Ready to help

Can you use some inspiration, direction and/or support

I present to educators, parents, and to students, both in person and virtually. I have done numerous online presentations and would love to support you. Lately, most of the presentations are done from my “shack” in Victoria.

To book one or merely to ask questions, contact my agent Chris Patrick. Chris can be reached a bouchardbookings@shaw.ca or by phone at 604-202-6104

 

Testimonial Letter to David’s agent Chris Patrick

Dear Chris:

I wanted to make a special point of thanking you for your flexibility in offering us a teleconference with David Bouchard. The Superior-Greenstone District School Board is a small North-western Ontario School Board with ten communities spread over a geographic region approximately the size of France. We use both teleconference and videoconference for professional learning and to bridge the distance between our schools.

We are extremely excited to have a literacy teacher in each of our schools this year. Our commitment to literacy included sending teachers to our regional literacy conference this summer and organizing a special workshop for our principals and vice principals about the principal’s role in literacy. We were thrilled to be able to participate in a Keynote address by David Bouchard in Thunder Bay.

David’s passion and enthusiasm grabbed our attention immediately. He continued to draw the audience into his magical storytelling by speaking of things that were relevant to teachers, administrators and parents. He combined a mixture of humour and realism to force us to confront the fact that we could be doing a much better job of teaching students. His address was powerful and inspiring. I was amazed to see the impact David had on our principals and vice principals. Literacy has become a main priority in both the elementary and secondary panels. They are excited and they are buying books! They are celebrating literacy and supporting students who are late readers.

 The benefit of David’s address carries on. We are talking and reflecting about our practices and we are committed to making things better for kids. As we were planning our literacy teacher training day, we wondered how we could get David to inspire our teachers, just like he inspired our leaders. The timelines were short, so a trip to Marathon seemed impractical….but a teleconference? Would he agree? Would he think we were crazy? You can imagine our excitement when we found out it was going to happen! Thank you just doesn’t seem like enough, we have now had the benefit of having David inspire our leaders and our teachers!!!!!

I did wonder if David would be able to convey his message through the phone line the same as he did in person. I ensured that each of the teleconference participants had a copy of his book The Gift of Reading and had some time before the teleconference to read the book and think of questions to ask. 

The teleconference was magical. David’s voice pulled the listeners into his world where he challenged practice, celebrated children and shared stories. The participants leaned forward, not wanting to miss anything; the room was still and quiet, except for the rich voice coming from the phone. The listeners were engaged and the conversation became a free-flowing exchange of ideas and beliefs. I watched in amazement as a participant, moved to tears by David, explained her renewed understanding of the importance of parental involvement in the reading process. I feel so fortunate to have been involved in this process and would definitely do this again. The evaluation forms were filled with words of gratitude for David’s involvement, but beyond the forms, there was a sense of excitement and energy in the air. The teleconference set the tone for the rest of the day; often participants would quote David or remind us of one of his key messages. Most importantly, it set the tone for the role of the literacy teacher. This was an excellent way to start literacy training and I am looking forward to making arrangements for a teleconference for our secondary school literacy teachers.

 

Thank you again for your flexibility and commitment to children.

 

Sincerely,

Patti Pella

Superintendent of Education

Superior-Greenstone District School Board

How to get your school reading

We don't teach reading...

We don't teach walking. We don't teach talking. They happen naturally yet there are rules and timelines. 

If Maria Montessori is right (I'm betting that she is) reading is as natural as walking and talking. She found that children needed three things to become readers and if these are provided, children become readers. 

Three things are required:

1. Time

2. A hero - a gift giver

3. Books

From a lifetime of experience, a sure winner with kids of all ages is story - oral or written. 

Surround yourself with your favourites then share them. Don't wait to be invited, push your way in and get sharing. 

What? An example you say? Sure. Try this treasure with middle/high school. 

Charles Dicken's classic Oliver Twist through the eyes of Fagan.  Fagin the Thief: A Novel

And if you really want to be ambitious, listen to it through Audible.co.    WOW!!! 

For younger friends, there are countless to offer. Let me start with one of my (if not my all time favourite) favourites...

Enough for now? 

Group hug

School Opening 2025

 Mission Statement:

Our school is a sanctuary for students, staff and parents. 

Our focus: 

Our school is focussed on reading. Parents, staff and students are committed to reading and literacy. 

Why? 

·         Cognitive Development: 

Reading stimulates brain development, particularly in early childhood, strengthening language skills, literacy, and social-emotional development. 

·         Imagination and Creativity: 

Books transport children to different worlds and scenarios, encouraging them to imagine possibilities and explore their creativity. 

·         Emotional Intelligence: 

Stories help children understand emotions, develop empathy, and learn to navigate social situations. 

·         Academic Success: 

Reading is fundamental to academic achievement across all subjects, improving vocabulary, comprehension, and critical thinking skills. 

·         Lifelong Learning: 

Encouraging a love of reading from a young age fosters a lifelong habit of learning and exploration. 

·         Strengthens Relationships: 

Shared reading time creates special bonding moments and strengthens the relationship between children and adults. 

·         Reduces Screen Time: 

Reading offers a healthy alternative to excessive screen time, helping children develop focus and reduce mindlessness. 

·         Cultural Literacy: 

Reading exposes children to diverse cultures, perspectives, and experiences, promoting understanding and tolerance. 

I remain as committed to reading today as I did back then, before the gray hair and a couple tattoos. The biggest change in me is that I am now more experienced and over many exciting years, have gathered numerous effective strategies that I am happy to share when asked. This I will do over the course of the next few days/weeks. 

Enough already, let's do this thing!