In this book, award-winning children’s author and acclaimed educator Lester L. Laminack provides guidelines, lessons, and resources for making every read-aloud experience intentional and instructional. Central to Laminack’s message is his breakthrough thinking about the value and importance of “Best Friend Books” – a small, carefully curated collection that you turn to repeatedly for specific teaching purposes.
You’ll also find:
- Step by step lessons for “first visits” and “return visits” with recommended Best Friend Books—clear guidelines for digging deeply into the books and enriching students’ understanding of content and craft.
- Links to an online resource bank that contains “Spotlight on Lester” videos and graphic organizers for you and downloadables for your students.
- “What the Research Says” boxes that point to studies supporting Laminack’s professional advice.
- A list of Laminack’s favorite Best Friend Books to date, annotated and alphabetically organized.
- “Home Visit” boxes that contain tips and tools for welcoming families into the work.
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Author Bio
Lester L. Laminack is Professor Emeritus at Western Carolina University, a full-time writer, s consultant working with schools throughout the United States and abroad. He is an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English and a former member of the Whole Language Umbrella Governing Board, the Governing Board and Secretary of the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Board of Directors for the Center for the Expansion of Language and Thinking.