Latest in Literacy Blog
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What is your Literary History?
Read more: What is your Literary History?Pleasure reading and assigned reading are not mutually-exclusive activities Have you ever taken pause to consider your personal literary history? I remember back to my senior year, an honors English class where I was asked to do this very exercise. It is remarkable how influential the very first pieces of text you consumed are. They…
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READ IT AGAIN! – Reading to Your Child
Read more: READ IT AGAIN! – Reading to Your ChildYoung kids love to read the same book over and over again. Their developing brains see new things in the pictures and better understand the story each time they read it. Plus, the consistency of seeing the same story unfold the same way each time helps children develop a strong sense of sequencing and process.…
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The Allure of the Graphic Novel
Read more: The Allure of the Graphic NovelAs your fairly typical “boy mom”, I can tell you I’ve seen just about every kind of graphic novel for kids. Long before my son discovered Marvel and DC superheroes, he found Captain Underpants, The Adventures of Dogman, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid, to name a few. Perhaps at first glance, graphic novels or…
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5 Keys to a Successful Summer Reading Initiative
Read more: 5 Keys to a Successful Summer Reading InitiativeKelli Bush with Elizabethtown Independent Schools highlights 5 keys to a successful summer reading initiative, such as Kids Read Now. In her eSchoolNews, December 2020 article, she explains how her district’s dedication and the Kids Read Now in-home summer reading program are changing her students’ reading habits for the better. Read the full article here.
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Book Deserts – Blame or Rain
Read more: Book Deserts – Blame or RainMany kids survive in a “book desert” without access to books. Let’s rain books onto every child to create a book oasis instead. “Something that provides refuge, relief, or pleasant contrast.” Oh, wait… that’s an oasis. During this current crisis, many of us have spent time creating our own oasis with multiple trips to Home…
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The Empowerment of Student Choice
Read more: The Empowerment of Student ChoiceEmpowering kids to make their own choices Being a kid can be rough sometimes. Sure, as adults we look back at all the snack times recesses and naptimes that we took for granted, but kids oftentimes don’t have much of a voice when it comes to curricula, learning plans, and homework. Ask just about any…
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Finding the “Just Right” Reading Range
Read more: Finding the “Just Right” Reading RangeFinding your children’s perfect reading range may seem daunting at first. On the one hand, you want to challenge them, but on the other, you don’t want them to get discouraged. So how do you find that fine line where reading is both fun and beneficial? Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered! What Books…
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Discovery Sheets: Talking About Books Builds Reading Skills
Read more: Discovery Sheets: Talking About Books Builds Reading SkillsEvery book we mail home has a book-specific “Discovery Sheet” on the inside front cover. PARENT TIP: For books you get from other places, you can help build reading skills by making up questions or activities like these and talk about EVERY BOOK when your child finishes reading it. It has room for your child…
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The Summer Reading Slide
Read more: The Summer Reading SlideSummer Reading Slide : Summer Reading Program for K-3 The Summer Slide: Summer is a time for relaxation, sunshine, vacations, and… reading loss? It’s estimated that a child loses two months of learning each summer, which accumulates each year, totaling almost two years of learning loss by the time they graduate high school. This epidemic…
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Building a Community of Year-Round Readers
Read more: Building a Community of Year-Round ReadersClaire Kliss believes that getting students excited about reading requires a commitment to building (and feeding) a community. In Language Magazine’s April 2020 article, Building a Community of Year-Round Readers, she discusses how she’s making a difference in her district. Read the article here