Contact: Maridith Geuder
A Nov. 4 conference at Mississippi State will involve characters from classic children's literature to help teachers better involve kids in developing reading skills.
Nearly 200 state K-12 teachers and college education majors are expected to take part in the day-long university program in the Coskrey Auditorium of Memorial Hall.
Sponsored by the department of curriculum and instruction and the MSU Student Reading Council, the conference begins with registration at 7:30 a.m. The final session concludes at 4 p.m.
"Our goal is to highlight materials and teaching techniques that motivate readers and improve their comprehension," said conference coordinator Nancy Verhoek-Miller.
To that end, some participants will be arrayed as storybook characters ranging from King Arthur to Peter Rabbit and Pippi Longstocking. "They will be interviewed in a broadcast news simulation to emphasize making the classics accessible to a variety of age groups," she said.
Among featured speakers is MSU's Dean of Libraries Frances Coleman, whose 8 a.m. presentation will focus on the importance of reading in a technological era.
Coleman is chair of the Mississippi Alliance for Gaining New Opportunities through Library Information Access (MAGNOLIA) and a member of the American Library Association. She is past president of the Mississippi Library Association.
Also planned are sessions by MSU College of Education faculty members and graduate students on such topics as innovative strategies for teaching social studies, ways to build reading comprehension, encouraging reading through play and sport, and diversity in children's literature.
Conference registration is $25. Active teachers are eligible for continuing education credits.
For more information, telephone Verhoek-Miller at (601) 325-3747.