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Our Mission is to provide the best resources—from theory to practice—and to do so with quality customer service. Rest assured that our materials are built upon a 21st century knowledge of how the human brain learns. We do the research for you!
Books for Educators is proud to be the publisher and sole source of resources for the Kovalik ITI (Integrated Thematic Instruction) and HET (Highly Effective Teaching) Model, which has recently been updated and renamed the Learning-Centered School Model (LCS).
Developed over the past 35 years, this model is continually revised to stay current with forthcoming brain research and to respond to the needs of classroom teachers and their students. The result is a powerful, comprehensive view of teaching and learning for the 21st century coupled with doable, step-by-step implementation strategies for curriculum development and learning strategies.
Our thought-provoking books and DVDs are designed for use at school, at home, and at work.
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Kovalik ITI/HET/LCS Model Resources
Character Education Resources
DVD's
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by Sue Pearson, Karen D. Olsen, and Terri Patterson, EdD
Proven and refined by the experiences of tens of thousands of teachers who precede you, you’ll find resources for teaching the five Lifelong Guidelines (Active Listening, Truthfulness, Trustworthiness, No Put-Downs, and Personal Best) and the 19 LIFESKILLS which help define Personal Best (Caring, Common Sense, Cooperation, Courage, Creativity, Curiosity, Effort, Flexibility, Friendship, Initiative, Integrity, Organization, Patience, Perseverance, Pride, Problem Solving, Resourcefulness, Responsibility, and Sense of Humor).
In a chapter dedicated to each of those Lifelong Guidelines and LIFESKILLS, you’ll find a discussion of its role in life in and beyond the classroom: Why practice it, how to practice it, what it looks like in the real world, what it looks like in school, inquiries/activities to develop it, signs of its success, and lists of fiction and non-fiction titles to use with students grades preK–12.
• 448 “mini lessons”—ready-to-go, thought-provoking inquiries/activities for PreK–2, Grades 3–6, and Middle/High School that move students into an understanding and use of each Lifelong Guideline and LIFESKILL until the old, contrary behaviors are no longer students’ first response
• Expansion into new grade levels—now a PreK–12 resource
• Tips from neuroscience on how to get the new behaviors you’re teaching to override the old ones you’re trying to extinguish
• The 5 Lifelong Guidelines and 19 LIFESKILLS
• A user-friendly tool for preparing students for success in the classroom and beyond
• Still an integral part of the Kovalik ITI/HET/LCS (Learning-Centered School) Model as well as a stand-alone character education and classroom management resource
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$47.50 for 1-4 copies
Discounts for five or more copies
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5–10 copies, 10% off
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11-20 copies, 20% off
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21-30 copies, 25% off
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31+ copies, 30% off
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Available August 31st, 2025
Exceeding Expectations II: The Learning-Centered School Model—Using Neuroscience to Improve Student Outcomes
by Susan J. Kovalik, Karen D. Olsen, Sue Pearson, Terri Patterson, EdD, Dean Tannewitz, Linda Jordan, EdD, and Kendall C. Terry; Preface by Pat Bradley
Whether your goals include helping students catch up after COVID-19, preparing students for the future world of work, or retaining teachers by making their job more rewarding and satisfying, Exceeding Expectations II is a must-read for today’s teachers and educational leaders at all levels.
This edition of EE focuses on the neuroscience-based definition of learning as a four-phase process —information critical for making curriculum standards more “gettable” for students and determining the most effective instructional strategies for delivering them. The book takes its readers seamlessly from research to practical, do-able strategies for speeding up learning and ensuring concepts and skills become wired into long-term memory. In addition to the many practical examples throughout the book, the reader will find references to video clips providing visuals of critical aspects of the model.
The origins of the educational model described in this book—the Learning-Centered School Model—began as the Kovalik ITI (Integrated Thematic Instruction) Model in the early 1980s then morphed into the HET Model (Highly Effective Teaching) in the early 2000s. Renamed and updated once again, the Learning-Centered School Model makes another giant stride toward applying neuroscience in practical ways that improve student outcomes. Especially key is that this book reflects the experiences and advice of the more than 50,000 teachers who have used the models over the past four decades. (450+ pages)
$47.50 for 1-4 copies
Discounts for five or more copies
____________________________5–10 copies, 10% off
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11-20 copies, 20% off
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21-30 copies, 25% off
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31+ copies, 30% off
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Outside In: Creating a Schoolwide Micro-Community
by Terri Patterson, EdD
Few disagree: Learning by doing is the most powerful way to learn. Behind the vocabulary, doing creates meaning and enables students to build the capacity to use what is understood in real-world ways beyond the classroom—as students and later as adults and citizens. And doing doesn’t get richer than in the IT/HET/LCS micro-community which provides a realistic and comprehensive experience in economics, civics, self-governance, entrepreneurialism, and community service.
Not an add-on, the ITI/HET/LCS micro-community is a deliberate and strategic means of using real life to integrate curriculum and make it come alive for students, regardless of language or socioeconomic status.
This handbook provides both the background knowledge and rationale for creating a schoolwide micro-community and the structures needed to make it all happen. Written by an educator who helped develop two micro-communities—as teacher and then as principal—you’ll find templates to help replicate such things as: banking (loans and interest-bearing accounts), business (licensing, regulations, taxation, space rental, etc.), governmental agencies (such city hall, police, courts), communication organizations (newspaper, radio, TV), non-profit organizations, and entrepreneurship writ large . You’ll find all you need to get off to a quick start creating life experiences our future citizens need.You’ll find all you need to get off to a quick start creating life experiences our future citizens need.
If you're looking for a way to significantly boost student engagement and achievement scores—especially in math, language, and civics—learning and living in a micro-community is your most direct pathway. The easiest way to create such a micro-community goes through this book and the video described below. (book, 100 pages).
The companion video, Jacobsonville, provides a fascinating look at a fully integrated micro-community and the deep engagement of students in learning about their world—the academic skills and knowledge as well as the personal and social skills needed to succeed in that world.
(video, 32 mins.)
$19.85 Book & DVD combo
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Are We There Yet?: Connecting Real Life to Real Learning
e-book and video by Kari Kling
“Are we there, yet?” It’s a common question kids ask of their parents no matter their ages or the destination . . . and it doesn’t matter how long it may take to get there before it’s asked. Whether you’re going to the zoo, a museum for an afternoon, or taking a family vacation for a weekend or a week, you can transform preplanning conversations into focal points for what your child can learn when you get there.
When we use the world as our classroom, children have real-life opportunities to engage in situations that naturally stimulate their learning. This 30-page booklet—designed for parents—gives a springboard to connect real life to academic learning and family memories that will last a lifetime! (video, 30 mins.)
e-book & DVD combo, $5.00
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CHARACTER EDUCATION RESOURCES
Available Now!
Tools for Citizenship & Life II : Using the Lifelong Guidelines & LIFESKILLS in Your Classroom
by Sue Pearson, Karen D. Olsen, and Terri Patterson, EdD
Proven and refined by the experiences of tens of thousands of teachers who precede you, you’ll find resources for teaching the five Lifelong Guidelines (Active Listening, Truthfulness, Trustworthiness, No Put-Downs, and Personal Best) and the 19 LIFESKILLS which help define Personal Best (Caring, Common Sense, Cooperation, Courage, Creativity, Curiosity, Effort, Flexibility, Friendship, Initiative, Integrity, Organization, Patience, Perseverance, Pride, Problem Solving, Resourcefulness, Responsibility, and Sense of Humor).
In a chapter dedicated to each of those Lifelong Guidelines and LIFESKILLS, you’ll find a discussion of its role in life in and beyond the classroom: Why practice it, how to practice it, what it looks like in the real world, what it looks like in school, inquiries/activities to develop it, signs of its success, and lists of fiction and non-fiction titles to use with students grades preK–12.
• 448 “mini lessons”—ready-to-go, thought-provoking inquiries/activities for PreK–2, Grades 3–6, and Middle/High School that move students into an understanding and use of each Lifelong Guideline and LIFESKILL until the old, contrary behaviors are no longer students’ first response
• Expansion into new grade levels—now a PreK–12 resource
• Tips from neuroscience on how to get the new behaviors you’re teaching to override the old ones you’re trying to extinguish
Oldies But Goodies That Remain
• The 5 Lifelong Guidelines and 19 LIFESKILLS
• A user-friendly tool for preparing students for success in the classroom and beyond
• Still an integral part of the Kovalik ITI/HET/LCS (Learning-Centered School) Model as well as a stand-alone character education and classroom management resource
$9.95
Mission Addition: Mastery Through Integration— DVD
Included in this Package Special are: