their brains need a rest. You will also learn how stress and emotion affect learning and how to improve student engagement. And you will find innovative techniques for designing assessments and adjusting teaching practices to ensure that all students reach their potential. No matter what grade or subject you teach, Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning will enrich your repertoire of teaching strategies so you can help students reach their full academic potential.

New to this edition is the blending of a neuroscientific understanding of motivation and learning with an instructional approach responsive to linguistically and culturally different adult learners. The text addresses issues that focus on deepening learner motivation and helping adults to want to learn.