The Common Core and Children's Authors

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.