14 November 2021 | 13:35 - 13:55 | English | Encouraging Young Learners to Read for Pleasure / Writing as a Tool for Personal Development
Storytelling is an art as old as humanity itself, and something that all cultures have in common. Reading gives confidence and allows us to communicate more freely. It creates memory pathways and enables us to remember new words. Reading helps us to understand other cultures, increases our general knowledge, expands our vocabulary, and stimulates empathy and imagination. It transforms us, opens us up to other worlds and endless possibilities, and provides us with comfort and reassurance in times of solitude or hardship. With these benefits in mind, this seminar will explore techniques that allow educators to promote reading for pleasure in the classroom; e.g. joining book clubs, introducing literacy-targeted awards, providing choice in reading material, and how to support students who struggle with their reading and writing. I will discuss the benefits of creative writing as a bridge to academic success, providing students with a key to unlocking their own imaginations.