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Guest blogger Tina Chovanec is the director of Reading Rockets: the authoritative online source for comprehensive and accessible information about teaching young children to read and helping those who struggle.Reading Rockets is one of five education websites created by Learning Media, a division of WETA, the PBS affiliate in the Washington DC area.

With the call of the swimming pool and the playground, getting kids of all ages to stay interested in learning and reading during the long, hot summer can be a challenge to parents and summer program leaders.  Keeping kids’ minds active during the summer means they’ll be ready for the challenges of the new school year. So, how to rev up the summer learning? Picking one learning activity a week can be a fun way to switch up the normal summer routine.

Try some of these tips and great resources to get kids excited about learning – all are designed to help kids look at some of their favorite subjects in a new way and keep their brains lighting up with new knowledge all summer long. 

Investigate your public library’s summer reading program. Most libraries offer a special program or two during the summer, including lively read-alouds, visits from children’s authors and storytellers, “maker fairs” and science-themed activities. Most are free – plus your child can take home a stack of books to extend the learning!

Listen up! Audiobooks are a great way to engage sometimes-reluctant readers and introduce kids to books above their reading level – helping to build vocabulary and background knowledge. Many libraries have audiobooks available for check out, and an Internet search can turn up several sites, including Speakaboos.com, that offer free audiobooks for children. Learn more about the benefits of audiobooks for all readers.

Where do all the summer thunderstorms come from?  How do fireflies light up?  Summer can lead to all kinds of interesting questions to investigate together.  Pick a question and find an answer!  Visit the library to find fiction and non-fiction books relating to kids’ questions.  Do some Internet research – you can find resources at the American Library Association’s Great Website for Kids.

Go on a learning adventure!  Is your child interested in bugs? Dinosaurs? The Night Sky? Music? Do you have a young detective, explorer or superhero at home? Reading Rockets’ Start with a Book offers 24 kid-friendly themes, with theme-related books, hands-on activities, and awesome apps and website to jumpstart your summer learning adventures.

Write it down. Encourage your child to keep a simple journal or summer diary. Track interesting things like the number of fireflies seen in one minute, the number of mosquito bites on a leg or the different types of food that can go on the grill. Each entry is a chance to be creative.  Your child can record everyday adventures in your local community with Reading Rockets’ Adventure Tracker and log summer reading favorites with Reading Rockets’ Book Tracker!

Sign up to receive more summer learning tips, reading facts and inspiring stories this summer!

The post Five Tips for Summer-Long Learning appeared first on First Book Blog.

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This week I'm joining the Start with a Book blog tour organized by Amy over at Show Me Librarian.

It was an easy yes when Amy asked if I might be interested in participating. The Start with a Book site is so rich I almost feel like a millionaire when I am using it. So.much.at.my.fingertips.

As busy librarians, we juggle so many balls in the air - desk work, programming, budgets, selection, displays, outreach, planning and more. So time is often precious no matter what size library we work at. With summer around the corner, the speed of the balls increases exponentially.

When I discovered this resource, a project of Reading Rockets, my work got immeasurably easier.  While the site supports parents and caregivers, it a treasure trove for librarians as well. I'd like to sprinkle some gold and jewels on one of my favorite parts of the website: the 24 Learning Summer Themes.Once there we are greeted by lots of fresh-faced and diverse children ready to take us on incredibly rich adventures in math, science, social studies - all with strong literacy support.

Pick a theme, click, and scream with happiness!  You find a  list of excellent book titles for multiple ages that can be used as a selection tool to strengthen your collection or to pull for a display inhouse if you already own them at the library.  You also discover a nifty downloadable pdf  "Reading Adventure Pack" that supplies activities, questions and information on effectively using both fiction and non-fiction books for kids. These packs could easily be put together and made available to your families to check out.

Each theme also has a number of resources  featuring more activities, videos, apps and exemplary websites for kids and families to browse to learn more information. One of the perks of this portion of the theme is it lays out rich content that can be easily used to build programs for kids at the library.  Everything in the themes truly underscores literacy and adventure for kids.

It's almost a steal to have this kind of resource at our fingertips as librarians. If you haven't been here before, be sure to dig into this treasure chest of ideas not only for summer but also year round!


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Page 19 from Dallas Clayton's Awesome Book of Thanks

It's Kids' Book Website Tuesday and it's two days before Thanksgiving so... Take a look at Dallas Clayton's The Awesome Book of Thanks.  It is pretty awesome.  To learn more about Clayton and his Awesome books, check this interview on Reading Rockets, one of my favorite reading sites.

Talking about awesomeness and books and Thanksgiving, my favorite new Thanksgiving book is Balloons over Broadway : the True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet (who also drew the pictures).  Tony Sarg, a puppeteer and toy designer, made mechanical displays for Macy's windows.  He was the genius behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade.  This book describes how the parade evolved into one of America's favorite Thanksgiving traditions.  I love watching the parades - with the mute button on.  (That's how we watch football games in our house, too.  Don't those people ever stop talking to breathe??).  But I digress...

I hope to post before Thursday but if life intervenes - as it often does - have an AWESOME Thanksgiving!  Remember turkey has a soporific effect on humans so do NOT operate heavy machinery after eating Thanksgiving dinner. 

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You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose.
You’re on your own.
And you know what you know.
And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go.

Today is Read Across America Day

– the birthday of Dr. Seuss. We love Dr. Seuss, and we know you all love him too. (In fact, we can prove it scientifically.)

Here are some other ways you can celebrate:

• First Book was proud to work with the NEA to get books into the hands of teachers and program administrators in time to help their kids celebrate Read Across America Day. Visit their website to learn more.
• Our friends at Reading Rockets put together a Green Eggs & Ham literacy bag – a printable resource designed to encourage hands-on fun and learning centered around paired fiction and nonfiction books. There’s other fun stuff on their website, including video and e-cards.
• Random House has a great page on their ‘Seussville’ website with reading guides for students and families, a list of national events, and more

Let us know what you’re doing to celebrate Read Across America Day!

 

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The fantastic folks at Reading Rockets have teamed up with one of our awesome authors, Laura Elliott (A STRING OF HEARTS, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger), to put together an amazing Valentine’s Day resource.  Check it out here.

There are writing prompts, an e-card, a craft, poetry activities and a lot more.  But my personal favorite is the acrostic poem idea, using words like Mom, Friend, and Love.  So, as a Valentine’s Day gift to all of you, I’m going to write you an acrostic poem:

Lively
Intelligent
Brave-hearted
Radical
Audacious
Resolute
Indomitable
Awe-inspiring
Nurturing
Steadfast

What sorts of activities are you doing for Valentine’s Day in your library or classroom?

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The Funniest Children’s Books by Comedians

Reading to kids is a great experience, but when it comes to children’s books, the jokes often fall flat. Thankfully, many of our favorite comedians from Jeff Foxworthy to Jerry Seinfeld are able to tell great stories in the voice of our favorite funny people. Check them out for yourself and vote for your favorite!

Reading Rockets: How to Read with a Squiggly Baby (or Toddler!)

Parents know they should read with their child every day. But reading together requires that your baby or toddler will actually sit still long enough for a book! If you’ve got a squiggler in your house, see if these tips help your reading time go a little more smoothly.

Mortar Board Virtual Book Drive Underway!

Illiteracy is linked to nearly every major socioeconomic crisis today.  Since 2002, Mortar Board has made a national commitment to combat illiteracy with the “Reading is Leading” national project.  Join Mortar Board in their third annual Virtual Book Drive challenge, held in conjunction with First Book, running through November 12.

Announcing the 2010 Hugo Award Winners

The Hugo Awards are awarded for excellence in the field of science fiction and fantasy writing. The awards have been given since 1953 by the annual World Science Fiction Convention (the “Worldcon”). The awards are run by and voted on by fans. Check out nominees, winners and more information about this award by visiting www.thehugoawards.org

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Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in children’s literacy at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

‘Central casting’ at AdLit.org and Reading Rockets is looking for young, creative writers and filmmakers to star in the Exquisite Prompt Write It, Film It Video Contest.   Like the Exquisite Prompt Writing Challenge, prompts for the Exquisite Prompt Write It, Film It Video Contest are inspired by the authors and illustrators participating in the Exquisite Corpse Adventure, the rollicking online serial story sponsored by the Library of Congress and the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance.

To enter the contest, writers and film makers in grades 2-12 choose a prompt, create a narrative, then make a video of their story. In addition to a short video (no longer than 3 minutes) kids also submit original writing related to their video project, such as interview questions, storyboards, dialogues or scripts, in order to win fabulous prizes.

Entry deadline is August 13th. Visit www.readingrockets.org for resources and information on how to enter.

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Give the Gift of Reading this Father’s Day
Don’t forget to wish Dad a Happy Father’s Day this Sunday, June 20th. If you’re still stumped for a last-minute gift, consider making and online donation to First Book in honor of your dad or whomever you choose. After making a donation you can send him an e-card to remind Dad how special he is.

Big Universe: Read, Create and Share Children’s Books Online
This site is a great resource for reading, writing and learning. The site offers book suggestions, reading quizzes, and even the opportunity for kids to create their own children’s books. Parents and educators can even help kids share their creations with other students using the site’s virtual bookshelves.

Magic Tree House Series Goes Digital
Now fans of Mary Pope Osborne’s Magic Tree House Series can cherish them forever as e-books. All forty-three titles have been converted to digital versions. Random House is now proud to offer this classic children’s book series in print, audio and digital.

4th Cheerios New Author Contest
Have you ever dreamed of seeing your ideas in print? Through Cheerios’ Spoonfuls of Stories New Author Contest aspiring authors have the chance to submit their children’s books in the hopes of being selected as the winner. The winning story gets published and packaged in Cheerios boxes and released for purchase as well.

More Tips from Reading Rockets to Curb Summer Learning Loss
Keeping kids engaged in learning activities over the summer can be a challenge. Here are some more great ideas to keep kids interested and having fun while they learn. From planting a garden and neighborhood book clubs to interactive websites and writing activities, this list is sure to keep your child busy during the summer months.

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Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in children’s literacy at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

Asian Pacific Heritage Month

At Reading Rockets and its sister site Colorin Colorado, celebrate the family traditions and the rich diversity of Asian and Pacific Americans through books and authors.  Find great books written about a wide range of Asian and Pacific American cultural experiences. Meet authors Janet Wong, who grew up in Los Angeles where she observed the rich community life that comes from many cultures blending together, and Laurence Yep, who writes books that draw from his Chinese American background yet speaks to common feelings and experiences. Reading Rockets’ one-page Parent Tips offer ways for parents to help kids become successful readers and are available in 11 languages, including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Hmong.

The Exquisite Prompt Writing Challenge Continues!

The Three Bears retold, inventions, obituaries, tall tale lunacy, dead words, cliff-hangers, and more! Lemony Snicket (A Series of Unfortunate Events) and Steven Kellogg (Pecos Bill) provide the inspiration for this month’s writing prompts. Give your K-12 students the chance to flex their writing muscles — and win fabulous prizes in the Exquisite Prompt Writing Challenge!

Summer Reading

Watch and learn about some of the best ways to keep kids engaged with learning during the summer break — and avoid the “summer slump” —  in Adventures in Summer Learning, the newest episode of Launching Young Readers, WETA’s award-winning series. Then dig into a virtual beach bag of resources to help families get ready for fun, enriching summertime experiences.  Make sure kids have a summer companion by browsing the 2010 Big Summer Booklist from Reading Rockets.

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Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in children’s literacy at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

Know what today is?  Dr. Seuss’s birthday! March 2 is the day that Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in 1904 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

It’s also Read Across America Day, the National Education Association’s annual celebration for toddlers, teens and everyone in between to celebrate their literacy and language skills and the joys of reading.

Besides all the Seuss silliness, the thing that I really love about the day is that it is a day of reading for everyone.  Though the National Education Association originated and sponsors the celebration, everyone is invited to be in the company of a child and a book.

Looking for some last minute ideas to celebrate the day?

• Send a Read Across America e-card from Reading Rockets to your favorite readers and get them excited about this special day of reading
• Have some reading and writing fun with Dr. Seuss and your local newspaper
• Make the day even more meaningful with Seuss and service to others
• Get cookin’ with these Green Eggs and Ham activities
• Find great books to read, share a story online, or visit Storyline Online to watch videos featuring Screen Actor’s Guild members reading children’s books aloud

So what are you waiting for?

Spread the word, share a book

Make this campaign succeed

Give a Seuss birthday present

Help a child to read!

*Title from the Read Across America poem by NEA’s Anita Merina

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Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in children’s literacy at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

At my son’s elementary school, I’m known to some as Princess Rita Alot, to others, the Book Fairy.  While out shopping, I’ve been recognized as “the space alien who came to school.”  I like to dress up! School book fairs and library nights have given me many opportunities to have fun with favorite themes and characters.

I’m realizing now though that I’ve been very limited in my costume choices, neglecting the wondrous world of nonfiction. So Science Fair, here I come—in my late 19^th century dress with a vial of (pretend) radium and Kathleen Krull’s biography of Marie Curie.

How did I lose track of so many great nonfiction opportunities?  As a parent, I don’t think I’m alone.  When my kids were younger, we read a lot about shapes, colors, animals and then trains.  Lots and lots of books about trains.  Which is normal. As children get older, their interest in specialized information grows stronger.  The trick I think is to remember to keep introducing potential new interests so that you don’t wander away from nonfiction all together just because you’ve exhausted (or been exhausted by) one favorite subject.

Reading Rockets has some interesting resources and activities for engaging in nonfiction reading.  The Family Literacy Bags which pair a set of theme-based fiction and nonfiction books and related interactive activities are great to encourage reading at home and support the role of parents as educators.  Sleep is the newest themed bag and wonderful to share during cold winter weather.

The Family Literacy Bags also offer these tips for reading nonfiction books with kids:

• Wonder out loud. As you are reading, or afterward, talk about facts you find interesting or questions you have.
• Show your child how to use the table of contents, section headings, index, and word list (glossary) to find the answer to a specific question.
• Don’t be afraid to jump around, reading pages that especially interest your child. You don’t have to read a nonfiction book straight through.

If you’re unsure of where to start with nonfiction, this Quick Guide to Selecting Great Informational Books for Young Children will give you a very thorough introduction.  But if you have nonfiction fans in your house, they might enjoy learning more about how these kinds of books are made.  These video interviews with Gail Gibbons, Seymour Simon and George Ancona will give curious minds even mor

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Guest Blogger Lydia Breiseth is the manager of the bilingual English-Spanish website Colorín Colorado, whose mission is to provide educators and parents with information about teaching English language learners to read and succeed. Ms. Breiseth began her career teaching English to adults in Ecuador with the educational exchange program WorldTeach, and has subsequently taught English and Spanish in a variety of educational and family literacy programs to students of all ages. Prior to working at Colorín Colorado, Ms. Breiseth served as the Community Affairs Liaison at Telemundo Washington DC, managing outreach initiatives to the region’s Hispanic community.

As I read through the deluge of news reports and heartbreaking stories during the early aftermath of the Haiti earthquake, one particular report from Florida stood out:

Phones rang off the hook at Evans High, the Pine Hills school with a significant Haitian population that immediately set up a donations site after the earthquake.  More than 650 Evans students — about one-third of its student body — are Haitian.

“Central Florida pitches in to help Haiti”, Orlando Sentinel, 1/15/10

To think of such a huge percentage of a school’s population being affected by the earthquake is staggering; what really struck me, however, was that image of community members being so moved and concerned for the students in their school that they picked up the phone, called the school, and found out what they could do to help the students affected by the earthquake.

By offering support and donations to their local school, these community members made a powerful statement: we will care for all of the students in our schools – no matter who they are, and no matter where they are from.  It is an especially important message in these days of heated immigration debates and discussions about our obligations (or lack thereof) to children of immigrants in this country.

In subsequent days, I have seen other such stories from around the nation – not just Florida and New York, but Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Texas, Wisconsin, and Maryland.  Communities have mobilized to support their Haitian families, and their commitment to their neighbors is a welcome glimmer during a period of tragedy and loss.

As the communities rally, educators now have a daunting task to build a support network for students affected by the earthquake, and continue discussion with other students who want to better understand what has happened in Haiti.  For ideas and resources that will help those efforts, take a look at the following articles from Colorín Colorado and Reading Rockets:

Helping Haitian Students Cope with the Earthquake
www.colorincolorado.org/article/35420

It Happened Over There: Understanding and Empathy Through Children’s Books
www.readingrockets.org/article/35419

By starting these important conversations with students and each other, we can address the challenges facing our neighbors and our own children – one discussion and phone call at a time.

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Guest blogger Tina Chovanec is the director of Reading Rockets.org: the authoritative online source for comprehensive and accessible information about teaching young children to read and helping those who struggle. Reading Rockets is one of four multimedia educational websites created by Learning Media, a division of WETA, the PBS affiliate in the Washington DC area.

“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve…You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” [Martin Luther King, Jr.]

Hearts and hands will join together across the country on January 18^th, a day transformed from a “day off” to a national Day of Service to honor the life and work of Martin Luther King, Jr.

January 18^th is rolling in quickly. It’s not too late to help out on one of the projects your community has planned for that day. You can find an opportunity close to home by visiting Serve.gov, an online resource managed by the Corporation for National and Community Service. Some ideas are included after the jump. And it’s not too early to start planning a service project for next year: the site also has resources for individuals and organizations, including tips on fundraising, building partnerships, organizing the day, and how to be an effective team leader, as well as a planning toolkit, project examples, and more. Follow MLKDay on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook!

Get Ur Good On? Our partner, Youth Service America, sponsors a lively online network of blogs, photos, and videos that showcase the diverse voices of youth who are “doing good” in their communities. Jump in and join the conversation.

At Reading Rockets, we’ve come up with some reading-writing-and-book-inspired ideas for the Day of Service or for a year-round community project. Here’s our Top 12. Add your ideas to the list!

1. Volunteer to tutor a struggling reader (check out our Tips for Reading Tutors)
2. Help organize and refresh your local school library
3. Teach kids how to safely use the Internet
4. Paint a book-inspired mural at your local child care center
5. Become a pen pal with a young learner
6. Collect gently used books or games like Scrabble for a community center
7. Organize a community oral history project
8. Lead a story hour for young kids (try these Hints on How to Read Aloud to a Group)
9. Plan a read-a-thon for students where number of minutes read equals number of cans of food for your local food bank
10. Take a group of kids and a field guide on a naturalist walk at a local park: teach some map reading and do a clean-up along the way!
11. Host a community cooking demonstration that engages families in recipe reading and cooking healthy meals
12. Organize a penny drive to make grants to local libraries or community organizations that support literacy projects

Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream, but he was also a doer. Kids can find models for action in life and in books. In this lovely co

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Why should Jon Scieszka, Katherine Paterson, M.T. Anderson, Kate DiCamillo, and Nikki Grimes have all the fun? In support of the rollicking story game being played by these and a crew of other award-winning, talented and versatile authors and illustrators, the Exquisite Prompt writing contest from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org uses writing prompts inspired by the “The Exquisite Corpse Adventure” authors and illustrators to get K-12 students to flex their own writing muscles.

From October through June, two new writing prompts will be available each month.  Winners in four grade level categories will be selected for each prompt.  Prizes include online publication at Reading Rockets and AdLit.org, autographed books, and classroom visits with authors and illustrators via Skype.

The first Exquisite Prompt, inspired by Jon Scieszka, asks students to share a family story.  Based on the author’s recollections of family togetherness in his memoir Knucklehead: Tall Tales & Mostly True Stories about Growing Up Scieszka, the leveled prompt and online resources help students to think about their history and heritage and tell a family story.

Also for October, a prompt inspired by author and illustrator Chris Van Dusen and his book If I Built a Car that is sure to fuel imaginations and take creative and persuasive writing skills for a ride.

All Exquisite Prompts are accompanied by author/illustrator biographies, bibliographies, interviews and links to resources and primary sources related to the prompts. Resources for educators from Reading Rockets and AdLit include strategies for teaching writing and a writing basics toolkit.

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This Sunday is Father’s Day and our friends at Reading Rockets have some great resources to celebrate dads and encourage reading with their kids.

Did you know that when fathers participate in learning, children receive higher marks, enjoy school more and are less likely to repeat a grade? Read more about the importance of a father’s involvement in their child’s literacy development at ReadingRockets.org.

Share Reading Rockets’ new Father’s Day e-card featuring the artwork of Javaka Steptoe with the great dads you know.

Reading Rockets can also help you find books about Fabulous Fathers to share with dad on his special day and the Reading with Dads booklist from Colorín Colorado celebrates fathers and grandfathers from a variety of cultures and ethnic traditions.

And special to Reading Rockets this Father’s Day, author and National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Jon Scieszka pays tribute to his dad in Playing with Dad.  Read it with a dad in your life!

Happy Father’s Day Original illustration © 2009 by Javaka Steptoe

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Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in children’s literacy at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

Summer’s getting so close now I can almost taste it.  The garden is planted and soon we’ll be enjoying more than just the early lettuce.  There’s plenty of fresh, tasty and nutritious food coming our way!

But its not only dietary pleasures we have to look forward to in the coming months.  What books will be on the menu for summer reading this year?  And what kind of experiences and activities will help serve up learning while school’s out?

We’ll see if my kids are as excited as I am about these ideas:

Start a neighborhood book club with other families. This is going on with fifth graders in our old neighborhood and I think it’s a great way to keep reading social and low-key.  Kids and parents read the same book and parents help lead the discussion and plan activities.  I think Carl Hiaasen’s Hoot is planned summer reading along with a trip to the park for a stream clean up. PBS Parents has a wonderful collection of tips on how to start a club and encourage great discussions.

Get a lot of take out—from our local library. Check out these 9 reasons you should too.  While you’re there, look for some of the recommended titles in Reading Rockets Big Summer Read Booklist or AdLit.org’s Hot Summer Booklist.

Watch movies and TV. Come on, it is summer after all!  There are many films adapted from children’s books and the rule in our house is you can’t watch the movie until you’ve read the book.  Comparing films and books is just right to get kids (and adults) thinking critically. The Kids Off the Couch Web site pairs a recommended kids movie with similar family adventures within your community.

Where did I get these great ideas?  Reading Rockets and AdLit.org have packed virtual beach bags that offer parents and educators a season’s worth of reading resources.  You’ll be stuffed if you get to try even half of these this summer!

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Teachers won’t know how much they are appreciated unless you tell them!

To kick off this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week (happening this week - May 3-9), our friends at Reading Rockets are offering some great resources to help you honor the wonderful teachers in your child’s life.

Show your gratitude with special e-cards for teachers or share video stories from authors and illustrators about the educators who made a difference in their lives.

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Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in literacy outreach at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

It’s Tuesday!  On Tuesday, he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry. Know who “he” was?  The Very Hungry Caterpillar!

If you’re hungry for a reading adventure, celebrate the 40th anniversary of the publication of Eric Carle’s classic picture book The Very Hungry Caterpillar with Reading Rockets’ free Family Literacy Bag.  What Happens Next? The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of seven activity packets designed to help educators and caregivers use fiction and non-fiction titles to support reading activities at home and encourage families to go on a reading adventure together.

This Friday might be an excellent day to take such an adventure. Philomel Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, has named March 20—the first day of spring—The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day.  They offer a very celebratory activity kit (PDF) ideal for classroom and library use.

Spring is a great time to celebrate reading and there’s no shortage of opportunities to do so in April and May.  Are you ready for the following reading events?

National Poetry Month: Celebrate poetry throughout April and end the month with Poem In Your Pocket Day on Thursday, April 30.

National D.E.A.R. Day: April 12 is author Beverly Cleary’s birthday and National Drop Everything and Read Day.  Send this e-card to all the readers you hold dear!

National Library Week: The annual celebration of the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians is April 12-18.  Celebrate with the theme, “Worlds connect @ your library.”

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Day of the Child/Day of the Book): This April 30 celebration borrows from the traditional Mexican holiday and expands it to include literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.  Hear what children’s book author Pat Mora has to say about the founding of Día.

Get Caught Reading Month: Celebrated in May, but the Association of American Publishers’ nationwide campaign to remind people of all ages how much fun it is to read is promoted throughout the year.  You can order their free posters of celebrities caught reading or make your own!

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Check out Reading Rockets, they are blogging about Blogs about Reading. (How's that for a confusing sentence). There are links for teachers, parents, reading resources, tips and much more.

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Guest blogger Tina Chovanec is the manager of Reading Rockets.org: the authoritative online source for comprehensive and accessible information about teaching young children to read and helping those who struggle. Reading Rockets is one of four multimedia educational websites created by Learning Media, a division of WETA, the PBS affiliate in the Washington DC area.

Long before my two young daughters understood the significance of the Emancipation Proclamation or could recognize the beautiful words of the Gettysburg Address, they could zing you with a line from The Abraham Lincoln Joke Book:

“If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?”

Their first impression of our 16th president is that he was funny. And with a little text deconstruction from Mom and Dad, they discovered that Lincoln was also a person of modesty and integrity.

Lincoln’s official photographs reveal a man of quiet intelligence, with little hint of his “acute sense of the ridiculous.” But Lincoln was droll and personable in real-life, well-known for his animated telling of jokes old and new. Considered a master storyteller, he used stories as metaphors to convey some universal wisdom, or simply to lift the spirits of those around him during dark times.

“The things I want to know are in books; my best friend is the man who’ll get me a book I have not read.”

Lincoln was a hungry reader. Too poor to own any books, he would walk miles to borrow from whoever would loan them. Aesop’s Fables, The Arabian Nights, Robinson Crusoe, the Bible, Shakespeare, and the poet Robert Burns were among his favorites.

This month, we celebrate the 200th year of the birth of Abraham Lincoln, and it just seems fitting to honor his extraordinary life through stories and books. Visit the children’s section of your public library or local bookstore and you’ll see shelves bursting with wonderful books that give children an intimate look at Lincoln as a young boy, a husband, and a father. Here are three NEW books worth reading with the kids in your life:

• Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale (by Deborah Hopkinson)
  What might have happened if Austin Gollaher had not pulled the young Abraham Lincoln from a swollen Kentucky creek that day in 1816? Learn about Deborah Hopkinson’s approach to teaching history to kids, in this video interview.

• The Lincolns: A Scrapbook Look at Abraham and Mary (by Candace Fleming)
  This “scrapbook” history uses photographs, letters, engravings, political cartoons, and clippings to invite you into the real lives of Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln. In this video interview, discover how author Candace Fleming created a personal, nontraditional history of the Lincolns.

• Lincoln and His Boys (by Rosemary Wells)
  A tender portrait of Abraham Lincoln told through the eyes of his sons, Tad and Willie. In this video interview, find out about author Rosemary Wells’ approach to writing historical fiction.

So, make haste to your public library, school library, bookstore, or book swap—and start reading!

“Things may come to those who wait, but only the things left by those who hustle.”

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Introduce young readers and writers to one of the most personal and meaningful ways to communicate—with Letters from the White House, a national creative writing contest from the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance, Reading Rockets, and AdLit.org. To enter the contest, students write letters and journal entries that explore the history of America and tap into their own creativity when they imagine and write about the experience of living or working in the Executive Mansion.

Students are encouraged to find inspiration in the poetry, stories, illustrations, and information in Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out. The contest will launch on January 20, 2009, Inauguration Day, with entries due on February 16, 2009, Presidents Day. Five finalists will be chosen in each competition level and a grand prize winner will be named in each level on April 30, 2009, the 100th day of the new presidential term.

Contest information and resources for preK-grade 3 teachers and for grades 4-12 are available from Reading Rockets and AdLit.org. At www.ourwhitehouse.org, the companion Web site to Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out, educators and parents will find useful information and historical resources to help students with research. Winning entries will be published online and prizes include copies of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out and gift certificates to Better World Books.

Special thanks to Rachael Walker at Reading Rockets for providing this post.

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Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in literacy outreach at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

Many New Year’s resolutions focus on developing healthy habits.  Here’s one that Reading Rockets wants to help you keep: a regular diet of books and reading for you and the young readers in your life!

Just like any diet, you’ll want to get the portions right to satisfy your reader.  Parents should try the “five finger rule” and check out this advice on choosing books that are a good fit for their reader.  If you are looking for a book on a specific theme, your local librarian or recommended reading lists can be helpful.  Or try the Bookfinder at PBS.org which allows you to search by age and theme.

Diets are most successful when combined with exercise, so remember that reading every day builds skills.  But don’t turn story time into test time.  Talk together about what’s being read and give your reader the chance to ask questions.  Think of your reading diet as a family reading activity rather than something done just for the benefit of your young reader.

And since your reading diet is a family activity, make sure that you’re a good reading role model.  You may want to crash in front of the television, but don’t forget to let your child see you spending time reading and tell your child how much you enjoy it.

The great thing about this diet is it isn’t all about the books.  Do things with you reader and talk about them.  Get out of the house. A trip to the grocery store can stimulate learning skills just as much as a visit to a museum if you talk about what you are seeing and what your child thinks of it.  Reading comprehension demands background knowledge.  Once you have some knowledge, the brain finds it easier to get more and more knowledge.  Take one of Reading Rockets’ Adventures in Reading if you’re having trouble remembering that reading and learning are fun, and happen everywhere – not just at school.

Speaking of school, it’s a new year according to the calendar, but in most schools, we’ve just reached the half-way point.   Don’t forget to talk with your child each day about school and homework.  And watch for signs of problems.  Lots of kids find school to be fun, stimulating, and a time to be with friends. But others experience a great deal of stress associated with school. If your child seems unhappy with school, talk with your child and listen carefully before you offer any solutions.

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Guest Blogger Rachael Walker is the Outreach Consultant for Reading Rockets, a national multimedia initiative which aims to inform and inspire parents, teachers, childcare providers, and others who touch the life of a child by providing comprehensive, accessible information on how to teach kids to read and help those who struggle. Rachael began her career in literacy outreach at Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), has also served as a consultant to the NEA’s Read Across America campaign, and was most recently the Executive Director of Reach Out and Read of Metro DC.

Every Fourth of July I think about Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence, and his often quoted words, “I cannot live without books.” That our own democracy has grown and flourished owes much to Mr. Jefferson and his Declaration, but also to the rise of the printed word.

Independence Day is a great time to share books with children. Reading Rockets has a Celebrate America list of recommended reading for children ages 0-9. Use this list to throw together a book-nic to go along with your Fourth of July barbeque and read about real and legendary American heroes and heroines, revisit classic American songs, and follow the adventures of travelers across the United States while you wait for the fireworks.

You can also read aloud the Declaration of Independence together. The concepts outlined in this famous document may be difficult for young children to understand so you may want to consider some strategies for pre-teaching concepts and vocabulary before you get started.

I picked up some great new Fourth of July reading at the American Library Association (ALA) convention last weekend in Anaheim, California, including a proof of Our White House: Looking In, Looking Out which is due out in September. Using the White House as the unifying theme, more than one hundred authors and illustrators help share more than 200 years of American history in this inspiring read-aloud anthology, sales of which will benefit the National Children’s Book and Literacy Alliance, a Reading Rockets and AdLit.org partner.

And at the ALA convention, I was also reminded about why libraries are so very important to our country and how they serve to improve our democracy. Check out these 12 Ways Libraries Are Good for the Country. What else would you add to this list?

Remember though, your local library is likely to be closed on Independence Day, so head there today to get your books for the long weekend!

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Another one of my favorite illustrators. I think Peter Sís's work is fascinating... makes me want to get inside his brain to see how it works.

I should have posted this last week, but here's the link to the other author and illustrator interviews in this series.

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