Elizabeth Stevens

This book focuses on what school leaders need to know and understand about leadership for learning, and for learning to read in particular. It brings together theory, research and practice on leadership for literacy. The book reports on the findings from six studies that followed school principals from their involvement in a professional learning program consisting of five modules on leadership and the teaching of reading, to implementation action in their schools. It describes how they applied a range of strategies to create leadership partnerships with their teachers, pursuing eight related dimensions from a Leadership for Learning framework or blueprint. The early chapters of the book feature the use of practical tools as a focus for leadership activity. These chapters consider, for example, how principals and teachers can develop deeper understandings of their schools’ contexts; how professional discussions can be conducted with a process called ‘disciplined dialogue’; andhow principals might encourage approaches to shared leadership with their teachers. The overall findings presented in this book emphasise five positive positions on leadership for learning to read: the importance of an agreed moral purpose; sharing leadership for improvement; understanding what learning to read involves; implementing and evaluating reading interventions; and recognising the need for support for leaders’ learning on-the-job.

Leilani Granger can't stand the person Casper Drake has become, and Casper doesn't even recognise his best mate's little sister anymore. Loving each other is second-nature, but they don't know how not to hate each other either. But, after one night of a deeper connection than either of them were ready for, the lines between the emotional and the physical start to blur. Leilani wasn't the kind to lose herself in meaningless sex. Casper's been doing it for years. It's the only time hate doesn't get in the way. But, the trouble with hate is...it's often not hate at all. NB: This book is intended for older Young Adults readers, 17+. The characters are young adults, but the story contains swearing, references to potential triggering themes such as mental illness and suicide, and sexual content.

"Jesus loves me. This I know, for the Bible tells me so." For many of us, this sweet song brings back memories of childhood and church. It's simple and it's simply true. Abba Father's Lullaby is just that. It's the simple truth of our redemption told to a child in verse. The story of the Father's love for them that began "Even before He made the world" (Ephesians 1:4, NLT). Scripture says Father loved us and chose us in Christ and decided from the beginning to adopt us into His own family. "The pleasure and the fullness of the Father's heart" (Abba Father's Lullaby). Shortly before the birth of Elizabeth's last granddaughter, a dear friend suggested that she take this precious one in her arms and tenderly dedicate her to the Lord and then, whispering softly in the baby's ear, tell her the story of redemption. On September 8, 2013, Elizabeth did just that, but she got hopelessly lost in the details of our redemption. This was one story she wanted to get right but where to start? Then she remembered a teaching on God's love for us given by one of her professors at Charis Bible College. Professor Meintjes said, "Before the world began, you were His The Father's] plan and intension. You were always God's creation. The love of God is the key that opens everything." (August 3, 2013). Abba Father's Lullaby was born out of the desire for all children, big and small, to know that they are loved.

This book focuses on what school leaders need to know and understand about leadership for learning, and for learning to read in particular. It brings together theory, research and practice on leadership for literacy. The book reports on the findings from six studies that followed school principals from their involvement in a professional learning program consisting of five modules on leadership and the teaching of reading, to implementation action in their schools. It describes how they applied a range of strategies to create leadership partnerships with their teachers, pursuing eight related dimensions from a Leadership for Learning framework or blueprint. The early chapters of the book feature the use of practical tools as a focus for leadership activity. These chapters consider, for example, how principals and teachers can develop deeper understandings of their schools’ contexts; how professional discussions can be conducted with a process called ‘disciplined dialogue’; andhow principals might encourage approaches to shared leadership with their teachers. The overall findings presented in this book emphasise five positive positions on leadership for learning to read: the importance of an agreed moral purpose; sharing leadership for improvement; understanding what learning to read involves; implementing and evaluating reading interventions; and recognising the need for support for leaders’ learning on-the-job.