Author Vicki Adams is preparing to give Vicksburgers a lesson about Common Core state standards.

The library patron and Vicksburg resident will host an author program on her books, “Blends to Win Reading Program-Basic: Phonics Based Fluency Building” and “Blends to Win Advanced: Advance Phonics Reading Program for Upper Grades” in the Warren County Public Library Auditorium on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to discuss the teaching method.

The Common Core initiative is a state-led effort that establishes a single set of clear educational standards for kindergarten through 12 grades in English language arts and mathematics that states voluntarily adopt. The standards, proposed by the National Governor’s Association and state-level

education chiefs in the 1990s, are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to enter credit-bearing entry courses in two-year or four-year college programs or enter the workforce.

The standards ensure that parents, teachers, and students have a clear understanding of the expectations in reading, writing, speaking and listening, language and mathematics in school, and they put students on a level playing field regardless of their ZIP code.

Adams has been a special education teacher with the Vicksburg Warren School District since December. So far, she has initiated and prepared IEP’s for students with disabilities ranging from educable mentally handicapped to specific learning disabilities.

Adams said that she wrote the books to help the parents work with their children in an effective way.

“According to Mississippi law, children who cannot read by the third grade will not be passed on to the next grade,” said Adams. “These books were written to provide and show parents an easy way to work with their children on reading.”

Adams encourages parents and their children to attend the program so that they can be informed on this matter.

“I will show them how to use their purchased books to teach their children phonics skills,” said Adams.