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| Photo by Natalie |
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Over the course of each year I visit a lot of schools, libraries, and bookstores. I also attend regional and national literacy conferences. All of my presentations are filled with elements of storytelling, puppetry, music, and artifacts from my publishing experience. My intent is both to entertain and to inform audiences, using my writing and publishing experiences as the focus.
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Storytelling for Younger Students
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Most of my school programs involve offering 45-minute multi-grade level presentations. Author programs for children in grades pre-K through 2nd grade are different from those for children grades 3-5 and beyond. With younger children I am much more animated in my storytelling and guide students through my writing experiences more sequentially. I also invite younger students to participate in the story writing and storytelling experience.
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Writing Process for Older Students
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With older students I talk more extensively--and seriously--about the writing process, using the language of 6+1 trait writing, i.e., idea development, organization, word choice, etc. These are concepts that writing instructors and classroom teachers are using across the country to talk about good writing. In these assemblies, I'm more conversational in tone, hoping to engage students more at their own level. I encourage students to ask questions relevant to their writing interests and experiences.
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I also offer Family Reading Programs for schools and libraries. Sometimes I do this in conjunction with a series of programs offered during the school day, or independently as a kick-off to a school or library book sale or literacy program. In this setting, I draw strongly upon my performance arts background and deliver an upbeat, action-packed presentation filled with music, storytelling, and lots of humor.
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Programs for Parents and Educators
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Over the last few years I've developed several dynamic powerpoint presentations. Whereas the first one--My Life as a Writer--I've used successfully with 4-6 grade students, the remaining ones are intended for teacher and/or parent groups.
My Life as a Writer. This
presentation takes a look at my writing
life from early childhood to the present. Of particular
importance is the emphasis I give to several childhood experiences that
shaped me as a person and as a writer, including my ongoing interest in writing
multicultural children's books.
Bringing Books to Life. This presentation explores how I read, tell, and act out a variety of picture books for young students. I present more than a dozen books and talk about how I use them in a story reading and story telling setting. A fuller description of these books and my adaptive storytelling techniques can be found on my blog at nikolabooks.blogspot.com
How We Are Smart. This presentation looks at the development of my popular book How We Are Smart (based on the notion of multiple intelligences), tracing its genesis from the early phases of idea development to its final release (and several award nominations).
My Books in Your Classroom. This presentation draws on years of documenting how teachers around the country have used my books in their classroom. You'll find many practical ideas to apply to any author study in this presentation.
Six Traits and Me. This presentation draws on Ruth Culham's 6+1 Trait writing model to explore the technical issues of writing, including idea development, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, etc. Excellent for teachers using 6+1 Trait writing in their classroom.
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Yes, and now you can Skype me. This is a great way to bring me into your classroom where I can answer students' questions, show them my published works, and give them a virtual tour of my home office. They can even meet my cat if she's around. I offer both 30-minute and 45-minute options (for rates, please see below). This is not only a more affordable way to have me visit your students, it is also a more convenient way to do so, fitting my "visit" right into the heart of your reading or writing workshop time.
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