I enjoyed sharing my books with kindergarten and first grade students at Robinson Elementary School.
A Day of Reading, Writing and Fun
Earlier this spring I was invited by kindergarten teacher, Lorna Poe to share my books with the kindergarten and first grade classes at Robinson Elementary School in Gastonia, NC. I had never met Lorna before, but was childhood friends with her mother, Linda Smith. Linda is a retired middle-school teacher who also taught in Gastonia. After Linda shared with her daughter that I was a children’s author, Lorna reached out to me.
On the day of my visit, I was surprised to see both Linda and Lorna standing at the front door to greet me. Once I checked in at the office, they helped me set-up in the library. As we worked we had a great time talking and sharing memories.
The kindergarten classes were scheduled for the first presentation. Once they arrived, Lorna introduced me and then explained that her mom and I had been childhood friends. It was great fun watching the children’s faces as they processed that bit of information. As I read my books, they were attentive and well-behaved, eager to learn how I developed the story line and characters in the series. This helped them better understand how each book built upon the next.
After the kindergarten presentation, the next group to arrive was first grade. They were well-prepared because the questions they asked were similar to second or third grade classes. For example, they wanted to know where I got my ideas and how long it took to write a book. I answered by saying, “My children’s books generally take about a year to write and I get my ideas from real life.”
In addition to sharing my books, I also gave tips for writing. One of the most important things a writer can do to improve his craft is to read. Books and stories can transport a person to a different place or time, sparking a thought or idea for a story.
I enjoyed my visit at Robinson Elementary School because not only were the students well-behaved, but the staff was friendly and even the principal, Mr. Bill Kessler, took time out of his busy schedule to stop by the library for a presentation.
It’s great to see schools willing to reach out into the community for resources that will broaden and enhance a child’s education. That shouldn’t surprise parents of students at Robinson since the theme for the year was helping students explore new learning. Hopefully, I was a part of that new learning.
Thanks, Robinson Elementary School and Miss Poe for inviting me to your school.
If you could visit with an author, what questions would you ask? Leave a comment below, message on Facebook or email dicysm@yahoo.com.
If you’d like to schedule an author visit to your preschool, church or organization, check out my homepage.
Thanks,
Dicy
www.dicymcculloughbooks.com/blog
