Curriculum Integration for Virtual Author Talk Programs

At the elementary school level, BookBreak author talks enhance students' listening and speaking skills, develop reading comprehension, and transfer knowledge through read-aloud and draw-along activities. With the added curriculum integration component, teachers strengthen their units of study with talks aligned to the contents and themes students are learning. For example, kindergarten and first-grade students learn about the difference between fantasy and realistic fiction from our author talks about The Princess in Black Series and Viva Frida; bridging these two genres builds students' understanding in new and exciting ways. The screenshot below reflects a highly interactive read-along that provides new information, questioning, and a grappling with new concepts.

At the middle school level, BookBreak author talks continue to develop students' listening and speaking skills but delve deeper into the literary elements of fiction, historical fiction, social-emotional topics, research and writing. As students begin to distinguish between different genres and discover other forms of writing, the author talks enhance students' understanding of how to analyze and synthesize literary texts. With the added curriculum integration in sixth through eighth grade, the units of study and author talks are aligned with student learning and build on the content and student understanding. For example, in 6th grade, 8-minute Would you Read it? segments on Freewater by Amina Luqman-Dawson and Four Eyes by Rex Ogle introduce students to new novels and teach students about different types of narratives and how to plan and write narratives. Our more in-depth talks (30 minutes) build an understanding of various forms of writing and give students insight into the making of a story and how the contents of a story work. The screenshot below with author Steve Sheinkin provides students with an understanding on primary and secondary research sources.

The high school program expands literary knowledge and provides students with a multi-disciplinary focus that synthesizes knowledge aligned with the curriculum standards. As students continue to develop their reading repertoire and move into adulthood, BookBreak author talks provide students the ability to question, research, analyze, and synthesize knowledge integrated into high-order thinking. With the added curriculum integration in ninth through twelfth grade, students expand their reading repertoire and formulate independent thought while increasing their knowledge and comprehension skills. For example, in 10th grade, students view an author's talk as a companion text to the classics, where they analyze and synthesize common themes between the two works. The experience builds students' foundational knowledge and builds new knowledge, thus building on cognitive and metacognitive comprehension skills.

BookBreak's curriculum integration program not only aligns the author's talks with what students are learning but also enhances their love of literature. It provides across-the-curriculum applications that students can build on as they continue to hone their reading skills and grow as independent readers. Additionally, teachers broaden their curriculum with standards-aligned virtual author talks, mini-lessons, and pre-and post-talk curricular activities.