Articles tagged Literacy
Amidst a sea of bustling children, adorable little ones in strollers and Ergo carriers, and mamas-to-be looking radiant and curious, Julia and I set up a table at the Good Beginnings First Annual Baby and Child Expo to talk with parents about reading to their children from the get-go. Good Beginnings of Central Vermont is … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
If you have ever had a small child living in your home, chances are there are several Dr. Seuss books lying around. He is, after all, the best-selling children’s author of all time. Did you ever notice, though, that there are two different types Dr. Seuss books? Quite frankly, until recently, I did not. In 1937, … Continued
Book Recommendations / How You Can Help
I imagine a long time ago, cavemen and women gave their cave children some food, whatever it may have been, and those cave children duly ate it. Task accomplished. Done. Now everyone start looking for more. Here in America in 2013 things are a might bit different. Just a might. Now that we live in … Continued
At the Highgate Apartments in Barre, VT the quiet of a recent Saturday morning ended abruptly as the unmistakable roar of a race car engine announced to all children within earshot it was time to meet Thunder Road driver Troy Kingsbury, check out his awesome car, and get some cool new books to read.
General / Book Recommendations
Time magazine recently reported on “Why Math Is the Hot New Bedtime Reading.” WHAT? Everyone knows how we here at CLiF feel about books and reading. And I have a particular soft spot for the soothing, relaxing, entertaining bedtime read. I mean, I have been reading my kids into a sleepy stupor for as long … Continued
Ah. The much needed mid-winter break. Who doesn’t need a little rest from the hectic day to day of the school schedule right now? I know that teachers worry that reading and writing skills will slip over break and kids will return to school at the end of the week two steps behind. If you … Continued
Watching your child develop language skills is definitely one of the great joys of parenting. My five year old is picking up big, grown-up words every day, and it is fun watching her figure out how to use them. But, as with any new skill your child obtains, there are definitely drawbacks. When they learn … Continued
This job of being a full time mom is pretty hectic. There is a lot of running around, picking up, dropping off, talking, listening, soothing, managing, feeding, etc., etc. So with all that going on what would you think would be the sweetest part of my day? Would you guess that it’s the first ten … Continued
CLiF is now accepting applications for our Year of the Book grant for the 2013-2014 school year. Our one-year partnership with elementary schools encourages students to read and write more often for enjoyment in school and at home. CLiF provides select elementary schools in New Hampshire and Vermont with more than $25,000 worth of children’s … Continued
I love a good bookstore. If I am visiting a town and I’ve heard about a cozy, quirky or otherwise interesting locally owned bookstore, you better believe I’m going to make some time to check it out. Luckily for me, I live in an area of Vermont that offers a plethora of bookstores to cater … Continued
I don’t like it when my house gets too quiet. As the mother of two little boys, silence makes red flags go up in a hurry. I have become quite talented in tuning out the everyday sounds of fights over whose truck is whose and whose turn it is to play with the fireman. I … Continued
2012 was a pretty good year. The year our girls learned to swim and to ski. The year our older daughter started kindergarten and became an “emergent reader.” Another year our old dog survived. We had some ups and downs, but mostly ups. Not too shabby. Of course, we can always improve. Onward and upward, … Continued
Jodi Wheeler is no doubt a local hero around Lyndonville, Vermont. In 2005, Jodi founded the H.O.P.E. Foundation to help address the most basic needs of her neighbors: clothing and food. H.O.P.E. operates a thrift store to provide low cost clothing, provides emergency food and operates a weekly backpack program for children in need. Jodi … Continued
CLiF knows that parents have a tremendous influence on the likelihood that their child will grow up a strong reader and writer. That’s why we strive to include parents whenever possible in our programs.
(Thanks to Kat Colby for sending us this update about a recent book giveaway in Gilman, Vermont.) Tuesday, March 11 was a big day for Gilman Head Start in Gilman! In addition to a visit from local children’s author, David Martin, Head Start was awarded $2,000 worth of new hardcover books as part of Lunenburg-Gilman’s … Continued
Have you thought about making your first donation to CLiF, but haven’t got around to it? Now’s your chance. This December, the first 25 donors who make their first-ever donation to CLiF of $25 or more will be entered in a raffle to win a Keurig Platinum Single Cup Home Brewing System worth $189! The Keurig was … Continued
Book Recommendations / How You Can Help
Word of mouth is a powerful tool in the book world. Who doesn’t love a good book recommendation, especially from a trusted source like a friend or an expert? Most of the time this ups your chances of finding a book that you will like. The same can be said for students and getting them … Continued
Last week, the New York Times‘ Opinionator blog featured an essay called “What Should Children Read?” by English teacher and writer Sarah Mosle. In the essay, Mosle highlights the new emphasis on nonfiction in the Common Core State Standards, “a set of national benchmarks, adopted by nearly every state, for the skills public school students … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.