Responsive Classroom Publishes New Edition of The Morning Meeting Book

TURNERS FALLS, Mass., April 15, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (NEFC), developer of Responsive Classroom, a research-based approach to integrating high-level academics with social-emotional learning, has just published a third edition of The Morning Meeting Book. While keeping intact key aspects of this immensely popular book, the new edition reflects NEFC's most current thinking about the best ways to implement Morning Meeting (see sidebar) in K8 classrooms.

"When Morning Meeting is a regular part of a daily routine," note authors Roxann Kriete and Carol Davis in the book's closing remarks, "it clears away obstacles that impede children from feeling safe and engaged in school, creating the space for classroom members to care for each other and do their best learning."

Kriete, former NEFC executive director, teamed with Responsive Classroom educator Carol Davis to create a revision that offers:

• Updated examples of Morning Meeting in action
• Even stronger connections between social-emotional skills and academic learning
• Emphasis on how Morning Meeting supports mastery of Common Core State Standards, 21st century skills, and core social/emotional competencies named by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)
• Updated information on the sharing component of Morning Meeting
• Streamlined format (easier to find examples of greetings, activities, etc.)
• Index to help teachers zero in on what they need

"The Morning Meeting Book has been vitally important to so many teachers over so many years," says Lora Hodges, NEFC's executive director. "Its popularity is a testament to the importance of making sure every student has the social-emotional skills needed to access the most rigorous academics. It's also a testament to teachers' deep desire to offer every child they teach the best possible education. I believe Morning Meetingand this new editionwill help them continue doing just that."

Since its initial publication in 1999, The Morning Meeting Book has sold over 200,000 copies.

Here's a summary of the features that have made this practical, comprehensive guide such a classic:

• Gives practical guidelines to help teachers implement each of the four Morning Meeting components (greeting, sharing, group activity, and message)
• Offers suggestions for how to resolve issues that commonly arise when teachers and students are learning how to do Morning Meeting
• Helps teachers understand the "why" of each meeting component
• Offers suggestions for how to adapt meeting components to accommodate children's needs and their familiarity with Morning Meeting, each other, and the skills required for each component; for example, suggests adaptations for ELL students, young students just beginning to learn the basics of speaking and listening, and older students with a growing need to assert their independence.
• Shows meeting components in use in real classrooms.

The Morning Meeting Book is just one of many Responsive Classroom resources that help teachers get the most out of these daily gatherings. Other Morning Meeting resources include additional books, DVDs, and a professional development kit intended for group study.

Morning Meeting is a daily gathering that helps children build community, practice academic and social skills, and warm up for a day of engaged learning. In a typical meeting, all classroom membersadults and studentssit together in a circle for 20 to 30 minutes at the start of the school day. They greet each other, listen to each other's news and ideas, do an activity together, and read a message from their teacher.

Many teachers remark that Morning Meeting is not only a powerful teaching tool but an indispensable part of each day for themselves and their students. In the words of one teacher, "Morning Meeting is truly what brings my students together and [helps them] understand that they each have a place in the class." And a kindergarten teacher observes that "it really opens kids up for learning."

AUTHOR INFORMATION

Roxann Kriete taught at both the elementary and secondary levels during a 35-year career in education. She retired from NEFC in 2011 after 26 years with the foundation, 10 of them as executive director. Kriete authored two previous editions of The Morning Meeting Book and co-authored the best-selling The First Six Weeks of School.

For over 20 years, Carol Davis has worked as a teacher, counselor, and consultant for grades K8. Currently, she is a professional development designer and Responsive Classroom consultant at NEFC. She is also the author of 80 Morning Meeting Ideas for Grades 36 and co-author of Parents & Teachers Working Together, both published by NEFC.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

The Morning Meeting Book: 3rd Edition
Roxann Kriete and Carol Davis
Paperback, 232 pages, $24.00
Copyright 2014, Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-892989-60-4

ABOUT NORTHEAST FOUNDATION FOR CHILDREN, INC., AND THE RESPONSIVE CLASSROOM APPROACH
The not-for-profit Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc. (NEFC) was established in 1981 by elementary school educators who envisioned a way of teaching that would bring together academic and social learning throughout the school day. That way of teaching, called the Responsive Classroom approach, is a research-based approach to elementary education that leads to greater teacher effectiveness, higher student achievement, and improved school climate. It has been recognized by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) as one of the most well-designed, evidence-based social and emotional learning programs. NEFC offers Responsive Classroom on-site consulting services to schools and districts; workshops and institutes for educators in locations around the country; and numerous books, videos, and other resources for teachers and administrators.

For more information, visit www.responsiveclassroom.org.

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SOURCE Northeast Foundation for Children, Inc.

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