Teaching With Dear America Books: A Ready-to-Go Teaching Guide for Using This Popular Historical Fiction Series to Build Important Social Studies and Language Arts Skills—and Help Kids Read Their Way Into History : Book Review

"Teaching With Dear America Books" by Jeanette Sanderson is a useful and extensive guide for teachers who want to integrate the popular Dear America series into their curriculum. This comprehensive book provides educators with valuable resources and strategies to engage students in historical fiction and enhance their understanding of significant events in American history.

The book starts by highlighting the educational significance of the Dear America series and explains how it can be an effective tool for teaching various skills such as history, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and critical thinking. Sanderson offers insightful advice on selecting the appropriate book for different age groups and provides teaching strategies to maximize student engagement.

One of the standout features of this book is the inclusion of detailed lesson plans for each Dear America book. Sanderson presents a range of activities and thought-provoking discussion questions that encourage students to delve into the themes, characters, and historical context of each story. These lesson plans are highly practical and can be easily adjusted to suit different teaching styles and classroom settings.

Additionally, Sanderson provides extra resources such as recommended reading lists, websites, and multimedia materials to further enrich the learning experience. This allows teachers to expand the scope of their lessons and incorporate a variety of media to deepen student understanding.

Overall, "Teaching With Dear America Books" is an invaluable tool for educators looking to engage their students in historical fiction and enhance their knowledge of American history. With Jeanette Sanderson's clear and practical guidance, accompanied by the comprehensive lesson plans and additional resources, this book is an essential companion for teachers seeking to incorporate the Dear America series into their curriculum.

What are readers saying?

"Teaching with Dear America Books" by Jeanette Sanderson has received mostly positive feedback from readers for its valuable insights and useful resources for educators. The book is highly regarded for its ability to enhance teaching of historical events and promote literacy in the classroom.

Readers appreciated Sanderson's approach to using the "Dear America" series as an educational resource. They found her suggestions and ideas for incorporating these books into lesson plans to be practical and engaging. The book offers a comprehensive range of activities, discussion questions, and additional resources, allowing educators to enhance student learning effectively.

One aspect that resonated with readers was the real-life connections provided by the "Dear America" series. The books offer a personal perspective on historical events, enabling students to better understand and empathize with the characters' experiences. Moreover, the books stimulate critical thinking and discussions about the past, fostering a deeper understanding of history.

Another aspect readers appreciated was the versatility of "Teaching with Dear America Books." The suggestions and activities offered in the book are applicable across various grade levels and subjects. Whether teaching English, social studies, or art, educators found the book to be a valuable resource for incorporating literature into their curriculum.

Some reviewers stated that the book could have been more organized and user-friendly. They felt that the information and resources could have been presented in a concise manner. Nevertheless, the majority of readers still found the content to be valuable and worth the effort to navigate.

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