Dr. Steven Layne, literacy consultant and keynote speaker for McNeese State University’s second annual literacy conference, “Reading, Writing and Technology: Pathways to Differentiated Instruction,” discusses the aspects of an effective children’s book.

BY ERIN K. CORMIER
MCNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY

When Dr. Steven Layne wants to teach life’s most important lessons to a group of children, he introduces them to Charlotte, takes them to Whoville or shares the profound knowledge of some of his favorite philosophers, like the Skin Horse and the Scarecrow.

But wherever his students go – whether it’s Oz, Taribithia or Mulberry Street – they never go alone.

“Reading a book always changes us,” said Layne, who served as keynote speaker at McNeese State University’s second annual Literacy Conference on Thursday. “We learn lessons and consider dilemmas through books. They put us in touch with ourselves. When you put the perfect book into the hands of a child, you have already made a difference.”

The conference, “Reading, Writing and Technology: Pathways to Differentiated Instruction,” was designed to teach PK-12 educators the influence of reading, writing and technology in literacy. Layne, a literacy consultant and published author, gave a keynote address entitled “Literacy Lessons to Last a Lifetime.”

According to Layne, an associate professor of education and literature at Judson College in Elgin, Il., reading aloud to children of all ages is one of the most vital aspects of activity building in the classroom, yet it’s often the least utilized. Research has shown that reading aloud is the best way to prepare children for learning to read and keep them reading as they learn and grow, according to Reading is Fundamental, a nationwide non-profit literary agency. Reading aloud also helps children develop language skills they will use in school and throughout their lives.

Layne said the benefit of reading aloud “has been heralded, but rarely included” in school curriculum.

“How can this be? And how can we change it?” he said. “Reading aloud should be part of the curriculum consistently.”

For younger children, adults should find “stories with little text and big messages,” Layne said. He also reiterated the importance of knowing what children like to read and reading it with them, whether it’s a picture book, chapter book or teen novel.

One of the biggest challenges educators face, Layne said, is successfully motivating students to read.

“People say, ‘How can you get a student engaged in reading and writing when the world offers them hundreds of other things to do?’” Layne said.

The answer, he said, is to find books they want to read and read with them.

“When we are taught well, we learn,” he said.

Educators from grades PK-12 attended McNeese State University’s 2008 literacy conference to learn ways to enhance literacy education in their classrooms.

Layne, who worked for several years as a middle and high school English teacher, is the author of several picture books for children, including “P is for Princess,” “My Brother Dan’s Delicious” and “Love the Baby.” He is also the author of the “This Side of Paradise,” a teen thriller that received numerous awards, including the Hal Clement Award for Best New Science Fiction Novel, the Best of the Best for Young Adults from the Missouri Library Association, the Young Adult Choice Title from the International Reading Association and the Texas Lone Star Top 20 List. He followed that novel with “Mergers,” another young adult thriller.

“I know the books the kids read, because I read children’s books and young adult books exclusively. I’ll admit, it can be a little awkward when I’m on a plane and the guy next to me is wearing an Armani suit and reading ‘The Da Vinci Code’ and I’ve got on a sweatshirt that says ‘Recess’ and reading ‘Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse,’” he said. “But if you’re going to motivate youth to read, you’ve got to know their books.”

The two-day 2008 Literacy Conference at McNeese also included keynote speeches by author Deborah Kadair, a Baton Rouge teacher with more than 15 years experience, and Dr. Debbie Silver, an award-winning educator with 30 years experience as a classroom teacher, staff development instructor and university professor. Silver was named 1990 Louisiana State Teacher of the Year and is the author of “Drumming to the Beat of a Different Marcher: Finding the Rhythm for Differentiated Learning.”

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RECOMMENDED READING:
Books that literacy consultant Dr. Steven Layne recommends:

• “Llama Llama Red Pajama,” Anna Dewdney, author and illustrator. Ages 2-6. Tucked into bed for the night, Baby Llama, left alone in the bedroom, immediately starts worrying and calling for his mama.
• “Moose Tracks,” written by Karma Wilson and illustrated by Jack E. Davis. Ages 4-8. A homeowner remembers visits from all the animals whose tracks, feathers, and other traces are visible – except for the moose whose prints are everywhere.
• “P is for Princess: A Royal Alphabet,” written by Layne and his wife, Deborah Dover, and illustrated by Robert Papp. Ages 5-10. Through the alphabet, children learn about royalty from all over the world.
• “Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie,” by Jordan Sonnenblick. Young adult. Thirteen-year-old Steven has a totally normal life: he plays drums in the All-Star Jazz band, has a crush on the hottest girl in the school, and is constantly annoyed by his five-year-old brother, Jeffrey. But when Jeffrey is diagnosed with leukemia, Steven's world is turned upside down.
• “The Rules of Survival,” by Nancy Werlin. Young adult. Matthew protects his younger sisters from their abusive mother.