When the opportunity arose to visit Nelson and Colne College, I jumped at the chance.
Before the visit I spent time designing a presentation entitled ‘Engaging young readers and writers’, which was to be delivered to childcare level 2/3 students at the college. The session started with an explanation of my journey – from teacher to writer. Next up, I looked at tips and tactics to hook young readers. We explored a range of techniques covering expression and cliff-hanger endings to use of character voices and non-fiction texts. I even performed some of the Tales to demonstrate how simple props and delivery can heighten the children’s reading experiences.
The hour session was ace and it whizzed by. I loved sharing my ideas and experiences with the students. It was great to answer questions at the end of the session before I wished the students well for their future journeys in the education system. Hopefully I’ll see some of them working in schools I visit!
Big thanks must go to Nazmin Musa, who organised and co-ordinated the visit. It was a pleasure to visit.