If someone were to walk by my room, they’d be awfully surprised to know that the cacophonous whining they hear – “Can we pleeeeeeeeease just read today?” – comes from the reading specialist’s office. You know, the place kids go when they have “reading problems.” I’d wager that my room sees more begging for the act of reading than any other room in the school. Funny, isn’t it?
Here’s the thing: kids like to read. The love of story is hard-wired into us humans. We like movies that tell a good story, we remember people and events from history because we remember the story. We cheer for Tom Brady and get caught up in SuperBowl hoopla because it’s a good story.
But all too often, children who have a complicated relationship with the printed word are not given the management strategies needed to successfully work around their deficit. If they haven’t had the opportunity to enjoy a book, they will not know to seek it out independently. Thankfully, there are a few things we can do to turn it around. Read more.
Featured FETC presenter:
Erin O’Leary
Since joining Franklin Public Schools in 2010, Erin O’Leary has written and received two grants to create and maintain a digital library, collaboratively developed All In!TM, an extracurricular school-wide reading initiative along with Assistant Principal and fellow “Crazy Reading Lady” Mary Cotillo. All In is currently in its seventh iteration and has been implemented in schools in Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Florida. In 2017 they authored the YA version of Battle of the Books for Random House Publishing. Their energetic and engaging style make them sought-after presenters at local and international conferences. Erin received her B.S. in Elementary Education at Framingham State University and her M.S.Ed. in Language and Literacy from Simmons College.
Sessions
