General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Karen Gross of Bennington, VT and Washington, DC. Karen is an educator and author, writing books for both children (early-childhood through Grade 6) and adults. Her Lady Lucy Series is well-known and has been read to over 3000 children across the globe. Watch Karen’s presentation here. Things to think about … Continued
Literacy is one of the most important abilities we can pass on to children. This is not just vital from a technical life skills perspective, either. Reading, writing, and communications skills open us all up to a diverse and rich world. They help us to connect more deeply with one another and better understand the … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to David Martin of Lyndonville, VT. David likes to write books about animals for new readers. He only saw himself as a writer after reading lots of books to his own kids, and never thought he would leave New York City. Watch David’s presentation and find out … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Natalie Kinsey-Warnock of Glover, VT. Many of Natalie’s book borrow from her life in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. She describes herself: “I am an athlete, naturalist, artist and writer…I am an outdoorswoman, enjoying hiking astronomy, bird watching, and creating watercolor and pastel paintings of wildflowers, birds, and landscapes. … Continued
Research / Literacy Activities
It’s March – CLiF hopes you are enjoying longer days, lingering relaxation found during winter break, and hope from good vaccine news. How did you celebrate Read Across America day? CLiF used lock down to thoroughly review our book list and audit it for diverse authors and characters. Like many libraries, and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, … Continued
National Poetry Month is coming up in April, but you don’t have to wait until then to get your poetic juices flowing! Poetry has lots of benefits for readers and writers of all ages, including building vocabulary, language, and imagination. It’s also fun! The Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF) is hosting a Kids’ Poetry Contest. Children … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
CLiF’s wrapped up its virtual storytelling series on April 7. Thank you to everyone who participated! End-of-Winter Schedule: Wednesday, March 10, 1 p.m. – Meet author/genealogist Natalie Kinsey-Warnock; watch her presentation hereWednesday, March 17, 1 p.m. – Meet author/musician David Martin; watch his presentation hereWednesday, March 24, 1 p.m. – Meet author/educator Karen Gross; watch her presentation hereWednesday, … Continued
When: Friday, March 19, at 7:00 p.m. EST What a blast we had with VT author Chris Tebbetts! See the video of his presentation, in which we discussed his latest novel, 1st Case (co-authored with James Patterson), the process of creating books, and co-authoring popular series such as Middle School and Stranded. CLiF’s Book Club … Continued
Literacy Activities / CLiF Spotlight / Education
One of the ways CLiF shares ideas is through our annual Community Literacy Conference typically held the last Wednesday in March. This year, join us for a re-envisioned, free event with all the most popular features of our typical in-person conference: training from our presenters, peer-to-peer sharing, updates on CLiF’s research and work, and free books! This … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Terry Farish of Kittery, ME/Portsmouth, NH. Terry writes children and young adult books. She writes about the New American experience, and, as she wrote, “to understand us in our small world.” Watch Terry’s presentation from February 10, 2021. Things to think about: Terry writes for InDepthNH.org, The New … Continued
Racism isn’t something any person is born with. It’s something that is taught. Unfortunately, it is often taught by actions, rather than words. We live in a society where it’s easy for kids to learn about racism very early on, so it’s important to be honest and open about what it is, what it means, … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Gina Perry of North Hampton, NH. Gina writes and illustrates her own books, and illustrates for other authors. Watch Gina’s presentation from February 3, World Read Aloud Day! Things to think about: See a sample of her book illustrations – how would you describe her style? How do … Continued
Research shows that literacy skills are one of the strongest indicators of a child’s future success. But literacy isn’t just reading; writing effectively is an essential skill for success in school and in life, and has a lot of social and emotional benefits, too. Writing can help kids (and adults!) process their feelings, destress, and … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Jim Arnosky of South Ryegate, VT. Jim, self taught in writing, art and the natural sciences, has written and illustrated over 130 books on nature subjects and has illustrated 46 other books written by various authors. Jim loves to fish, boat, and play his guitar. In his … Continued
You might be tempted to dismiss outbursts and temper tantrums as “kids being kids,” and while emotional reactions such as crying, frustration, hunger, and pain are normal, your child never learning how to healthily manage their emotions is not. Children aren’t born knowing how to cope with their feelings, and the adults in their lives … Continued
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Linda Urban of Montpelier, VT. Linda wrote: “In my books, I write about the small things that matter in a big way.” She writes picture, early chapter, and middle grade books. Watch Linda’s presentation from January 21 here. Things to think about: What kind of small things … Continued
Research / Literacy Activities / Education
2021 begins with new challenges but with a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. The research and ideas presented here hopefully help you on days of feeling overwhelmed (turn on our live and recorded author presentations) and of enthusiasm (initiate a new literacy activity). FOR EVERYONE National Day of Service on Monday, … Continued
General / Presenter Profiles / CLiF Spotlight / Education
CLiF would like to introduce or re-introduce you to Steve Swinburne of South Londonderry, VT. Steve is a life-long naturalist and explorer of wild places. “As an author, I love writing about wildlife and this amazing and beautiful planet we share. As a guitar and ukulele player, I love connecting music and nature.” Watch his intro video! … Continued
61% of low-income families have no children’s books at home.