Choose four sessions you would prefer to attend and record your choices on the registration form. To provide adequate seating and handouts, space in each session is limited. For your convenience, sessions have been listed by title, presenter, target audience and key concepts.

The following key represents a suggested audience, but in no way limits the speaker or participants to this area:

P=Primary I=Intermediate

L=Library/Media G=General

Barb Langridge, Children’s Specialist, Howard County Public Library

A fast-paced look at good books for readers in grades 3-6. We’ll highlight some books/authors for boys and for reluctant readers and take a quick look at some great classroom read-alouds. We’ll even visit some books just r ight for those kids who have already read EVERYTHING that’s been written.

Katie Ross, Spanish teacher, Allegany Community College

This session will discuss storytelling on the middle school level while incorporating Spanish. A story will be told interactively, with tips for making storytelling appealing to intermediate-aged students.

Melinda Chambers, Local Teacher and Children’s Book Author

This session will take you through the process of creating and publishing a children’s book.

Lynn Dorfman, Literacy Specialist, Upper Moreland School District

Rose Cappelli, Reading Specialist, West Chester Area School District

This interactive workshop will provide guided/shared and independent writing opportunities for participants, demonstrating the gradual release of the responsibility model.

Steve Rubin, Curriculum Supervisor/Toddler Teacher, Frog Pond Early Learning Center

This session will provide activities to incorporate the arts, free play and physical activity as extensions of children’s books. Also discusses understanding multiple intelligences to utilize all learning styles in the classroom.

Ann Weller Dahl, Retired teacher, Laura Ingalls Wilder Specialist

This talk describes why the "Little House" books were written, why they became and have remained so popular, and the wholesome values in them. Many books and posters will be on display and helpful handouts will be distributed.

Catherine O’Donnell, Mainstream Primary School Teacher, County Limerick, Ireland

Having spent a substantial amount of time abroad doing volunteer work, Catherine has had first hand experience with the problems facing impoverished people, and the importance of developing their literacy skills in an effort to help them establish better lives for themselves. She will be addressing some of the difficulties facing them and proposing some solutions in which we can all engage.

Janet Simmons, Union Educational Complex, W.Va.

What have they read? What are they reading? What will they read? It seems to be a mystery. It doesn’t need to be. Join Janet to help solve the mystery and motivate middle school students to read.

Jonathan Whetstone, 3rd Grade Teacher, Bedford Elementary School

A session devoted to activities that can be done with each book featured at this year’s Festival.

Mike Fiscus, Media Specialist, Northeast Elementary School

John Taube, Director, Allegany County Library System

Lisa McKenney, Assistant Director, Allegany County Library System

This workshop will explain the “Tune Into Reading Project,” which is a collaborative effort of the ACLS and Northeast Elementary. It pairs high quality literature with professionally produced audio books, using enticing digital technology.

Mary Bowman-Kruhm, Writer and Educational Consultant

Teachers often choose a five-step process model to teach writing — a model eschewed by published nonfiction writers, who use a “chaos” model. This session will present the “chaos” model that, with specific examples and materials to help you tame classroom chaos, will move students from the beginning writer toward mature writer.

Ellen Mager, Booktenders Children’s Bookstore, Doylestown, Pa.

A closer look at current trade books for use with primary and intermediate grade students.