There are numerous strategies to follow when writing a book. Some people can sit down at their computers and simply start writing. Others need a guide or a template to assist them in hashing out ideas and concepts. A template is a rough outline that includes an organized list of the ideas and thoughts you want to cover in your book. Once the template is on paper, you can begin the writing process, referring to the template as you proceed to help you achieve your goals and keep from going off on a tangent.
Instructions
1
Open an empty notebook or a blank document on your computer and write out the theme of the book by asking yourself, What is this book about? or, essentially, Why are you writing this book? Only answer this in two to five sentences without complicating the response. This will enable you to define the synopsis of the book and what your objectives are in writing it.
2
Write out the basic ideas of your book. Include key points of action, such as location, list of characters, descriptions of characters and the plot of the book. The plot can be two or three sentences, including when you think certain points of action or main events will occur throughout the story.
3
Write out a rough list of the chapters, including the names of the chapter titles. Once you have crafted the list, write 10 points under each chapter header describing what action will occur in each chapter. The number of points can vary among chapters, but it is important to define what points will be covered in each chapter so that you can see how they will lead to the end of your story.
4
Once the chapters are sketched out, break them down even further by writing subchapters. For example, for Chapter One, under each of your 10 points, write subchapters with points A, B, C, etc. In these subchapters, include specific points about your characters, such as their personalities, motivations and events that will occur.
5
Read over your template, adjusting points if necessary, and start writing your book 10 pages at a time. Refer to your template throughout the writing process, and modify it as needed.
Creating a school newsletter is a way to keep everyone informed about upcoming events and student achievements as well as build school spirit. The kids will love seeing themselves in print, and their parents will appreciate the updates to help keep them in the loop. The newsletter can even become a teaching tool when students help contribute stories and photos.
Instructions
1
Take photos of and write about the latest events that have taken place in the school. Pep rallies, dances, sports events, fund raisers and drama productions all make for good photo ops.
2
Enlist the talent of your teachers and/or students to write articles for the school newsletter. Let them choose the topic, but make sure it's relevant to school.
3
Feature a student or group of students from the school and write about them in each school newsletter. Kids love to get the recognition, and it gives parents something brag about.
4
Include information from the school board in your school newsletter. The topics can range from staff updates to current events in your area.
5
Include a list of websites in your school newsletter that teachers and students can use as resources for their classrooms.
6
Create a section in your school newsletter that features upcoming field trips and outings the students will take. You can also include information about any special guests that will be visiting the school.
7
After you have all your articles and images together, use a newsletter template or desktop publishing software to design your layout. There are even online templates that will allow you to format the newsletter for email, web, disk, and/or print.
The Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook do not support any of the same e-book formats. Sharing books between the two devices requires the user to convert the e-book to a supported format by the other device. The Nook primarily features books in the ePub format. The Kindle uses MOBI formats, such as PRC, MOBI and AZW. Books with digital rights management, such as many of those bought from Amazon or Barnes & Noble, cannot be transferred between the two.
Instructions
Save E-books to Computer
1
Connect your Kindle or Nook to your computer using a USB cable.
2
Click "Start" then "Computer."
3
Select the device from the list. Copy books from the My Documents folder on the Nook or Documents folder on the Kindle. Save the books somewhere on your computer.
Convert Using Calibre
4
Download Calibre at calibre-ebook.com.
5
Click "Add Books" and select the books you want.
6
Select the book or books from the library in the middle of Calibre. Click "Convert Books."
7
Click the drop-down menu beside "Output Format" and select the type corresponding to the device you want to use. If you are transferring books from the Nook to the Kindle, you will want to select MOBI. If you are transferring books from the Kindle to the Nook, you will want to select EPUB. Click "OK" after making a selection.
8
Click "Click to Open" beside Path beneath the Book's cover on the right side of the program to open the folder containing the converted file. Copy this file to My Documents on the Nook or Documents on the Kindle.
Convert Using Online-Convert.com
9
Go to ebook.online-convert.com.
10
Click "Convert to ePub" from the menu on the left if you want to transfer a book to the Nook.
11
Click "Convert to MOBI" to use the book on a Kindle.
12
Click "Choose File" and select the book you want to convert. Click "Convert File."
13
Wait for the file to convert. You will be automatically prompted to download the converted file once it is finished. Place this file in My Documents on the Nook or Documents on the Kindle.
Convert Using ConvertFiles.com
14
Go to Convertfiles.com.
15
Click "Browse" and select the e-book file you want to convert.
16
Click the "Output Format" drop-down menu and select "MOBI" if you want the book on a Kindle or "ePUB" if you want the book on a Nook.
17
Click "Convert."
18
Wait for the file to finish. The status will be indicated by a progress bar. Click beside "Please download your converted file" to get the converted book. Save this to My Documents on the Nook or Documents on the Kindle.
Poor reading comprehension might be a result of underactivation of the parietal lobe of the brain, a study published in 2008 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) suggests (see Resources). Fifth graders assessed as "poor readers" were tested at three points: before any tutoring, after 100 hours of intensive work to improve their reading comprehension and 1 year later.
Changing Brain Patterns
Results showed that a year later, the reading comprehension improved and the area of the front of the parietal lobe becoming more active. There are two areas of the brain that researchers have identified with being involved with reading: the left gyrus and the left superiorparietal lobe.
Durable Changes
"Poor readers" have a higher than normal activity in the inferior frontal and medial frontal cortices after intensive tutoring, suggesting that the readers called upon other areas of the brain for reading in an "effortful" way not seen in good readers. This study suggests that in young children who are given remedial work, the brain is able to respond and maintain the changes in these areas even a year later, which helps readers improve their ability for comprehension.
Mac Tools manufactures a wide variety of both consumer and professional tools. If you would like to purchase a Mac Tools product, you must locate a distributor, as the company does not sell to customers directly. There are many distributors across the country and you can contact Mac Tools to find the one closest to you.
Instructions
1
Navigate to the Mac Tools Self-Service Support web page. A link is provided in the References section of this article.
2
Complete all of the fields with red stars next to them, as these are required. In the message field, indicate that you are trying to locate a distributor and be sure to include your name, the name and address of your shop and your phone number.
3
Click "Send" to submit the form. A Mac Tools representative will contact your shortly with the name and telephone number of a distributor near you.
Story problems, also known as word problems, require more than just math; students have to be able to read and comprehend the puzzles as well. Children in kindergarten might not yet possess this trio of skills. Those who do, however, often enjoy solving word problems more than traditional equations, as the narrative structure of story problems can help children relate abstract math concepts to real life.
Vocabulary
One key to story-problem success in a kindergarten classroom lies in making sure children can read each word. Choose story problems with simple, familiar language and help children sound out words they don't know. Two examples are: "Three girls played ball. Two boys came over. How many children were there?" and "Four dogs are running in the park. Two dogs go home. How many dogs are left?" Print each story problem in large letters and ask for volunteers to read them aloud.
Comprehension
Along with reading, children must be able to understand the problem. Choose stories that can be illustrated and ask for volunteers to draw them on the blackboard. "Three fish swim in a lake. One swims away. How many fish are left?" Have one child draw three fish. Have another erase one fish and answer the question. Alternately, use toys or props to help illustrate the problem. "Jason holds a wooden block. He picks up one more block. How many blocks does he have?"
What's Important?
With a string of words looming before them, children can get overwhelmed. Teach them to find important words and circle them. Use leading questioning to help them identify what is important and what is not. "Two white kittens drink milk. One red kitten comes over. How many kittens are there?" Guide them into choosing the numbers and have volunteers circle them. Ask for another volunteer to write the correct answer. As always, encourage students even when mistakes are made. Develop and instill confidence.
Seasonal Math
Use seasons and holidays to keep word problems lively and fun. For example: "Three ghosts went trick-or-treating. One ghost ate too much candy and went home early. How many ghosts were left?" Or: "Juan had a birthday party. He invited three boys and three girls. How many kids did he invite?" "Cassie decorated six holiday cookies to give as presents. She ate four. How many cookies did she have left?"
The Abby award-winning book "The Rainbow Fish," written and illustrated by Marcus Pfister, is a classic among children's literature. The story tells of a beautiful fish who starts off being vain but learns that through sharing and giving of himself, he can find happiness and friendship. The book is not only famous for it's moral, but also for its shimmering illustrations. When reading this tale, engage children in extension activities to help increase their comprehension of the story.
Unique Fish Scales
Children learn that they are all unique, like the Rainbow Fish, through this extension activity. Draw a large outline of a fish with black marker and hang it on a wall. From construction paper, cut out fish scales for each child. After reading the book, hand out the fish scales and discuss how everyone is unique and special. Instruct the children to write their names and something about themselves on their scales. Have them decorate the scales with crayons and markers. Collect the scales and hang them on the outline of the fish and read aloud what is written on each scale.
Rainbow Fish Craft
Have children turn paper plates into Rainbow fish. Have children cut a triangle that extends from the edge to the center of the paper plate and glue the shape to the back of the paper plate--the cut-out triangle will serve as the fish's mouth and the glued-on triangle will serve as the fish's tail. Instruct children to use watercolor paints to color their fish. Provide them with pieces of tin foil; have them cut the tin foil and glue it onto their fish, creating shimmering scales like the fish in the book. Add a googly eye to the fish and the craft is complete.
Sharing is Caring
Highlight the moral of sharing in the story with this activity. After reading the story, have children write a list of ways that they can share with their peers and community. Invite them to share their lists with the class and display the lists in the classroom. Encourage children to act out the sharing activities they have written on their lists and each time they conduct one of the activities, have them record when, how and with whom they shared.
Story Sequencing
To fully comprehend a text, readers must be able to sequence the events that occurred in the order in which they happened. To increase comprehension of the story, have children sequence the events that occurred. Print out images from the book or write out sentences from different parts of the book. Jumble up the images or sentences and instruct the children to put them in the correct order in which they happened in the story.
Teaching a short story can be easy if you give your students the basic elements. All short stories need to grab the reader from the start and make them care what happens next. They must also have a strong plot, believable characters and a resolution that fulfills the promise of giving the character a solution to whatever conflict they faced in the story.
Instructions
Steps for Teaching Story Writing
1
Have your student choose a POV, or point of view, for the short story. Explain that the viewpoint from which the story is told must be consistent throughout the story. First person is when the narrator is the main character and is telling his own story. Third person is when the narrator is overseeing events that happen to others.
2
Instruct your students to choose a setting for their story. The student needs to decide the physical location and time frame of the story before beginning. Explain to your students the need to remember these details while constructing the story.
3
Explain the development of main characters. One tool used for this is the "Character Sketch". This is a list of likes and dislikes of the characters. It will help the student understand that creating believable characters will help the story move along and keep the reader's attention.
4
Explain how to plot out the story. Have your students make an outline of the events to take place in their short story. This will ensure they write the story in the proper sequence.
5
Ask your student what the conflict of their story will be. Explain that something has to happen within the short story that will keep the readers' interest and make them care about the main character. The conflict can be romantic, dangerous or humorous but should cause the reader to want to find out what happens next.
6
Once your students have written their short story, make sure they understand they need to end with a good resolution. Explain that the resolution should solve whatever issue the main character has struggled with in the story in a creative and satisfying way.
Bit Torrent allows the transfer of large file sizes, in contrast to most p2p (Peer to Peer) sharing networks. This makes it possible to download full albums, movies and even books. E-books can be downloaded using torrents in PDF format. This allows one to share these files with multiple users and even print the e-books out and create a hard copy.
Instructions
1
Download a Bit Torrent client. Install the program upon completion of downloading.
2
Go to a torrent search engine. This is what you will use to locate and find book torrents.
3
Search for the book torrent. Type the name of the author or title of the e-book that you want to download. Click on the download link.
4
Select a torrent download location.
5
Download the torrent. Click the "Download Torrent" link. Select "Open With Utorrent" and click "OK." View the torrent details and click "OK." The download will begin once Utorrent loads.
Many teachers put in innumerable hours beyond their pay-grade, from grading papers to helping out with after school projects to tutoring students that need a little extra help in mastering a subject. For these special teachers, it can be a nice gesture to create a one of a kind gift to let her know that she is truly appreciated. A candy bar story card can be the perfect creative gift for students to express their feeling; they can be created with a few craft materials and, of course, the recipient's favorite candy bars.
Instructions
1
Create a special personalized message that best matches the reasons that you want to create the card. For example, if it is a "thank you" card for going above and beyond as a teacher, then you could use a Milky Way to write a message that says "There's not a better teacher in the entire (insert Milky Way candy bar) Galaxy. To add humor you could add a line like "We're not always (insert Sugar Babies) but you're always a great teacher."
2
Leave enough space to tape each of the candy bars you want to tape to your poster board card.
3
Allow children to add decorative elements like adding stickers to the card as a boarder or simple decoration.
To engage in the effective practice of guided reading, teachers divide students into ability-based reading groups and provide them with books at their levels. The practice is effective in promoting academic growth. Students are more capable of practicing reading without frustration if they practice with books at their level. To begin a guided reading program, teachers must group students into reading groups and select ability-appropriate reading levels. Teachers can determine the reading level of books in a number of ways, allowing them to effectively assign appropriate books.
Instructions
1
Check the bar code. Publishers often print the reading level of the book in the white box that surrounds the bar code. Search around the vicinity of the bar code, looking for a numerical value labeled RL. RL stands for reading level, and the number that follows the distinction tells you the intended grade level of the text. The first number indicates the grade, and the number that follows the decimal indicates the month. For example, 1.4 indicates that the book is intended for students in the first grade, fourth month.
2
Look for an age listing on the back of the book. If there is no reading level indicated next to the bar code, check the area surrounding the publishers mark on the back of the book. You may be able to find an intended age, for example, ages 7 and up. This indication can also be used to determine how difficult the text is, but it is not as effective in determining the difficulty of the text as the reading level indication that may be found by the bar code, since content appropriateness as well as difficulty are both taken into account to arrive at this suggested age.
3
Use words to check readability statistics if no reading level is given. Type a selection of the intended text into a Word document. Go to the Tools menu. Select options, and click on the spelling and grammar tab. Check the Display readability box. To see the readability of the text, run spell check. Once the check is finished, a box including the passage's reading level will appear, allowing you to determine the readability of the passage of text.
Plot is an element of fiction that consists of the stages of action leading up to the climax of the story. A short story does not afford the writer much time to develop an elaborate plot. A short story plot is rather simple and can be analyzed by following a few steps.
Instructions
1
List the events. A short story usually has one main character around whom all the action takes place. Your list of events for any short story will probably consist of the movements of the main character. Also make note of mental or emotional events that take place with respect to the main character, such as he learned how his mother died, he understood why his mother left him, and he stopped feeling sad.
2
Create a timeline. Take your list of events and put them in chronological order. Sometimes a short story begins with a flashback, in which case the events of the story are presented out of order. Arrange your list of events in chronological order, even if that isn't the order in which they took place in the story.
3
Identify the conflict. Conflict is what compels the reader to continue reading, so all well-written short stories have a conflict. It may be as obvious as a struggle between two characters in the story, or it can be subtle, like the main character's internal struggle to decide what is right. Identifying the conflict will help you understand the plot, since the plot is the main character's journey toward resolving the conflict.
4
Find the climax. The climax of a short story happens when the tension heightens just before the conflict is resolved. In a mystery, for example, the climax is just before you find out who the killer is. The climax of a short story takes place shortly before the end of the story. After the climax, the writer ties up the loose ends and the story is over.
An Amazon Kindle owner can easily download audio books to the device through Audible, which is an Amazon company. An Audible connection will permit transfers of existing audio books or download new audio books to the Kindle. All a user needs to do is download some software and connect the Kindle to a computer.
Instructions
1
Go to the Audible.com website and sign up for a free account.
2
Choose the option "Listen on My Computer" as the primary listening method.
3
Download the free AudibleManager software.
4
Connect the Amazon Kindle to the computer through the USB port. It may take a few moments for the compute to recognize the new device.
5
Run the AudibleManager program. Click on "Activate" under the Devices menu and select "Amazon Kindle" from the drop-down menu.
6
Use the AudibleManager software to transfer audio books to the Amazon Kindle.
Using a range of assessment tools in elementary schools gives teachers the chance to track student learning in a variety of ways. While most people are familiar with formal assessments, such as standardized tests, there are several other assessment options available for elementary schools that are more informal and focus on student work instead of exam scores.
Formal Assessment
Formal assessments are typically used as a standardized measurement of student progress. Statewide assessments that are given to all students are formal assessments. End-of-unit tests given after an elementary school class has finished a section in a textbook are also a common form of formal assessment. Formal assessments are typically multiple choice exams, though short answer questions and essays may be included in some instances.
Portfolio
Portfolios track a student's learning over time, often throughout a school year. Portfolio assessments focus on long-term learning gains and allow teachers to see how a child has made progress throughout the year. Portfolio assessments often include rough drafts and final works, graphic organizers, classroom assignments and student reflections. Students are typically included in selecting the work that is placed in a portfolio and the items selected should include samples of the child's best works.
Teacher Observation
Teacher observations allow the teacher to assess students during a typical day in the classroom. Observational assessment is often used to track student progress or check understanding of previously introduced topics. Observational assessment may include anecdotal notes that are written about each student or a checklist of skills that is checked off when the child masters the skill. Some teachers choose to videotape or record audio of their observations to review later or to use as additional record and documentation of the observation session.
Performance Tasks
Elementary students are often asked to complete a performance task to assess their learning in a specific area. A report and presentation may be used to assess student knowledge about a specific book or historical time period, for example. Students in a science class may be asked to complete a simple experiment based on previously taught material, while a math performance task often involves solving a word problem that focuses on the skills being assessed.
Self-Assessment
Self-assessments are used in the elementary classrooms to help students reflect upon their learning and give teachers feedback. Self-assessments may include more traditional assessment activities such as having students take and grade their own pre-test before an exam, and less formal activities including open-ended questions for students to answer, such as what was the hardest part of an assignment, or what they learned during a specific unit of study.
Standardized reading tests are an essential component of reading instruction. They provide data on the student's current knowledge and skill set as well as a means to measure student progress. Thus, they are a tool educators can use to obtain the information needed to design appropriate instructional plans. Furthermore, the data gleaned from standardized tests can be used to inform individualized instruction as well as class instruction.
Benefits
Though standardized tests are but one means of measuring student reading ability, as assessment instruments they have the benefit of being both valid and reliable. A reliable assessment is one that is consistent. That is, students will receive the same score on the test if given again under the same circumstances. A valid test is one that measures what it is meant to measure. By meeting these criteria, standardized tests must be included in student reading assessments.
Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing
The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing uses a variety of methods to determine a student's ability to understand and use phonological awareness. Phonological awareness is a student's knowledge that words are made up of sounds. Another aspect of phonological awareness is the student's ability to discern the individual sounds that make up words. The sub-tests require students to match words that begin with the same sound, match words that end with the same sound and repeat a word while pausing between each phoneme. Other sub-tests ask students to repeat a word with one phoneme omitted or to repeat a nonsense word. In addition to phonological processing, this test also measures verbal memory and rapid automatic naming (how quickly a student can name objects from pictures).
Early Reading Diagnostic Assessment
The Early Reading Diagnostic Assessment tests pre-reading through basic reading skills. The sub-tests address letter recognition, rhyming, phonological awareness skills, syllable recognition and sight reading. Additional sub-tests evaluate a student's listening and reading comprehension. Also included is a sub-test that measures a student's ability to recognize that words may have multiple meanings. The test can be individualized. Depending on the student's skill level, some sub-tests are optional or additional sub-tests are recommended.
Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills
Standardized reading tests assess pre-reading skills through reading comprehension of complex passages,
The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills assesses three of the "Five Big Ideas in Beginning Reading." They are: phonological awareness, alphabetic principle and fluency in reading grade-level text. Alphabetic principle is a student's understanding that words are made up of letters or symbols that represent sounds. The test does not assess vocabulary or reading comprehension (the remaining two big ideas in beginning reading). The Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills assessment also includes a system whereby student performance data can be collected and charted.
Gray Oral Reading Test IV
This widely-used test measures students' ability to read orally. It tests the student's reading rate, accuracy, fluency and comprehension. The test also can help identify individuals who have difficulty reading and diagnose their strengths and weaknesses in oral reading. The test consists of increasingly complex paragraphs the student is asked to read aloud and corresponding comprehension questions. The test can be given to students up to age 18.
Test of Word Reading Efficiency
The Test of Word Reading Efficiency has two sub-tests. One assesses a student's ability to sight-read actual words. The second tests a student's ability to read pseudo words. Reading pseudo words measures the student's ability to decode phonemically. The students must read as many words as possible in a specified period of time. The test can be used with students ages six to 24. As each sub-test has two forms of equally difficult words, the test may be given as pre- and post-assessments.
Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation
The Group Reading Assessment and Diagnostic Evaluation provides alternate forms for each test level, which ranges from prekindergarten to post-secondary education. It assesses reading comprehension, listening comprehension, decoding ability, alphabetic knowledge, vocabulary and phonemic awareness. The test includes various scoring options and an online reporting and management system, through which a student's progress can be monitored.
Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests
The Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests can be used for students ages four through adult. The test includes two versions, so it can be given as a pre- and post-test. The assessment includes several sub-tests: phonological awareness, letter and word identification, oral reading fluency, word attack, word comprehension and passage comprehension. The assessment is given to students individually and is often used with students who are struggling with reading. The Woodcock Reading Mastery Tests may be used in assessments to identify students with cognitive disabilities.
Iowa Test of Basic Skills
The Iowa Test of Basic Skills serves multiple purposes: identifying individual student's skill level for each test area, evaluating a student's strengths and weaknesses in skill areas and monitoring yearly growth in each skill area. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills has two levels: level 5-8 (primary grades) and level 9-14 (grades 3-8). The Level 5-8 sub-tests assess vocabulary, word analysis and reading comprehension. The Level 9-14 sub-tests evaluate vocabulary and reading comprehension.
Considerations
Numerous standardized assessments exist for each reading skill. When determining which assessment to use, educators should ensure that the standardized assessments used are aligned with the school's reading curriculum. Furthermore, when high stakes decisions are to be made regarding student placement, it is essential that reliable, standardized tests are included in the assessments.
Amazon.com Review Mistress Mary is quite contrary until she helps her garden grow. Along the way, she manages to cure her sickly cousin Colin, who is every bit as imperious as she. These two are sullen little peas in a pod, closed up in a gloomy old manor on the Yorkshire moors of England, until a locked-up garden captures their imaginations and puts the blush of a wild rose in their cheeks; "It was the sweetest, most mysterious-looking place any one could imagine. The high walls which shut it in were covered with the leafless stems of roses which were so thick, that they matted together.... 'No wonder it is still,' Mary whispered. 'I am the first person who has spoken here for ten years.'" As new life sprouts from the earth, Mary and Colin's sour natures begin to sweeten. For anyone who has ever felt afraid to live and love, The Secret Garden's portrayal of reawakening spirits will thrill and rejuvenate. Frances Hodgson Burnett creates characters so strong and distinct, young readers continue to identify with them even 85 years after they were conceived. (Ages 9 to 12)
Whether you need to write summaries of newspaper articles for school or you want to try summarizing as a study skill, writing summaries typically increases your reading comprehension by helping you to synthesize and demonstrate your understanding of the article. A newspaper article summary briefly restates the author's central point, the article's purpose and any pertinent supporting information. Unless your instructor asks for a longer or a critical summary, meaning that you should critique the article as part of your summary, keep your summary short, typically between four and eight sentences, and objective.
Instructions
1
Read the newspaper article's title, subtitle and first paragraph to identify the author's main point. Underline or note the main point for future reference.
2
Skim through the newspaper article, reading the headings and subheadings, photograph captions, charts and graphs, insets and the final paragraph. This gives you an overview of the article's trajectory and will help you take better notes.
3
Read the whole article carefully, taking notes on its arguments, supporting details and conclusions. Often each section of an article or each paragraph, if it is short, will introduce a new piece of relevant information or further support a previous piece of information.
4
Organize your notes into an outline. Place the main idea first, in your own words, and then list supporting information in an intuitive order, such as chronologically from most to least important, or in sections that otherwise logically follow one another. If at all possible, refrain from using the author's words at all. If you must quote her, be sure to use quotation marks and note which page the quotation comes from.
5
Use the outline to craft your article summary. State the article's title, author and main point first, followed by the points listed in your outline. Do not simply make a list, however. Your summary should read with the ease of strong prose, using concrete nouns and verbs and clear sentences to tell the brief story of the article.
Product Description Fans of Bella Andre, Sylvia Day, Victoria Dahl, and Maya Banks will enjoy this steamy story of a second chance at love.
After years of catering to the whims of the rich and famous at one of the Caribbean's most luxurious resorts, there isn't much that can rattle Carla DeLuca. Until Sam OConnell shows up. Tall, dark, and sexy, Holley Cay's new security chief is no stranger. He's the irresistible bad boy who seduced her over a long, hot summer only to leave her heartbroken, humiliated, and determined to never again fall for a player like him. But though her heart still stings with the memory of his rejection, her body can't forget the all-consuming pleasure of his touch.
Sam never forgave himself for his too cruel rejection of Carla over a decade before. Young, reckless, and convinced it was only a matter of time Carla regretted hooking up with a trouble maker like him, Sam pushed Carla away before she could realize her mistake. But when Sam lands a job working for Carla in paradise, he seizes the chance to finally make things right.
When a hurricane strands them alone on the island, Carla is unable to resist the passion simmering between them. She doesn't fool herself that what they have will last past the storm. But little does she know, Sam will do whatever it takes to make her his forever this time.
Praise for Jami Alden's books:
Jami Alden always takes you on a wild ride! - New York Times best seller Catherine Coulter
The perfect balance of emotion and romance. -New York Times best seller Maya Banks
Hot and emotionally charged, Jami Alden always delivers. -New York Times best seller Shannon McKenna
A fantastic story that will keep you hot and bothered. -Romantic Times Book Reviews for Private Party
Alden can wring every emotion from her characters. -Romantic Times Book Reviews
Several assessment tools related to anxiety are available. While some are self-administered, all assessments must be distributed and scored by a professional. By examining what assessments are available, it will help you determine as a professional what tool to use, or as a consumer, what testing might be administered to you in a professional setting.
Structured Interview
While an interview is not a test, it is one of the most important tools when determining what might be troubling a client. A counselor or psychologist will ask a series of questions related to the symptoms of anxiety disorders (i.e., are you having difficulty falling and/or staying asleep; do you feel nervous without thinking about a specific, stressful event). These questions are designed to assess whether the client may have a specific disorder.
MMPI-2
The Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, 2nd Edition (MMPI-2) is a standardized test used to assess a person's whole personality based off of three different scales: validity, clinical and content. The MMPI-2 measures a number of psychological problems, anxiety being one of them.
The clinical scale measures anxiety through a section called "Psychasthenia." This part of the test looks at generalized anxiety and distress on a global scale, meaning a person who scores high in this area tends to be more nervous than the average person.
The content scale measures anxiety related to specific symptoms such as tension, sleep difficulties and difficulty concentrating.
The validity scale exists to ensure the results are as accurate as possible.
MCMI-III
The Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory, Third Edition (MCMI-III), is a test specifically designed to help a therapist form a diagnosis.
The MCMI-III is divided into five different sections. Anxiety is analyzed as part of the clinical syndrome scale. A score is converted into what is called a "base rate," which calculates the probability of the client fitting that diagnosis. For example, a base rate of 95 with anxiety indicates a strong likelihood that client is suffering from some type of anxiety disorder.
Beck Anxiety Inventory
Unlike the other assessment tools, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) assesses only anxiety-related symptoms.
The data is collected through a highly structured interview covering 21 common symptoms of anxiety. The person answering the questions is asked to rate how much he has been bothered by a symptom in the past week.
The score yielded is meant to help the therapist make an accurate diagnosis and continue assessing for anxiety-related problems.
Assessments for Children
There are specific assessments designed for use with children. Both the MMPI-2 and the MCMI-III have adolescent versions. The MMPI-Adolescent Version (MMPI-A) can be used on those 14 to 18, and the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI) can be given to those 13 to 19.
For younger children, receiving information from adults often works better. The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) has two age groups: 2 to 3 and 4 to 18. The CBCL, while originally meant to be completed by parents, can be done by other adults involved in a child's life such as a teacher.
The CBCL asks the person completing it to rate the child on 118 items and breaks down results into internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Anxiety falls under internalizing behavior, although externalizing issues such as bed-wetting could be related to anxiety.
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