About Jane Berkowitz

My journey began in college when I enrolled in a children’s literature course and then applied what I learned as a student teacher in a first-grade classroom. Combining interactive read-alouds with my early drama training, I discovered the joy of “experiencing” the chosen stories with young children.

 

But more important, I discovered how choosing the right stories and engaging children with varying reading abilities in interactive read-alouds could help boost their language and vocabulary development, so necessary to achieve reading and academic success.

 

What’s the magic in reading to children? When stories are chosen for their interest to the age group and their accessible vocabulary, kids want to know what’s happening, so they pay attention and absorb new words almost effortlessly. They begin to appreciate the usefulness – and enjoyment – of reading.

 

Over my years of classroom teaching, I pioneered several programs that were innovative at the time but have since achieved wide recognition for their effectiveness. These included age-appropriate classroom libraries, daily read-alouds and independent reading opportunities to expand and enrich my students’ reading interests and proficiencies.

 

Later, working in educational publishing, I helped set up classroom libraries—a new national initiative at the time—in partnerships with school districts across the country, especially in support of California’s State Superintendent’s “Reading Is My Bag” campaign.

 

Since moving to Providence, Rhode Island, I have served as a K-3 literacy consultant to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Providence, developing a visionary and innovative read-aloud-and-crafts after-school program. This literacy-based extension to the clubs’ traditional recreational programming has received praise from the organization’s leadership.

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As a volunteer, I lend my literacy experience to the Jane Babcock Childhood Literacy Initiative of the Rotary Club of Providence, the United Way of Rhode Island's annual book drive and the Education Council of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce.