Publications and Products
NSTA publications will make you a science teaching guru.
Visit us on Facebook
Books
Journals
Newspaper
E-newsletters
Podcasts
Online Only
You will not find any of these resources in print—unless you print them out!
News
Outstanding Books & Websites
Interactive Resources
NSTA Recommends
Ready, Set, Science!
by Sarah Michaels, Andrew W. Shouse, and Heidi A. Schweingruber
Price at time of review: $22.95
197 pp.
National Academies Press (NAP)
Washington, DC
2008
ISBN: 9780309106146
Grade Level: K-8
|
|
Reviewed by Thomas Brown
Science Teacher
Ready, Set, Science would be an excellent resource for individuals working in science education, especially professionals interested in strengthening science instruction at the elementary and middle school levels. This book provides a guide to the research that has been done on how best to teach and learn science in grades K-8.
Science educators and curriculum specialists will find this book to be practical as they work with K-8 teachers to improve science education in the early through middle grades. This collection by the National Research Council illustrates the best practices that have been learned through current research. Each chapter begins with a discussion of a current research topic. Then the authors bring that research to life by presenting actual situations that illustrate how these principles can be applied. These examples help readers gain a better understanding of the research and how they might apply it in their own classrooms.
The bibliographies at the end of each chapter provide additional resources to help educators expand their knowledge base and teaching skills. The book provides several useful appendices. The first provides a series of questions that could be used to spark discussion among teachers about the research findings presented in each chapter. These questions could be used individually or in small-group discussions. Other appendices illustrate how assessment items might be used based on children's learning progression as well as explaining the value of academically productive talk in the classroom.
One of the book's strengths is how it makes the research easy to understand, especially for individuals who are new to the profession. Professionals looking to better understand what the essential research tells us about how young children learn science as well as how teachers should teach science would be wise to read this book. All in all, this is a very good resource and I recommend it.
Review posted on 1/31/2008
|
Sponsored by: