AUTHOR SESSIONS IN GLASGOW SCHOOLS

WHO?

  • 19 authors (of whom 8 are also illustrators)
  • 2215 pupils ranging from primary 1 to Secondary 6th year
  • 1238 primary age pupils
  • 977 secondary age pupils
  • audiences ranged in size from 17 to 140
  • School staff
  • 22 School Library Outreach staff / School Librarians
  • Scottish Book Trust

WHAT?

  • Hearing the visitor talk about what they do as a working author/illustrator
  • Drawing a story as a collaborative class activity
  • Making graphic novels
  • Listening to a storyteller
  • Asking questions of the author/illustrator
  • Writing workshops
  • Talking about books, reading, drawing and storytelling in a variety of forms
  • Singing a song
  • Preparatory work by schools included reading, mask making, story writing, arranging welcome/thank you (and, in one case, home baking!)

WHERE?

In the classrooms and libraries of 63 schools across the city

  • 30 secondary schools
  • 31 primary schools
  • 1 Additional Support for Learning (moderate learning needs) school
  • 1 Additional Support for Learning (speech and language) unit
  • A total of 63 establishments was the result of BellahoustonAcademyhosting 3 of its associated primary schools ain support of its transition work

WHEN?

  • Between December 2011 and March 2012

WHY?

  • To bring books to life for pupils and make them as relevant as possible
  • To create opportunities for pupils to enter into direct dialogue with professional writers
  • To highlight the concept of reading for enjoyment and encourage an new generation of readers and writers
  • To support the work of schools in developing literacy and providing positive learning experiences

Participating schools:

Laura Hogg1

School Library Outreach

Alexandra Parade Primary

All Saints Secondary

Anderston Primary

AultmorePark Primary

Balornock Primary

Bannerman High

BellahoustonAcademy

Blackfriars Primary

Caledonia Speech and Language Unit

Castlemilk High

Chirnsyde Primary

Cleeves Primary

Cleveden Secondary

Drumchapel High

EastbankAcademy

EastmuirSchool

GlasgowGaelicSchool (Secondary)

Govan High

Hillhead Secondary

Hillpark Secondary

Holyrood Secondary

Hyndland Secondary

Ibrox Primary

JohnPaulAcademy

King’s Park Secondary

Knightswood Primary

Knightswood Secondary

Langside Primary

Lochend Secondary

Lorne Street Primary

Lourdes Secondary

Notre Dame High

Pollokshields Primary

RosshallAcademy

St Andrew’s Secondary

St Angela’s Primary

St Bartholomew’s Primary

St Clare’s Primary

St Conval’s Primary

St Cuthbert’s Primary

St Joachim’s Primary

St Joseph’s Primary

St Margaret Mary’s Secondary

St Marnock’s Primary

St Mary’s Primary

St Michael’s Primary

St Mungo’s Academy

St Mungo’s Primary

St Patrick’s Primary

St Paul’s High

St Roch’s Secondary

St Rose of Lima Primary

St Teresa’s Primary

St Thomas Aquinas Secondary

Sandaig Primary

Shawlands Secondary

Smithycroft Secondary

SpringburnAcademy

Wallacewell Primary

Westercommon Primary

Whitehill Secondary

Whiteinch Primary

Yoker Primary

Laura Hogg1

School Library Outreach

Participating authors:

Julie Bertagna

Keith Brumpton

Ross Collins

Lari Don

Gerard Durkin

John Fardell

Catherine Forde

Debi Gliori

Keith Gray

Barry Hutchison

Catherine MacPhail

Jonathan Meres

Metaphrog (John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs)

Nicola Morgan

Moira Munro

Liz Niven

Simon Puttock

Frank Rodgers

EVALUATION

Formal and informal evaluation took place throughout the programme of author sessions. Evaluation forms were distributed at all sessions and a large number were returned to School Library Outreach. Informal comments were also noted for inclusion in evaluation.

Pupils’ responses: Primary (including ASL)

458 forms were received including some that were a whole-class return. Therefore, approximately 500 pupils gave their views.

Question 1: Are you more interested in reading now that you have met an author?

Questions 2: Are you more interested in writing now that you have met an author?

Question 3: Are you more interested in drawing now that you have met an illustrator? (where applicable)

When asked what the pupils thought was good about the session, the most common responses were:

  • Everything
  • When he/she read his/her bookranked equally with The stories he/she told. As the responses were written in free-text, there may be some overlap between these two categories. In addition to reading or telling works of fiction, the authors often told stories about things that had happened in their own lives.
  • He/she was funny
  • The author talking about their books including new work
  • Seeing the illustrator drawing. (Drawing also featured significantly but it was unclear whether this related to the children drawing or the illustrator.)
  • The author explaining where he/she gets her ideas from and goes about writing
  • Making up their own story with the author

The importance of meeting an author in person was obvious to those attending the sessions and is critical to engaging pupils. This personal touch was reflected in some of the comments about what was good:

  • The author was very nice and kind
  • Her excited reaction to the stories (ie the author’s enthusiasm)
  • He saw our pictures
  • We could ask questions
  • (the author) was amazing
  • On another matter just to let you know we received lovely postcards from Catherine McPhail. After her visit the children wrote to her & she sent an individual response to every child, they were all thrilled! I have to say that’s a first & totally unexpected so thanks very much for organising that visit.

Staff responses: Primary and ASL

26 evaluation forms were received from class teachers.

Did the session provide a positive learning experience for your pupils?

100% of responses were very positive:

  • Yes the children really enjoyed it - so did I!

Has the session had a positive impact on classroom activities?

100% of responses were very positive:

  • The children now realise that books are written from ideas that the authors’ have. Real life provides writing material. Children went home and wrote!
  • Yes - it has given a real purpose to our next fictional writing project
  • They(pupils) like to think of themselves as writers and illustrators.

What benefits have you and your pupils derived from interacting with a working author?

  • Lari Don really inspired the children's writing and a lot of them have been writing stories to send to her (as agreed). It has motivated them to read her books and generated a book club.
  • Children have developed an interest in creating their own books/stories and love sharing them with the rest of the class.
  • Lovely to hear someone reading their own books. Children realised that books are written by real people.
  • It was interesting to hear from an author that most children had read and could relate to. Most pupils feel now that they too can write and can start from their own experiences and environment.
  • One teacher commented to SLO staff during a session that a pupil who was drawing (enthusiastically) on a flipchart as part of a whole-class activity to develop a story does not usually like drawing.

Would you be interested in participating in similar sessions in the future?

100% of responses were very positive

  • A very big yes - a super experience for all.

Is there anything that could have been done to improve the session?

All respondents were very positive, with alterations limited to:

  • More time
  • Follow-up workshops

Both the children and I thoroughly enjoyed the visit and learned a lot about creative writing.

Pupils’ responses: Secondary

229 forms were received.

Did you enjoy the visit?

  • 100% positive

What was the most interesting thing about it?

  • hearing how the author gets his/her ideas
  • when (s)he read his/her book/poem
  • he was funny
  • learning writing techniques (various comments)
  • he/she talked about his/her book/ new work
  • the stories (s)he told (links with where an author gets ideas from)
  • the interactive aspect of sessions was also popular with various activities cited such as:
  • after writing your own ideas, we all got a chance to read them out loud
  • creating our own story/writing activity
  • writing our own comic /poem
  • when we had to think of ideas - generating a story
  • drawing our own character

How has meeting an author changed the way you feel about reading and/or writing?

Statements were 85% positive with the remaining 15% reporting no change or “don’t know”

Comments included:

  • it made me feel as if I could one day be a writer
  • she has made me want to write my own stories
  • it has changed the way I think because I really wanted to read after it and I’ve never wanted to read before

Would you like to attend another event in the future?

  • Yes: 93.4%
  • Maybe: 5.1%
  • No: 1.6%

Staff responses: Secondary

14 evaluation forms were received from class teachers.

Did the session provide a positive learning experience for your pupils?

100% of responses were very positive:

  • Yes - it was amazing for them to meet a real 'live' author and meet the face behind the book which they had enjoyed.

Has the session had a positive impact on classroom activities?

100% of responses were very positive:

  • Yes: Languages Faculty are introducing new graphic word course in CforE. This was a great introduction.
  • Has certainly motivated pupils to read more and seems to have given pupils more confidence in their writing.
  • Yes the pupils are reading more books for their World of Personal Reading and are interested in writing stories

What benefits have you and your pupils derived from interacting with a working author?

  • It has opened discussion about reading for pleasure. Encouraged pupils to consider writing for pleasure.
  • Realising that creative writing is an active process, that a piece of writing has to be crafted.
  • Enthusiasm in creating their own work
  • The class enjoyed it both as an event and as an educationally valid way to encourage reading.

Would you be interested in participating in similar sessions in the future?

93% of responses were positive. One response stated “possibly”

  • Very much so!

Is there anything that could have been done to improve the session?

All responses were positive with suggestions for improvements indicating the success of the events:

  • More time
  • Perhaps time to hear the author read aloud from his work, but he was so great at just talking to the pupils anyway.
  • No, it was very positive, rewarding and stimulating event by a prolific, personable and enthusiastic author.

What the authors thought

Lari Don:

I’ve enjoyed meeting all the pupils, and I’ve had fun with every single class, but I really wanted to mention Anderston Primary, which I visited today – the two class teachers were incredibly enthusiastic, the children were impeccably well prepared and they were really engaged and imaginative during the whole session. Because they were all reading the same book (First Aid for Fairies) together, and because they had thought of questions beforehand, the session was really focussed and I think we all got a lot out of it (me included!) Their storymaking skills were fantastic, and they came up with some very exciting (and funny!) ideas. It was one of the best and most worthwhile author sessions I’ve ever done, so please do say thanks to all involved!

Catherine Forde:

I have been so privileged to be invited to give sessions under the auspices of Glasgow Life. You have been so kind and thoughtful and the sessions have all done Glasgow schools, teachers and pupils proud in my eyes.

Barry Hutchison:

It was an absolute pleasure to come down. The kids were great and really did the schools proud. I’ve been contacted by quite a few of them via email and on Facebook now, and they still seem enthusiastic about the books, so that’s great!

(Pupils at one school were still citing Barry as a favourite author 3 months after his visit)

Metaphrog (John Chalmers and Sandra Marrs):

Just a note to say that the four sessions were all very well organised, the groups of children were great, fantasticto work with and all very keen. We have been receiving very positive feedback from everyone and a lovely Xmas' card from the Lochend school group with all the characters they created during their session working with us. Thank you again!

Laura Hogg1

School Library Outreach