Kindergarten and the Common Core: It's as Easy as Abc!

How do we teach with rigor to our youngest learners? How do we implement standards that spell out quite clearly what students must know but do not give us the methods nor materials that help our students achieve such skills? This professional resource proves practical routines and developmentally appropriate activities that foster an environment where our youngest learners can thrive in mastering core kindergarten content along with the Common Core standards. The routines and activities in this book have been thoroughly classroom-tested and aligned with best practices.  The authors show you how to create a magical kindergarten environment that creates a community of confident learners full of excitement and enthusiasm!

Kathy Brown enjoys teaching our youngest learners in the wonderful world of kindergarten. Her passion for early literacy instruction was ignited in 1987 when she did her student teaching in Australia. Her action research entitled Ladders to Literacy was published in 1998 after she earned her master's degree from Aurora University. She is a Nationally Board Certified Teacher in the area of Early and Middle Childhood Literacy: Reading-Language Arts. She is the co-author of Kindergarten and the Common Core: It's as Easy as ABC!, which won Learning Magazine's 2015 Teachers' Choice Award for outstanding professional development resource. Kathy has been a kindergarten teacher for 28 years in West Aurora School District #129 and currently works at Fearn Elementary School. She was a nominee for the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching Award from WGN and the Disney's American Teacher Award. She has also been a presenter at the state, local, university, and international level for 11 years. She is passionate about sharing her love of teaching young children at early childhood conferences everywhere. Most recently, she presented at NAEYC in Dallas, the I Teach Conference in Las Vegas, the annual IASCD Pre-K to Kindergarten Conference, and the International Literacy Association Conference in St. Louis. Kathy lives in Aurora, Illinois, and looks forward to the time she spends with her husband Dave and their two daughters, Ashley and Becky.

Sarah Martino is a kindergarten teacher, author, conference presenter, and kindergarten intervention teacher. She is the co-author of Kindergarten and the Common Core: It s as Easy as ABC!, which won Learning Magazine's 2015 Teachers' Choice Award for outstanding professional development resource. She has also written teacher's guides for educational materials. Sarah has been a kindergarten teacher and intervention teacher for 15 years. Sarah received her Master s Degree in Literacy in 2004. She focused her action research on writing in kindergarten. Sarah currently works at Country Trails Elementary School in CUSD 301. She works with students and teachers at the school site to implement and improve literacy instruction. She was a nominee for the Golden Apple Foundation for Excellence in Teaching Award from WGN. In addition to her site-based job, Sarah has been presenting for the past 11 years at state, university, local, and international levels. Most recently, she presented at NAEYC in Dallas, the I Teach Conference in Las Vegas, the annual IASCD Pre-K to Kindergarten Conference, and the International Literacy Association Conference in St. Louis. Sarah lives in Elgin, Illinois, with her husband Mike, her step-daughter Alexis, and their two sons, Trevor and Owen.