A few comments from attendees:
Diane Frankenstein’s keynote at the PJ library conference was a highlight for me. It was very informative and the concept of “reading together” will resonate in San Antonio, a community very committed to reducing its severe literacy deficits. We already made bookmarks – “Reading Together Can be Fun” which we are using in various contexts, and we are planning to bring Diane to our community in the fall.
Judy Lackritz, San Antonio, TX
I enjoyed learning about Diane Frankenstein’s conversation starters for any story. I think every parent would benefit from listening to her practical advice on reading to children—don’t read the words on the page only, point out the pictures and ask questions…which character would you like to be friends with…etc. As Diane says, “Literacy needs to be nurtured. It doesn’t just happen.” Risa Goldstein, Los Angeles, CA
Diane’s Keynote offered tips and strategies to make sure children are fully enjoying and getting the most from the books they read. There is no magic formula for turning children into lifelong readers, BUT there is a winning equation: Read a book, ask a question and start a conversation is the essence of Conversational Reading
Literacy just doesn’t happen, it needs to be nurtured. Showing children how to get more from their books, how to make those books come alive nurtures literacy. Conversational Reading, talking with children about the stories they read, encourage children to read for meaning, nurturing their curiosity & instilling a love of exploring and learning. Everyone likes stories but not everyone likes to read. Children who talk about a story better understand what they read and this grows their CONFIDENCE-showing them they have something to say. Conversation is how a child engages with a story. The most important outcome is not how many books children read, but how many conversations they have about them.
