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What are the Presentations Like? To allow children to get the most from an author’s visit, I tailor each presentation to the size and age group of the audience, and when requested, to support ongoing curriculum and language arts standards. As I describe how I write, I go into more or less detail, depending on the grade level I’m addressing. With older students, I show shockingly messy drafts, galley sheets, and even heartbreaking rejection slips. No matter what age group I work with, I always allow plenty of time for questions and discussion and provide teachers with follow-up activities and standards-based curriculum guides. Schools may order copies of my books, which I will happily sign for students, often in conjunction with school fundraisers.
Types of Presentations Teachers of younger children often request programs in the form of a story-hour. Since my newest book is about a poetry-writing pig, I complement it with an interactive rhyming activity. With older children, I often focus on my novels and cover such teacher-requested topics as How to Show Characters’ Personalities, Fictionalizing Personal Experience, Doing Research to Make Fiction Authentic, and Using Sensory Details for Vivid Description. Single or multiple sessions can be scheduled. In multiple-session talks, I can work one-on-one to help students improve their writing. I am also available to give after-school or evening presentations to parents, which include a humorous slide show about the roller coaster life of a children’s book author. Feedback from Previous Presentations “You have a wonderful way of giving feedback to children so that they hear what can be improved and yet feel positive about what they have accomplished.” —enrichment volunteer parent “Your
presentation is lovely, low-key, and filled with information to
help children appreciate authors and their work.” “Our
class learned so much about how to write books and how to get
ideas for writing. We appreciate your kindness and help.”
© 2010 Jane Sutton |
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