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Echidna spikes interest in reading at USC
An award-winning children’s author will show University of the Sunshine Coast teaching students how to inspire kids to read during her visit to the University tomorrow (Tuesday 13 September).
Betty Johnston, who wrote Mrs Echidna’s Dilemma and illustrated it using hand-stitched and embroidered quilt work, will conduct a workshop from 9-10am with USC’s early childhood and primary school teaching students.
The award-winning author, who incorporates finger puppetry into story time, said it was important for educators to “think outside the square” to engage children in text.
“Reading has to be fun. That’s the bottom line,” she said.
“It’s not a chore — it’s about opening up a whole new world to them.”
USC’s Lecturer in Education Carol Smith said Betty Johnston’s visit would provide a great opportunity for students to talk face-to-face with a successful local author.
“Betty will be able to take the students through the process of writing text and the highs and lows of that,” she said.
“This is not just about teaching USC students how to read a story to a child, or how to make meaning with a story, it’s about having them take the initiative and create learning opportunities that involve and engage children in text and text-related activities.
“I think Betty has raised the bar to a certain extent and she is showing people that it’s okay to do things differently. This is something that I encourage in our students.”
— Michelle Widdicombe