“There’s no such thing as a kid who hates reading”, according to writer James Patterson – but is he right?
Macmillan Education Caribbean believes that a love of reading can be nurtured in every child, and is on a mission to support educators across the world as they develop reading passion and skills in young learners. A strong foundation in reading brings a wide range of benefits, including a broad vocabulary, improved speaking, listening and writing, and even exam success. As reading is one of the most important skills that children learn in schools, Macmillan Education Caribbean are on a mission to highlight the importance of bringing reading to life in the classroom, by engaging students’ emotion and curiosity. In May, they hope to do this in a series of webinars called “Raising a Reader”, which is open for everyone to attend.
Over four consecutive days of dedicated webinar sessions with literacy expert Charlotte Rance, the Raising a Reader week will help attendees develop a variety of strategies and methods for engaging pupils in reading. These webinars will cover a range of topics, giving teachers and parents alike the tools to create confident young readers who can communicate well and critically interact with the world around them, using books as a stepping stone.
The Raising a Reader week of webinars will begin on Monday 16 May, with daily, hour-long sessions running until Thursday 19 May. Over the course of these four webinars, attendees can expect lively discussions around reading and its place in the classroom, specialist support from teacher trainer Charlotte Rance, and dedicated time for questions and answers. These sessions will be packed full of practical advice that educators can take back to their classrooms or even home. Each attendee will receive certificates of participation for each session attended – along with a named certificate for anyone who attends all four sessions, recognising that you have dedicated four hours to support your children to learn to love reading. Those who attend the full week of webinars will also receive an interactive digital resource, which they can use in their classrooms.
In the classroom, a great book can open the door to new ideas, help learners make connections between the things they’ve learned in other subjects, and inspire and motivate them to learn and explore for themselves. With classroom time being limited, this series of webinars is a great way for teachers to gain inspiration, information and practical methods for enriching their students’ learning.
During the webinars Charlotte will be using Talk About Texts, a series of fiction and non-fiction titles that integrates the teaching of reading, vocabulary and oral language skills into one rich and effective program with digital and print resources designed to save preparation time and deliver effective results.
Expert Charlotte Rance recently delivered the incredibly successful week of Snappy Sounds webinars alongside phonics expert Gill Budgell. She is a teacher trainer, author and consultant based in the UK, and has worked in education for almost two decades. An avid reader herself, she is especially interested in developing language skills through reading and increasing classroom engagement.
Charlotte said that “Helping children develop a life-long love of reading is truly important to me, and a topic I’m really excited to explore with you through these webinars.”