Author to talk about ‘The Journey Towards Reading’ at library

Jacquelyn Bobien-Blanton will be reading from her latest book, “The Journey Towards Reading” on Thursday, Oct, 24, at the East Orange Library.

The premise of the book is looking at the ecosystems that surround children between ages 0 to 8.

“That environment will either hinder or promote reading. The housing, the food, the health, the nutrition, all of those systems, whether they had preschool, the stress level, all of those things that surround children will hinder or promote reading,” said Bobien-Blanton. She wants everyone to understand that reading is a science which builds the foundation for advanced skills when they get to kindergarten.

“A lot of times they get to kindergarten without those skills,” she said. “Some kids get bored, and they disengage early. Those early experiences dictate whether reading will be a challenge or not. We have the opportunity to form that brain and help that brain to develop. That’s just talking to our children, reading to our children, singing songs to our children.”

Bobien-Blanton has been working in education for more than 35 years. As a child, she struggled to read, but one of her third-grade teachers was her super-hero. “By the time I left her, I was above reading level,” Bobien-Blanton said.

Currently living in West Orange, Bobien-Blanton grew up in East Orange. Her original plan was to be a clinical psychologist. Interning on a child study team, she realized it wasn’t for her. She then began teaching and thought that’s what she’d do for a while, then go back to psychology. “But teaching those children lit up my world,” she said. “To see their faces when the light bulb goes off is something I’ll never get tired of.”

Bobien-Blanton serves as executive director of early learning for the Orange Township Public Schools, and holds a doctoral degree from Walden University, a master’s degree from Montclair State University, and a bachelor of science degree from Louisiana State University. She is certified in several areas of education including preschool-third grade, elementary education, supervision, and principalship.

She has recognized that there is a large population of students who can’t read proficiently.

“It’s not just my district and state, it’s all children across the country. Not just children of color. The difference is, there are families who can get tutors. The vast majority can’t have that opportunity,” she said. “When I see them struggling, they don’t have to struggle. It doesn’t cost anything. It’s just telling parents exactly what they can do to provide the right stimuli for the brain. Parents don’t wake up and say, ‘I want my child to fail.’ They want the best for their children. They don’t always know what that looks like, what that feels like.”

In addition to reading at the East Orange Library, Bobien-Blanton is setting dates to read in Long Branch, Montclair, and Newark. She also wants to go out of state and is working diligently with her marketing people to get out there.

“This is not just a ‘public school issue.’ This is an ‘every school issue’,” she said. “We want a community conversation about reading—a real conversation about reading. In order to fix something, we have to identify the problem.”

When Bobien-Blanton isn’t writing or educating, she reads, builds LEGOs, and runs.

“I’m a lifelong athlete,” she said.

To learn more about Jacquelyn Bobien-Blanton, visit: https://www.drjackieblanton. com/.

  East Orange Public Library, Orange