Keeping Up the Momentum: A Reading Specialist Shares How to Help Young Readers Maintain Skills
While schools do a lot to promote and improve literacy skills in young readers, there is still a lot you can do at home to help your child succeed.
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Articles tagged children’s books
The Golden Ball at Camp Agape: Telling Stories to Children of Incarcerated Parents
Walking into Camp Agape is wonderful. I’m greeted with smiles and cheers of “the storyteller’s here!” People might think kids who have a parent or caregiver or two under supervision of the Vermont Correctional Department might be nothing but trouble. Will kids with troubled backgrounds stay still and listen to folk and fairy tales? They … Continued
Creative Ways to Help Your Child Fall in Love with Reading
Reading during the summer can be a bit of a battle.
Shipwrecks, Flying Pigs & Talking Fruit: VT PBS Kids’ Writing Contest
What do shipwrecks, flying pigs, and talking fruit have in common? There were all featured in story submissions for the Vermont PBS Kids’ annual Writing Contest, which I had the pleasure of judging last week. Last Friday, I joined nine other writers, librarians, and members of educational non-profits at Vermont’s PBS headquarters in Colchester to … Continued
What I Learned in Prison
My favorite part of CLiF events is always helping kids choose their own books to take home. But the CLiF event I went to last week was a little different. There were no kids. It wasn’t in a school, daycare center, or library. We were in the New Hampshire State Prison for Men in Concord … Continued
The Gift of Reading
There is a four-year-old girl who comes to the library every week with her mother and older sister.
Children’s Books to Open Hearts & Minds
I am writing this from my lovely little bubble of Bear Pond Books. I think we can all agree it’s been a busy, distracting fall. I know that my book reading time has taken a precipitous fall because of it. Time to dip back into the well of imagination, inspiration and contemplation. For our kids, reading … Continued
Your Kids Are Paying Attention: How to Talk to Them About Politics
I don’t want to talk about politics. You don’t want to talk about politics. But let’s talk about how we talk to kids about politics. Because they’re paying attention, and if we don’t help them frame what they’re hearing in context, they’ll fill in their own blanks. Just because they won’t be eligible to vote … Continued
If You’re a Parent and…Your Child Wants a New Pet
My daughter lobbied hard for a fish. I put it off until after summer travels, but I had to make good on my promise after Labor Day. I got a book about caring for fish out of the library; I wanted us prepared for the cleaning, feeding, and choosing the correct fish for our environment … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
The Next Great Book: Summer Reading 2016
by Jane Knight – Bear Pond Books As I write this, there are four middle school kids hanging out in our play space in the Children’s Room at Bear Pond– ‘The Chicken Coop’—they are reading picture books to one another, laughing and reminiscing about their ‘childhood favorites’. I love that for these kids, there is … Continued
CLiF Spotlight: Encourage Children to Choose Their Own Summer Reads
Summer is a magical season for kids – a time when they finally get to make many of their own decisions…Except when it comes to reading.
The Delivery Boy
By Simon Brooks As a storyteller I travel to many different schools and colleges, libraries, birthday parties, summer camps, business retreats, and private events. As a result I see a great many people from all walks of life, especially younger people. I have seen and performed for both the rich and economically challenged and learned … Continued
Broaching through Books
By Caroline Jones This past Sunday, I was driving back from Maine and passing the time in traffic with the wonderful podcast “This American Life”. One of the episodes, “The Birds & The Bees”, explored the complexities of explaining all kinds of difficult issues to young children. W. Kamau Bell, a comedian and father, was … Continued
Last Rays of Summer Reading
Enjoy those last rays. Happy Reading! Original Artwork by Grace Ahmed
Mr. Tim’s Bike
By Caroline Jones Let me begin by saying that “Mr. Tim’s Bike” sounds like an awesome children’s book, and someone should get started on writing it right now. We can talk later about splitting the profits. So here’s the deal: Mr. Tim is a para-educator at J. J. Flynn Elementary School in Burlington, and I … Continued
If you’re a parent and…your child has no imaginary friend
Like countless other children, my son recently saw the acclaimed new Disney Pixar movie, Inside Out. And like countless other parents, I quietly wept through just about the entire movie. Among the many striking moments, characters, and messages in the film was one specific creature who got me thinking – Bing Bong, the since-forgotten imaginary … Continued
Growing up CLiF
By Caroline Jones, CLiF’s Summer Intern I know what you’re thinking: “Who is that budding reader and aspiring politician in the blue dress in the front row? Why is she in this group of small children holding books with pre-scream Governor Dean in this painfully ‘90’s photo?” Fear not, faithful readers. ‘Tis I, Caroline, CLiF’s … Continued
The Next Great Book: Summer Reading, Part One
We recently held a book review event for our children’s librarians. We had a panel of four reviewers and talked about new fiction for middle grades through high school. As I was creating the list of books I wanted to review I realized with no small amount of shock that I had a long list … Continued