from the teaching files of
Barbara Jean Hicks
It's the end of September. School is in full swing. It seems a good time to talk about school visits--something every children's author should think about doing. It's good for your books, it's good for you, it's good for the kids--and it's fun!
Authors who understand and address state educational standards in their presentations and workshops are a step ahead in the school visit game. Administrators and teachers are under pressure to justify everything they do based on the standards. Addressing state academic standards in your programs not only enhances your professionalism, it warms the cockles of an educator’s heart!
- Students use pictures and context to make predictions about story content.
- Students understand and explain the figurative and metaphorical use of words in context.
- Students determine what characters are like by what they say or do and by how the author or illustrator portrays them.
- Students use knowledge of the situation, setting and a character’s traits and motivations to determine the causes for that character’s actions.
- Students identify the main problem or conflict of the plot and explain how it is resolved.
- Students describe the roles of authors and illustrators and their contributions to print materials.
TO THINK ABOUT:
1) What are your state’s educational standards for reading and comprehension? Every state’s Education Department sets its own standards for each grade level and each discipline. Find the standards specific to your state by googling “(your state) academic standards” or “(your state) educational standards.”
2) How can you address your state’s reading standards in your school visit workshops and presentations? You should find these under English/Language Arts. For each of your published children’s books and/or works in progress, find at least one state reading standard around which you could develop a workshop, presentation or exercise.
3) For those of you experienced as visiting authors in schools, what are some specific ways you've addressed reading standards in your presentations? Please share with us!
Good advice, Wanda. I like the idea of posting the standards related to your book on your website. The fact that you're a docent for a location to which teachers bring kids on field trips spurred another idea: authors might partner with organizations that host field trips by sending educational materials related to their book to classrooms the week before field trips are scheduled. Has anyone tried this?
Posted by: Barbara Jean | October 01, 2011 at 05:25 PM
Because of budget problems, CA is not now reviewing books as supplemental reading material. Despite this, on my website I put a parent/teacher page to guide them about what standards are fulfilled by my historical novel, Spurs for Jose. As a docent for Dana Adobe, I see how kids get much more out of our school program when teachers prepare them before they come on a field trip.
Posted by: Wanda Snow Porter | September 30, 2011 at 04:51 PM
Great idea, Alexis. Teachers and librarians are an author's best friends. They can give us insight into what kids most enjoy reading as well as what they are learning at different grade levels, which can help us focus our writing. They also have first-hand experience with what kids just don't seems to "get" when it comes to reading, which can help us focus our presentations. I like it!
Posted by: Barbara Jean | September 30, 2011 at 02:28 PM
Barbara Jean - This is such an important topic! Thanks for bringing it up. In order to be relevant, authors do need to be aware of educational standards as they build their assembly and workshop programs. What I would recommend is that they focus on standards that teachers might be having a harder time with or ones that they especially need help in reinforcing with their students. Authors should make friends with some local "insiders" (teachers) and make a list of the "hot" standards that authors would be particularly good in addressing.
Best - ALEXIS
www.SchoolVisitExperts.com
Posted by: Alexis O'Neill | September 30, 2011 at 02:08 PM
Hi Tina,
Congratulations, I think you’re a Versatile Blogger.
I'd like you to know that I've learned a lot from reading your blog and I appreciate your writing.
Sincerely,
Janet Squires @ http://janetsquires.blogspot.com/
Posted by: Janet Squires | September 30, 2011 at 09:20 AM