The early reading forum is a yearly event organized by the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania that seeks to assemble a community of Lithuanian and international researchers, educators and other experts able to professionally promote a credible message on the benefits of early reading. The event is meant for parents, future parents and experts working with the reading education of toddlers – librarians, experts in formal and non-formal education.
Live broadcast of the conference
08:30–09:00 Registration (welcome coffee)
09:00–09:30 Opening and welcome speeches
SESSION I
9:30–10:00
UNESCO’s work on early learning
Sonia Guerriero, Doctor of Philosophy, a Senior ECD & Education Specialist at UNESCO
10:00–10:30
The influence of reading on the emotional and social development of children: How to take part through reading experiences
Austėja Landsbergienė, Doctor of Social Science, educologist
10:30–11:00
The contribution of Lithuanian libraries in promoting early reading
Goda Baranauskaitė-Dangovienė, Director of the Children’s and Youth’s Literature Department of the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania
11:00–11:40
Bookgifting makes families read – Early reading programs from all around the world and results from Finland’s first program
Emmi Jäkkö, Director of the Finnish Reading Center
11:40–12:00 Answers to questions
12:00–13:00 Break
SESSION II
13:00–13:40
The influence of the linguistic and reading environment on early neuropsychological development
Ramunė Dirvanskienė, Doctor of Neuropsychology, a lecturer at Vilnius University
13:40–14:10
What international research on student reading tells us?
Rita Dukynaitė, Doctor of Social Science, Chief Adviser of Division of Strategic Planning of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania
14:10–14:50
Emergent Literacy. Children’s books from 0 to 3
Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer, Doctor of Philology, Professor at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany
14:50–15:00 Answers to questions
The moderator of the forum – Martynas Starkus
Austėja Landsbergienė is a Doctor of Social Science, educologist, an author on the principles of contextual education, educational consultant, and assessor of education at the Council of International Schools, founder of the largest chain of preschools in the Baltics “Childhood Garden” (Vaikystės sodas), Queen Morta School (Karalienės Mortos mokykla) and “Six Senses International Preschool, author of books on education.
Sonia Guerriero is a Doctor of Philosophy. She is a Senior ECD & Education Specialist at UNESCO. She leads research, strategic development, and implementation of international projects to support countries to achieve SDG 4 on Inclusive and Equitable Quality Education. She holds a doctorate in Child Development from McGill University, and has built her career around translating the science of learning to education policy and practice. She has advised international development agencies and national governments around the world in education system reforms through evidence-based policy analysis. She has published on a range of educational and social issues, including teacher motivation, math anxiety, child and youth well-being, gender differences, early childhood learning, educational attainment, workplace skills, and labour market outcomes.
Rita Dukynaitė is a Doctor of Social Science (educology). She is the Chief Adviser of Division of Strategic Planning of the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania. She has worked as an Associate Professor at the Lithuanian University of Education, Mykolas Romeris and Vilnius Universities. She is also a member of the PISA Governing Board of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a member of the General Assembly of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievements (IEA). Rita Dukynaitė is the author or co-author of more than 10 books and about 30 articles, the head of several international and national projects or a member of management committees.
Ramunė Dirvanskienė is a Doctor of Neuropsychology, a lecturer at Vilnius University, the Chairwoman of the Neuropsychology group at the Lithuanian Psychologist Union and an active neuroscience communicator, author of “How the Brain Works” (Kaip veikia smegenys).
Goda Baranauskaitė-Dangovienė has been working in the Children’s and Youth’s Literature Department of the National Library for four years. She started in the field of cultural education and is now the head of this department. Since her studies, she has been actively interested and researching children’s and youth’s literature, and has a constant interest in children’s reading and its promotion. She has published papers, initiated research, given presentations, taken part in expert groups, and organised and delivered training for professionals on children’s and youth’s literature.
Emmi Jäkkö has been developing Finland’s first national early reading program. She’s a Master of Arts in literature and art history from Helsinki University. She has worked with books, publishing and reading for 15 years. Emmi Jäkkö is the director of the Finnish Reading Center and participant in EURead and the Global Network for early years Bookgifting.
Bettina Kümmerling-Meibauer is a professor in the German Department at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany. She has been a guest professor at the universities of Växjö (Sweden) and Vienna (Austria). She is the co-editor of the book series “Children’s Literature, Culture and Cognition” (John Benjamins) and advisory board member of several international scholarly journals. She has authored four books and edited more than twenty volumes. Her most recent publications are The Routledge Companion to Picturebooks (2018) and Exploring Challenging Picturebooks in Education (2022). Her research interests focus on the history and theory of the picturebook, postwar German children’s literature and culture, canon processes in children’s literature, and the impact of the Avant-garde on children’s literature and children’s films.
Prof. Dr. Renaldas Gudauskas, Director General of the National Library. Chairman of the Commitee
Mindaugas Bundza, Advisor to the President of the Republic of Lithuania
Jolanta Balčiūnienė, UNESCO ambassador
Daina Urbanavičienė, Deputy Minister of the Republic of Lithuania
Agnė Liucilė Andriuškevičienė, Advisor to the Minister of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania
Rūta Elijošaitytė-Kaikarė, Executive Director of the Lithuanian Publishers Association
Dr. Kęstutis Urba, Researcher of Children‘s literature, translator
Aldona Augustaitienė, Former Director of the Children‘s and Youth‘s Department at the National library
Unė Kaunaitė, Director of “EDU Vilnius“
Sandra Leknickienė, Deputy Director General of the National Library
Goda Baranauskaitė-Dangovienė, Director of the Children‘s and Youth‘s Department at the National library
Viktorija Pukėnaitė-Pigagienė, Director of the Communications and Marketing Department
Žydrė Vėtienė, Representative of the Project Management Unit of the National Library