Hi, I’m Kathy!
As the founder of Kindergarten Kiosk, I’m passionate about creating meaningful, engaging resources that support early learning. My goal is to make teaching easier and learning more joyful for young children.
About Me
I grew up in a tiny, I mean population of 178 tiny, Utah town on a dairy and turkey farm! This brought me endless opportunities to develop my creativity and imagination. Twenty-five years of my teaching career brought me to the beautiful state of Idaho, where I raised my Family. If I take a deep Breath right now, Memories of that clean fresh air fills my Brain with Endorphins! My Husband, a School Superintendent, and I have spent the end of our Careers enjoying the beautiful red rocks of Southern Utah and hidden jeeping trails. Now, we have settled in the desert of Nevada for a new adventure.
Spending 30 years in a kindergarten classroom and then 5 years as a Reading Specialist and Teacher Learning Specialist, has led me now to help Teachers be successful in their careers. With my Heartfelt Teacher Belief that young Children should be active participants in their own learning, and my experience with hands-on-games as the core of a thematically designed, child-centered Classroom, allows me help others be successful in the early childhood field!
My hope is to not only Empowered Students but to support Fellow Educators in achieving Success. My Passion for guiding Teachers to create vibrant and interactive learning spaces hopefully will inspire and elevate the next generation of early childhood educators.
I hold a B.A. in Child Development, B.A. in Early Childhood Education, a M.Ed. in Reading Instruction and Curriculum, and a Ed.D in Early Childhood Literacy. I am the co-author of eleven teacher resource books published by Teacher Created Materials, and seven guided readers published by Hameray Publishing. I have presented at several state kindergarten and other conferences, and I am a national presenter for NAYEC and SDE. I provide published assessments as a Friend of ESGI. I love helping teachers bring thematic teaching into their own classrooms!
Feel free to reach out to me personally at kindergartenkiosk@gmail.com. I love visiting with teachers, parents, and schools to work together to help kids learn in developmental ways.
About Kindergarten Kiosk
From a stack of binders to your one-stop resource for child-centered, teacher-friendly learning.
In the mid-90s, I started creating and collecting lesson plans designed to teach essential skills through developmentally appropriate practices that kept the whole child in mind.
I believe that children are naturally curious, naturally messy, naturally fun, naturally silly, naturally engaged, and naturally social. Therefore, I feel that the best learning occurs when we tap into these things and teach with the child in mind.
I started collecting these lessons in the largest binder I could find. Soon I needed another binder... and then another... and then another...
Soon my collaborator, Kathy Law, and I began publishing a book series. Then I launched a store on Teachers Pay Teachers and began work on a blog. Now Kindergarten Kiosk is up and running as a website, and we want to be your one stop for everything child-centered and teacher/parent friendly!
My Teaching Philosophy
Hands-On Learning
Children learn best through active participation and exploration. Every lesson is designed to engage multiple senses and encourage discovery.
Child-Centered Approach
Keeping the whole child in mind means respecting their natural curiosity, energy, and social nature in every learning experience.
Developmentally Appropriate
All activities are carefully crafted to match children's developmental stages, ensuring success and building confidence.
Skill-Building Focus
Each lesson targets essential skills while making learning fun, engaging, and meaningful for young learners.
Social Learning
Children thrive in social environments. Activities encourage collaboration, communication, and building relationships.
Joy in Learning
Learning should be fun! Embracing children's natural silliness and playfulness creates memorable educational experiences.
How I Teach
Learning Through Imagination
Using a child's imagination, and teaching in ways that are playful, can scaffold a child's cognitive development and help him or her learn at a higher level. Tapping into a child's natural inclination to play is in the forefront of every Kindergarten Kiosk lesson.
Learning Through Home-Family Connections
Learning occurs best when there is a strong home/school connection. Great things happen when you send home homework! But not the usual dull homework that parents and children both dread! Instead, Kindergarten Kiosk home monthly packets of games encourage families to spend time together: talking to, learning from, and interacting with each other. That is the kind of homework that can really make a difference!
Learning Through Engagement
Learning happens when children are engaged! Through teaching thematically and integrating the skills that children need to acquire with subject matter that piques their interest, a child can become fully immersed in their learning.
Learning Through Integration
Young children become excited about learning when teachers integrate hands-on experiences in science, technology, art, and engineering with traditional subjects. Therefore, STEAM activities should be an everyday occurrence for all young children.
My Background
I grew up on a farm in Utah, taught in Idaho and Utah, and now live in Nevada. My journey in education has been driven by a passion for early childhood development and literacy.
- B.A. in Child Development
- B.A. in Early Childhood Education
- M.Ed. in Reading
- Ed.D in Early Childhood Literacy
Published Works
11 Teacher Resource Books - Comprehensive guides for educators
7 Guided Readers - Engaging books for young learners