The Vermont Council On Reading (VCR) invites you to attend this fabulous in person event with Ralph Fletcher, writer extraordinaire on Friday, May 5, 2022! Registration is open on our website! We are hosting this conference at the Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont. Ralph is not only an author of many children’s books, he is also a teacher of writing with even more books to his name! As always, Ralph is a warm and personable presenter. He is sure to spark your interest and enthusiasm when it comes to supporting young writers in our classrooms, no matter the age. Take advantage of our early bird pricing of $195.00 until March 5, $225.00 after March 5th. Don’t miss this literacy event – food – fun and learning with others!
9:15-10:30:Lifting the Chill in the Writing Classroom.
In recent years the writing classroom has become more academic and less student-centered. Real choice in writing has become an endangered species. I’ll talk about how teachers can bring back the spark and sizzle to the writing classroom. This session will springboard off my book Joy Write: Cultivating High-Impact Low-Stakes Writing (Heinemann).
11:00-12:00 How Mentor Texts Lift Student Writing
Young writers need vision to get an idea of what good writing looks and feels and sounds like. The writing in a classroom can only be as strong as the literature that surrounds, supports, and buoys it up. This session will build on my book Mentor Author, Mentor Texts (Heinemann). It will include a short writing exercise.
12:00-1:00 Luncheon and Awards
1:00-2:00 Engaging Boy Writers
Empirical and anecdotal evidence shows that boys struggle in writing classrooms. Why is this so? What specific challenges (such as handwriting) handicap boys? How can we widen the circle and make the writing classroom a place where boys can find their stride as writers? Ralph is the author of Boy Writers: Reclaiming Their Voices.
2:00-2:45 Using Photography to Teach Writing
The world is becoming more visual. Students author their lives not with notebooks and pens but through the photos they take on their cellphones. The lexicon of photography (angle, focus, background, zoom) provides a language that is concrete and familiar to students, and one that will make it easier for us to explain the craft of writing. Ralph’s newest professional book is Focus Lessons: How Photography Can Illuminate the Teaching of Writing (Heinemann). Register on the Spring Conference page.
