For Educators

In the age of “fake news” and artificial “intelligence,” accurate information is harder to find than ever before. Enter children’s nonfiction: high-interest books that are thoroughly researched, clearly explained, and a whole lot of fun to read! Canadian authors are the best of the best, producing award-winning nonfiction that stimulates critical thinking skills and turns fact-finding into an adventure.

This workshop begins by outlining contemporary trends in children’s STEAM books (science, technology, engineering, art, and math). We’ll discuss where to look for great Canadian content, and how to evaluate science-themed books… before adding them to your library.

STEAM Powered is best for librarians, homeschoolers, and other educators interested in adding Canadian content to their collections.

Feel like there’s a gap between what you have to teach and what your students want to learn?

Children’s nonfiction can help you build a bridge. High-quality books on high-interest topics engage young readers, while serving as entry-points into curriculum—giving you and your students a common framework for further exploration.

In this workshop, we’ll discuss how to select and evaluate children’s STEAM books for use in the classroom. Next, we’ll explore connections between background knowledge and reading comprehension, revealing how books support development of both literacy and scientific literacy.

Under Their Own STEAM is best for student teachers and other early-career educators.

Research shows that many children enjoy or even prefer nonfiction, choosing books above their reading level when interested in the topic. And yet, many literacy programs exclude fact-based books, to the detriment of kids who crave knowledge.

This workshop focuses on ways STEAM books can support—and captivate—beginning readers. We’ll discuss the unique ways that readers engage with nonfiction, and the unique features of nonfiction texts that support development of literacy skills. We’ll also review research into how choice and variety of reading material can get even the most reluctant readers excited about books.

Picking Up STEAM is best for student teachers and other early-career educators.

Nonfiction authors use the same literary techniques as novelists, which means that fact-based books can help students learn how to write. Especially students who don’t enjoy making things up!

In this workshop, I’ll share fascinating children’s nonfiction that demonstrates one or more writing skills. We’ll see how published authors contextualize information; tap into emotion; leverage suspense, surprise, and humour; and incorporate vivid language and figures of speech. Writing lessons could be built around each mentor text, giving students the opportunity to apply these techniques in their own reports, short stories, and poetry.

Full STEAM Ahead is best for elementary educators who want a new approach to writing instruction.

Writing instruction often focuses on form, frustrating students who feel like they’re starting from scratch with each new format or genre. In this workshop, we’ll examine some of the fundamental, transferable skills that support successful communication across a wide range of documents and contexts. We’ll consider students’ common objections to writing assignments and shift our focus from developing mastery of form to understanding purpose, audience, and efficacy. To balance out these philosophical concerns, we’ll end by discussing practical, hands-on exercises that students can use when planning and revising any writing project.

Function Over Form is best for middle and high school educators who want a new approach to writing instruction.