Calling all children’s book authors! Are you considering making an educator guide for your book? Keep reading to find out if it’s a good fit for you.
What are educator guides?
Educator guides are resources that help teachers adapt literary materials for classroom use. These guides are typically tailored for the class’s age group or grade level and are designed to meet current curriculum standards. Educator guides often include discussion questions, hands-on activities, and worksheets that teachers can print out and use.
Should I have an educator guide?
If you plan on reaching out to schools to schedule classroom visits, an educator guide would likely be a good fit for you. We all know that teachers have packed schedules, so the more time-saving resources you can provide for them, the better!
In addition to sending these materials directly to teachers and librarians, you’ll also want to incorporate them on your website.
Here are a few examples of educator guides on author websites:
- http://bridgethodder.com/classroom-materials/
- https://www.authorjelle.com/request-a-school-visit
- https://jacquelinewoodson.com/product/an-educators-guide-to-picture-books/
- https://www.laurashovan.com/resources-for-educators
What should I include?
There’s no set list of “must-haves” for your educator guide. In fact, the elements in your guide will vary depending on the age group of the students who will read your book, the genre of your book, and the topics your book covers.
Some elements you might consider including:
- A discussion guide with open-ended questions designed to spark classroom conversation.
- A timeline of key events in the book, or a historical timeline that shines a light on the setting of your book.
- A multiple choice quiz testing reading retention (how well students can remember what happened in the book).
- A matching game for students to pair vocabulary words from the book with their definitions.
- A character chart, perhaps connected to social-emotional learning. Students might be asked how characters relate to each other, how their actions influence other characters’ feelings, how feelings are expressed in the book, and so on.
- Hands-on activities related to your book, such as word searches, crafts, coloring pages, recipe cards, and more.
- Writing exercises that allow students to pick up the pen themselves. If your book utilizes a unique writing style (letters, poems, text messages, etc) this might be especially resonant.
- Multimedia material such as video links or downloadable resources.
- Interdisciplinary learning activities. Try connecting your book to science experiments, math problems, or world languages, if applicable.
- A list of recommended books for further reading. Teachers may assign students to look into other primary or secondary sources as part of larger research projects. Ambitious students who are simply excited to learn more can also use your list!
Remember to keep the age of your ideal audience in mind as you put this together.
Need more inspiration? Try researching comparable titles that match your genre and reader age range. Take a look at what those books have included in their educator guides, and adapt the elements to your guide where it makes sense. If you’re connected with a teacher already, you can ask them which resources they use most often in their classroom. Then, you can build your kit with their responses in mind!
Should I make the educator guide myself?
It’s possible that your publisher will have it in their plans to create an educator guide for you. If it isn’t part of their plans, you can DIY your own materials if you have the time to dedicate to it.
Understandably, some authors feel nervous building their own educator guide. I’ve heard authors say they don’t feel qualified to create something that would appeal to the specific needs of teachers.
If this sounds like you, another option is to hire professional help to ensure that your materials meet current curriculum requirements. Many former educators have small businesses dedicated to making quality classroom materials, such as Rm 228.
Educators Erica and Sharon founded Rm 228, and many authors and major publishers have given it their stamp of approval. They might be the perfect fit for you if you need an education/literacy specialist on your team!
How important is the design?
Your guide is (hopefully!) about to land on children’s desks for them to read through. It should be colorful and formatted in a way that is easy for students to read and engage with.
Instead of a black and white worksheet with large blocks of text, try to incorporate images and colorful design elements throughout. Use bullet points and frequent headers to break up text blocks.
You can use free resources like Canva to make your worksheets look colorful and professional.
Is it worth all the fuss?
In our humble opinion, yes! By partnering with educators in this way, you’ll reach more students. Sharing quality materials that meet teachers’ needs for their classroom will ensure they actually get kids reading, thinking and learning! For many children’s book authors, there’s nothing more rewarding than that.
Looking for tips on how to schedule school visits?
If your educator guide is in tip-top shape, the next step is to get it in the hands of teachers! If you need more guidance when it comes to scheduling school visits, check out our article here: https://booksforward.com/tips-for-scheduling-school-visits/
Write on!
Jackie Karneth is a publicist with Books Forward is an author publicity and book marketing firm committed to promoting voices from a diverse variety of communities. From book reviews and author events, to social media and digital marketing, we help authors find success and connect with readers.
Interested in what’s possible for your book sales and building readership? Check out our services, tell us your goals, and get a customized publicity campaign tailored just for you.
