Articles tagged Literacy
General / Book Recommendations / If you're a parent and...
I love a good story. But making them up on the spot doesn’t come naturally to me. I dread when my child asks “tell me a story.” She usually asks when I feel least creative – driving to school, waiting in the doctor’s office, or sitting in her bed in the middle of the night after … Continued
When daffodils begin to peer, With heigh! the doxy over the dale, Why, then comes in the sweet o’ the year; For the red blood reigns in the winter’s pale. The Winter’s Tale (4.3.1-4) Happy Birthday, Bill!
General / Book Recommendations
Happy Friday! We’re digging out after Vulcan dumped two feet of fresh snow over Vermont. Which means all this weekend we’ll be doing our two favorite activities: reading and skiing. Here are some clips from the last two weeks. Meredith found a lot happening in Ohio to help third graders pass reading tests: When more … Continued
Happy Friday! Here are some stories we liked this week: A review of Bookmooch, a book swap club, and impressive statistics on how members can donate their points to “school libraries, classroom libraries, public libraries, and prison libraries” so they can choose gently used books for their collections. Closing the literacy achievement gap by ‘re-gifting’ the love of … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
Staff note: We are thrilled to welcome Jane Knight, Children’s Book Buyer for Bear Pond Books in Montpelier, VT and CLiF Advisor, as an occasional guest blogger. Jane’s focus is on finding the best kids’ books on the shelves via resources and reviews. This is part 1 of a 2-part blog post. I’m hoping … 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
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
General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
“This is my friend Peg. Can you all say ‘Hi!’ to Peg?” Seventy five kids waved and called out “Hi Peg!”
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
General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
Our excitement is ramping up for the newest Year of the Book town kickoffs, and we are thinking a lot about successes and lessons learned when looking back over our first year of offering this grant. We have been excited to hear about the burgeoning relationships between the school and the public library, the changed … Continued
General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
About a week ago, a big box arrived at our office. With everything from Captain Underpants to an illustrated Secret Garden, it was overflowing with beautiful, brand-new children’s books. Thanks to a successful bookdrive by Bud and Bella’s Bookshop of Randolph, Vermont, we now have 50 books to add to our library! Today I spoke … Continued
1) If you fall asleep while reading you don’t miss anything. 2) It’s quiet. 3) You can do it ANYWHERE including places with no cell service, electricity, wifi, or satellite transmission. 4) It’s private, just you and the author linking minds and ideas. 5) It’s free with a library card, and sometimes … Continued
General / Book Recommendations
With the promise of summer weather on the horizon, I’ve started to contemplate fun ways to bring our reading outdoors on warm, sunny days. Luckily with the world of Pinterest and creative blogs, I found a wealth of ideas for summer literacy activities. Unfortunately, children that don’t read and write during the summer months experience … Continued
General / CLiF Spotlight / How You Can Help
Got a “summer reader” in your life? How would he or she like a bundle of brand new books to read on the beach, at the playground, in a treehouse, or anywhere inviting this summer? Enter our Summertime Reading Contest on Facebook for a chance to win 15 brand new books and give other children … Continued
I could start by telling you about the beautiful view of Lake Champlain from our corner table. I could then tell you about the endless performances, exhibits, and activities for kids taking place all day. I could tell you about the throngs of children – of all ages – gathered around our table eagerly awaiting … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.
