By Judy Ameline, Judy Chyung, and Emily Thompson
We hope you enjoy this reading list, curated by librarians at the TDSB Professional Library in the Library Learning Resources and Global Education Department of the Toronto District School Board.
Links to the TDSB Professional Library Catalogue have been provided for informational purposes, but the items are accessible to TDSB staff only.
Bryant, D.P., (Ed.). (2021). Intensifying mathematics interventions for struggling students. The Guilford Press. eBook
In this resource leading experts show K-12 educators how to use data-based individualization to plan, monitor, and enrich instruction in early numeracy, time and money measurement, number combinations, fractions, word-problem solving, algebra, and more. Beginning with guiding questions, chapters feature numerous evidence-based intervention strategies, lesson-planning ideas, and case examples. Also included are reproducible instructional activities and planning forms which may be downloaded and printed.
Chardin, M., & Novak, K. (2021). Equity by design: Delivering on the power and promise of UDL. eBook Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Also available in print
This book makes the critical link between social justice and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) serving as a blueprint to help teachers improve outcomes for historically under-served students. The authors provide concrete strategies for designing and delivering a culturally responsive, sustainable, and equitable curriculum for all students using evidence-based application of best practises for UDL to create more inclusive and equitable classrooms and equip educators with the collective capacity to enact positive change.
Coalition for Alternatives to Streaming in Education. (2021). Research. [Website].
Black, Indigenous, racialized, low-income and special needs students are more likely to be streamed into applied or locally developed classes, leading to worse learning outcomes and postsecondary options than those of their academic peers. This website curates research from leading academics, scholars and organisations working to end streaming in Ontario schools.
Doubet, K. J. (2022). The flexibly grouped classroom: How to organize learning for equity and growth. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. eBook
Traditional grouping is generally homogeneous in nature, combining students without regard to optimising their individual growth while flexible grouping brings together more varied groups of students in order to pursue a wider range of academic and affective goals. This guide presents a staged approach, describing essential considerations for grouping students and highlighting how this approach to organising learning can help teachers disrupt rigid tracking, deliver targeted instruction, connect to student interests, boost collaboration, and build community in the classroom.
Germán, L. E. (2021). Textured teaching: A framework for culturally sustaining practices. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
This book sets out a framework for creating rigorous, inclusive, and engaging classroom experiences that embody the values of social justice. Chapters outline the traits of textured teaching: being student-driven and community-centred, interdisciplinary, experiential, and flexible. Throughout the book, the author gives planning and design strategies to build and support both literacy and social justice skills. A tool for unit planning is included.
Kise, J.A.G. (2021). Doable differentiation: Twelve strategies to meet the needs of all learners. Bloomington, IN : Solution Tree. eBook
Divided into three parts, this book establishes a foundation for understanding and implementing effective differentiation to better meet students’ needs. Twelve differentiation strategies with success essentials, common concerns, and reflection activities are discussed in depth. The book concludes with lesson planning examples. Strategies to enhance distance and online learning are included.
Ladson-Billings, G. (2021). Culturally relevant pedagogy: Asking a different question. New York: Teachers College Press. eBook
This book offers a definitive collection of the writings of Gloria Ladson-Billings, centred around her groundbreaking theory of Culturally Relevant Pedagogy (CRP). This collection of her published works charts the 25-year history and evolution of CRP, its use in specific subject areas, and its role in teacher education. The book closes with Ladson-Billings’s views towards future directions and possibilities for CRP.
LeBlanc, G., & Frederick, T. (2021). Who’s in my classroom?: Building developmentally and culturally responsive school communities. Hoboken, NJ: Jossey-Bass. eBook
Developmentally and Culturally Responsive Teaching (DCRT) means that to be effective, teachers not only need to know the subjects they teach: they also need to know and understand their students. This book aims to foster a curious, non-judgemental mindset that will help teachers combat superficial assumptions, recognize and foster students’ strengths, and move beyond the idea that demographics define students’ possibilities. Chapters are bolstered by real-world stories from students in the New York-based Youth Communication program.
Seda, P., & Brown, K. (2021). Choosing to see: A framework for equity in the math classroom. San Diego: Dave Burgess Consulting.
The authors explain their ICUCARE Equity Framework : Seven Principles of Equity Pedagogy to guide teachers to create more equitable mathematics classrooms to serve, particularly the needs of Black and Brown students. The book offers the equity framework as the lens to help teachers implement more equitable math instruction.
Stembridge, A. (2020). Culturally responsive education in the classroom: An equity framework for pedagogy. New York: Routledge. eBook Also available in print.
The author believes that Culturally Responsive Education (CRE) is a framework that is useful for closing Equity gaps in school achievement outcomes and that it would serve the needs of the most vulnerable students. He presents six themes of CRE for teachers to develop a CRE mindset to address Equity gap and five planning questions to consider for designing culturally responsive learning experiences for students.
TDSB. (2020). Academic Pathways Fact Sheet. eResource
This fact sheet was designed for parents to learn about the TDSB Academic Pathways initiative. It describes what is Academic Pathways, why it is being implemented, and how the students will be affected by it.
Wormeli, R. (2018). Fair isn’t always equal: Assessment & grading in the differentiated classroom. 2nd ed. Portland, ME: Stenhouse. eBook
This book aims to encourage educators to develop a more differentiated mindset to maximize students’ learning. An educator with this mindset should embrace the principles of teaching and assessment described in this book which would lead to more fair and developmentally appropriate instruction and assessment that meet the student learning needs in any differentiated classroom. The book provides many strategies in differentiation with the bottom line idea of enabling students to learn whatever way they can.
Judy Ameline is a librarian at the Toronto District School Board Professional Library with almost 30 years experience providing reference service. She is passionate about providing TDSB teachers and leaders access to current, cutting edge information in the field of education to support their professional development needs. Check out the Library’s Pinterest Boards and follow her on Twitter @AmelineJudy
Judy Chyung has extensive experience providing Education Reference and Online Services to the educators and leaders of Toronto District School Board at the TDSB Professional Library. She enjoys reading and learning about the trends in education literature, and assisting TDSB educators with their information needs whether for their classroom support or for their professional learning. One of the initiatives that she leads is the curated Resource Guides for Heritage Months celebrated by TDSB. You can check out the Guides at http://bit.ly/DirectoryHeritageMonthListsPL. Currently she is deeply involved in developing Subject Guides to support TDSB educators and students with their curriculum resource needs. These Subject Guides can be found in the TDSB Virtual Library under the FIND tab.
Emily Thompson is a Reference and Digital Resources Librarian with the Toronto District School Board Professional Library. Prior to joining the TDSB this year, she spent nearly a decade in public librarianship and is passionate about early literacy. She is excited to be a part of the TDSB Professional Library team, connecting users of all ages with digital resources through the Virtual Library. Follow the TDSB Virtual Library on Twitter: @tdsbVL