For Teachers

Author Visits

Programs

Author Visit Kits

Visits Q & A

Hip-Hip Hooray for Author Day!

If you are interested in hosting a visit with Jennifer Ward , she would love to inspire your students to write. Simply email your request.
Thank you.

I try to balance as many author visits as my calendar will allow each year because, 1) I absolutely love visiting schools, and 2) I believe author visits are a fantastic way to inspire students and support learning and literacy.

My calendar fills up quickly! If you are interesting in having me visit your school or library, simply email me at: jwbooks@att.net and include your name, your school's name and location. I can tailor the day to work with one classroom, one grade level, or an entire school. My fees are negotiable, depending on your budget, locale & the number of sessions needed.

Please feel free to request an Author Visit Kit, as described below.

My programs are interactive and multi media. I use my experience as an educator to provide materials appropriate for a wide range of audience ages, from preschool to college classes, each tailored the audience skill level. I strive to make the day especially fun for kids, and teachers, too. Together, we will bring my books to life and celebrate literacy.

If you are able to have just one author visit your school library, Jennifer Ward is the one!
Students and teachers alike walk away wanting more.
- Kathy Messick, Librarian, Greenbrier Elementary

PROGRAMS

PRIMARY: HIP HIP HOORAY FOR AUTHOR DAY!
- "Where do you get your ideas?" "How are books made?" "Do rattlesnakes and Gila monsters really live at your house?" Using curious minds as a springboard, students learn how becoming a spy (observing what's around us) can be the perfect device for generating story ideas, and how ideas turn into books.

INTERMEDIATE: FROM SCRAPS TO SCRIBBLES TO SUCCESS
Using my books and actual scribbles on scraps of early drafts before they became books, I teach students about ideas, text organization, word choice, revising, research and what an author's job is like. Students get to view original samples of my elementary school writing, too, (which often proves very inspiring!) as we experience fun with language, writing concepts and reading.

I continually get remarks from teachers that your presentation was “the best assembly we’ve ever had,” and that you really inspired their students to write.
Thank you for an extraordinary visit. We hope to see you again.
-Sharon Kane, LMS, Kyrene School District

My books tie into all national curriculum strands, including language arts, mathematics, science, social studies and fine arts. I weave and thread as much curriculum content into my presentations as I can, so in addition to a literacy emphasis, students will gain knowledge regarding science, research, fact vs. fiction, mathematics, biology and geography.

Wondering more about what my author visits are like? Visit my Author Visit Q & A, where I've compiled frequently asked questions regarding my visits.

In addition to traditional sessions, these programs are also available:
Writer's Workshops - I can facilitate writing groups of 20 or less in areas of the Six + One Traits... ~~ *FUN WITH FLIP FLOP BOOKS!* Using Forest Bright, Forest Night as a model, students create their own comparison stories using a flip-flop format. ~~ *HOW A STORY GROWS -* Using descriptive word choice, students create their own cumulative stories. ~~ CALL ME A FOUR LEAF CLOVER - Students create simple poems as they apply metaphors to their writing, selecting word choices that offer imagery and originality. ~~ *WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN? WILD STORIES* - Students learn about basic story elements as they apply their imaginations and write wildly creative stories. Family Literacy Night - I will perform a lively story telling session followed by tips on supporting literacy in the home, including how to encourage kids to read and write outside of a classroom setting.		Learning about the endless possibilities with word choice. Students work on creating their own stories!

International Reading Association Council Meetings - I have presented at International Reading Association conventions, in addition to local council meetings. I provide educators with strategies for shaping strong readers and writers in the classroom; the very strategies real authors use to create published stories, while providing a behind the scene look at a book from idea to publication. up

Our second graders have been writing non-stop since your visit.
-Laura Marlowe, 2nd Grade Teacher, Lehi Elementary

AUTHOR VISIT KIT

If you are interested in having me visit your school, I'm happy to send you an Author Visit Kit. This kit includes detailed information about my visits, as well as curriculum activities that tie in with my books, materials for display, tips for arranging successful author visits & book marks for students. Simply contact me directly. Be sure to include your name, your affiliation with your school and most importantly, your school's address.

Note: Steve Gray, who illustrated There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea, also does school visits, as does Ken Spengler, who illustrated Way Out in the Desert, Somewhere in the Ocean, Over in the Garden & Way Up in the Arctic!