Five Books that are Making Me Geek Out!

I love nothing more than to dive into a new teacher resource or book. I take a sip of my coffee, push my hair behind my ears, and dig right in! The problem is that many books about teaching don't take into account the busy lives of teachers. My favorite books are those that are incredibly visual, give information in short chunks, have examples, and provide forms, checklists, and other sheets that you can print off or copy right away. Below are my top five books at the moment for busy co-teachers working in the inclusive classroom. Brew some coffee, dump in some sugar, and get to reading!  

5. Informal Assessments for Transition Planning by Gary M. Clark, James R. Patton, and L. Rozelle Moulton

This has been a go-to book of mine for the past four or five years. Research shows links between teaching self-advocacy and self-determination and future success, employment, and independence. This books is jam packed with surveys and assessments. It is a great resource to use with students starting in fourth grade and going all the way to adulthood. I have the first edition but above is a picture of the second edition published in 2013.

4. The Co-Teaching Book of Lists by Katherine Perez

This book provides bulleted lists on everything from collaborating to differentiating. It's a wonderful resource to share with your co-teacher!

3. Everday Classroom Strategies and Practices for Supporting Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders by Jamie D. Bleiweiss, Lauren Hough, and Shirley Cohen. 

This book provides many pictures, checklists, and forms relating to providing a thoughtful and smart inclusive classroom environment.  The introduction mentions that although the strategies are designed for students with ASD, many of the practices will be useful for other populations of students. Every learning specialist should have this book, regardless of the disability label of the students on their case load.

2. "I Hate to Write!"by Cheryl Boucher and Kathy Oehler

I am obsessed with this book. Each section is broken up by "Teacher Concern", the research explaining the student's behavior, and finally an incredible number of strategies, forms, graphic organizers, and ideas to support the student. This book is incredible. I can't gush enough!

1. From Text Maps to Memory Caps and From Tutor Scripts to Talking Sticks by Paula Kluth and Sheila Danaher


These books are an inclusive gold mine! They provide examples, links, and clear directions for a variety of ways (200 in total) to differentiate instruction in any inclusive classroom from kindergarten to 12th grade.

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