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Thursday in national Poem in Your Pocket Day. We love what this community in Virginia organized that celebrates poetry, supported collaborations & volunteerism, and encouraged community engagement & literacy development. Check out this video and be inspired to share poetry in your community!
Libraries are not just places to borrow books – they are places for play and learning for all ages, even babies. With winter just around the corner come in and explore what the Springfield City Library has to offer to help those long days become short and full of fun, including activities that support creative-free play for preK kids.
Family storytime is a great way to learn and grow together, and this summer’s series, “Summer Reading Resource: Literary Guides for Expanding Family Reading Time” provides a wealth of resources for supporting children in developing literacy and comprehension skills. The ten books included in the series this summer appeal to a wide range of readers, and are filled with rich stories that encourage readers to learn about important themes like friendship, finding personal strengths, and connecting with nature.
Make great use of Google maps function by building Google Lit Trips, which gives a whole new dimension to great literature simply by putting literary characters on the map. This free enhanced visual aid enhances literacy and mapping, and gives readers a sense of place. Many great reads are rooted in “journey” and Google Lit Trips grasps this opportunity and gives us another layer of learning.
Looking for ways to enhance your family reading time? Hilltown Families has a wealth of resources for supporting families with kids of all ages in expanding the stories that they read together into deeper learning experiences. Check out these literary guides…
Literacy Meets Archaeology in Amherst This Summer! Do your kids totally dig archaeology? Here’s your chance to tie their interest in dinosaurs, fossils and artifacts into reading this summer… The Jones Library in Amherst along with its branches will be collaborating with two local museums in a free family event, Dig It! A Festival of Art, Books, and Fossils. Dig It! will be held at both the Beneski Museum of Natural History and… Read More
Zoobean: User Generated Curation of Children’s Book Recommendations Sometimes, browsing the children’s department at the local library for a perfect new book to read as a family can be overwhelming. If you’ve brought your kids with you, chances are there is little time to peruse the stacks, or you might just be at a loss as to what titles will match your child’s current interests. Librarians in the children’s department are a… Read More
Stories are an important part of early literacy! In “What to Play? Play Ideas for Family & Community,” HTF Contributing Writer, Carrie St. John shares her strategy of using simple table games to inspire storytelling…
StoryWalks in Western MA with Wee Read Berkshire County Berkshire County is celebrating literacy during April! In honor of National Library Week (4/8-4/14) and the Week of the Young Child (4/22-4/28), there will be StoryWalks featuring the book Duck on a Bike in locations all over Berkshire County. The book tells the story of a silly duck and his trip on a bike – it offers opportunities for kids to predict what comes… Read More
Hatfield Public Library Host Town-Wide Reading Challenge Cheri Hardy, Children’s Librarian at the Hatfield Public Library writes: Starting January 3rd, 2012, the town of Hatfield is being issued a challenge by the Hatfield Public Library: 100,000 pages to be read in 5 months. Citizens of the town, as well as school-choice families, start reading January 3rd and finish May 31st. Participants read as much or as little as they are able, logging… Read More
The ABC’s of Dr. Seuss Springfield Museums Literacy Outreach Program Usually, museums offer their resources to educational groups just for field trips. However, the Springfield Museums offer a unique program that brings the museum to you! The outreach program is called, “The ABC’s of Dr. Seuss,” and is designed to promote literacy in young kids through reading, art, and movement activities. The program is available for schools, daycare centers, community centers, homeschool… Read More
Make a Difference by Donating Children’s Books The ACT Volunteer Center and RSVP of Franklin and Hampshire Counties are sponsoring the Make a Difference Day 2009 Book Drive for Children’s Literacy on Saturday, October 24th, 2009. On this national day of community service, more than one million people across the country will participate in projects to help others. Based on the success of Make a Difference Day 2009, for a third year,… Read More
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