9/29/07
Dear Dr. Willis
Since I've been reading and reviewing your, Brain-Friendly Strategies for Inclusion Classes, book again teaching my groups of LD students as the school’s Learning Disability Specialist has been so much fun. I work with all grades as a pull out program, seeing the children in small groups one, two, or three times a week.
I especially enjoy the success of my second grade group and have the best time with them using the multisensory ways you write about to help them acquire and own their knowledge. I used to feel guilty doing what I'm doing now, because the kids were having so much fun. Your book explains why it works!!
I start out playing a game- Simon Says- I incorporate a little Yoga, relaxation, and self-esteem building. We are also are learning how to handle our feelings when we are out of the game after making a mistake---do we pout? Then they’re pumped up for their academics. We do a lot of moving-to help us remember the vocab words.
Next we feel better so we are pretty ready to read. They practice fluency and then complete their day by filling out their own behavior point sheets-giving them more control, as you suggest, in making good decisions and building trust. They have a little celebration for being so respectful about every three weeks. They play in the little restaurant I made for them. They love serving food, answering the pretend phone and taking care of Ethel, our baby doll. It is wonderful to see them showing the kindness and caring that will hopefully stay with them for a lifetime.

Sincerely,

Judy Gamboa M.ED
LD Teacher
DeGrazia Elementary School
Maran Public Schools
Tucson, Arizona



An invaluable resource for anyone who cares about students, June 9, 2007
(Los Angeles, CA USA) -See all my reviews
By 
Love to Read
I just finished reading Dr. Willis's book and it is as if she heard my prayers when she wrote it. The demands on teachers are increasing because classes are becoming more inclusive, with greater diversity of student abilities. Reading her book was faster, easier and less expensive than taking courses for inclusion skills, and a lot more convenient. With this book (loaned to me by an ASCD member who received an early edition) I feel so much more comfortable about my abilities to make my classroom a place of learning and joy for all my students. The explanations of how the brain processes information are so clearly presented I feel as if I've been to a complete seminar. The strategies are well described and can be applied throughout the K-8 years. I've been looking for a book that describes inclusion class intervention strategies that are both classroom-based and validated by research, and with Dr. Willis' training and experience as both a neurologist and a classroom teacher, I finally have that book. Each strategy is extended with step-by-step descriptions about how to incorporate the strategy into classroom teaching to fit the diversity of students I teach. I highly recommend this excellent and very readable resource for both general ed and special ed teachers who advise them. It is filled with helpful information written in a positive and motivational format, and gives us back ways to implement quality instruction in the face of the increasing restrictions of NCLB. I won't be passing on my copy because I want to continue to refer to it as I implement more of the strategies, but I will be telling my colleagues that this is the book they have been waiting for. Thank you, Dr. Willis, for putting so much thought and passion into what will surely become a classic.




5_stars A reviewerBob Greenleaf, A reviewer, 07/20/2007
that successfully merges the best of the brain sciences with educational practice. She not only speaks from an extensive background in neurology, but also as a practicing educator. In this work, she has generated solid suggestions with an abundant array of strategies and ideas that are well grounded in both research and practice. This well articulated book is an easy read and enormously useful to the classroom practitioner of today. Complete with examples and lesson plan layouts, this book is a must-read for those in education ~ whether they be involved in inclusion classrooms or not!! Her approach to integrating learning is refreshing, insightful and easily put into use! Bob Greenleaf, Greenleaf Learning, August 2007