American Book Company Blog: Test-prep books and more

Louisiana Elementary Educators - iLEAP 3rd Grade Science Now Available!

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:05:00 +0000

Mastering the Louisiana iLEAP Grade 3 in Science is now available!

Click here to download sample pages and to order.

Georgia Educators - 3rd, 6th, and 7th Grade Social Studies Books Available!

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:02:00 +0000

Mastering the Georgia 3rd Grade CRCT in Social Studies is now available!

Click here for 3rd grade to download sample pages and to order.

Mastering the Georgia 6th Grade CRCT in Social Studies: Latin America, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Oceana has been REVISED to 2009 DOE standards!

Click here for 6th grade to download sample pages and to order.

Mastering the Georgia 7th Grade CRCT in Social Studies: Africa and Asia also has been REVISED to '09 standards!

Click here for 7th grade to download sample pages and to order.

Nevada Educators - Revised HSPE Math Is Available!

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 17:40:00 +0000

Now available: Passing the Nevada High School Proficiency Exam in Mathematics 2009 REVISED EDITION! Click here to download sample pages and to order.

Prepare your students for the ECA Tests with our 2009 REVISED Nevada HSPE in Mathematics book!

This workbook has been REVISED to the current Department of Education standards and covers the Mathematics area of the High School Proficiency Exam (HSPE). This workbook includes chapter lessons and reviews, and three comprehensive tests that simulate the actual testing environment!

NEW PRODUCT - Musical Mathematics

webmaster@americanbookcompany.com (American Book Company) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:38:00 +0000

American Book Company is pleased to announce a unique partnership with Educational Dynamix with the release of Musical Mathematics!

Musical Mathematics teaches K - 5 students to learn their multiplication tables by using a combination of memorable, mathematically-themed music and engaging instructional resources. Each Musical Mathematics Teacher Bundle includes the Musical Mathematics audio CD, a teacher guide, and student activity guides (available in sets of 10 or 20).

Visit our site to learn more about this exciting new product and to listen to free song samples!

New 2009 Edition of GA 7th Grade CRCT Social Studies!

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 19:30:00 +0000

A revised book is now available for seventh-grade social studies! Mastering the Georgia 7th Grade CRCT in Social Studies: Africa and Asia has been developed to the new Georgia Performance Standards. Read more about it and see sample pages here!

South Carolina EOC Algebra I/Math for Technologies REVISED!

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:54:00 +0000

South Carolina educators, this book is now revised to current standards!

Passing the South Carolina End of Course Exam in Algebra I/Math for the Technologies II

Don't forget to check out all of the EOCEP and HSAP materials available! Simply click here.

Louisiana Educators: New Materials Available!

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:44:00 +0000

American Book Company has added several new books and now has the following iLEAP and LEAP materials available:

Third grade English Language Arts, Math, and Social Studies
Fourth grade grade English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
Fifth grade grade English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
Sixth grade grade English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
Seventh grade grade English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies
Eighth grade grade English Language Arts, Math (plus Math Software), Science, and Social Studies

(we also have a line of EOC and GEE materials)
See and order them all here!

North Carolina Revised Reading Books Available!

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 19:39:00 +0000

North Carolina educators: EOG reading books for grades 6 and 7 are available and ready to ship!

Mastering the NorthCarolina End-of-Grade Reading Comprehension Test Grade 6

Mastering the NorthCarolina End-of-Grade Reading Comprehension Test Grade 7

Tips for Teachers #2: Bellringers Help Students Get Ready for Testing

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 16:16:00 +0000

Bellringers are those class-starting activities that add to content while you prepare to begin a lesson. Much more than busywork, well-planned bellringers can help students gain skills with practice in areas that will be tested later on. They offer several advantages:

Bellringers provide practice without constant quizzes or tests.
They help focus students on the lesson to come.
They can reduce test anxiety by familiarizing students with small increments of content.

Try using bellringers in your classroom that are based on questions like those that students will see on upcoming state tests. For material to use as bellringers, check the books for your state from American Book Company—practices in chapters and the tests at the front and back of each book offer many sample questions! In addition, the Basics Made Easy series has even more practice questions for you to use!

Check back or subscribe for more Tips for Teachers.
Zuzana Urbanek, English Language Arts Coordinator at American Book Company.

The Basics of Reading... Revised Test-prep Book, Aligned to McRel Standards

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 20:52:00 +0000

We've just finished revising our popular Basics Made Easy: Reading Review book. And guess what?

This book is now up to standards... Content standards published by highly respected education research organization McRel, that is. What does this mean for you? It means this book is closely aligned to state standards very similar to those used by your state. *

Our BME series is meant to provide thorough, general review for middle schoolers and high schoolers, especially those facing impending standardized tests.

Basics Made Easy: Reading Review's new version features two new complete reading practice tests, plus plenty of enhancements to exercises, passages, and explanations throughout. We improved the arrangement of the book's sections, making it easier for your students to use effectively.

(Oh, and we updated all sorts of decade-old references, making everything more timely--your students won't balk at any passages about "compact discs," whatever those are.)

Take a look at sample pages, and request a free preview copy.

* - Of course, we still boast an ever-expanding line of state-specific products.

NEW: Two Sets of Dolch Sight Words Flash Cards (with activities and more!)

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 22:40:00 +0000

Dolch Word Flash Cards PLUS covers the entire list of 220 Dolch high-frequency sight words. And, not to sound like an infomercial, but that's not all. We also included dozens of cards on numbers, shapes, and common nouns--and 15 vocabulary activity cards.

These big, clear, high-quality flash cards are divided into two sets...

Set 1: Dolch Flash Cards for Pre-primer, Primer, and First Grade

Features 40 pre-primer, 52 primer, and 41 first-grade Dolch high-frequency word cards... AND cards reviewing 20 nouns, 4 shapes, and numbers 1-10. Also includes 7 activity cards for Dolch sight word practice. 174

Set 2: Dolch Flash Cards for Second and Third Grade

Offers 46 second-grade and 41 third-grade Dolch sight word cards. This set also covers 74 nouns, 12 months, and numbers 11-20, plus 8 unique activity cards.

We provide flash cards for other subjects (and languages) too. As always, just e-mail us to request a free sample pack of flash cards.

Writing Test-prep Book? Revised Basics Made Easy: Writing Review Is Here to Help!

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 22:00:00 +0000

The freshly revised Basics Made Easy: Writing Review is perfect for middle or high school students in need of writing test preparation. Featuring...

A diagnostic writing test, designed to empower students to evaluate their own writing.

An evaluation chart, showing students which chapters will provide the most beneficial review.

Two additional sample writing tests, each loaded with multiple writing prompts and essential writing checklists.

Fourteen chapters of writing test-prep explanations, exercises, and examples, starting with "Writing Paragraphs" and ending with "Scoring the Essay."

And remember...

The new Basics Made Easy: Writing Review test-prep book is now based on McRel writing standards.

Basics Made Easy: Writing Review aligns to standards much like your state's. (Of course, we may have a writing test-prep book written specifically for your state... Take a look!)

Why not look through some sample pages from Basics Made Easy: Writing Review while you're here... And then request a free preview copy?

Tips for Teachers #1: Make Attending a Conference Easier

noreply@blogger.com (Zuzana) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 16:21:00 +0000

Educational conferences and expos are wonderful for gaining insights and gathering new materials. But they can be exhausting! Trying to decide what speakers to see, running around the displays, fitting in a little nourishment between activities … it can all be daunting. Here are a few tips to make your next conference experience a mellower one.

Save your back. If you know that you will want to pick up materials, bring along a rolling attaché or bag of some type. Alternatively, check out what the exhibitors have to offer but, instead of grabbing samples, sign up for materials to be mailed to you later.
Carry self-addressed labels. Avoid hand cramps, memory loss, and missing the next speaker as you try to sign up for all the goodies that exhibitors offer. Take a sheet of small labels to each conference, containing your name, title, and school address. Many sign-up sheets ask for an email address too, so consider including that.
Divide and conquer. If you attend a conference with colleagues, agree to divide up the interesting presentations. You can also divvy up visiting exhibits, if there are many of them. Then, you can meet to trade notes and materials. If you alone represent your school or district, find someone at the conference who is in the same boat, and divide tasks between you.
Smell the roses. Schedule some down time—like a short nap after a full day and before an evening out—and plan for a little fun. Especially if a conference is in an interesting location, make it a point to see more than just the hotel. This will help make the entire experience more memorable. If an excursion is not part of the conference itself, take an evening or even a half-day to explore. The “divide and conquer” advice above will help you make sure you do not miss anything!
Nosh when you can. Even if you’re not hungry when the break snacks come out, nibble on something. You never know what might happen—I have seen scheduling errors or miscounts deprive people of their lunches or dinners at keynote events.

Of course, there are other smart tips that most people know—wear comfy shoes, dress in layers because you never know what how the rooms are heated or cooled, and so on—but these should get you started. If you have other tips gleaned from experience, please reply to this post and share them!

Check back or subscribe for more Tips for Teachers.

Zuzana Urbanek, English Language Arts Coordinator at American Book Company.

Georgia teachers: Looking for help with the 2nd grade Reading CRCT?

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Wed, 27 May 2009 13:26:00 +0000

Mastering the Georgia 2nd Grade CRCT in Reading is based on CRCT and GPS standards and loaded with great exercises and examples.

Like all our test-prep books, it features multiple practice tests plus a diagnostic test, all modeled on the real deal.

Interested in receiving a free preview copy of this book?

New Texas EOC Biology Test-preparation Book

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Fri, 22 May 2009 18:32:00 +0000

Passing the Texas Biology End-of-Course Assessment... available now!

Texas educators, contact us to request a free preview copy.

Georgia Accelerated Math I Test-prep Book: Now Available

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Mastering the Georgia Accelerated Math I Course is designed to help your students pass the (often-troublesome) Math I EOCT and the Accelerated Math I course.

Contact us to request a free preview copy!

North Carolina 7th Grade EOG Math: New Test-prep Book

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Fri, 08 May 2009 16:54:00 +0000

North Carolina educators... Take a look at the brand new Passing the North Carolina 7th Grade End-of-Grade Test in Mathematics.

Want more info? Like to request a free preview copy? Contact us today!

Want to Know More about American Book Company? Read Up on Wikipedia and Knol

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:11:00 +0000

On our site, we like to focus on what we can do for you. But if you'd ever like to read more about our story, why not rummage through the entries about us at Wikipedia and Knol?

American Book Company Answers Demand... New 1st Grade CRCT Reading Workbook

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 12:10:00 +0000

Now available: Mastering the Georgia 1st Grade CRCT in Reading. We still offer free preview copies of all our books, of course. Click to request a copy.

And remember...

We include answer keys with every purchase of our books. If you have a preview copy of American Book Company books and need to order a classroom set plus answer keys, let us know!

New North Carolina End-of-Grade Test Workbook for 5th Grade Science

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:47:00 +0000

Just a quick note to let North Carolina educators know that Passing the North Carolina End-of-Grade Test of Science at Grade 5 is now available. Click above to see sample pages, or here to request a free preview copy of this book.

New CRCT Workbooks: Georgia 2nd Grade CRCT Math and Social Studies

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Two all-new CRCT test-prep workbooks, hot off the presses...

Mastering the Georgia 2nd Grade CRCT in Mathematics

Our State of Georgia: 2nd Grade Social Studies

As always, let us know if you'd like a free preview copy of either of these workbooks.

Louisiana LEAP 4th Grade Social Studies, ELA, and Science Test-prep Workbooks... Coming in May 2009!

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:43:00 +0000

UPDATE 4/25: Passing the LEAP Grade 4 in Social Studies is now available!
UPDATE 5/19: Passing the LEAP Grade 4 in Science, Passing the LEAP Grade 4 in Mathematics, and Passing the LEAP Grade 4 in English Language Arts are now available!

Louisiana educators... As you know, the LEAP 4th grade tests are a huge priority and will be a focus during summer school. There aren't a lot of good LEAP 4th grade test-preparation resources out there at the moment... But that's about to change!

Help is on the way. Our Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Science departments are each working to release GLE-based books for the LEAP 4th grade tests, complete with diagnostic test and multiple practice tests, by mid-May 2009.

If you've never used our books before, take a look at our current line-up of Louisiana test-prep books to get an idea of what you can expect.

And, while you're at it, contact American Book Company to let us know you'd like to be notified once these 4th grade LEAP workbooks are available.

NEW North Carolina 6th Grade End-of-Grade Math Test Preparation Book

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:09:00 +0000

Passing the North Carolina 6th Grade End-of-Grade Test in Mathematics is hot off the presses. Click to take a look at sample pages and place an order.

Also, here’s a special reminder for North Carolina math teachers and administrators:

Want to take a look at a preview copy before you buy? Request a free preview copy of Passing the North Carolina 6th Grade End-of-Grade Test in Mathematics, or any of our other North Carolina test-prep books... including books written for these math tests:

North Carolina 6th Grade End-of-Grade Math Test

North Carolina Algebra I End-of-Course Test

North Carolina Geometry End-of-Course Test

(And, yes, teachers in other states—we’ve got plenty of test-prep materials just for you, too.)

NEW Middle School Science Flash Cards... See Samples!

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 15:50:00 +0000

Check out these high-quality, colorful middle-grades science flash cards. They come in packs of 500 cards, covering middle grades biology, earth science, physical science, and scientific inquiry.

Click on any card to see it in all its glory...

Middle School Science Flash Card Samples

We also offer American Book Company's High School Science Flash Cards (available in English AND Spanish), Periodic Table Flash Cards, and Mathematics Flash Cards.

Click to request free sample flash cards!

Teachers: Share Your Thoughts on Using Videos in Lessons

noreply@blogger.com (Jason Kirk) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:51:00 +0000

Kids respond well to all sorts of media, so using videos is a good way to mix it up. Plus, it means teachers have a little LESS ground to cover with lectures.

There's tons of good stuff out there for teachers, so we make videos on topics that aren't very widely covered elsewhere. Take a look at the lessons we've covered so far...

We're working on lots of videos for different subjects, but we do already have videos for Science teachers. Science teachers (actually, all teachers), we have a request. We'd like to know more about things like these:

What kinds of videos do you find most effective?

How do you use videos in your classes?

What topics does the Web LACK videos for?

What lessons would you like to see videos on?

This isn't a questionnaire... We'd just love to hear some of your thoughts. Take a look at our Protein Synthesis video (which recently reached Featured status at TeacherTube) below, and leave us a comment!