Great Books Highlights JGB Inspire on WVON
Today our Assistant Director of Training and Development, Teri Laliberte, appeared on WVON AM Chicago to chat with host Kimberley Egonmwan about the new Junior Great Books Inspire program and the Shared Inquiry methodology the Foundation employs to make JGB programs such a success. For the first time in a decade, Junior Great Books for grades 2–5 has been expanded to include fiction, narrative nonfiction, poetry, and drama—all designed to help students read more deeply, think critically, and build stronger discussion skills.
“Any time we can start building critical thinking skills early so that people aren’t just parroting what they hear but actually giving a lot of thought to it, that’s how we become a better and more informed society,” Egonmwan observed. “Don’t you agree, Teri?”
“One hundred percent. Any time I see students engaged in critical thinking, with teachers helping and guiding students to finding their own voice, rather than parroting back what the teacher or the textbook or curriculum is asking them to parrot, getting students to think deeply about what they read is our goal,” Laliberte began.
Listen to the rest of the interview here to learn more about the Shared Inquiry method of learning, the special aspects of Junior Great Books Inspire, the Foundation’s long history springing from the University of Chicago, and our ongoing mission to inspire civil discourse and serve lifelong readers and learners.
Director of Marketing and Development
Dan Lindstrom is the director of marketing and development for the Great Books Foundation. He promotes the important work that the Foundation does for lifelong learners, helping all who are interested to take part in civil discussions about outstanding literature and other objects of inquiry. During his 30 years with the Foundation, he has spoken with dozens of educators who love how Junior Great Books encourages children to express their own opinions about what they have read.
