Author Visit Benefits: A Superintendent Weighs-In

           

In a survey I conducted of over 600 teachers, librarians, administrators , and parents who have hosted author visits, one of the objections to having author assemblies at a school was “time taken away from classroom instruction” (26%).

Time taken away”??

Frankly, as a former elementary school teacher, this rendered me speechless. But luckily, the superintendent of North Tama, Iowa, David Hill, was able to articulate, in an article for the Traer Star-Clipper, what he had experienced to be the tremendous benefits of schools hosting authors. “Why do we at North Tama take time from our regular learning experiences for the craziness of an author visit? Could our time and resources be used in a more productive way?” he wrote.  And he answered by saying, author visits are “an INVESTMENT in our students’ futures for many reasons.”

Here are the main author visit benefits Superintendent Hill expressed.

  1. When the whole school prepares and welcomes the author, students of all ages take the cue that books are important.
  2. An author visit gets kids reading, writing, and understanding the creative process.
  3. Meeting authors makes the reading, writing process, the literature, and the authors themselves real and accessible to the students.
  4. Knowing the inside story of a book’s creation helps students learn to recognize choices made by the author.
  5. Author visits help students develop the ability to make predictions, inferences, and associations.
  6. Author visits inspire kids to do more of their own writing.
  7. Kids discover that authors take risks, persevere, and try again.
  8. The positive effects of an author visit last beyond the day of the visit.

(Click here for his full post)

Thank you, David Hill, for this terrific list of what so many of us know, but find it hard to express at times!

Follow Superintendent Hill on Twitter: @DavidRobertHill
Blog: https://redhawksupt.blogspot.com/

Author Visits – Benefits & Obstacles

Based on a nation-wide survey of over 600 teachers, librarians, administrators and parents who had hosted author visits, the following information about author visits was gleaned. (Note that “Author” includes children’s authors, author/illustrators or illustrators)

Top benefits of an author visit:

  1. Motivates students to read more (91%)
  2. Inspires creativity and expression (75%)
  3. Motivates students to write more (70%)

Top obstacles to hosting an author visit:

  1. Money (88%)
  2. Time to organize a visit (45%)
  3. Time taken away from classroom instruction (26%)

Roles of those who have hosted author visits:

  1. Librarian – school (49%)
  2. Teacher (27%)
  3. Librarian – public (7%)
  4. Parent – program planner (6%)
  5. Administrator (3%)
  6. Other (16%)

Over 200 respondents also commented on the specific impact author visits have had on their school, library, or individual students.

1) Students and faculty have many types of strong, positive social/emotional reactions to the author visit.

  • Inspiration
  • Empowerment
  • Students and faculty create long-lasting memories of the author visit
  • Feeling of meeting a celebrity; feeling special
  • Connecting with students and teachers on a personal level (one student invited the author to her birthday party)
  • Connection with students who are different:
    • Reluctant readers
    • Students with special needs
    • Ethnic and Language minorities
    • Students learn about persistence

2) Teachers have been able to find direct connections between the visit and the school curriculum.

3) Author visits encourage reading among students in several ways:

  • Librarians see increased circulation of books, especially by author who visited.
  • Reluctant readers read more.
  • Students read outside of their comfort zone – (i.e., reading more challenging books)

4) Author visits encourage writing at school in several ways:

  • More writing in the classroom: students as authors
  • Students understand the need for revision.
  • Students learn that even published authors have to revise and struggle with writing.
  • Students learn about persistence in writing.
  • Students understand what a book is and the process of writing a book.

5) Initial author visits have led to other larger literacy events (i.e. book fairs, projects, and students publishing books) many of which engaged the wider community outside of the school in literature-related activities.

For a PDF of this information, go here

Wonder-Powered Research: A Writing Workshop for Students

Horned Lizard-Writing WorkshopAs part of my school visit program, I enjoy doing writing workshops with kids. One of my workshops is called, “Research Is the Writer’s Edge: Finding Evidence, Finding Stories.” This workshop helps students generate a research plan, develop observational skills, practice finding evidence to back up statements that they make, and create a work based on information they have researched. It relates to the many projects they do in their classroom. Here’s how I do it:

 

  1. I have students make a list of “wonder words” — i.e. “I wonder WHO . . ., I wonder WHAT (etc.)
  2. Next, I project an image related to research I’m doing or have done and give students a minute to write down as many wonder questions about it as they can. For this, it’s best to use images that they are not familiar with, such as unusual animals or historical scenes with kids in them.
  3. In the next step, students share their wonder questions either in small groups or with the whole class. A recorder writes the wonder question on the board or chart paper.  Wonder Questions-Horned Lizard
  4. In the discussion that follows, I have students try to answer wonder questions using the image itself, So, if the question were, “I wonder where it lives?” they use clues in the image to make an educated guess.
  5. When students make a guess about the image, I always, say, “What do you see that makes you say that?” Students soon figure out that a question such as, “I wonder what the animal is thinking” is not answerable, but could be explored in fiction.
  6. The session ends by giving students a chance to turn the information they’ve gathered into a short work to share in small groups.
  7. The follow-up would be to encourage students find answers to their own questions generated in the class.

The overarching “lesson” is that all writing begins with information gleaned from research. And information can come from personal experiences (what a wooden floor looks like vs a carpeted floor) or from outside sources (interviews, books, primary sources, art, etc.) Also, once you know something about an animal, person object or event, you can use that information to create a nonfiction article, a fictional story, a poem and more.

Because my published books are fiction, it surprises kids to find out that I’ve also written nonfiction for magazines. My research always begins with wondering — and chasing down answers to my own questions is fun. . My goal is to help students catch the research bug!

What kind of writing workshop do you do?

School Visits – Letters of Agreement

ContractWhen a school wants to hire you, the process usually begins with an email. With successive emails, you and the host iron out the terms and details of your author visit.

While some authors then send a formal contract to the host to sign, I send a Letter of Agreement. This is essentially a contract in “normal speak” rather than “legalese language.” I also include a sample schedule and an author visit checklist to assist with planning. Here are the links:

Sample Letter of Agreement

Sample Schedule

Sample Author Visit Checklist

Sample Lecture Contract

Sample SCBWI Lecture Contract (SCBWI members only)

For more examples, type “author visit school contract” into a search engine. Also, I encourage you to check with colleagues to see what kind of agreement works best for them as you create (or update) your own.

 

Taking the Pain Out of Assembly Introductions

Janet Wong at a SchoolMy brochure has my bio. My website has several versions. So I assume that hosts will mine those bio bits when they introduce me to the students before my assemblies.

Wrong assumption.

Usually, my hosts’ introductions consist of a long warning of how the kids must “be respectful” in assembly and the consequences if they are not. Then the introducer says, “And here’s Alexis O’Neill. She’s written lots of books.”

This next school visit season, I’m taking advice from my friend, Janet Wong, and taking charge of this. Janet is a frequent speaker at schools and conferences and also is the co-creator (with Sylvia Vardell ) of The Poetry Friday Anthology series.

Read on to find out how Janet has taken the pain out of painfully cringe-worthy introductions:

Janet writes: Like most of us, I have a bio statement on my website; like many of us, I wrote it for an adult audience of conference organizers, teachers, librarians, and parents. So while I’m always happy to listen to a recap of my honors and my literacy committee work, kids might find it a little boring—and long. Having the principal read my website message at the beginning of an assembly probably isn’t the best way to get kids excited about having me there.

I do want teachers and parents to know about the many aspects of my work—but perhaps the best time for someone to read my website bio aloud is during a staff meeting or PTO meeting, a month before my visit. On the day of the event, seconds before I’m given the microphone, something short and snappy is better, such as:

Janet Wong is the author of dozens of books for kids—but she didn’t always write for children. She used to be a lawyer. Why did she switch jobs from a lawyer to a poet? How did writing get her featured in an Oprah spot? And invited to speak at the White House? Let’s hear Janet Wong tell the story HERSELF!Janet Wong

I suggest sending your “snappy intro” along with your “intro for the PTO and staff” in a first packet of materials—but also bringing the snappy intro on the day of your visit, in case it has been misplaced. And have a display table of all your books set up next to you in the front of the room. (Ask the librarian in advance to provide them, if you’re traveling light.) Even if you don’t read from all of your books, having them there will give you instant “street cred”—and that’s what the assembly intro is all about, right?

So, folks, pardon me while I leave you to craft a snappy, engaging introduction to hand to my school visits hosts as they step up to the microphone next year. Thanks for the advice, Janet!

Author Visit Worries

School Visit - 2011 SV Stockton - Sunday Sundaes

Even seasoned school visit presenters have moments of doubt, as do authors new to the circuit. Recently, when I did a presentation on author visits at the SCBWI North-Central California Spring Spirit Conference, the participants’ three major worries had to do with the content and pacing of their presentation, what fees to charge, and getting gigs.

Since these might be some of your worries, too, here are some articles to get you started. Search for more on this blog site, and, if you are a member of SCBWI, check out my SCBWI Bulletin column, “The Truth About School Visits” for additional articles.

QUESTION: What should I do in a presentation? How do I pace my time? How do I keep from boring the kids?

ARTICLE: What Do I Do When I Get There?
ARTICLE: Plotting Your Assembly Story

QUESTION: How much should I charge?

ARTICLE: How Much Should I Charge?
ARTICLE: Fee or Free?

QUESTION: How do I get gigs?

ARTICLE: Getting Gigs
ARTICLE: Nine Business Basics for School Visits

Please share any questions you might have. I’m happy to connect you to helpful resources.

Be in Control of Your Author Visit Schedule

POST 0096 - Schedule - Clock

Here’s what I find surprising – when I hear seasoned authors start with these words, “I didn’t know until they sent me the schedule . . . “ The sentence is completed in any number of ways: “. . . that the host didn’t schedule lunch” “. . .has me addressing Pre-Ks and I write middle grade” “. . .  cut my 60-minute presentation to 30 minutes.”

The solution to these scheduling surprises, of course, is to work out the kinks ahead of time.

While we all try make accommodations for special situations, you are the expert on determining the best flow for your day. Your goal is to deliver the greatest educational value to kids through your presentations. But scheduling can be challenging for schools. They often have to rearrange recess and juggle classes to adjust for an author visit. So why not help them out?

I work out scheduling details at least two weeks before a visit. I send a Sample Schedule for the school to use as a guide and ask to review it before it is published for the staff.

The schedule includes the time needed for each assembly (Primary, Intermediate, Middle) or workshop, and even the transition time needed to reset my props between sessions or to travel to a workshop location on campus. I’m flexible on time needed for lunch.

A few years ago, I also learned to stand firm on one thing: the order of events in my day at the school. Why? The turning point came when I was in a school of over 1,000 children, all PreK to Grade2. The host scheduled all the Kindergartners for the last period in the afternoon. It’s not a leap to picture the outcome!  I now require that my elementary school assemblies are held in the morning.

Get your schedule in writing ahead of your visit. And don’t be timid about speaking up to make adjustments. In the end, the students are the ones benefitting from a schedule that flows and an author who can perform at the top of their game.

A Simple, Successful Grant Program for Author Visits

Poet Kristine O’Connell George wowed the Family Night crowd during the Simi Valley Friends of the Library Children’s Book Week celebration.

Poet Kristine O’Connell George wowed the Family Night crowd during the Simi Valley Friends of the Library Children’s Book Week celebration.

For most schools, the biggest obstacle to bringing in an author is money. But because they have been dedicated to connecting kids with authors for twenty years, the Simi Valley Friends of the Library in Simi Valley, California has established a grant program that removes a big chunk of that obstacle for local public elementary, middle and high schools.

HOW IT STARTED. In 1996, The Simi Valley Friends of the Library joined forces with the Ventura County Reading Association and held a “Read Out” in a local mall featuring local authors and storytellers. For the next two years, they held a Children’s Book Festival on a weekend at the library featuring several authors and storytellers.

But the committee wanted to deepen the connections between students and authors, so they began an Author-in-Residence Program in 1999 during Children’s Book Week. They wrote grants and did local fundraising to bring in two authors for a week to do assemblies in schools. The Friends and the schools shared in the cost. On the weekend, a culminating family event at the library celebrated families “reading together, growing together.”

WHAT CHANGED. This format continued, expanding the number of authors to four, through 2005. With changes in committee make-up, the Friends decided to return to the one-day celebration format, but created an open-ended author program that continues to this day.

Family Night featured a popular Principals’ Readers Theater performance.

Family Night featured a popular Principals’ Readers Theater performance.

HOW IT’S DONE. The Friends established a Day-with-an-Author grant program in 2006. For the past ten years, the Friends has budgeted for grants in the amount of $400 per school to assist with the honorarium for an author visit. Money for this project is raised through the sale of used books throughout the year.

The grant process is extraordinarily simple: the school fills out a  form identifying their choice of author or illustrator (who must be published with a trade publishing house) and the date on which they will be appearing at the school. The coordinator for the Day-with-an-Author program submits a check request to the Friends treasurer, and the check is sent to the school’s author visit host to give to the author on the day of their appearance. The school is responsible for paying the balance of the author’s honorarium.

Carolyn Henger Oaks (left) currently manages the author visit grant requests from schools. She’s pictured with her daughter, Maggie, and author June Sobel during a pirate-themed Family Night event.

Carolyn Henger Oaks (left) currently manages the author visit grant requests from schools. She’s pictured with her daughter, Maggie, and author June Sobel during a pirate-themed Family Night event.

To assist the schools, the Friends supplies a list of published authors from the greater Los Angeles Region, suggestions on  how to find the best author “fit” for their school, a Day-with-an-Author Planning Guide and a sample form for book orders. They update the information annually and distribute it to the schools via parent organizations.

Schools appreciate that they can book an author anytime that’s best for them during the school year rather than during a fixed week.

 

WHAT YOU CAN DO. Sharing the financial support for author visits with local schools makes everyone a partner in encouraging students to read and connect with book creators. This program would be so easy for other Friends of the Library groups to put in place, even in a modified way. Why not suggest this in your own community?

Why Author Visits Matter: A Teacher-Librarian’s Love Letter

LoveLetterEnvelopeIt came out of the blue — a love letter in Caroline Arnold’s in-box from a teacher-librarian for an author visit she had done 22 years ago!

The letter knocked my socks off. So, with permission, I’m posting it for you here so you can see for yourself the impact an author visit can have on a whole school and especially on individuals. Thank you, Elizabeth Fisher, LMS!

And here’s a big fat hug to all teachers & librarians like Elizabeth who are dedicated to connecting kids with children’s book authors and illustrators.

(The caps and bolding are Elizabeth’s.)

CarolineArnold-1996TaftSchool,OrangeUSDSun, 10 Jan 2016

Hello Ms. Arnold,
The year was 1994. I was a first-year teacher teaching a combo 5th and 6th grade class at Riverdale Elementary School in Anaheim Hills, CA. The school was in Orange Unified School District. Riverdale Elementary School has since closed.

Our librarian had selected you and then enticed you to come to Riverdale Elementary School to be our Author of the Day. Our entire school was excited to be getting you as our guest.

My students and I researched you. We read every bio we could find about you–normally on the book jackets of your books. We made large posters announcing you would be coming to Riverdale Elementary School. Students made individual posters to place in every classroom. The posters had your picture on it, the books you had written and the date you were coming to our school. Students painted signs welcoming you. They were placed on Riverdale Street for the community to see and they were posted all over our campus. We were excited. YOU were coming to our school!

I purchased every book you had written and my 5th and 6th grade students practiced reading your books. I taught the students how to teach the other classes all about Caroline Arnold the famous author. They learned how read a book to an audience, how to hold the book while reading to students, to share the pictures in the book and to emphasize the words that went with the pictures. Classes (100% of them!) signed up to have my students come to their class to present about you, our visiting author, and to read one of your books to the class.  Riverdale Elementary School was pumped!  Their favorite author was coming to the school and the students couldn’t wait!

Your visit was a HUGE success!  We LOVED, LOVED, LOVED you!

Over the years I have run into teachers and students from Riverdale. Many of them have shared with me the memory of the day of your visit. They remember preparing for your visit and then getting to sit close to you as you read your own book to us.

Such a thrill it was to have your visit back in 1994 and to see it still has an impact on their lives today.  Oh, the power of a well-written book is there, but even more so, the power of an author who takes the time to visit schools!  You are amazing!

Elizabeth Fisher, Library Media Specialist
Canyon High School
Anaheim, CA

 

Book Love During Read Across America Month and Beyond!

Berylwood -  Laurie Cariker. & MPR BooksLaurie Cariker, Literacy Coach at Berylwood Elementary School in Simi Valley, California, knows that to grow readers, you need to get books into their hands.

For Berylwood’s big kick-off for Read Across America month, Laurie throws open the doors of the multipurpose room where kids trade vouchers for books that she has collected all year long from donors. As an author who visits lots of schools, believe me when I say that there is a happy vibe on the campus of this Title 1 school!Berylwood - Book Exchange Banner

But March isn’t the only month dedicated to Book Love at Berylwood – it’s books all year through. On Tuesdays, book carts are rolled out in the morning — one cart with books in Spanish, the other cart with books in English. Parents can choose up to 10 books to take home from the Tuesday Morning Lending Library. They take library cards from inside the books, put them in an envelope that has their name and phone number on it, and slide their cache into a bag with their name on a tag. They return the books in the bag when they are done with that batch.

Berylwood -  Library card - Tues Morning Lending Library   Berylwood -  Book bag - Tues Morning Lending Library  Berylwood - Tags - Tues Morning Lending Library

And to top this all off, the Berylwood Elementary School just dedicated a Reading Oasis Room for kids and their families.  The room was created through a partnership with Scholastic Book Fairs and the Simi Valley branch of Kiwanis International who work with school principals to provide at-risk students with access to books and a safe environment to read with their families.

Berylwood - Alexis & Laurie Cariker2

Alexis O’Neill and Laurie Cariker in the new Reading Oasis Room at Berylwood Elementary School

 

Sending lots of Book Love to Berylwood, schools and the creators of books for children this month!

Book Love Pins024

 

To Authors & illustrators — have you visited schools during Read Across America that have celebrated books in a fun way? Send me a photo and I’ll give them a shout-out this month: info2@schoolvisitexperts.com