Educate the Heart

In a world where children are rushed from place to place, often on devices, teachers need to create an environment where they are given time and allowed to focus, to think, to create, and to learn. This book provides over 100-screen free ideas and activities to help teachers of students in preK-Grade 6 inspire authentic learning in their classroom. Teachers will learn how to promote peace all day by empowering students to handle conflict through kindness. They will see how effectively implementing collaborative work space can transform the classroom into a respectful learning community. There are literature –based lesson plans which cover a great variety of subjects and skills, such as reading, writing, language arts, mathematical discourse, movement, and cooking. Teachers will find ways to engage students in collaborative work, critical thinking skills, and find out how to encourage innovative ways to solve problems through creativity with STEM challenges and meaningful curriculum based art projects. Teachers will discover ways to build community with a growth mindset approach to classroom discipline. The ideas and activities in this book are designed with the whole child in mind, catering to providing the best possible environment and activities to allow students to feel valued and be nurtured in a way that inspires them to reach their true potential.

Jennifer Lee Quattrucci’s book Educate the Heart: Screen-Free Activities for Grades Pre-k-6 To Inspire Authentic Learning allows teachers to do what is best for their students in engaging and meaningful ways. Each chapter is full of great strategies and lessons that build community and teach children to take ownership of their own learning. I love that she handles the topic of classroom discipline with a growth mindset approach and forgoes the clip charts, color changers, and reward systems that humiliate children. Jennifer’s creative ideas and dedication to every subject show that building strong children who can think for themselves may take time, and may not be as easy as installing an app, but people who put in the work will get results., Wow. Jennifer Lee Quattrucci has it going on with this gem. It is a cookbook for learning. It is a playbook for understanding. It is a plan book for designing lessons that captivate. Learning that lasts is not passive. Our students are not static thinkers and Jennifer recognizes that. In this book, Jennifer goes beyond theory and motivation to actually providing a guide for how to get it done. Within these pages, Jennifer provides literally more than 100 strategies, plans, and activities that are sure to engage not just the learner but the teacher as well. Looking to take learning beyond test prep? Jump in. This is just what you have been looking for., Jennifer’s Educate the Heart: Screen –Free Activities for Grades Pre-K-6 to Inspire Authentic Learning is truly an ultimate guide to screen-free learning for children. In an age focused on technology, with children growing up addicted to devices, this book is a refreshing reminder that students can have authentic meaningful learning experiences in all subjects using concrete materials and their imaginations. Jennifer has compiled a thorough collection of literature-based, hands-on activities that will assist any educator in delivering quality and engaging lessons to captivate all students. Her attention to mathematics, growth mindset, and STEM, in particular, allows me to confidently recommend this book to all elementary teachers as a must-have resource., In her book, Educate The Heart, Jennifer Quattrucci provides the reader with a treasure trove of resources and lesson ideas that are woven together with the themes of Kindness, Integration, and Fun! The ideas she presents come from over 20 years of classroom experience and move beyond teaching lessons to creating experiences for students. This is the book I wish I had when I was still in the classroom as a teacher. When asked the question, "Would you want to be a student in your own classroom?" The answer would be a resounding yes, for anyone who implements the rich and vibrant ideas presented in this book. It will be on my recommendation list for all teachers, new and experienced!

Jennifer Lee Quattrucci is an Early Childhood and Elementary School educator who has 23 years experience teaching at risk, Title 1 communities in the inner city of Providence, RI. As a national DonorsChoose ambassador, she connects teachers in high need areas with donors who want to help. She is also the creator, owner and author of the lifestyle blog mommyteacherfashionista.com.