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Growing Literacy
Tips, Tricks, and Book Reviews
ABOUT ME
Hi! I'm a qualified teacher in both Early Childhood and Primary Education. I have more than 20 years' experience working with children of different ages, backgrounds, and abilities. I've always loved to read, and I've worked hard to share that love of reading with all of my students.
Over the years, I've met countless educators and parents who struggle with teaching literacy to their children. I've known parents traumatised by their own schooling experiences who are desperate to not see their children struggle in the same way. I've witness educators who are phenomenal, talented educators yet struggle to read aloud to their classes. They need help, but there's no one to teach them.
I'm here to help. I'm going to share all the tips and tricks I've learnt over the years while teaching children. Read along to learn more about reading, child development, how the educational system works, and how to grow your children into confident readers.
In 2019 the childcare centre I was teaching at was having the yards redesigned, and to keep the kids from going crazy from being stuck indoors all day we started taking them for walks around the neighbourhood. On one of these walks the children noticed the bumps and lines on the footpath as they approached the crossing.
Diverse Representation in Literature
One of the children asked what they were for, and we all gathered around to talk about the way tactile markers are used by blind people to get around safely. As the day went on this conversation grew, with the children talking about wheelchairs, AAC, amputees, and everything else they knew about disabilities and assistive technologies.
I set out to find books for us to read linked to this new learning focus.
The only problem was, the books didn't seem to exist.
Sure, there were a few books about kids with disabilities, but they all focused explicitly on the child's disability. On their difference, their challenges, and the questions of those around them. There were precious few books that showed children with disabilities just existing, and taking part in stories about wonder and mystery and adventure and humour. This is an issue I have experienced personally: growing up as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, the only stories I saw myself represented in were stories that focused on instructional stories about different families, coming out, and discrimination,
This experience inspired me to return to my passion for writing and children's literature. I went back to university to earn a Master's degree in Creative Writing and Children's Literature, and now I'm working to make sure there is space for everyone's story to be told. Every child deserves the experience to see themselves represented in literature.