Year of the Book / CLiF Spotlight
Hard to believe we are almost half way through the school year – 10 schools halfway through their CLiF Year of the Book and for ten more their follow-up momentum year. In the next half of the year, schools will welcome CLiF presenters author/illustrator Jason Chin, author/genealogist Natalie Kinsey-Warnock, author Sandra Neil Wallace, author/illustrator Marty … 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
Happy 2020 from your friends at CLiF. Compiled here, new research and insights for everyone working to improve success in and love of kids’ reading and writing. Get more program ideas from our website. For everyone: – Mississippi was the only state to see improvement in reading assessments, four things they are doing– Why children … 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
CLiF couldn’t do what it does without the 65+ amazing authors, illustrators, and storytellers we send to schools, camps, afterschool programs, libraries, shelters, affordable housing communities, and many more spaces where kids spend time. We’re proud to have award-winning author Sandra Neil Wallace as one of those inspiring presenters. We asked Sandra about her experiences … 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
Presenter Profiles / If you're a parent and...
In the past six months, I have been lucky enough to share a unique experience with students in North Bennington, VT, and in Franconia, NH. I attended the first CLiF presentations given by new CliF presenters Liza Woodruff and Gina Perry. Both of these dynamic women write and illustrate picture books. Both of their presentations … Continued
Year of the Book / CLiF Spotlight
Enosburg Falls Elementary School in Enosburg Falls, VT has had a busy school year so far. In September, they kicked off their CLiF Year of the Book with storytelling by Duncan McDougall, their first book giveaway where kids chose new books for themselves, and a family literacy event featuring author David Martin and two more … Continued
Research shows that early literacy is one of the strongest indicators of a child’s future success, yet we’re facing a literacy crisis in America. 65% of American fourth graders read at below-proficient levels.63% of New Hampshire and Vermont fourth graders read at below-proficient levels. 61% of low-income families have no children’s books in their homes.Access … Continued
CLiF has served over 350,000 children since 1998.