PANEL: Books, Babies & Beyond - Reading to (and with) your kids

We all know the importance of reading to younger readers but when can we begin this practice? Why is reading aloud important? What can we read and where? How do we engage even the most reluctant reader and for how long do we keep reading aloud?

Leanne Grogan and Davina Bell will join Sarah Mayor Cox in conversation about practical and doable ways to grow your young readers from babies through to young adults. If you are a new parent, a parent of older readers, teacher or caregiver of older readers this is an evening you don’t want to miss.

Takeaways from this informative and relaxed evening:

• More confidence in your own reading practices with children

• Deeper understanding where you are already using reading theory (conscious competence)

• Practical approaches to lap reading, shared

• Lots of new texts to work with

With mischief and good grace Sarah will draw out pearls of wisdom from Leanne

Grogan and Davina Bell and peals of laughter from a tired and weary audience.

Tickets are $25 (plus booking fee) which will include a $25 store credit to spend at the event.

As a part of the ABA Bookseller Events Program; this panel series has been assisted by the Australian Government through Writing Australia.

ABOUT THE PANELISTS:

Davina Bell

Davina Bell is an Australian author of books for young people of all ages, from babies to teens. Her work is published worldwide and has been translated into over twenty languages. She is a two-time winner of the Australian Book Industry's Picture Book of the Year, and has been awarded the Children's Book Council Book of the Year for Older Readers as well as the New South Wales Premiers Literary Award for Young People's Literature. Davina has worked as an editor and publisher in the world of children's books, and now writes full-time in Melbourne.

Leanne Grogan

Leanne began as a coaching consultant with Gowrie Victoria in School Readiness Funded Kindergarten Programs across Victoria in 2021. Leanne has developed, and delivered a wide array of subjects in Certificate, Diploma and Bachelor level courses in both tertiary and higher education for the past 25 years, remaining fundamentally aware that children, families and communities need to remain at the centre of all the decisions we make as educators. Leanne also customises professional development programs in all areas of pedagogical practice and is currently an Adjunct Lecturer at Latrobe University.

Leanne believes skilled communication is the cornerstone of our work in education and her approach utilises contempory research to support educators in the science of teaching and learning.

Sarah Mayor Cox

Sarah Mayor Cox has worked as a primary teacher, teacher-librarian, literacy coach and lecturer in Literacy Education and Children’s and YA Literature at La Trobe University, Bendigo. Drawing on 5 decades of teaching and learning experience and skills gained from convening conferences, festivals, literary events, Sarah Mayor Cox founded Ecology of Learning =MC2 ; a bespoke educational consultancy group.

Sarah is a co-author of Success with Reading and Writing: Helping at-risk students 8-13 years, Teacher Manual & Student Log (Gaelene Rowe, Helen Lamont, May Daly, Debra Edwards and Sarah Mayor Cox) Dellasta 2000, reprinted 2001. Her first trade book was Pictures Telling Stories: The Art of Robert Ingpen (Ingpen, Lothian 2004).

She’s an enthusiastic and vocal virtual member of her Bendigo book group even if ironically she doesn’t ever finish, or even start, the monthly book because of all the other reading she does. In her spare time Sarah loves to stitch & push paint around on paper; felt & marble; buy unnecessary craft materials; walk & swim, and catch-up with friends whenever possible. Housework and weeding are definitely for the next life!!

Since moving back to Melbourne, Sarah has found her professional home at The Little Bookroom where she’s firmly ensconced helping Michael and Mathilde run The Little Bookroom Bookclubs. You can hear her reviewing books and generally banging on about anything to do with reading at stupid o’clock on Overnights with Francis Leach (ABC Listen App). And if that’s not enough you can follow her on @bespokeshespoke or @bygoneandbizonder.