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Working with youth groups for seasonal programs can be a challenge especially when you are trying to find the right play or skit to accommodate your group. This publication was written to take away some of the challenges. Does this sounds familiar? The perfect play but too many characters, too few characters, not enough girl parts, not enough boy parts, lines too difficult or too much staging required. Does the presentation have a message? These are a few problems I encountered as a Youth Leader. That is why these presentations were written to accommodate all ages and a variety of group sizes with easy staging that can be performed in almost any size space. Most parts can be easily changed to accommodate a girl or boy with a simple change of a name. Parts are easy to memorize and the messages are memorable and life changing. This publication also includes a teaching guide for group study to reinforce the Easter message of each presentation. ... Read more

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Untangle the history of this fascinating island

Teach Yourself The History of Ireland makes sound sense of the Emerald Isle's complicated history. You will learn about all the major players and events, from the wars of the ancient kings and British subjugation to the IRA's decommissioning of arms and the murders of Robert McCartney and Denis Donaldson.

Customer Reviews (4)

Brit math not for americans
This text runs the range from extremely basic (over-explaining the concept of negative numbers) to extremely challenging for the american trying to do math when there are so many British terms used in the problems. They say math is a universal language, but it's hard to make sense of problems using pence and pounds when they don't give any conversions. I was looking for a refresher on algebra I learned in high schoool, but this book is definitely not it.

Good general coverage
This book provides an excellent grounding in some of the fundamentals of algebra, although, as the book points out in the preface, it is not complete in its coverage of algebra and has little in the way of proofs.Also, it does not teach you as many of the techniques for solving word problems that you will encounter in algebra outside of the book as it probably should do.A whole chapter devoted to word problems would have been good.

This book is firmly aimed at school students or those who have forgotten the principles of algebra, and in that it is an excellent book.However, since no coverage is given to more advanced topics such as matrix or linear algebra, a title along the lines of 'Teach Yourself Elementary Algebra' would have been better.

Old reliable companion for reviewing basic Algebra...
I have the Asian paperback edition of this book.This text was a standard in the 1960s for folks who wanted to bursh up on their High School algebra.The format is pedagogical in the British style from the 1940-50s era.

I have always found this to be a faithful companion when I find myself forgetting basic algebraic tasks such as simultaneous equations, factoring, etc.The writing is simple and easy to follow.There are numerous exercises to reinforce the material.

There is one drawback.I have found quite a few errors in the solutions within the text AND in some of the answers to exercises.However, if one is familiar with the material these shortcomings can be easily excused.

If you are just beginning to learn algebra go with "Practical Algebra " by Selby et al.However if you have take the subject before and just want to brush up basic High School algebra get this volume.

awesome helped me raise my grades
i would suggest it to everyone it really helps you get your way thruogh Math classes Iteches you the basics of Algebra ... Read more

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"What fantastic teaching books you have produced! Congratulations to you and your staff."
- Bruno Tonon
(Melbourne, Australia)

"I write to extend my thanks and appreciation for your books. They are clear, easy to follow, and straight to the point. Keep up the good work!"
- Seward Kollie
(Dakar, Senegal)

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer instructions that show you how to do something - and skip the long-winded explanations? If so, then this book is for you. Open it up and you'll find clear, step-by-step screen shots that show you how to tackle more than 120 beyond-the-basics Windows XP tasks, from using remote desktop connection, playing DVDs, and adding music to home movies to putting Web content on your desktop, blocking instant messages, and using the program compatibility wizard.
* "Teach Yourself" sidebars offer practical tips and tricks
* Full-color screen shots demonstrate each task
* Succinct explanations walk you through step by step
* Two-page lessons break big topics into bite-sized modules ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Must for Discovering the Best of WIN XP!!
This book is like the Video Professor in print form. The graphics are exceptional and the step by step process is concise and complete! Truly, a must for you computer desk! Ruth Maran has taken the handbook to a new and better level. Amazon now sells TYV Win XP and TYV More Win XP as a set!Absolutly, no reason not to buy them NOW! ... Read more

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Bestselling language courses!

From Danish to Spanish, Swahili to Brazilian Portuguese, the languages of the world are brought within the reach of any beginning student. Learners can use the Teach Yourself Language Courses at their own pace or as a supplement to formal courses. These complete courses are based on the very latest learning methods and designed to be enjoyable and user-friendly.

Prepared by experts in the language, each course begins with the basics and gradually promotes the student to a level of smooth and confident communication, including:

• Up-to-date, graded interactive dialogues
• Graded units of culture notes, grammar, and exercises
• Step-by-step guide to pronunciation
• Practical vocabulary
• Regular and irregular verb tables
• Plenty of practice exercises and answers
• Bilingual glossary

The new editions also feature:

• Clear, uncluttered, and user-friendly layout
• Self-assessment quizzes to test progress
• Website suggestions to take language study further

Customer Reviews (7)

Torturous
This strikes me as the case of a (probably) good teacher in desperate need of a professional writer.

As someone who speaks Spanish, Japanese and French (all learned through books and CDs prior to actual cultural immersion), I've been through self-taught language courses and consider myself, while not brilliant, at least capable of the process.

I've been through Teach Yourself Swahili's Unit One about 5 times now, and find myself barely able to remember anything. Now let me say, I have probably been spoiled on more intuitively designed, better thought-out language courses. So I do think, once I'm done with Pimsleur Swahili, I will probably tackle this with a pen and paper and get something out of it.

There is a lot of information here, so it's not as if this course fails from lack of effort, or has no utility.

BUT the information is presented in a way that's exhausting, almost torturous to sift through.

Unit One Examples:
1) "Njema" and "nzuri" are introduced with no explanation of what differentiates them
2) Vocabulary translation are presented in sentences, rather than focusing on crucial words ("you," "me")
2) The word "si" (meaning "no") is introduced in the form of a question where it seems to mean "yes" -- anyone with even a basic familiarity with Spanish will already be grappling with remembering "si" is negative: putting it in a sentence where it seems to be a positive just throws another monkey wrench into the process ... but this type of carelessness pervades
3) "M/WA" class nouns are explained in two muddled paragraphs that I had to re-read multiple times to understand
4) Most unforgivingly, we're asked to compose a sentence using "siyo," while NEVER having been introduced to the word in the lesson! (Unless I'm missing it every time I read the chapter?)

In short, there's no thought put into systematizing learning, or organizing it in a fashion that makes it digestible.

Can you get something out of this, with dedication and patience (and perhaps a basic familiarity with Swahili already?) Yes.

Would I recommend it? No.

I suggest seeing if they have this at your local library. Burn into into iTunes, then try and buy just the book used. That's what I did, so my only consolation is that I didn't lose a lot of money, and it may come in handy once I know a bit more.

very very intensive
I chosed Swahili in my university,but my class book is Pearson's simplified swahili,which a good grammar book.so I bought it for study Swahili conversation.II feel it is very very intensive.it has lots of new words each lesson and you can hold swahili mainly grammar in only 18 lessons.Although it only has a few lessons,I feel if you want to master all things in this book,you need a long time,coz it is very very intensive.the study book of swahili is very a few in this world,although you don't like some more in it,you must to cherish for it:)

Back to the Basics.
This book is amazing.I've bought many Teach Yourself books, but this book makes me want to go through it.

This book isn't built for colloquial speaking in informal formal situations.It's about being a tourist, but only for the first half of the book.The writers in this books seem to have decided to make it for people who want to be tourist, and people who want to become close to fluent.The first few units detail tourist situations like going to the hotel and getting letters. The subjects move to more advanced conversation, but as Swahili isn't that complicated in most respects it isn't bad.

The most notable thing that can be noticed about the Swahili language is the use of putting nouns into different classes.This is likely the most confusing aspect of the language.This means that they need to be taught very slowly, one noun class per unit... well technically two because the plural counts as a noun class in most cases. The language is easy besides that, with probubly the easiest to understand Verb system, that a three year-old could understand with little effort and a bit of memory.

I'd strongly advise this book to anyone who has an interest in understanding an African language (It could be useful one day) or plans on taking a trip to Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, or Even Southern Somalia.

good book
When coupled with a good Swahili-English dictionary, this is a great book.It teaches grammar well, and gives you a firm base that will let you travel fairly easily.Of course, there is no substitution to actually speaking the language with other people, and they will no doubt speak very fast for you at first.However, this book does give you a good foundation in Swahili grammar and a basic understanding of how the language works.Be warned that in Nairobi, most Swahili speakers completely ignore rules, so don't be surprised if they say things that are kinda weird!

Good but not great
A good beginning book but somewhat thrown together. The dialogues and explanations were good, but the exercises weren't particularly useful. It confused me when it said to not make "baba" sound like "barber". It was obviously written for British people and I often found myself reading with a posh English accent. Oxford, actually. But it was still a good book to learn dialogue and noun classes with. Good Luck : ) ... Read more

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This work offers 10/15 short lessons in how to use the essential elements of Tools 7, like disk backup and recovery. It also explores file and directory management techniques, along with TimeSaver tips, Plain English definitions and Panic Button troubeshooting. ... Read more

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True communication with God can become a reality for children ages 3-12.These 52 reproducible crafts, puzzles, guides for discussion, and other activities will help children make prayer a part of their daily lives. ... Read more

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This insightful and practical book offers teachers at all levels the understanding and motivation they need to teach children to read—especially those students who need help the most. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Book Review on Teach Them All to Read
Very practical for teachers and easy to read.Lots of hands on suggestions to be used right away in classroom.All my classmates who are veteran teachers like this book the best among all three text books that we use in our ESL classroom.

Best Book Available about How to Get All Students Reading
Before I coordinated an early literacy project for inner city students, I knew that improving the reading achievement of students inhigh-poverty, low-performing schools was going to be difficult and take every resource and skill my colleagues and I had. Even knowing that reality, it wasn't until a year after we'd rolled up our shirt sleeves and started working in three urban schools, that we TRULY understood the effort behind maintaining fine-tuned curriculum coordination, retaining the ability to duck sudden blockades from administration, and motivating teachers to keep employing the continual academic press needed to develop students' reading and language skills.

Elaine McEwan's new book,"Teach Them All to Read: Catching the Kids Who Fall Through the Cracks," is the first book I've come across that truly captures all the necessary ingredients needed to create a reading culture where every student learns to read.I always enjoy McEwan's vivid metaphors and chatty practical tips which won't disappoint in her latest book.Thematically, McEwan uses jigsaw puzzle imagery to help the reader understand the necessary role of phonological awareness, phonics, spelling, reading a lot, a reading culture, language, fluency, knowledge, and cognitive strategies.But wait - this is far more than a book providing information about effective teaching of reading.

In addition to her years as a principal who dramatically increased reading performance in her school, McEwan draws upon her years of experience crisscrossing the country to consult with school districts attempting to turn around their reading programs surround by a mishmash of misinformation from the reading establishment that hurls at them from all directions.A strength of this book is her intimate experience with Best Practices that often have no research substantiation.

I should mention that I'm not totally impartial about this book and have been eagerly waiting for it to come out in print since our literacy project was used as one example of a comprehensive program, with interview quotes from some of our staff. Those of you who enjoy reading Consumer member Nettie Griffin's commentary and descriptions of her teaching, will also find a section of this book highlighting her teaching.

These are my three favorite sections of the book:
1. The section that identifies common fallacies in the teaching of reading that frequently surface, boldly exposes myths that have no research basis. I wish that my local whole language curriculum director would read about two of her favorite myths:"The Three-Cueing System: A Genuine Urban Myth" and "The Fat Cat Sat on the Rat is Borrrring and Bad for Kids"

2. The comprehensive chapter entitled:"Fluency: The Forgotten Piece of the Puzzle" is a must-read!

3."Why Can't we Just Drop Everything and Read?" details what McEwan calls "reading in the zone," or the intersection between (a) reading a lot and (b) reading at an appropriate or somewhat challenging level of difficulty, and (c) reading with accountability.

McEwan set forth the following goals in the preface and these should provide more information on the book in its totality:
1.To give you a short course in the most current reading research regarding how students learn to read, regardless of age or grade, so that you can make informed decisions about curriculum and instruction.
2. To help you understand that learning to read is only the first step: students must also develop fluency, acquire cognitive strategies, and continue to read a lot to deepen their knowledge and understanding.
3. To focus your attention on the variables at work in your school and district that can be altered to create a reading culture and make a huge difference in reading achievement-especially for those students who are currently falling through the cracks
4. To convince you of the power that rests in you and your colleagues to teach every child to read.

Read and enjoy.Mary Damer ... Read more

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Never get lost in translation again!

Ideal for the vacation or business traveler, the handy, pocket-size Harrap’s Chinese Phrasebook covers every topic--from trains, planes, and automobiles, to hotels, health, andrestaurants. You get instant access to thousands of essential words and phrases, organized in chapters by theme, that explain what questions to ask, how to ask them clearly and correctly, andwhat kinds of answers to expect in reply. Includes a fold-out map of Beijing.