General Education Material

This subpage will include general educational material on learning theory and practice that I have found valuable for my tutoring practice. 

1. Make it Stick: The Science of Successsful Learning (2014) by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, Mark A. McDaniel.  Here is graphic video for Make It Stick.  Here is another video: "Mind Map Book Summary." 

2. Tools for Teaching, 4th ed. by Fred Jones. Here is a video explaining the Visual Lesson Plan (VLP). 

3. Principles of Instruction: Researched-Based Strategies That All Teachers Should Know (2012) by Barak Rosensine. 

4. Demolishing Doubt During the 5 Stages of Learning (2021) 

5. Matching Intervention to Learning Stages. (2020) 

6. The Madeline Hunter Model of Mastery Learning 

7. Anita Archer, What is Explicit Instruction. 

8. People interested in what a Long Vowel Program looks like will enjoy Priscilla McQueen's Basic Reader 1-1, (1968). This program morphed into the old Open Court, which I taught my son and other students. McQueen wrote the orignal Open Court based on the Association Method of of Mildren McGinnis, who based her work in Caroline Yale's Northhampton Charts. My Phonovisual Charts were also based on the North Hampton Charts. These charts were designed to teach phonics from the sounds to the symbols (phoneme to grapheme). 

9. "The Passing of the Spelling Book." This essay, written in 1904, by one who learned to spell (and read) with Noah Webster's Bluebacked Speller, is a reminder of a better time in American education, when real spelling instruction was the solid basis for learning to read fluently. 

10. Here is a superb English Grammar from 1965 the should be republished: The New Building Better English for 8th grade Here is an earlier 9th grade grammar by the same authors 

11. D. W. Cummings Spelling website is the most complete study of English spelling available anywhere. 

12. Critique of the HMH Into Reading (2020) Third Grade Spelling Program by Dr. J. Richard Gentry. Dr. Gentry sent me this critique on November 20, 2024. I have tutored dozens of kids who were struggling to learn to read with this popular program. Last year, I made a thorough study of the first grade teacher's manuals, drawing the same alarming conclusion as Dr. Gentry did for the third grade. I, also, have grave concerns about the handwriting component. I use my Natural Phonics Primer: A Universal Safety Net for Literacy with the students struggling to learn to read with HMH Into Reading. Since I am in no way connected with the Zaner-Bloser publlshing company, other that being a successful teacher of their spelling and handwriting programs, I should like to recommend both as very helpful supplements to HMH Into Reading to prevent the failure that is likely with that program. 

13. General Language: A Series of Lessons in Grammar, Word Study, and History of the English Language for Junior High Schools (1925) by Sterling A. Lenoard and Riah Fagan Cox. Inspite of its age, one of the best books available today. A superb scan in pdf is available for download. 

14. June Lyday Orton (1964, 1974, 1975, 1976) A Guide to Teaching Phonics. Dr. Samuel Orton's wife's guide to his remedial reading program. 

15. Handwriting in a Modern World: Why It Matters & What To Do About It.  By the late William Van Cleave (1968-2021).  

16. Longest Ever Study on Human Intelligence - SPOILER: Read as many books as you can!