Tamra Stambaugh

The Affective Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program uses a models approach to scaffold student learning and promote inquiry-based discussions of texts. This series of Jacob's Ladder focuses specifically on supporting advanced students' social-emotional needs through the discussion of reading selections in the following genres: short stories and media, poetry, and biographies. Each set of student workbooks includes 5 student booklets, divided by grade level and area of emphasis. Corresponding to the activities in Affective Jacob's Ladder, Grades 4-5, students read high-interest passages, then complete skill ladders connected to the picture book, short story, and media readings and activities to move them from lower to higher level skills of self-awareness, metacognition, and goal setting. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for success and integrate reading comprehension and analysis skills with affective and social-emotional needs, as students are asked to apply themes, character or real-life experiences, and lessons from texts to their own lives. Grades 4-5

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grades 7-8 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 7-8 (2nd ed.). Each set of student workbooks includes 5 student booklets, divided by grade level and area of emphasis (short stories, poetry, biographies). Corresponding to the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 7-8 (2nd ed.), students read high-interest passages, then complete skill ladders connected to the readings to move them from concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for academic success, covering language arts standards, such as sequencing, determining cause and effect, classifying, inferencing, and recognizing main ideas. Grades 7-8

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grades 6-7 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 6-7(2nd ed.). Each set of student workbooks includes 5 student booklets, divided by grade level and area of emphasis (short stories, poetry, biographies). Corresponding to the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 6-7 (2nd ed.), students read high-interest passages, then complete skill ladders connected to the short story readings to move them from concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for academic success, covering language arts standards, such as sequencing, determining cause and effect, classifying, inferencing, and recognizing main ideas. Grades 6-7

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grades 6-7 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 6-7 (2nd ed.). Each set of student workbooks includes 5 student booklets, divided by grade level and area of emphasis (short stories, poetry, biographies). Corresponding to the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 6-7 (2nd ed.), students read high-interest passages, then complete skill ladders connected to the readings to move them from concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for academic success, covering language arts standards, such as sequencing, determining cause and effect, classifying, inferencing, and recognizing main ideas. Grades 6-7

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grades K-1 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades K-1 (2nd ed.). Each set of student workbooks includes 5 student booklets, divided by grade level and area of emphasis (short stories, poetry). Corresponding to the instructions and activities outlined in the teacher's guide Jacob's Ladder, Grades K-1 (2nd ed.), students read high-interest passages, then complete skill ladders connected to the poetry readings to move them from concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for academic success, covering language arts standards, such as sequencing, determining cause and effect, classifying, inferencing, and recognizing main ideas. Grades K-1

The Affective Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program uses a models approach to scaffold student learning and promote inquiry-based discussions of texts. This series of Jacob’s Ladder focuses specifically on supporting advanced students’ social-emotional needs through the discussion of reading selections in the following genres: short stories and media, poetry, and speeches, essays, and biographies. Each complete set includes the teacher's guide and 5 copies of each companion student workbook.

The Affective Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program uses a models approach to scaffold student learning and promote inquiry-based discussions of texts. This series of Jacob’s Ladder focuses specifically on supporting advanced students’ social-emotional needs through the discussion of reading selections in the following genres: short stories and media, poetry, and speeches, essays, and biographies. Each complete set includes the teacher's guide and 5 copies of each companion student workbook.

The Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program:Targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners. Moves students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts. Uses a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Enables students in grades K–8 to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities. Features optional student workbooks for each book and grade level. The second edition of the program features comprehensive teacher's guides and new readings and ladders for student use. Each complete set includes the teacher's guide and 5 copies of each companion student workbook.

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program: Nonfiction targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grade 4 will be able to comprehend and analyze any nonfiction reading passage after completing the activities in this book. This complete set includes the Jacob's Ladder Nonfiction, Grade 4 teacher's guide and 5 copies of each companion student workbook.

Transformations in Stories and Arguments explores essential questions, such as "How does the development of a character build the reader's understanding? How do the actions of others change the world? How do words and images impact our thinking?" This unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth, is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and features accelerated content, creative products, differentiated tasks, engaging activities, and the use of in-depth analysis models to develop sophisticated skills in the language arts. Through the lens of transformation, students will examine narrative and persuasive elements essential to the analysis of short stories, advertisements, visual art, scientific argumentation, and their own writing. Students will discover transformations in themselves and their written work as they craft and revise narrative and persuasive pieces, realizing their own voice in the process. Ideal for gifted classrooms or gifted pull-out groups, the unit features stories by Dan Santat, Fiona Roberton, Jannell Cannon, Christopher Myers, Maurice Sendak, Daniel Manus Pinkwater, Jane Yolen, and Patricia Polacco; poetry by Carl Sandburg; sculptures by Arturo Di Modica and Kristen Visbal; a viewing of Pixar's short film Lou and a variety of commercials; and engaging short nonfiction readings. Winner of the 2015 NAGC Curriculum Studies AwardGrades 2-4

Encounters With Archetypes integrates the study of archetypes with the concept of encounters. This unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth, is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and features accelerated content, creative products, differentiated tasks, engaging activities, and the use of in-depth analysis models to develop sophisticated skills in the language arts. Through the lens of encounter, students will examine the patterns, symbols, and motifs associated with common archetypes by analyzing fictional and informational texts, speeches, and visual media. Students will follow various archetype encounters with conflicts and challenges to explore questions such as “How do archetypes reflect the human experience?” and “How do archetypes reveal human strengths and weaknesses?" Ideal for gifted classrooms or gifted pull-out groups, the unit features texts from Sandra Cisneros, Louis Untermeyer, Rudyard Kipling, Emily Dickinson, and Maya Angelou; biographies of Oprah Winfrey, Mother Teresa, Jackie Robinson, Sally Ride, and Lin-Manuel Miranda; a speech from President Ronald Reagan; a novel study featuring Wonder by R. J. Palacio and/or Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan; and art from Pieter Bruegel. Grades 4-5

The Affective Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program uses a models approach to scaffold student learning and promote inquiry-based discussions of texts. This series of Jacob's Ladder:Focuses specifically on supporting advanced students' social-emotional needs. Includes high-interest reading selections in the following genres: short stories and media, poetry, and biographies. Moves students from lower to higher level skills of self-awareness, metacognition, and goal setting. Integrates reading comprehension and analysis skills with affective and social-emotional needs. Asks students to apply themes, character or real-life experiences, and lessons from texts to their own lives. New ladders were specially designed for this series and derived from relevant theories about empathy, risk and resilience, achievement motivation, and mindsets and practices for cultivating talent. The Affective Jacob's Ladder guides provide teachers with an explanation of the nature and substance of the theoretical constructs for each ladder. Also included are an overview of the goals and objectives of each ladder and suggestions for how to implement the ladders in the classroom in a way that supports students' academic and social-emotional needs at the same time. Optional Student Workbook PacksIn addition to this teacher's guide, companion student workbooks are available for Short Stories and Media, Poetry and Song Lyrics, and Biographies, Essays, and Speeches. The student workbooks feature ample room for student responses and notes, make reviewing and providing feedback on student work easier than ever, provide students with an easy-to-use reference to use during discussions, and save time, as there is no need to reproduce student handouts.

The Affective Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program uses a models approach to scaffold student learning and promote inquiry-based discussions of texts. This series of Jacob's Ladder:Focuses specifically on supporting advanced students' social-emotional needs. Includes high-interest reading selections in the following genres: short stories and media, poetry, and biographies. Moves students from lower to higher level skills of self-awareness, metacognition, and goal setting. Integrates reading comprehension and analysis skills with affective and social-emotional needs. Asks students to apply themes, character or real-life experiences, and lessons from texts to their own lives. New ladders were specially designed for this series and derived from relevant theories about empathy, risk and resilience, achievement motivation, and mindsets and practices for cultivating talent. The Affective Jacob's Ladder guides provide teachers with an explanation of the nature and substance of the theoretical constructs for each ladder. Also included are an overview of the goals and objectives of each ladder and suggestions for how to implement the ladders in the classroom in a way that supports students' academic and social-emotional needs at the same time. Optional Student Workbook PacksIn addition to this teacher's guide, companion student workbooks are available for Short Stories and Media, Poetry, and Biographies, Essays and Speeches. The student workbooks feature ample room for student responses and notes, make reviewing and providing feedback on student work easier than ever, provide students with an easy-to-use reference to use during discussions, and save time, as there is no need to reproduce student handouts.

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grades 1-2 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 1-2 (2nd ed.). Geared for students in grades 1-2, this book, a revision of the Primary Level 2 book, includes stories and ladder tasks carefully selected for young children to develop oral communication and listening skills in addition to the other ladder goals. This book provides stories focused on picture analysis, read alouds, classics, and original works. Optional Student Workbook PacksIn addition to this teacher's guide, companion student workbooks are available for Poetry and Picture Books and Short Stories (Parts 1 and 2). The student workbooks feature ample room for student responses and notes, make reviewing and providing feedback on student work easier than ever, provide students with an easy-to-use reference to use during discussions, and save time, as there is no need to reproduce student handouts. Grades 1-2

Winner of the 2015 NAGC Curriculum Studies AwardInteractions in Ecology and Literature integrates ecology with the concept of interactions and the reading of fictional and informational texts. This unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth, is aligned to the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Next Generation Science Standards. Students will research questions such as "Should animals be kept in zoos?" and "Should humans intervene to control overpopulation of species?" They will examine relationships among living things and the environment as well as relationships between literary elements in texts through accelerated content, engaging activities, and differentiated tasks. Ideal for gifted classrooms or gifted pull-out groups, the unit features fictional texts from Lynne Cherry, Katherine Applegate, and Jacqueline Woodson; art from Mark Rothko and Georges Seurat; informational texts about deforestation and a variety of animals; biographies about Michael Jordan, J. K. Rowling, and Walt Disney; and videos about food chains, food webs, and more. Grades 2-3

Winner of the 2017 NAGC Curriculum Studies AwardSpace, Structure, and Story integrates Earth and space science with science fiction and nonfiction texts, poetry, and art. This unit, developed by Vanderbilt University's Programs for Talented Youth, is aligned to the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards. Students explore advanced science and ELA content through the lens of structure—its parts, purpose, and function. Mobius strips, the hero's journey, dystopian fiction, black holes, Einstein's relativity, stars, and moons are just a few of the captivating in-depth topics explored through accelerated content, engaging activities, and differentiated tasks. Ideal for gifted classrooms or gifted pull-out groups, the unit features poetry from Carl Sandburg, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and C. S. Lewis; art from M. C. Escher, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Salvador Dali; a novel study featuring A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle; short stories from Isaac Asimov and Ray Bradbury; speeches from President John F. Kennedy and President Barack Obama; and informational texts about gravity, orbits, and black holes. Grades 4-6

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grades K-1 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades K-1 (2nd ed.). Geared for students in grades K-1, this book, a revision of the Primary Level 1 book, includes stories and ladder tasks carefully selected for young children to develop oral communication and listening skills in addition to the other ladder goals. This book provides stories focused on picture analysis, read alouds, classics, and original works. Optional Student Workbook PacksIn addition to this teacher's guide, companion student workbooks are available for Grades K-1

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grades 7-8 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 7-8 (2nd ed., previously published as Level 5). Using skill ladders connected to short stories, poetry, essays, and nonfiction, students move from lower order, concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for academic success, covering language arts standards such as sequencing, determining cause and effect, classifying, making inferences, and recognizing main ideas, themes, and concepts. The second edition of the book builds off the previous Level 5 edition, including new readings and ladders for student use. This book provides teachers with an explanation of the nature of supplementary tasks that scaffold reading comprehension. Also included is an overview of the goals and objectives of the Jacob's Ladder tasks and suggestions for implementation, giving every teacher the tools needed to promote successful reading comprehension. Optional Student Workbook PacksIn addition to this teacher's guide, companion student workbooks are available for Poetry, Short Stories, and Biographies. The student workbooks feature ample room for student responses and notes, make reviewing and providing feedback on student work easier than ever, provide students with an easy-to-use reference to use during discussions, and save time, as there is no need to reproduce student handouts. Grades 7-8

The Jacob's Ladder Reading Comprehension Program targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners by moving students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts, using a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Students in grades 6-7 will learn to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities in Jacob's Ladder, Grades 6-7 (2nd ed., previously published as Level 4). Using skill ladders connected to short stories, poetry, essays, and nonfiction, students move from lower order, concrete thinking skills to higher order, critical thinking skills. The ladders include multiple skills necessary for academic success, covering language arts standards such as sequencing, determining cause and effect, classifying, making inferences, and recognizing main ideas, themes, and concepts. The second edition of the book builds off the previous Level 4 edition, including new readings and ladders for student use. This book provides teachers with an explanation of the nature of supplementary tasks that scaffold reading comprehension. Also included is an overview of the goals and objectives of the Jacob's Ladder tasks and suggestions for implementation, giving every teacher the tools needed to promote successful reading comprehension. Optional Student Workbook PacksIn addition to this teacher's guide, companion student workbooks are available for Poetry, Short Stories, and Biographies. The student workbooks feature ample room for student responses and notes, make reviewing and providing feedback on student work easier than ever, provide students with an easy-to-use reference to use during discussions, and save time, as there is no need to reproduce student handouts. Grades 6-7

The Jacob’s Ladder Reading Comprehension Program:Targets reading comprehension skills in high-ability learners. Moves students through an inquiry process from basic understanding to critical analyses of texts. Uses a field-tested method developed by the Center for Gifted Education at William & Mary. Enables students in grades K–8 to comprehend and analyze any reading passage after completing the activities. Features optional student workbooks for each book and grade level. The second edition of the program features comprehensive teacher's guides and new readings and ladders for student use. Each complete set includes the teacher's guide and 5 copies of each companion student workbook.