Dear Colleagues,

"The great thing in this world is not so much where we stand, as in what direction we are moving." Oliver Wendell Holmes

The Common Core Standards, new accountability measures, and new standardized tests have us all trying to imagine what the next generation of reading and writing instruction should look like. Literacy is going through a period of reinvention and sustaining it requires collaboration, which is why I began working with Jan Burkins at burkinsandyaris.com almost a year and half ago. 

Jan and I have recently completed a 142 page document to support teachers in their efforts to align instruction to the Common Core State Standards. The Common Core Toolkit takes each of the 36 Standards for English Language Arts and gives them a memorable nickname that synthesizes the overarching goal of the standard.  In addition, each standard is illustrated with a metaphoric image meant to offer further insight into the goal of the standards. The toolkit includes illustrated grade-level standards for K-6 ELA, a tool for deeply aligning lessons and curricula, a Periodic Table of the Common Core, posters for each of the standards, articles to support your thinking and understanding of the Common Core Standards, and forms for anecdotal record keeping.

Because Jan and I are committed to getting this into teacher's hands by the beginning of the school year, we are offering The Common Core Toolkit for sale as a downloadable PDF until August 10th. We have received tremendously positive feedback from educators who are using this resource and think it will help you, too!

Until then, be well!

Warmly,

Kim