Main Focus

A strong believer in learning while having fun, Karen writes books that encourage kids to think.  Of her thirteen books in print, three of them are non-fiction, and all of them are designed to help children become thinkers.  As a public school teacher for ten years, one of her main goals was to bring children and books together.  In doing so her classroom theme was always one of "celebrating difference."  She earned a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction and is now an Assistant Professor at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas and an educational consultant with the National Children's Educational Reform Foundation.

Offerings

Karen introduces parents and teachers to good children's literature.  She addresses issues of diversity, and explains how to enrich literacy experiences by integrating reading, writing and thinking for children.  She contends that helping children experience good literature with themes that revolve around the "celebration of difference" is a powerful took to open the conversation with children and begin a dialogue that is both relevant and meaningful.  She refers to brain-based learning research along with issues involving the essence of caring and intrinsic motivation.

Published Works

Rigby Literacy 2000 books:
* Pathfinder: Mission to Mars
* Paper Crunch
*Moon Journal

Think-kids Club Books:
* Max and Me
* Who Can I Be
* Good Thinking
*Let's Find Out
* Hand Over Hand
*Yipes! Stripes!
* Patterns in My Head
*Can I Try
* The Club
* What I Do Best

Availability

Karen speaks to audiences in Oklahoma and Kansas.

Fee

Negotiable