This is a tough time for us all, and many parents are struggling with what to do with their energetic kids when they’re home from school. It’s kind of like summer without all the activities to keep them entertained. We’ve got some great ideas to keep their minds engaged, stretch their imaginations, and sharpen those … Continued
Do you remember the first book you read all by yourself? My earliest memories of reading were making up my own Beatrix Potter stories about animals, our thick cloth-bound volume of her collected stories (passed down through generations) on my lap, flipping pages randomly, sometimes in the wrong order. It was those stories, which I … Continued
For young children, school can be stressful in more ways than one. Whether they are coping with making friends, handling difficult lectures, or gaining acceptance from teachers, these problems can affect them. Any type of challenge can cause them stress. It is important that stress is detected and dealt with before it starts to cause … Continued
Every once in a while an unforgettable little moment unexpectedly unfolds and, in a few short seconds, encapsulates the power of CLiF’s work. Here is one… For the past two years CLiF has been working with families affected by the opioid crisis. Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking to a group of young mothers … Continued
I have a Friday morning routine. I get up, pour a cup of coffee that my husband has left for me, and sit down at my computer. I open the Google doc to see my student’s (let’s call them “E.”) most recent progress on their novel (they usually make changes by Thursday, so I can … Continued
“Our students come from poverty and trauma so we try to offer experiences that enrich their lives and this grant seems a perfect way to expand our offerings. We would benefit by having the opportunity to involve our students in activities that expose them to the wide array of reading experiences through books and authors. … Continued
Children love creating things probably as much as they love ruining them afterward. But when it comes to art, there are some ways you can motivate your child to be more creative with what they make. Here are ten children’s books to inspire creativity. #1 Looking at Pictures by Susan Woodford If you want your … Continued
There are few pleasures as satisfying on a wintry New England day as cuddling up with your child and a good book. Sharing this pleasure with children gives them access to the worlds that can open up before them. While fierce, icy winds blow outside, they’ll enjoy reading about a sandy beach or some other … Continued
As the year winds down and we prepare to celebrate the arrival of 2020, we took a look back at what we accomplished this year (spoiler alert: It’s a lot!). In 2019, CLiF held roughly 900 literacy events – including storytelling/author visits, family literacy dinners, writing workshops, field trips, and book giveaways – with attendance … Continued
At CLiF, we’re all about inspiring and celebrating a love of reading and writing, so it should come as no surprise that the CLiF team and families love to read! If you have the time to pick up a book this holiday season, here are a few of our favorites that we read in 2019. … Continued
When you want your child to learn something new, the most important thing is to show him that the learning process will be interesting and engaging. Forcing your child to write and driving him into a rigid framework can result in a lack of interest/engagement in writing. For a preschool child, these are all abstractions … Continued
Yesterday was #GivingTuesday, a day to take a break from all the holiday shopping and give back to the causes that are most important to you. We asked our supporters to donate new books to the children of incarcerated parents who we serve through our Children of Prison Inmates program. We’re donating beautiful new books … Continued
It’s #GivingTuesday, a day to take a break from all the shopping and chaos of the holidays and give back to causes that matter to you. This year, we’re raising $2,000 to provide new books for children with incarcerated parents at our partnering prisons’ holiday events, and we need your help! Imagine being a child … Continued
As we gather to give thanks with our friends and families this week, we’re thankful for something else, too – you! Your support and championing literacy for all kids makes what we do possible. Each year we serve many thousands of kids in need and give away more than $750,000 in new children’s books – … Continued
FOR EVERYONE Acknowledging our implicit bias and helping students recognize theirs Banning books for prisoners Books and bikes – making both fun from Virginia to Texas Practice your handwriting – it is good for your brain! Connected Teaching for classrooms, workplaces, and communities More on the opportunity/achievement gap(s) Research: Urgent Call to Improved Reading and … Continued
We know literacy is important. But how do we help encourage early literacy skills in the kids most at-risk of falling behind? CLiF’s programs emphasize a love of reading and writing and encourage children and families to do it more often, while providing support and resources. All of CLiF’s program include a professional storyteller getting … Continued
The process of writing begins before you actually put pen to paper (or words on a screen). Many people find “pre-writing” helpful, notes or an outline to help guide their writing. Some prefer to just jump in and start writing and see what happens. There’s no “right” way to go about writing. Some kids are … Continued
As a writer, I fail. A lot. Since January, I’ve submitted 116 times and gotten 69 rejections. But I’ve also gotten five acceptances, including winning Noir Nation’s Golden Fedora fiction prize, told extremely personal and difficult stories in HuffPost and OC87 Recovery Diaries, and got an Honorable Mention from Glimmer Train. In short, I’m doing … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.