Nellie Edge Kindergarten

Nellie Edge is a kindergarten teacher-researcher, literacy coach, nationally recognized early literacy presenter, folk musician, and recording artist. While teaching in a bilingual kindergarten in Albuquerque, New Mexico, she discovered the power of developing language and literacy skills through traditional Spanish and English folk songs. Her desire to make learning to read a successful and joyful journey for all children led to the publication of her Nellie Edge Read and Sing Big Books™. Nellie Edge’s commitment to children and their teachers is evident in her beautiful, highly regarded Excellence in Kindergarten and Early Literacy website, Joyful Pathways blog, and professional resources.

Kindergarten is for Language! “It is the familiarity with the English language that allows a child to develop phonemic awareness, build comprehension, and extend vocabulary. And it is the familiarity with the English language that allows a child’s decoding to be error-free and their reading to be fluent. Oral language is THE vital foundation that allows us to reach rigorous Common Core Standards and develop ambitious, thoughtful readers and writers. We teach most powerfully when we celebrate language, involve parents, and honor childhood.”

A recipient of the IRA Reading Excellence through the Arts award, Nellie Edge is a proponent of using music, American Sign Language, and all of the arts to enhance early literacy skills. She was the founder of the Northwest Coalition for Excellence in Kindergarten Literacy and is a strong advocate for developing professional learning communities for teachers that inspire collaborative inquiry into best teaching practices.

BA from University of Washington Masters degree in Early Literacy from University of New Mexico Research project: Children's Play It has been my privilege to honor accomplished kindergarten teachers and literacy leaders with Excellence in Kindergarten and Early Literacy Awards for many years. Find these at https://nellieedge.com/literacy-awards/

On TpT, we make Nellie Edge Resources for kindergarten literacy more affordable and available to a wider audience. Nellie Edge Online Seminars (NEOS) complement and support many of these resources. To see these resources in action, see my website at https://nellieedge.com/ Find my blog at https://nellieedge.com/teacher-resource-weekly-focus/