With the adoption and transition to the common core standards, teachers across
the country are going to be looking for new ways to cover these more detailed
student learning objectives. This is an opportune time for authors to get their
books in teachers' hands, which equates to greater sales, more opportunities for
speaking engagements, and longevity. Having a curriculum guide that accompanies
your book sweetens the deal for most teachers.
What is a
curriculum guide? A solid curriculum guide includes all the necessary
components for teaching a novel in an engaging way, while still reflecting the
Common Core Standards. The most useful guides are those that are explicitly
tied to the standards; pull out key, grade-appropriate vocabulary; offer a wide
assortment of engaging activities for students to be involved in; contain
thoughtful and spiraled discussion questions; and have at least one writing
prompt. What's most helpful to a teacher--who is juggling so much already--is
to give them handouts and activities they can plug directly into their
curriculum.
Why is it important for an author? Teachers love
teaching new novels, but any new work requires hours of preparation on the part
of the teacher. A teacher has to divide up the reading of the chapters, create
engaging chapter questions, uncover examples of various literary techniques, and
develop at least one in depth, holistic assignment with a solid assessment.
All of this work needs to reflect the standards (in most cases the Common Core
Standards) and fit into a certain time period. Needless to say, teachers simply
don't have the time to teach new novels too often.
How do I create
one for my book? Starting in January 2013, Nicole and Erin will be doing a blog series where they will talk about the importance of the
CCSS, and the basics of curriculum guides. You can check out some of their
samples and model your guide after theirs. Or you can contact them and let them
help you out.
