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.— Brian D. Mendler, Dynamic Education Speaker, Author of National Best Selling Book ‘That One Kid’ and co-author of International best-seller ‘Discipline With Dignity’
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.
— Dave Schmittou, Author of ‘It’s Like Riding a Bike: How to Make Learning Last a Lifetime’ and ‘Brave Humility.’
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.
— Alice Aspinall, Math Educator, author of children’s book “Everyone Can Learn Math” and creator of Youtube Channel “MrsALovesMath”
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!
— Jonathon Wennstrom, elementary principal, Livonia Public Schools, MI
Don’t be fooled by the title of Educate the Heart. This is not a book that is based solely on emotion. Jennifer does a fantastic job of sharing practical and easy to understand methods for teaching children how to be successful in both school and in life. For teachers who care about their students beyond their abilities to just produce test scores.
— Doug Campbell, Author of Discipline Without Anger and Essential Tips for Classroom Success
Sure, technology has its place in the classroom. But with her fun and engaging, yet no-nonsense style, Jennifer Lee Quattrucci has provided elementary school teachers a treasure-trove of practical actionable activities that lure kids away from the soul-sucking, zombie-flying effects of being glued to their screens 24/7 and into more mindful, present learning. You will not only find yourself learning so much from this book, you will enjoy it as well!
— Dan Tricarico, Author of The Zen Teacher: Creating Focus, Simplicity, and Tranquility in the Classroom, @thezenteacher
Educate the Heart by Jennifer Lee Quattrucci is a wonderful resource for teachers. We live in a world saturated with screens, and she provides excellent ideas for breaking away from technology and learning in more wholesome and engaging ways. I especially love her ideas for fostering kindness and community and for using literature in all aspects of learning. This is a must have for teachers!
— Stefanie Hohl, creator of ABC, See, Hear, Do
Few educators are as imaginative, as compassionate, and as dedicated to student growth and well-being as the brilliant Jennifer Lee Quattrucci. This remarkable book unleashes students’ imaginations and uniquely combines many innovative educational practices in helping students and teachers.
— Scott T. Allison, Professor of Psychology & IRB Chair, Editor of Heroism Science, @HeroesToday, University of Richmond
Teachers rarely get the credit they deserve for shaping the hearts and minds of the young people that come through their classrooms. The countless hours they put into crafting lesson plans that balance curriculum with innovative, thought provoking and attention capturing content often goes unnoticed, let alone appreciated. Today’s educators have to compete with attention challenged students who have grown up with devices in their hands and are capable of absorbing information at a lightning pace. This means more and more pressure is put on teachers to keep learning both relevant and engaging at a level that aligns with how students experience things in today’s real world.
Jennifer Lee Quattrucci is a teacher that gets it. She understands the odds are stacked against her and yet year after year finds a way to make memorable connections with her students. She has managed to turn classroom success into the standard of helping students eclipse into higher levels of learning excellence. Jennifer’s innovative approach to developing critical learning skills for her kids while delivering the mandated requirements dictated to by the formalized criteria shows just how impactful creative teaching strategies must be if success is to be found in today’s classroom.
I am personally inspired by the approach Jennifer Lee Quattrucci has demonstrated in her classroom and could not be more excited that she is willing to open her secrets to classroom success up to teachers everywhere. This powerful book will no doubt make a huge impact on new teachers and those who have taught for years. This book will no doubt change the way teachers think about reinventing a child’s learning experience and developing a heartfelt approach to ensuring every student learns to love the process of learning. This book will no doubt create a Ripple Effect that can and will change the lives of the young people you are blessed to teach.
— Steve Harper, Entrepreneur, Speaker and Author of The Ripple Effect: Maximizing the Power of Relationships for Your Life and Business, @Rippleon
There is no shortage of theories, philosophies, activities, or mindsets for teaching written by non-classroom educators. In the era of education-reform, the notion of teachers and done unto them, rather than innovating collaboratively has been the norm. Jennifer Lee Quattrucci gives a platform and a guide for educators to reclaim the spark of discovery through inspiring anecdotes, experienced advice, and practical activities to engage, enlighten, and inspire elementary age children in a delightful and stylish way.
— Alex Lucini, Educator, Activist, Providence School Department
Jennifer’s book is not only amazing, but it is a must have for all Elementary School Teachers! It’s the students that will win when educators use this book to its fullest. Not only are there amazing and easy to implement lessons, but fantastic resources, quotes and “how-to’s” for every experience level of a teacher. Jennifer uses her own experiences, failures, successes and brilliance to this amazing work of HEART!
— Jeff Kubiak, Elementary School Principal, Speaker, and Author of One Drop of Kindness, @jeffreykubiak
The relationships we build with our students set the foundation for our impact. Jennifer Quattrucci does a wonderful job of providing a resource that offers step by step strategies that connect empathy, kindness, and community building with the power of learning. This book is jam packed with practical ideas that can be used in the classroom right away.
— Chuck Poole, Teacher, Founder of Teachonomy, Producer of the uNseries, @cpoole27
Jennifer Lee Quattrucci’s Educate the Heart: Screen-Free Activities for Grades PreK-6 to Inspire Authentic Learning is full of over 150 practical, creative, and just plain brilliant ideas that address all components of social emotional learning while emphasizing the importance of critical thinking skills, important academic topics, and the power of effective collaboration.
I am amazed at the way Jennifer has been able to put her 20-plus years of educating young children into such an informative, enjoyable resource that absolutely any educator, regardless of grade, subject, or level of expertise they may have, will benefit from and be able to use immediately. The ideas and all the content in this book magically join the great need for educating the heart with the goal of preparing students for future success in school, and more importantly, in life.
Topics such as flexile seating, homework, STEM challenges, mathematical discourse, collaborative art, literacy centers, author studies, classroom management, and even cooking in the classroom are presented with clear goals, expectations, practical good sense, and a whole lot of developmentally appropriate fun!
— Nathan Maynard, Dean of Culture at Purdue Polytechnic High School, author of Hacking School Discipline: 9 Ways to Create a Culture of Empathy & Responsibility Using Restorative Justice, co-founder of Behavior Flip
In Educate the Heart, Jennifer Quattrucci captures the true essence of what an authentic learning experience should be for a child. Loaded with turn key strategies, Educate the Heart serves as an instructional cookbook for authentic learning. Creativity, passion and purpose, this book is vital for any educator trying to develop the 21st century whole child learner.
— Don Epps, Royster Middle School Principal, #ChasingGreatness
Educate the Heart: Screen –Free Activities for Grades Pre-K-6 to Inspire Authentic Learning, by Jennifer Lee Quattrucci, is a must have! Because our world has become so technology driven, some educators may struggle with finding ways to keep students engaged without screens. In this book, Jennifer provides several, practical activities that teachers can implement tomorrow in their classrooms. Although student engagement is necessary, we can’t accomplish that goal without meeting the social and emotional needs of students. Jennifer addresses this topic and emphasizes its importance with her attention to kindness and community in the classroom. After reading this book, you will walk away encouraged and ignited, ready to make an impact in the lives of students.
— Jimmy Baker, Instructor- College of Education and Elementary Teacher