Professional Development
Read to a Child Today
Born Readers Workshops & Consulting
A practical, research-informed approach to building literacy-rich environments for young children — from birth through elementary school.
Services
Consulting Services
Born Readers offers personalized consultation services that go beyond traditional workshops and training. Whether you're launching a new classroom library, curating a waiting room book collection for a pediatric clinic, or selecting titles for a community literacy event, our consulting support ensures every book on the shelf serves a purpose.
What We Offer
  • Selecting quality children's books for classrooms, waiting rooms, and special events
  • Curating collections with attention to cultural relevance and developmental appropriateness
  • One-on-one consultation for educators, organizations, and caregivers building literacy-rich environments
Every recommendation is grounded in early literacy research, ensuring that the books children encounter spark curiosity, reflect their identities, and support their growth as emerging readers.
Ideal For
Schools & Early Learning Centers
Libraries & Family Engagement Teams
Community Organizations & Clinics
Programs Building Read-Aloud Culture
Professional Development
Professional Development Workshops
Our workshops are designed to equip preschool educators, librarians, and caregivers with actionable plans for involving parents in their children's growth as readers and writers. Rooted in research and refined through years of practice, each session moves beyond theory to deliver strategies participants can use immediately — in their classrooms, libraries, and community spaces.
1
Identify Obstacles
Uncover the real barriers to family participation in literacy activities — from scheduling conflicts to language differences and confidence gaps.
2
Build Strategies
Develop realistic, culturally responsive approaches to parent engagement that work within the constraints of your program and community.
3
Strengthen Routines
Create consistent literacy routines that bridge home and classroom, reinforcing children's reading and writing development across environments.

Flexible formats: Sessions range from 45 minutes to 3 hours and are tailored to your time constraints and organizational needs. Every workshop is customized — never one-size-fits-all.
📚 Workshop Spotlight
Busy with Books
Choosing age-appropriate, quality books is one of the most powerful things an educator or caregiver can do for a child's literacy development. Busy with Books helps participants build the knowledge and confidence to make those choices well — selecting titles that captivate, challenge, and affirm young readers from birth through age five.
Building a Book Collection
Learn how to assemble a thoughtful, balanced library that grows with children and reflects their worlds.
Books in Play
Discover the role of books in play-based learning and how to weave stories into everyday exploration.
Involving Parents
Gain strategies for engaging families as active partners in their children's reading journey.
Handling Books with Care
Teach young children to respect and care for books — building responsibility alongside literacy.
Best for: Early childhood educators, caregivers and family-facing staff, and librarians supporting Birth–5 programming.
🤝 Workshop Spotlight
Parents as Partners
Strong literacy outcomes begin when families and educators work together. Parents as Partners provides a practical, step-by-step plan for involving parents in supporting their children's growth as readers and writers — addressing the real-world challenges that often stand in the way of meaningful family engagement.
Focus Areas
Building Family Engagement Systems
Design sustainable structures — not one-off events — that keep families connected to their children's literacy development throughout the year.
Overcoming Barriers to Participation
Identify and address the scheduling, language, cultural, and confidence barriers that prevent families from participating fully.
Strengthening Home-School Connections
Create literacy bridges between home and classroom so that reading and writing become a shared, daily practice.
Great For
  • Preschool and elementary educators
  • Caregivers and family support staff
  • Programs working directly with families
  • Family engagement coordinators
❤️ Workshop Spotlight
Raising a Reader
Every child has the potential to become a lifelong reader — and the adults in their lives hold the key. Raising a Reader delivers proven, research-backed tips that help caregivers and educators nurture a genuine love of reading in young children. This is not about pressure or performance — it's about joy, connection, and building habits that last.
What to Read
Practical guidance on choosing books that match a child's age, interests, and developmental stage — so every reading experience feels rewarding.
Shared Reading Joy
How to make reading a mutually enjoyable activity — not a chore — that deepens the bond between adult and child.
Take-Home Strategies
Simple, actionable strategies that work in real homes with real schedules — no elaborate setups required.
Specialized Workshops
Celebrating Identity & Culture Through Books
Books are mirrors and windows — they help children see themselves and understand others. These two specialized workshops address the critical role that culturally affirming and diverse literature plays in healthy child development and inclusive learning environments.
Celebrating Book Joy
Discover the profound delight and empowerment that unfolds when an African American child finds their own reflection within the pages of a book. This workshop illuminates how the magic of diverse stories can ignite self-esteem, foster immense pride in heritage, and spark an unbreakable bond with reading. We'll explore how to guide children to those perfect stories – the ones that affirm their identity, celebrate their culture, and inspire a lifelong journey through literature, turning every reading moment into an act of joyful discovery.
Windows on the World
Why cultural and ethnic diversity in children's books matters — and how to do it well. Participants learn to judge quality, appeal, and authenticity in diverse titles, use books to support positive identity formation and cross-cultural understanding, and strengthen literacy through inclusive, representative collections.
🌱 Workshop Spotlight
Books, Growth & Healing
Children face difficult experiences — loss, transition, fear, illness, family change. Picture books can be powerful tools for helping young children process these moments and build emotional resilience. Books, Growth, and Healing teaches participants to harness the power of story to promote healthy development, without crossing into clinical territory.
Select Quality, Issue-Oriented Books
Learn to identify picture books that address challenging topics with sensitivity, accuracy, and age-appropriate language.
Support Children Through Stressful Situations
Discover how to use read-alouds to open conversations, normalize feelings, and help children feel less alone.
Encourage Meaningful Responses
Guide children toward thoughtful engagement with books — through discussion, art, play, and reflection — that deepens understanding and promotes healing.

Important note: This workshop emphasizes the power of story as a developmental support — not bibliotherapy. It is designed for educators and caregivers, not clinical professionals.
✏️ Workshop Spotlight
Print & Play
Literacy learning doesn't happen only during storytime — it's woven into every corner of a well-designed classroom. Print and Play shows educators how to create environments where reading and writing invitations are everywhere, using principles of emergent literacy and practical, budget-friendly strategies.
Principles of Emergent Literacy
Understand how young children naturally develop reading and writing skills — and how classroom design can accelerate that development.
Low- & No-Cost Strategies
Get creative with materials you already have. Learn affordable ways to build print-rich spaces that engage and invite exploration.
Structuring Inviting Spaces
Design classroom layouts that naturally draw children toward books, writing tools, and meaningful literacy interactions throughout the day.
Workshop Spotlight
Read to a Child Today!
For tutoring and mentoring programs looking to add read-aloud sessions to their existing work, Read to a Child Today! provides everything volunteers and staff need to make reading aloud a joyful, effective experience. This workshop transforms well-meaning adults into confident, engaging readers who build children's interest in books — one story at a time.
1
Curated Booklists & Tipsheets
Participants leave with ready-to-use booklists organized by age and interest, plus practical tipsheets for getting the most out of every read-aloud session.
2
Holding Children's Attention
Learn proven techniques for keeping young listeners engaged — from voice modulation and pacing to interactive questioning and movement breaks.
3
"Surefire" Read-Aloud Titles
Discover the books that never fail — titles tested and loved by children across settings that build genuine joy and lasting interest in reading.
💻 Workshop Spotlight
Technology, Literacy & Young Children (0–5)
In an era of screens and streaming, the adults in young children's lives need guidance — not just on what to limit, but on how to make digital experiences meaningful. This in-depth workshop takes an evidence-based look at media mentorship and provides practical frameworks for supporting families with young children in the digital age.
1
Early Literacy & Family Engagement
How digital tools can complement — not replace — the foundational literacy practices that matter most in the first five years.
2
Diversity & the Digital Divide
Understanding how access, representation, and equity shape children's digital experiences — and what practitioners can do about it.
3
Media Advisory & Evaluation
Learn to evaluate apps, e-books, and digital content for quality, developmental appropriateness, and alignment with literacy goals.
4
Programming & Supported Access
Practical approaches to incorporating technology into storytime, programming, and curated content access for families.
📖 Workshop Spotlight
Beginning with Books
A foundational workshop for anyone starting from scratch — or looking to refresh their approach to building early literacy environments. Beginning with Books covers the essentials of choosing quality, age-appropriate titles that promote literacy development and gives participants the tools and confidence to build meaningful book collections from day one.
Building a Book Collection
Start strong with guidance on selecting foundational titles that span genres, cultures, and developmental stages.
Books in Play
Integrate books into play-based learning so literacy becomes a natural, joyful part of every day.
Involving Parents
Equip families with simple strategies to extend the reading experience at home.
Handling Books with Care
Teach young children to treat books as treasures — building both respect and independence.

Bonus: All participants receive curated booklists to help get started building their collections right away.
Our Workshop Offerings at a Glance
Born Readers provides a comprehensive suite of workshops and consulting services — each one designed to meet you where you are and take your literacy environment to the next level. Here's a quick overview of everything we offer.
Each workshop can be customized to fit your schedule, audience, and organizational goals — from a focused 45-minute session to an immersive 3-hour deep dive.
Let's Collaborate
Whether you're looking for a single workshop, ongoing consulting, or a fully customized training series, Born Readers is ready to partner with you. We work with schools, libraries, community organizations, healthcare settings, and anyone committed to putting great books in children's hands and building the adults around them into confident literacy advocates.
📧 Email Us
Reach out directly to start a conversation about your needs and how we can help.
📋 Contact Form
Fill out our online form and we'll get back to you with next steps and availability.
🔗 Learn More
Visit our courses page for detailed descriptions of all current workshop offerings.