Worlds Awaiting

Graphic Novels (4:05)

Who would have thought it possible that reading simple comic books – Spiderman and Superman, you name it – could help a teenager become a better reader and develop a love for even more demanding literature! High School English teacher, Ronell Whitaker, has done this very thing in his classroom. He uses comics and graphic novels as a gateway for leading his students along toward more advanced literature. His method, first developed by fellow teacher, Eric Kallenborn, has grown nationwide through the help of the Pop Culture Classroom. Ronell teaches at Community High School District 218 in Chicago, Illinois. Growing up on the city’s south side, he developed a love of comic books, film and technology. These seemingly disconnected passions have informed Mr. Whitaker as an educator, and have led to his passion for helping his students develop fluency in multiple literacies. He’s presented across the country at conferences and conventions on the benefit of comics in the classroom, and is a founding member of the Comics Education Outreach Program with Pop Culture Classroom. 

Book Chat (22:10)

We close the show with Worlds Awaiting host, Rachel Wadham who chats with Jessica Verzello. She works with Rachel in the BYU Education and Juvenile Literature Library. They discuss the graphic novel, One Trick Pony by Nathan Hale.

Moms’ Influence on Kids’ Reading (3:20)

Parents often feel pressure to have a mastery of phonics or other elements of reading as they strive to turn their own children into readers. But according to one mom, Wendee Wilcox Rosborough, what has worked best for her children has been her visible example of reading on her own, as well as reading aloud to them and exposing them to libraries and book stores. She talks to Rachel on Worlds Awaiting today. Wendee’s father Brad Wilcox is an educator at BYU with an emphasis on literacy and also offers his insights.

Author Ann Martin (13:33)

Up next on Worlds Awaiting, author Ann M. Martin talks with Jessica Verzello of the Worlds Awaiting team about The Baby-sitters Club, a series she originally planned to have 4 volumes which grew to 35 books over a 15 year period. She also mentions other books she’s written since her Baby-sitters Club series and how some of her characters are based on personal experiences from her youth. Ann M. Martin is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Baby-sitter’s Club, Rain Reign and many other award-winning novels and series. She lives in upstate New York.

Personal Reading Journey (20:39)

We finish up the show today with Reed Wolfley, sound engineer and producer at BYU Radio, who talks to me about his current passion for reading that grew out of special challenges he had as a young child.

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:20 - Moms' Influence on Kids' Reading

00:13:33 - Author Ann Martin

00:20:39 - Personal Reading Journey

Moms’ Influence on Kids’ Reading (3:20)

Parents often feel pressure to have a mastery of phonics or other elements of reading as they strive to turn their own children into readers. But according to one mom, Wendee Wilcox Rosborough, what has worked best for her children has been her visible example of reading on her own, as well as reading aloud to them and exposing them to libraries and book stores. She talks to Rachel on Worlds Awaiting today. Wendee’s father Brad Wilcox is an educator at BYU with an emphasis on literacy and also offers his insights.

Author Ann Martin (13:33)

Up next on Worlds Awaiting, author Ann M. Martin talks with Jessica Verzello of the Worlds Awaiting team about The Baby-sitters Club, a series she originally planned to have 4 volumes which grew to 35 books over a 15 year period. She also mentions other books she’s written since her Baby-sitters Club series and how some of her characters are based on personal experiences from her youth. Ann M. Martin is the New York Times-bestselling author of The Baby-sitter’s Club, Rain Reign and many other award-winning novels and series. She lives in upstate New York.

Personal Reading Journey (20:39)

We finish up the show today with Reed Wolfley, sound engineer and producer at BYU Radio, who talks to me about his current passion for reading that grew out of special challenges he had as a young child.

Encourage Kid’s Questions (3:32)

Do you ever get inundated by a child’s incessant questions? Turns out that this can be a good thing. Being curious can lead to an interest in science or music, sports, or just about anything really. Rebecca Sansom, of the BYU Chemistry Department co-founded the BYU Chem Camp for elementary aged students. She talks to Rachel today about encouraging our kids to notice the world around them and start investigating. Samson has also served as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia, following eight years as a high school science teacher in Massachusetts and Utah. She has masters degrees in chemistry and education from Harvard University and Southern Utah University and is pursuing her doctorate in Educational Inquiry, Measurement, and Evaluation.

Author Andrea Davis Pinkney (13:18)

Up next on Worlds Awaiting - Rachel welcomes children’s book author, Andrea Davis Pinkney, who talks about what got her started writing. She also reflects on the discipline of writing and the new ideas that emerge from the struggle. Pinkney is author of many books for children and young adults, including picture books, novels, and non-fiction. Her books have received multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Jane Addams Honor citations, nominations for the NAACP Image Awards, the Boston Globe/Horn book Honor medal, and many other accolades. 

Poetry (26:17)

We finish up the show with two poems by Robert Louis Stevenson – “Pirate Story” and “The Wind” both from a A Child’s Garden of Verses read by Garret Rushforth.

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:32 - Encourage Kid's Questions

00:13:18 - Author Andrea Davis Pinkney

00:26:17 - Poetry

Encourage Kid’s Questions (3:32)

Do you ever get inundated by a child’s incessant questions? Turns out that this can be a good thing. Being curious can lead to an interest in science or music, sports, or just about anything really. Rebecca Sansom, of the BYU Chemistry Department co-founded the BYU Chem Camp for elementary aged students. She talks to Rachel today about encouraging our kids to notice the world around them and start investigating. Samson has also served as an Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellow at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, Virginia, following eight years as a high school science teacher in Massachusetts and Utah. She has masters degrees in chemistry and education from Harvard University and Southern Utah University and is pursuing her doctorate in Educational Inquiry, Measurement, and Evaluation.

Author Andrea Davis Pinkney (13:18)

Up next on Worlds Awaiting - Rachel welcomes children’s book author, Andrea Davis Pinkney, who talks about what got her started writing. She also reflects on the discipline of writing and the new ideas that emerge from the struggle. Pinkney is author of many books for children and young adults, including picture books, novels, and non-fiction. Her books have received multiple Coretta Scott King Book Awards, Jane Addams Honor citations, nominations for the NAACP Image Awards, the Boston Globe/Horn book Honor medal, and many other accolades. 

 

Poetry (26:17)

We finish up the show with two poems by Robert Louis Stevenson – “Pirate Story” and “The Wind” both from a A Child’s Garden of Verses read by Garret Rushforth.

Music Talent (3:48)

We humans respond quite naturally to music. It begins at birth, and some even say – before birth. But certainly from our earliest stages of life we have an innate capacity to sway or wiggle with a melody. Just watch a baby who responds and moves almost instinctively to the music all around it. Dr. Steven M. Demorest, professor of music education at Northwestern University, talks with Rachel about our natural affinity for music and how we can nurture that love of music in our children. Demorest co-directs the Laboratory for Music Cognition, Communication & Learning. His research interests include cultural, cognitive, neurological, and social aspects of singing and music. You can check out Dr. Demorest’s article, “Stop Obsessing Over Talent – Everyone Can Sing” at https://theconversation.com/stop-obsessing-over-talent-everyone-can-sing-74047.

Fostering Creativity (14:23)

Up next on Worlds Awaiting - Rachel welcomes Dr. Richard E. West, professor of instructional psychology and technology at BYU. West has an expansive view of creativity. In the past, creativity was often seen as exclusive to writers, painters, and the like. But in today’s world – the attitude has shifted to include everyone. West shares how we can foster children’s creativity. Professionally, Dr. West researches how to teach group creativity and design thinking, and is co-chair of the BYU Creativity, Innovation, and Design group. In his personal life, he’s an avid reader across multiple genres, with a compelling desire to use literature to help his children become awesome future adults. 

Book Review (25:21)

We finish up the show with a book review by Echo Harris, who is majoring in elementary education at BYU. She reviews “Rain Reign” by Ann Martin.

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:48 - Music Talent

00:14:23 - Fostering Creativity

00:25:21 - Book Review

Music Talent (3:48)

We humans respond quite naturally to music. It begins at birth, and some even say – before birth. But certainly from our earliest stages of life we have an innate capacity to sway or wiggle with a melody. Just watch a baby who responds and moves almost instinctively to the music all around it. Dr. Steven M. Demorest, professor of music education at Northwestern University, talks with Rachel about our natural affinity for music and how we can nurture that love of music in our children. Demorest co-directs the Laboratory for Music Cognition, Communication & Learning. His research interests include cultural, cognitive, neurological, and social aspects of singing and music. You can check out Dr. Demorest’s article, “Stop Obsessing Over Talent – Everyone Can Sing” at https://theconversation.com/stop-obsessing-over-talent-everyone-can-sing-74047.

Fostering Creativity (14:23)

Up next on Worlds Awaiting - Rachel welcomes Dr. Richard E. West, professor of instructional psychology and technology at BYU. West has an expansive view of creativity. In the past, creativity was often seen as exclusive to writers, painters, and the like. But in today’s world – the attitude has shifted to include everyone. West shares how we can foster children’s creativity. Professionally, Dr. West researches how to teach group creativity and design thinking, and is co-chair of the BYU Creativity, Innovation, and Design group. In his personal life, he’s an avid reader across multiple genres, with a compelling desire to use literature to help his children become awesome future adults. 

 

Book Review (25:21)

We finish up the show with a book review by Echo Harris, who is majoring in elementary education at BYU. She reviews “Rain Reign” by Ann Martin.

Increase Confidence in Reading (3:42)

How do you fix a car motor? Where is Timbuktu? Do Bees sleep? You can learn a lot just by reading. But what if you lack confidence in your reading skills? A lot of things you’re dying to know, might seem far out of reach. Dawan Coombs teaches Reading Pedagogy in the BYU English Department. She talks with Rachel now about how our perception of ourselves as readers can affect our desire to read, no matter what our age. Coombs especially wants children to get beyond these self-defeating perceptions.  She comes equipped with valuable ideas to help us change their outlook. Dawan Coombs is an assistant professor of English at Brigham Young University where she teaches in the English teaching program, specializing in reading pedagogy. Her research examines the role of identity in the struggles of adolescent readers and seeks to identify best classroom practices in support of these students.

An Author’s Favorites (14:41)

Up next on Worlds Awaiting - Rachel welcomes young reader and teen author, Wendelin Van Draanen, and asks her to name some of her favorites among the books she has written, and why they’re her favorites. Van Draanen has written more than thirty novels for young readers including: the Sammy Keyes mystery series (recipient of the Edgar Award), and Flipped (which became a Warner Brothers feature film in 2010). Other titles include The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones and The Running Dream, and, two other series: The Shredderman and The Gecko & Sticky. A high school classroom teacher for fifteen years, Wendelin is now a fulltime writer.

Poetry (26:48)

We finish up the show with two poems – first, Answer to a Child’s Question by Samuel Taylor Coleridge read by Hannah Colvin, then, Bed in Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson read by Garret Rushforth.

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:42 - Increase Confidence in Reading

00:14:41 - An Author's Favorites

00:26:48 - Poetry

Increase Confidence in Reading (3:42)

How do you fix a car motor? Where is Timbuktu? Do Bees sleep? You can learn a lot just by reading. But what if you lack confidence in your reading skills? A lot of things you’re dying to know, might seem far out of reach. Dawan Coombs teaches Reading Pedagogy in the BYU English Department. She talks with Rachel now about how our perception of ourselves as readers can affect our desire to read, no matter what our age. Coombs especially wants children to get beyond these self-defeating perceptions.  She comes equipped with valuable ideas to help us change their outlook. Dawan Coombs is an assistant professor of English at Brigham Young University where she teaches in the English teaching program, specializing in reading pedagogy. Her research examines the role of identity in the struggles of adolescent readers and seeks to identify best classroom practices in support of these students.

An Author’s Favorites (14:41)

Up next on Worlds Awaiting - Rachel welcomes young reader and teen author, Wendelin Van Draanen, and asks her to name some of her favorites among the books she has written, and why they’re her favorites. Van Draanen has written more than thirty novels for young readers including: the Sammy Keyes mystery series (recipient of the Edgar Award), and Flipped (which became a Warner Brothers feature film in 2010). Other titles include The Secret Life of Lincoln Jones and The Running Dream, and, two other series: The Shredderman and The Gecko & Sticky. A high school classroom teacher for fifteen years, Wendelin is now a fulltime writer.

 

Poetry (26:48)

We finish up the show with two poems – first, Answer to a Child’s Question by Samuel Taylor Coleridge read by Hannah Colvin, then, Bed in Summer by Robert Louis Stevenson read by Garret Rushforth.

Amy Johnson (3:44)

Science and stars; dragons and knights; tigers and turtles; magic shoes and magic carpets; and even a crazy cat in a striped hat who drops in while your mother is out. All these can be found in books – exciting worlds and possibilities available to our children each time we lead them to read. Our first guest today, blogger Amy Johnson, mother of 5 boys, talks to Rachel about why literacy and reading is so important to her as a mom. An avid reader herself, Johnson has established a pattern in her family in support of literacy. Her life goal is to make her boys as obsessed with books as she is; and judging from the dozens of books scattered all over her house, she has been successful so far. She blogs at Sunlit Pages about what she’s currently reading to her children.

Kids on Books (21:20)

Now, we finish up with some children from Provost Elementary School in Utah who talk about some of their favorite books and book characters with Cole Wissinger, a member of the Worlds Awaiting team.

00:00:00 - Introduction

00:03:44 - Amy Johnson

00:21:20 - Kids on Books