<P> an overview by Gretchen. </P> <P>Book study groups and professional learning communities, to save when you order 15 copies of Crunchtime. <STRONG>A $315 value for $267.75. Save $47.25</STRONG>. </P> <P><EM>"Our schools should be accountable, but do they have to become joyless halls of drudgery? I'm not against measuring student achievement and learning. But can't we develop lessons that use the best of what we know about learning and about children, lessons informed by research and results, lessons that include color, life, conversation and laughter?"</EM> -Gretchen Bernabei </P> <UL> <LI>Crunchtime is a practical . <LI>Crunchtime strategies are engaging and . <LI>Crunchtime is especially effective in helping , including . </LI></UL> <P>In this eagerly-anticipated teacher resource, master teachers Gretchen Bernabei, Jayne Hover, and Cynthia Candler share writing lessons that are healthy for kids, promote lifelong literacy, and, coincidentally, will help your students blow the roof off of their state test scores. Organized around the writing process-selecting topics, crafting drafts, and polishing finished pieces-explicit lessons engage student writers while shoring up the gaps between learning and testing. Growing out of their own work in Title I schools, Gretchen, Jayne, and Cynthia's strategies have proven to be especially effective in helping ESL and special education students, not only pass the test, but achieve commended performance. In addition to providing classroom-tested strategies, this practical teaching resource provides a wealth of crunchtime tools (rubrics, reproducibles, and writing samples) minilessons, and lesson plans that will help you teach strategically and position your students for success on their state writing tests and beyond.</P> <P><EM>Crunchtime </EM>includes the following downloadable resources: <STRONG></STRONG>, <STRONG></STRONG>, and .</P>