Nellie Edge and a team of kindergarten teacher-researchers are offering a training, mentoring and support program for up to 20 new kindergarten teachers (1st, 2nd, or 3rd-year) who have a commitment to excellence and a passion for providing kindergartners with joyful research-based and evidence-based literacy practices. This cadre of beginning teachers will receive complimentary literacy resources and significant scholarships for our four accelerated literacy seminars foundation in Portland, Oregon:

• Celebrate Language and Accelerate Literacy: Higher Standards • Joyful Learning • Proven Strategies 
• Parents as Partners in Kindergarten Literacy:  Multiplying Our Teaching Effectiveness
• Writing to Read in Kindergarten: Explore the Power of “Kid Writing”  
• The Magic of Signing Songs: Enhancing All Children’s Language and Literacy 

In addition, the New Kindergarten Teacher Cadre will receive advance notice and partial scholarships for several “in kindergarten” Saturday workshops in exemplary kindergarten classrooms during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years.  Again we will honor our new Kindergarten cadre with special literacy gifts.  Other literacy training and coaching opportunities include:

• Complimentary small Saturday Best Practicesworkshops/dialog days in Nellie Edge's living room in Salem, Oregon.
• Kindergarten support group meetings from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. in Exemplary Kindergarten classrooms in Salem, Oregon.

Topics may include some of the following:

• Teaching Children to Draw and See Like an Artist: Simple Strategies to Build Confidence and Skill
• The First Week of School: Management and Organizational Strategies that Work!
• Powerful Multisensory ABC and Phonics Immersion Strategies with Parents as Partners
• Poetry in the Lives of Children: Building English Language Skills
• Positive Discipline: How We Talk to Children Matters
• Using Books That Sing and Rhyme: Build Phonemic Awareness to Accelerate Literacy
• Quality Literature Comes Alive: Comprehension Strategies Through Drama and Dialog
• Make Friends with Mother Goose: Creating a Love of Language
• How to Create Differentiated Literacy Centers: Building Independent Learners
• Memorable Rituals, Traditions and Celebrations:  Enhancing Learning and Building Community
• Exemplary “Kid Writing” classroom:  What do they look like?
• Music is Magic in Accelerating Literacy and Making CurriculumMemorable
• Creating Organized and Beautiful Environments for Learning

Teachers are not expected to attend every workshop session, however, we anticipate dialoguing with teachers who are eager to learn everything they can about excellence in kindergarten literacy and are able to make a commitment to their professional development during the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 school years.

If there is a new teacher you would like to recommend (including yourself) to be included in this cadre, please ask him or her to email us with a brief (no more than 1 page) paper on the form (word document) answering at least 3 of the following questions:

• What do you love about teaching kindergarten?
• What are your biggest teaching challenges and questions?
• What are your professional goals for the summer?
• What are your strengths as a teacher (i.e., music, dance, drama, art, storytelling, etc.)?
• What is one of your favorite professional books? Why?
• Briefly, what is your philosophy about how children learn?
• What do you remember from childhood about your own kindergarten days?
• How were you taught in the best of your memories?

This paper will not be evaluated for editorial excellence, but rather is meant to allow us to get to know the teacher’s philosophy and desire for growth.

We hope this cadre will inspire a small group of new kindergarten teachers to become thoughtful practitioners who honor childhood, celebrate language and accelerate literacy.
For further details about our teaching philosophy and literacy practices, see the following links:

Defining Excellence in Kindergarten and Early Literacy
The Smile Approach to Accelerated Literacy
My Philosophy: How Children Learn

For a look inside exemplary kindergarten classrooms and to view accelerated literacy strategies, see the links under the “Photo Essays” tab.

You are welcome to call us at 503-399-0040 or email info@nellieedge.com if you have any questions.

Creating Schools Worthy of Our Children