Our Philosophy

At Cottonwood Press, we believe English should be everyone's favorite subject. When you order Cottonwood Press products, you receive:

Materials that work with real students. Teachers all over the country tell us how much their students enjoy the activities from our books.

Materials that keep learning in mind. We don't believe in mindless busywork. We do believe in materials that challenge students and help them tap into their natural creativity.

Materials that students find easy to understand. We work hard to provide clear explanations and directions. The clarity, however, comes from the writing--not from artificial formulas that dictate how many syllables are allowed per word or how many words are allowed per sentence. We believe in respecting students, and we believe that books should be written by people, not committees.

Materials that make life easier for teachers. Almost all of our books are reproducible, full of activities that are ready to photocopy and use tomorrow. They include clear instructions for teachers, helpful hints and tips, answer keys, and ideas for varying or adapting the activities for different situations.

 If you aren't familiar with Cottonwood Press products, we hope you will give us a try. We believe you will be glad you did.

About Us

Left to right (front row): Samantha Prust, Rochelle Dorsey, Sarah Stimely, Left to right (back row): Mary Gutting, Cheryl Thurston, Heather Madigan.

   One thing often forgotten in this era of testing, testing, testing is that in order to teach students, we must engage them. All the teaching in the world is useless unless we get students’ attention. A book that addresses every single state standard but bores everyone—including you—to tears isn’t going to do anyone any good.

   At Cottonwood Press, we often use an offbeat approach and a sense of humor to get students’ attention, especially when it comes to topics they perceive as boring. We challenge them to think and encourage them to tap into their natural creativity. We do address the basics—but with flair!

   Our books really help students learn. They also save you time and energy. You can grab an activity or lesson, photocopy it or put it on the overhead, and you’re set. (Yes, answers are included.) Most activities are quite adaptable for many different ages and classroom situations.

   If you aren’t already familiar with Cottonwood Press products, give us a try. If you are a returning customer, see what books you can add to your collection. Our small staff is always working on ideas that can make a big difference in your classroom!