New publications

This Australian publication outlines a performance management process for principals, team leaders and teachers. It focuses on self-management, continuing professional development and ongoing self-improvement, suggesting ways to monitor teacher performance, and techniques for highlighting strengths and identifying and redressing shortcomings through training. Survey instruments, checklists, sequences for action planning, action agendas and protocols are included. (Adapted from publisher's decription.)

The study investigates how teaching strategies shaped the development of information literacy skills amongst students at one Scottish secondary school. Researchers present a case study of a support teacher and school librarian working with students with non-specific learning difficulties and under-developed information literacy. According to the study, difficulties arose where students were unable to conceptualise information literacy as a way for building subject and context knowledge. This is linked to an excessive focus on teaching information literacy in abstract terms, as a sequence of defining, gathering, organising and presenting information, rather than in the context of other academic work.  (Adapted from abstract.)

The author suggests teaching strategies for maximising the effectiveness of small group literacy instruction in the whole class setting. Common challenges such as managing time, organising the lesson and forming groups are covered. Structured around the five reading components of comprehension, fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, and vocabulary, the book includes tips, sample lessons, lesson templates, suggestions for related literacy work stations and connections to whole-group instruction. Relevant research and reflection questions are also provided. (Available from Curriculum Corporation)

Based on performance data from the Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory, this research investigates the relationship between SES density and student performance. The report explains variations with reference to student characteristics such as sex, Indigenous background, language background and, for some regions, individual SES level. On average girls were found to be more advanced than boys in terms of literacy, while boys were marginally better than girls in terms of numeracy. Students from a language background other than English, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds achieved lower results in terms of both literacy and numeracy. However, the characteristics did not guarantee under-performance: the report suggests that many such students are operating at high levels of numeracy and literacy. (Adapted from key results statement).

The book aims to show teachers how to build classroom lessons around students' literacy experiences in the home environment, recognising diversity and increasing student engagement in the process. The author begins by considering how to bridge home and school literacy experiences, multi-modal learning and cultural resources. The second part of the book outlines a variety of different sample text forms from children's at-home experiences, such as blogs, music lyrics, television, films, newspapers, online chatting and texting, 'zines' and collector cards. Related literacy and multi-literacy skills, suggestions for use in class and an assessment framework are outlined for each text type. Material is currently free online. (Adapted from publisher's description.)

Diversity in Gifted Education provides international contributions on best practice for teaching gifted and talented children from different cultures. Different chapters examine cultural definitions of giftedness, present regional case studies, and examine issues of access for gifted students in relation to culture, poverty, race and gender. Websites and associations involved in gifted education are listed. The book also considers issues such as cognition and underachievement, bilingually enriched students, socio-economic class, ethnic prejudice, ethical perspectives, gender, developmental age concerns and global education. (Adapted from the publisher's description).