What are the benefits of in school visits?

Why should I book an author/illustrator visit for my classroom—how will my class benefit?

Wordfest welcomes school groups to events in theatres and helps organise in-school visits with Festival authors and illustrators.

The chance to meet an author or illustrator in person can spark a greater interest in reading than would be possible by simply assigning the book as part of the curriculum. There is nothing quite like it. It’s not magic. It’s not talent. It’s not even the books the author has written that make school visits so successful. Meeting authors make the writing process, books, and the authors themselves more accessible and real to students.

Wordfest presents authors and illustrators who help bring literature to life. They unveil “the story behind the story” of their craft, sharing where they find ideas and inspiration for the characters, settings and situations that drive a plot forward. Writers from the Wordfest Youth Program are also in a unique position to encourage young readers to try their hand at writing their own stories, drawing from their own experiences.

For 45–60 intense, interactive minutes, visiting Wordfest artists entertain while fostering an appreciation of literature and the writing process in a fresh, new way. Depending on the grade level of the presentation, the authors may share insights on the basic building blocks of storytelling, how to research topics for a story, how to incorporate their imagination and the importance of editing and rewriting. Teachers also benefit from these learning opportunities in the process, and have shared with us the delight of learning new techniques for teaching creative writing, illustrating and storytelling.

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