What does it take to motivate students to learn? As an educator, you know how hard this can be. If you think back to the best teachers you had, or the most successful ones you meet today, what do they have in common?
…….Knowing how to connect with their students
Being able to connect with your students is key. Finding ways to make real life connections to the classwork is the real game changer.
Here we explore several ways that author talks motivate students by connecting with them in a powerful way…
- Author Talks Are Fun and Different
It’s a break from the norm and injects a new energy around reading and learning. Authors get kids excited to read and show a different and respected figure, other than teachers and parents. Each author talks about how important reading is and this resonates!
For example, in one of our BookBreak talks, Jeff Kinney, author of the well-known Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series said,
“Honestly, in life, the more you read, the more interesting you’ll be, the better your life is going to be, so read as much as you can! The best thing you can do is become a reader.”
For kids, hearing this from a famous author, especially one of whose books they love, carries weight, holds their attention, and has a powerful effect. Plus, in Jeff Kinney’s case, he has a really cool studio – an extra bonus and fun for the students!
- Authors Are An Amazing Resource
Authors can help reinforce all the hard work that teachers are already doing because they are passionate and inspirational. Whether they are talking about how they get their ideas, traveling to interesting places to research settings, or spending days diving into ancient civilizations to describe what their characters like to eat, authors show students how ideas plus hard work become something extraordinary, which otherwise can be very difficult to teach.
- Author Talks Inspire Writing
What better way to get students excited about writing themselves than hearing from a published author who talks about what it’s been like for them as a writer. They share their own struggles and triumphs, from learning how to write stories in school, to what it actually takes to get a book published. For example, an author saying that they went through 17 drafts of a story before it was published can be a real inspiration to students whose teachers are trying to motivate them to do one more revision that will make their work the best it can be. Authors are the first to say to students that all of their stories need to be told, and what they have to say is important! For a student who is having writing challenges of any kind, this has a powerful impact on their confidence and motivation to work on their writing skills.
- Author Talks Show an Exciting Career Path
Countless authors talk about how they were inspired to become a writer after an author visited their school. Author talks show students the real person behind the famous author, where they started, and how they got where they are today. They enjoy helping students see themselves as writers, whether it’s with their own stories they are writing in class, or if they have their sights on becoming a writer someday.
Remember, bringing an author to your students could be the formative experience that gives us the next Maya Angelou or Stephen King!
- Students Love Hearing the Story Behind the Story
It’s exciting to know behind the scenes details about books. In a lot of cases, students may be more interested in a book once they hear why the author wrote it. Authors love sharing how they decided on the main idea of the story and why they created the characters. They are amazing at bringing the story to life for the students and making real-life connections, which keep the students engaged in learning. No one can do this better than the author–After all, they wrote the book!
For example, Katherine Applegate, author of the Newbery Award-winning The One and Only Ivan, shared her inspiration for Ivan’s character with the students during one of our author talks:
“I read about the real Ivan, who was captive in a Tacoma, Washington Mall for 27 years, in a New York Times article, and I thought this would be a really interesting story if I can figure out how to tell it. It had many ups and downs. He was in that horrible mall for a very long time, and it was kids like you who got really frustrated and angry, boycotted the mall, held up signs, told their parents not to shop there, etc.”
- Seeing Someone Who Looks Like Them
Students love learning from people who look like them. Representation is critical and many students don’t realize that there are authors who look just like them and have grown up just like them. Once again – connecting with students is crucial to their learning.
Just as important as representation is offering students opportunities to hear from people who do not look like them or did not grow up like them. Having a wide range of authors from different backgrounds is a key ingredient in adding to students’ diverse education and perspectives. Diversity in experiences is a critical learning piece that author talks provide.
To reinforce this point, Alice Faye Duncan, author of Opal Lee, tells students how meeting an author who looked like her is what inspired her to become an author.
- Author Talks Help Students Read More
There’s nothing quite like meeting a famous author to get students excited to read more. A vast number of educators have seen author talks directly lead their reluctant readers to want to pick up a book to read on their own. The real-life connection to a book makes all the difference and often jump starts reading for reluctant and avid readers alike.
Is there data to back this up?
Yes, there is!
A study in 2023 surveyed 60K+ students and looked at attitudes toward reading and writing. This study found that:
- 49% more students who experienced an author talk say they enjoy reading
- 68% more students who experienced an author talk say they enjoy writing
- 60% more students who experienced an author talk say they read every day
You can see the specific findings in the graph below:
This data is not surprising since we know how inspiring authors can be to get students excited about reading and writing. We also know that incorporating a variety of ways to ignite this passion in all students, no matter their skill level, helps to foster reading as a regular habit.
Are you ready to elevate your school’s reading culture?
Click here to learn more about our Author Talk program.