Riverside Learning - Virtual Book Studies

Summer Book Studies | Earn 10 PDPs for Just $295

Make this summer count—on your schedule. Our Riverside Learning Summer Book Studies give you the flexibility to grow professionally while enjoying everything summer has to offer.

Read wherever you are—at home, on the beach, by the pool, or even after the fireworks. This is professional learning designed to fit your life. All you have to do is read the book, answer discussion questions for each chapter, and comment on your book study colleagues' discussion board posts to engage in meaningful collaborative conversations!

Choose from two engaging book study options—or take both to maximize your learning.

📚 Earn 10 PDPs
💻 Fully flexible, self-paced format
🌊 Learn anytime, anywhere
💡 Practical strategies to prepare for the upcoming school year

Cost: $295 per book study - Additional cost for book purchase

Invest in your growth now so you’re ready to lead with confidence in the fall.

MA DESE PDP Catetory

Meeting the Needs of Diverse Learners (Special Education Requirement)

As a must-have reference for busy teachers with little special education training, this book supplies classroom-tested instructional strategies that address the characteristics of and challenges faced by students with special needs. Dozens of differentiated strategies target teachers' anxieties and provide responsive interventions that can be used to address specifics of IEPs and learning plans.

With Building on the Strengths of Students with Special Needs, special education expert Toby Karten focuses on specific disabilities and inclusive curriculum scenarios for learners in K–12 environments. She offers valuable advice on how to prevent labels from capping student potential and encouragement to help teachers continually improve learner outcomes.

By highlighting more than a dozen disability labels, this resource walks teachers through the process of reinforcing, motivating, scaffolding, and planning for instruction that targets learners of all ability levels. Included are details relevant to each disability:

Possible Causes
Characteristics and Strengths
Classroom Implications
Inclusion Strategies

Typical instruction needs to match the diversity of atypical learners without viewing any disability as a barrier that impedes student achievement. Teachers must not only learn how to differentiate their approach and target specific student strengths but also maintain a positive attitude and belief that all students are capable of achieving self-efficacy.

MA DESE PDP Cateory

Sheltered English Immersion (SEI Requirement)

Nearly three-quarters of public schools in the United States enroll English language learners (ELLs). That means teachers at all grade levels need to know how to help these students achieve full academic English language proficiency.

In Dispelling Misconceptions About English Language Learners, Barbara Gottschalk dispels 10 common misconceptions about ELLs and gives teachers the information they need to help their ELLs succeed in the classroom.

From her perspective as a teacher of English as a second language, Gottschalk answers several key questions:

Just who is an English language learner?
Why is it important to support home language maintenance and promote family engagement?
What are the foundational principles for instruction that help educators teach ELLs across the content areas?
How can teachers recognize and incorporate the background knowledge and experiences ELLs bring to class?
Why is it important to maintain high standards and expectations for all students, including ELLs?
How can a teacher tell when an ELL needs special education versus special teaching?

By answering these questions, and more, Gottschalk gives teachers a crystal-clear understanding of how to reach ELLs at each stage of English language acquisition. Her expert guidance reinforces for teachers what they are already doing right and helps them understand what they might need to be doing differently.

Summer Book Study Discussion Boards go LIVE on Monday, July 6 and close Friday, August 7.

Questions? Email us at info@riversidelearning.net

I-A. Curriculum and Planning

Differentiated instructional planning
Inclusive curriculum design
Scaffolded instruction
Strengths-based instructional approaches
Planning for diverse learner needs

I-B. Assessment

Responsive interventions
Monitoring student learning needs
Instructional adjustment based on learner profiles
Alignment to IEPs and learning plans

I-C. Analysis

Understanding learner characteristics
Analyzing barriers to learning

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