Articles by CLiF Staff
Above: CLiF Executive Director Duncan McDougall, left, and board member Dan Lynch, right, at the Summer Readers event held in memory of Richard Lynch in 2013. The photograph Dan holds is a picture of himself with his father. As CLiF’s Office Manager, I have the responsibility and privilege of processing the generous donations that come … Continued
Reading specialists Kathryn Mullen, M.Ed. and Sue Megas-Russell, M.Ed. are the onsite coordinators for 2013-2014’s CLiF Year of the Book at Cutler Elementary School in West Swanzey, NH. Over this school year Kathryn and Sue will take turns guest blogging for CLiF. Their posts will provide insight into the creativity, attention, and heart that goes … Continued
Are you passionate about literacy? Do you thrive on collaboration? Are you looking for a rewarding job? CLiF is looking for you. Program Director: 30-35 hours per week. CLiF seeks an enthusiastic, organized programs professional to oversee CLiF’s literacy programs and to build and cultivate relationships with towns, schools, and other nonprofits across New Hampshire and … Continued
Can you imagine what it must feel like to be Superman and be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, especially when the world needs you the most? The sheer joy of such a thing! To realize you have the talent and the strength to burst through the constraints of the physical world … Continued
Book Recommendations / If you're a parent and...
If you’re a parent and your child is afraid of the dark, then you probably find yourself in your child’s room more often than in your own throughout the night. You startle awake to the staring eyes of a toddler standing next to your bed. You have assured and reassured your youngster that there is … Continued
When I was a kid there was a vacant field in the middle of our block. It was a place from which almost all of us could hear our mothers calling when it was time for dinner, but it was hidden away just enough that we could pretend we didn’t. The best times were when … Continued
Last week Mediabistro’s Galleycat blog released a post with a headline that sent hearts fluttering through the CLiF office: ‘Pleasure Reading “Significantly” Increases School Performance‘ The post is in reference to a study by the Institute of Education at the University of London. From the study: “The IOE study, which is believed to be the … Continued
In parenting, as in life, some days are better than others. This was one of the others. On a good day everyone gets to school and work on time, behaves, eats healthy food, and the fighting is kept to a minimum. On the others, all hell breaks loose. Everyone is late and out of sorts, … Continued
Last week my husband and I walked our two girls down the street for their first day of school. There was a strong sense of community and celebration as our children paraded into the building. We have a great school with incredible teachers, programs, and families and we feel fortunate to be a part of … Continued
One goal of CLiF’s Year of the Book program is to help teachers engage students with reading and writing in new and creative ways. To that end we offer mini-grants to teachers in Year of the Book schools to develop projects that meet this goal. This past school year one of my favorites came from … Continued
I am a mean parent. It’s true. And I had mean parents, for which I am eternally grateful. How mean am I? Mean enough to use the word NO in the face of adversity (begging, foot stomping, crying, and occasional tantrums), and mean enough to make demands of my children, even if they temporarily hate … Continued
CLiF Spotlight / Book Recommendations
Here’s a peek behind the scenes in the CLiF office. Julia is busy assembling a huge book order for CLiF’s fall programs through our partner First Book. It’s a thoughtful process. Lots of kids in New Hampshire and Vermont are interested in hunting, animals, and nature, so she’s including Tracking and Reading Sign by Len McDougall … Continued
Fifteen years ago CLiF’s very first literacy program supported rural public libraries. We’re delighted to once again offer the Rural Library Sponsorship and support public libraries and schools in New Hampshire and Vermont’s small towns. CLiF is accepting applications through September 16, 2013. Twin States public libraries in towns of 5,000 or fewer residents with … Continued
Sometimes it can be tough to get new readers to read on their own. Many beginning reader books are too complicated, too simple, or just plain don’t make sense. To be fair, it is really difficult to write a good story and stick within the necessary parameters for new readers: simple vocabulary, understandable content, and … Continued
48 different children’s summer programs across Vermont and New Hampshire. 3,300 kids. Two free books per child. That’s a lot of books. No wonder the CLiFmobile just needed its shocks replaced. Rec program at the Barre Municipal Pool in Barre, VT From June through August, CLiF’s Summer Readers program visits lunch programs, low-income summer camps, and … Continued
If you are reading this, you probably really love books. But what if they were forbidden? Would you love them even more? Would you fight for them? Would you keep the stories in your head and pass them on so they would never be lost? Imagine if there was just one book left in the … Continued
Katie Gunn is a native Vermonter who works for the management consulting firm Oliver Wyman in New York City. The firm’s Nonprofit Fellowship Program allows its consultants to take several months to work closely with a nonprofit anywhere in the world. Katie will lend her expertise to CLiF from July through October. Tell us a … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.