September is National Literacy Month and Saturday, Sept. 8 marked the 52nd annual International Literacy Day. In an effort to raise awareness for literacy and its significance as a foundation for lifelong learning, this annual event brings together communities, organizations, students, and educators. Although September 8th was this past weekend, you still have the rest of this […]
This summer, continue to encourage your child to read during the school break by enrolling them in a summer reading program. There are many incentives, including freebies! Register your child for a summer reading program and take advantage of the activities and events that will keep your kids busy. Some summer program activities and events […]
Every year in April, we celebrate National Poetry Month. Launched in 1996 by the Academy of American Poets, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world. Each year worldwide, schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets commemorate poetry’s vital place in our nation. Use poetry to encourage readers, especially struggling readers. Poetry […]
Do you have students or children who need a boost of confidence in reading? Readers Theater is a great idea to accomplish this task. I have never observed a child who did not enjoy participating in a Readers Theater performance. Readers Theater is a presentation in which children perform by reading speaking parts of literature […]
As parents, teachers, and librarians, it takes a little creativity to encourage and motivate children to read. I would like to provide a few tips to inspire your young readers. Visit the National Day Calendar (http://www.nationaldaycalendar.com) for interesting themes to celebrate. You can locate themes by the day, week, and/or month. For example, yesterday, January […]
I often tell my students “good readers write and good writers read.” In my opinion, writing and reading are inseparable. The connection between reading and writing is essential to a child’s literacy development. Teachers and parents can nurture a child’s imagination through writing. An article in The Science of Learning affirms the importance of writing […]
Is it a struggle to get your child to read? Your child might say, “I just don’t like to read or “Do I have to read?” Of course, there are many possible reasons for this. However, it is not always the obvious, such as your child experiencing reading difficulties. Some children read well, but do […]
This week, I am straying from my normal post of children’s literacy issues to talk about book festivals. Many book festivals around the country will host them next month, in September, and the months to follow. Fostering literacy and encouraging the enjoyment of literature in young children and even in adults remains to be an important function […]
Do you know of children who do not like movies? I do not. Do you know of children who do not like to read? I do! In fact, over the course of twenty-two years in education, I have run across many children who say they do not like to read. We know there are many contributing […]
Closed-caption, subtitled television shows, and movies can assist in supporting literacy skills for early readers, struggling readers, English Language Learners (ELLs), students with learning disabilities, deaf and hard of hearing children and adults. Other formats for closed-caption might include DVDs, music videos, video games, and online streaming or content. Research reveals using closed-caption programming in […]