Parents whose children attend first grade at William Penn Elementary School in Verona often ask for them to be placed in Karen L. Alcorn's classroom. Combining whole-group, small-group, cooperative-group and individual instruction, Miss Alcorn adapts her teaching to meet individual students' needs without compromising academic standards or behavioral expectations. She co-created a successful developmental writing program that she has demonstrated for other teachers at writing workshops, and established a "buddy program" between a kindergarten class and her first graders, supporting literacy among both groups. Miss Alcorn created and teaches an annual class for parents called "How to Help Your Child Read," outlining strategies implemented in her classroom, and has students demonstrate their math knowledge to parents through a Math Magic show. She has co-presented on alternative assessment and conducts ongoing independent research on writing development.
