CLiF celebrated eleven wins this fall – we kicked off all of our Year of the Book partnerships with in-person events! As we have navigated another fall of closures, shortages, and sickness, we have also succeeded in so many ways. Here are some articles and research pertinent to literacy work in our ever-evolving world. Thank you for all you do as musicians, artists, book lovers, organizers, motivators, on top of your regular responsibilities as parents, teachers, librarians, and educators.

FOR EVERYONE

• Why kids need poetry and why it belongs in school
• How the pandemic has impacted middle schoolers’ minds
• VT v NH – a rivalry?
• Vermont Reads – We Contain Multitudes. The Vermont Humanities has partnered with Outright Vermont, the Vermont Network, and Vermont’s Domestic and Sexual Violence Community Organizations to host community book discussions
• As part of the 2021 National Book Festival, the Center for the Book at the NH State Library selected Spindlefish and Stars by Christiane M. Andrews as a “Great Read from NH” for young readers. The various state centers for the book worked together to create a set of videos featuring panels of authors whose books had been selected for this project. This panel, Mystery and Magic, includes NH author Christiane M. Andrews.
• Helping students set academic goals
• How to pick great read alouds for babies to third graders
• Cool way to look at classic literature – the punctuation, not the words
• How to help students be their best selves
• UNICEF’s State of the World’s Children report
• Why historical fiction is important for 21st Century kids
• Book’s lesson on perseverance
• What kids might mean when they say they are bored at school
• Tips for using audiobooks with kids

FOR TEACHERS

• How arts education and music education can influence effective learning and 13 ways to use art in content areas
• The Truth About Writing in America and why focusing on writing can improve literacy
• Reigniting Your Spark for Teaching Writing – professional development opportunity
• Virtual Teachers’ Lounges this fall
• Virtual Field Trips for kids in grades 3-8

FOR LIBRARIANS

• Templates for Nonprofit COVID-19 policies
• From Vermont Arts Council. Learn more about Animating Infrastructure Grants. Any ideas for how libraries could use this?
• Glean ideas for integrating math-themed literature in the library
• Restorative justice in libraries
• The future of ebooks and digital content licenses

FOR PARENTS

• Tips to help your child learn new words while you read aloud
• Bookmark – Tips for managing a meltdown
• How reading aloud builds bonds and improves reading skills
• Three reasons to read with your kids and how to apply to printed and digital books
• Questions to ask about your school’s reading program

FOR EARLY EDUCATORS

• Pre-K enrollment lowest level in 25 years – what does this mean for school readiness?
• How to support informal care givers (family, neighbors) to build literacy skills in young children
• Imaginative play and storytelling build executive function and help with academic success
• The “New Normal” in child care?
• From Vermont Arts Council – Learn more about Head Start Arts Integration.