A Learning Community in the Primary-Grade Classroom

"'¦ a much-needed addition to elementary social studies that will move the field ahead."--Keith C. Barton, University of Cincinnati"This text fills a valuable niche and should quickly become a leading reference for teachers and teacher educators."--Linda S. Levstik, University of KentuckyThis richly detailed description and analysis of exemplary teaching in the primary grades looks at how a teacher establishes her classroom as a collaborative learning community, how she plans curriculum and instruction that features powerful ideas and applications to life outside of school, and how, working within this context, she motivates her students to learn with a sense of purpose and thoughtful self-regulation. The supporting analyses, which ground the teacher's practice in principles from curriculum and instruction, educational psychology, and related sources of relevant theory and research, are designed to allow teacher-readers to develop coherent understanding and appreciation of the subtleties of her practice and how they can be applied to their own practice.Resulting from a lengthy collaboration among an educational psychologist, a social studies educator, and a classroom teacher, the aspects and principles of good teaching this book details are widely applicable across elementary schools, across the curriculum, and across the primary grade levels. To help readers understand the principles and adapt them to their particular teaching situations, an Appendix provides reflection questions and application activities.Brophy, Jere is the author of 'A Learning Community in the Primary-Grade Classroom', published 2010 under ISBN 9780805855746 and ISBN 0805855742.