GETTING THE RIGHT START
Getting the Right Start is IRW’s newest initiative that aims to improve literacy skill development, connect reading with art and promote a love of books to help pre-K children get the right start in school.
This child-centered initiative focuses on how to deepen the reading experience by viewing the picture book as an art form.
Getting the Right Start is a combination of The Whole Book Approach, developed by Megan Dowd Lambert and The Eric Carle Museum for Picture Book Art, and Visual Thinking Strategies. The combination of these approaches helps develop children’s observation, imagination and vocabulary skills through story time and book-centered activities.
Armed with a selection of picture books that represent the best in each category (Format, Endpapers, Front Matter, Gutter, Typography, Medium and Style), IRW staff and Getting the Right Start volunteers are working in schools and childcare centers to introduce these elements of picture books. The documented result, among others, is a positive effect on children’s eagerness to engage, attention and focus, and the depth of their observations and inference, and enjoyment.
IRW Community Book Clubs
IRW Community Book Clubs bring children and families together through shared experiences around a common book. Using a book carefully selected by IRW staff, adult/child pairs read and discuss the book together, and participate in fun, book-related activities and have the opportunity to connect with the author. The goal of this community program is to get kids excited about reading outside of the classroom, have fun with books and share the reading experience with a parent, guardian or other engaged adult.
Professional Development
Professional Development – IRW brings educators together, virtually and in person, to learn about a variety of literacy-centered topics such as: the integration of literature across disciplines; diverse books; Visual Thinking Strategies, process and application; The Whole Book Approach to reading with children; the writing craft, and much more. IRW partners with like-missioned nonprofit organizations to collaborate on professional workshops and presentations.
ART OF THE PICTURE BOOK
Picture books are for readers of all ages! At IRW, we draw on the Whole Book Approach developed by Megan Dowd Lambert and Visual Thinking Strategies by Philip Yenawine and Dr. Abigail Housen to engage readers in an interactive conversation about various artforms and the relationship between visual and textual storytelling. IRW uses this process in our programs for all ages, as it nurtures critical and creative thinking, language development and literacy skills.
VIRTUAL PROGRAMS
IRW offers virtual programming everyone, from story hours for preschoolers, professional development for educators and librarians, book clubs for children and adults and special events with authors, illustrators and other presenters. Information about our current and upcoming events can be found in our Events section of the website.