Simple Tools
$34.95
Simple Tools explores the use of technology in the classroom and offers a considered, student-centric and foundational approach.
In this book, teachers will be introduced to the selection of simple digital resources that have a clear purpose and do one thing well. They will be able to identify suitable technology that is quick and easy to set up for classroom use, as well as a host of strategies that will help make learning clear for both teachers and students.
Along with recommendations and advice, Simple Tools includes activities for teachers to develop the confidence to select and embed digital resources that have a purposeful fit within an existing practice. Find out how using the Simple Tools approach can be beneficial in your classroom.
Finally a book about technology and the classroom that is insightful about both topics. Simple Tools offers teachers practical strategies that they can use to maximise their impact in the classroom immediately.Glen Pearsall, author and education consultant
Paddock Bomb
$12.95
Welcome to the Clancy of the Outback series.
Eleven-year-old Clancy has been thrust into life out woop-woop. These are the stories of his outback adventures at his uncle's sheep station, Overflow Station.
In this book, Dad's old car has to be taken off the road, so Little Bill decides it could be Clancy's 'paddock bomb'. Meaning he was going to drive it around the farm. Meaning Little Bill was going to teach Clancy to drive. She makes Clancy sit in a baby booster seat so Clancy could see over the steering wheel, and that was just the start of his humiliation!
At the conclusion of this book there is an Outback Facts section which provides information on all the car acronyms you will hear, there a poem about the paddock bombs as favourite cars, and the all-important, Outback Jokes section.
Learning Language Through Movement
$34.95
This practical resource provides early years professionals and foundation teachers with games, activities and strategies to incorporate language into movement. The premise is that learning language concepts through movement will help all children, particularly especially those who might have language delays or coming from non-English-speaking backgrounds.
Section one provides whole class and individual movement activities to enable children to learn single-word concepts and simple phrases. Section two contains concept games and development motor movements activities and ideas that will help develop the physical process needed in learning language.
Educators, teachers and learning assistants can easily implement these ideas to their programs and be equipped with the knowledge and confidence to help children develop language through movement and active play.
Authors:
Garry Powell was a teacher and administrator in both country and city government schools for 32 years. He was a classroom teacher, specialist physical education teacher and principal at inner city schools. He lectured in tertiary education for 15 years, and has spoken on teacher education at conferences and workshops. Garry has written numerous teacher reference books.
Debra Armstrong has taught in government primary schools for 28 years. She has been a classroom teacher, a specialist teacher in art and physical education, and a lecturer at Monash University. Debra has undertaken research in Australia and overseas, and won awards for her contribution to teaching. Debra has co-authored a number of teacher reference books.
Download the Flashcards here
Horse Play
$12.95
Welcome to the Clancy of the Outback series.
Eleven-year-old Clancy has been thrust into life out woop-woop. These are the stories of his outback adventures at his uncle's sheep station, Overflow Station.
In this book, Little Bill's insists on turning Clancy into a country boy teaching him how to ride a horse. How hard can that be? Little Bill turns up on a humungous bay horse and Clancy begins to wonder if he has bitten off more than he can chew. In the end Clancy gets a tiny, mean-looking Shetland pony to learn to ride on. Just getting onto it was hard enough, but in the end, that pony and Clancy save the day!
At the conclusion of this book there is an Outback Facts section which provides information about Australian horses, there is a A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson poem, The Man from Snowy River and the all-important, Outback Jokes section.
Feral Frenzy
$12.95
Welcome to the Clancy of the Outback series.
Eleven-year-old Clancy has been thrust into life out woop-woop. These are the stories of his outback adventures at his uncle's sheep station, Overflow Station.
In 'Feral Frenzy', Mum is still trying to work out how to do her thing on Overflow Station and the whole family continues to have a lot to learn about country life. But who would have thought that feral pigs would get into Mum's precious veggie garden? Clancy thought it was pretty exciting at the time but now it is an issue they need to fix pronto.
At the conclusion of this book there is an Outback Facts section which discusses feral animals in Australia, there is an A.B. 'Banjo' Paterson poem, 'Brumby's Run', and the all-important, Outback Jokes section.
Exploding Dunny
$12.95
Welcome to the Clancy of the Outback series.
Eleven-year-old Clancy has been thrust into life out woop-woop. These are the stories of his outback adventures at his uncle's sheep station, Overflow Station.
In 'Exploding Dunny', the shearers return to Overflow Station with a new cook. Everything was going well, until the cook served an extra hot curry one night. You can imagine - or maybe you'd better not - what happened to the shearers' toilet a few hours later! Clancy tries his best to help but it sort of misfires ...
At the conclusion of this book there is an Outback Facts section about shearing in Australia and includes some recipes to make. There is a Bob Pacey poem, 'The Shearers Cook', and the all-important, Outback Jokes section.
City Slicker
$12.95
Welcome to the Clancy of the Outback series.
Eleven-year-old Clancy has been thrust into life out woop-woop. These are the stories of his outback adventures at his uncle’s sheep station, Overflow Station. In this book, we are introduced Brutus and Butters Clancy and Little Bill’s dogs. Clancy has a lot to learn, and Little Bill makes sure he begins to understand the rules of country living. She takes Clancy for a tour of the property in the old ute and when they are a distance away from the homestead, she lets Clancy take control of the vehicle. The result is disastrous when Clancy mistakes the accelerator for the brake. The ute is undriveable and so they must walk back to the homestead. Clancy is exhausted and goes to bed straight after dinner. He has a nightmare about being a racing car driver.
At the conclusion of this book there is an Outback Facts section on the Darling River, a Henry Lawson type poem about Clancy of the Overflow and a page of Outback Jokes.
Download the teacher notes here
Engagement Matters
$61.95
Following the success of Play Matters 2nd ed., Engagement Matters is the next stage of the Walker Learning Approach for implementation with primary students in Grades 3-6.
Engagement Matters provides a step-by-step, practical guide for teachers, emphasising student engagement, empowerment and achievement, and importantly, personalised learning.
The transition from Grade 2 into the middle and upper primary years is made seamless through the provision of tips, activities and explanatory theory. Engagement Matters will equip schools with the capacity to actively engage students in their learning across all subject areas and diverse contexts. In doing so, Engagement Maters effectively lays the foundations for ongoing engagement and successful learning throughout the school life.
The book contains a full colour section of photographs to highlight key themes.
Download the Appendices documents for planning, assessment and reporting activities here:
Planning Materials
Editable Templates
Why Do We Tell Stories? And Other Epic English Projects for Years 7–8
$39.95
This book has been designed to support you as you begin experimenting with Project Based Learning (PBL) in your English classroom. Trying out something new in the classroom is always a daunting experience because feedback on success or failure is immediate. The great thing about PBL is that it is creative for both the teacher and the student, and that means that experimentation, and sometimes failure, is a natural part of the process. The methodology of PBL is relevant to areas other than English – it can be used in a range of subjects, with many projects actually integrating more than one subject across the curriculum.This book has been structured into three distinct parts, designed to help you feel supported in your PBL journey.
PART ONE: The What, Why and How of Project Based LearningThe first part of the book provides you with some background information about the nature and purpose of PBL, as well as outlining key strategies to ensure a successful and enjoyable learning experience for you and your students. This section also includes a discussion of how assessment works in PBL, as well as the relationship between PBL and the Australian Curriculum’s General Capabilities.
PART TWO: Sample ProjectsThe second part of the book provides you with a selection of sample projects suitable for students in Years 7 and 8. You will be pleasantly surprised that a lot of the activities in this section look familiar – that’s because PBL is about taking the best teaching strategies and re-purposing them. The difference with PBL is that it empowers students to see a purpose for their learning beyond the classroom and to feel confident that they know where they are headed while they move through the project process.
PART THREE: Additional ResourcesThe third part of the book is full of extra resources to help you design and run your own engaging projects for your English classes.
DOWNLOAD the reproducibles here.
Literary Analysis Handbook
$29.95
Dive into the depths of literary exploration with the Literary Analysis Handbook. Designed for high school students, this guide offers a roadmap to dissecting literary works and crafting compelling responses.
From learning to understand narrative complexities to decoding symbolic imagery, students will gain insightful tips and engaging examples to enhance their understanding of their English and literature texts. Whether exploring a timeless classic novel or critiquing a modern masterpiece, this handbook equips students with the skills to navigate the written word with clarity and finesse, transforming every reading experience into an opportunity for profound insight.
Film Analysis Handbook
$29.95
Unlock the secrets of cinematic storytelling with the Film Analysis Handbook. Tailored for high school students studying English and literature, this guide is your ticket to confidently dissecting films and crafting compelling analyses.
From unravelling narrative threads to decoding visual symbolism, this book is full of insightful tips and engaging examples to elevate a student’s understanding of film. Learn how to dissect a classic or critique a contemporary masterpiece. Navigate the world of cinema with insight and finesse, making every viewing experience an opportunity for understanding.
Grammar Skills Handbook
$29.95
Grammar is not just a set of rules; it's the roadmap to clarity and expression. In a world where AI tools like ChatGPT and Grammarly offer assistance, mastering grammar lays the foundation for effective communication and personal style.
This advanced Grammar Skills Handbook is tailored for high school students, and it dives deep into the essentials: style, vocabulary and more. Master the mysteries of grammar, and unlock the secrets of language, writing and reading. This book will elevate any student’s English skills and their creative voice.
Workplays
$34.95
Workplays provides school to work transition play scripts and activities for secondary school students. This approach provides students with a realistic understanding of a variety of professions, trades and careers, fosters collaboration between subjects and develops essential skills for the workplace world.
This second edition of Hazel Edwards’ well-loved and used teacher resource, highlights the practicality of integrating plays and simulated workplace experiences in schools in addition, or in lieu of work placements. Multiple play scripts, activities and discussion points provide for all level of reading skills. The book advocates for the value of incorporating simulated workplace experiences, offering a practical and inclusive skills approach to preparing students for future work.
Writing Essentials
$39.95
Great writers aren’t born, they’re taught!
Unfortunately, the rules of written English can be difficult enough to remember, let alone teach. If you struggle to separate pronouns from prepositions, or are often left wondering whether to use “who” or “whom”, Australian author Dianne Bates comes to your aid with Writing Essentials, a welcome reference for teachers and aspiring authors.
This handy guide offers concise explanations on the basics of grammar, punctuation and word usage, while also introducing fundamental techniques to help broaden your vocabulary and bring your writing to life. Packed with plenty of exercises to test yourself and your students, Writing Essentials provides all the support you’ll need to hone your own writing skills and pass on your knowledge to budding writers!
Science in a Garden
$64.95
Permaculture expert and educator Ross Mars is back with another collection of hands-on projects and investigations that provide students with opportunities to observe, understand and contribute to a thriving garden ecosystem.
You learned the basics of garden design and maintenance through the first book in this series, Life in a garden. Now you can take that knowledge even further with Science in a garden: Activities and projects for the outdoor classroom, Years F–6. Students will follow the journey from theory to final product through the book’s six parts: understanding science in the garden, growth in the garden, changes in the garden, animals in the garden, human use of the garden and products from the garden.
Each activity is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: Science and the Australian Curriculum: Technologies as well as the cross-curriculum priority of sustainability. Plus, teachers can use the handy index of curriculum links to assist with their planning.
You will love watching your students deepen their understanding of the outdoor environment and apply their knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Access more resources and templates from the book here.
Would you like maths with that?
$54.95
Would you like maths with that? Improving numeracy in the primary years guides educators and school leaders through numeracy improvement with a focus on deeply understanding the difference between mathematics and numeracy, their relationship and the implication on teaching and pedagogy. Author and expert Thelma Perso takes a holistic approach to mathematics teaching, supporting readers to transform low-level learning into higher-order thinking in their classrooms to ensure all students can tackle mathematics with confidence.
With a thorough and knowledgeable approach, Thelma lays the foundations for teachers, school leaders and school communities to enhance their numeracy pedagogies and, in turn, improve the numeracy capabilities of their students. Starting with numeracy definitions and how to teach mathematics for numeracy attainment through to intervention, extension and assessment, the chapters support readers through the whole numeracy improvement journey. Would you like maths with that?, along with the online resources developed for individual educators and schools to assess their current numeracy positions, show how it is not only possible but necessary to improve student numeracy achievement regardless of educator, subject area and student capability.
Would you like maths with that? will empower educators to teach mathematics in engaging and effective ways that teach students to use mathematics confidently to meet the needs of their everyday lives.
Download the resources and templates from the book here.
Outdoor Education at School
$39.95
Outdoor Education at School contains sets of practical activities and problem-solving lessons for primary school students. Designed to be done completely within the school grounds and with minimal amount of equipment, these lessons and activities will appeal to the teacher who has little experience in outdoor education and will act as a valuable resource to the experts in the field.
The contents are based not only on learning in the outdoors but on learning about and for the outdoors. Specific topics covered include:
Environmental studies
Initiative games
Navigation
Bushcraft
Mapping
Students will enjoy the variety of topics covered while learning skills in personal development, self-esteem, resourcefulness, independence, leadership and cooperation. The lessons are not organised in year levels but in developmental progression from simple and introductory to complex.
Whitewater Rafting: Book 2
$12.95
Billy Kool was an ordinary boy until he was thrust into the life of an extreme sports TV celebrity.
In this book, Billy and his friends, Sally and Nathan are onto their second adventure; whitewater rafting!
Billy can’t see the point of learning French at school until he meets Pierre, a world champion white-water rafter who happens to be French. We follow Billy and his friends as they battle nerves and prepare for the most extreme sport yet. When Billy falls into the water, it’s his new friend Pierre who saves him.
At the end of the book, there is an extreme information section, a glossary and a description of the equipment used when whitewater rafting.
Part of an 8-book series, the Billy Kool books are informative, empathetic and exciting; targeted to readers and reluctant readers alike ages 8-11 years.
Teacher Notes here.
Mountain Biking: Book 6
$12.95
Billy Kool was an ordinary boy until he was thrust into the life of an extreme sports TV celebrity.
After skydiving, Nathan must honour his promise and retrieve the forty cricket balls from the monster’s backyard. Will he survive his most extreme sport yet? After this, Billy, Sally and Nathan (if he makes it) will go mountain biking!
At the end of the book, there is an extreme information section detailing the origins of mountain biking, a glossary and a description of the equipment used when mountain biking.
Part of an 8-book series, the Billy Kool books are informative, empathetic and exciting; targeted to readers and reluctant readers alike ages 8-11 years.
Teacher Notes here.
Rock Climbing: Book 8
$12.95
Billy Kool was an ordinary boy until he was thrust into the life of an extreme sports TV celebrity.
Billy feels down that the final episode of the Xtreme World of Billy Kool is coming up. But he is also excited because the final episode will feature the most extreme sport yet: rock climbing! Will Billy be able to climb the full rock face, or will he fall?
At the end of the book, there is an extreme information section detailing the origins of rock climbing, a glossary and a description of the equipment used when rock climbing.
Part of an 8-book series, the Billy Kool books are informative, empathetic and exciting; targeted to readers and reluctant readers alike ages 8-11 years.
Teacher Notes here.
All or Nothing: Book 1
$12.95
Billy Kool was an ordinary boy until he was thrust into the life of an extreme sports TV celebrity.
Billy finds an advertisement for a competition. A production studio is looking for hosts for a new reality TV show about extreme sports. Billy, as well as his friends Sally and Nathan, decide to try and win. It’s all or nothing. Will they make it?
At the end of the book, there is an extreme information section detailing the origins of extreme sports as well as a glossary.
Part of an 8-book series, the Billy Kool books are informative, empathetic and exciting; targeted to readers and reluctant readers alike ages 8-11 years.
Teacher Notes here.
Developing Executive Functioning in the Primary Years
$44.95
In an era of rapid global change and uncertain futures, traditional education approaches that focus on what to think rather than how to think are failing to prepare students for tomorrow's challenges. Dr Rosalyn Muir presents a compelling case in Developing Executive Functioning in the Primary Years: SOWATT Can We Do to Empower Learning? for intentionally teaching students "how to fish" rather than simply giving them the fish, by developing the executive functions and self-regulation skills that enable lifelong learning.
Building on the success of her earlier work Developing Executive Functioning in the Early Years: SOWATT Can I Do?, Muir uses the practical SOWATT framework – Self-regulation, Organisation, Working memory, Attention, Thinking flexibly, and Thinking about thinking – to bridge the gap between educational aspirations and classroom reality. This book provides teachers with research-based strategies to develop the executive functions that underpin both academic success and social-emotional wellbeing, addressing skills that are often overlooked yet essential for creating independent, confident learners.
Play Matters
$62.95
In this highly successful resource, Kathy Walker demonstrates the key principles of the Walker Learning Approach that she has developed over 15 years of observation, participation and presentation in schools and child care centres across Australia.
Play Matters provides practical guidance and innovative strategies for teachers working with young children from preschool to Grade 2, through a unique balance of explicit instruction in literacy and numeracy skills and personalised, explorative learning. The book promotes the active engagement of all young children, with an enhanced focus on children from diverse backgrounds as well as children with specific needs.
Play Matters is packed with pedagogical features to support implementation in any educational setting. It contains a full colour section of photographs.
Organisational ideas and resources are provided, along with a comprehensive bibliography for further reference and advice.
Download the Appendices documents for planning, assessment and reporting activities in Word or PDF.
Leading Professional Conversations
$69.95
School leaders face complex challenges, that typically have multiple causes and often persist despite everyone’s best attempts to address them. Addressing complex challenges requires juggling both the big picture, and the specific parts of the challenge. Without a roadmap, this process is fraught and unlikely to succeed in improving outcomes. In order to make a difference, schools need adaptive expertise; a skill which can be learnt through professional conversations and inquiry.
In Leading professional conversations, Emeritus Professor Helen Timperley deftly outlines the key enablers for effective professional conversations – relationships, resources, processes, knowledge and culture – which support teachers to be independent learners and result in positive impact on educational, social and emotional outcomes for students.
Featuring examples from real conversations between school leaders and educators, and practical templates which can be adapted to suit the contexts of your school, Leading professional conversations is the school leader’s guide to thinking and acting evaluatively, knowledgeably, metacognitively, collaboratively, responsively and systematically, to engage in deep professional learning and genuine improvements in practice.
Download the supplementary digital resources here.