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By: Lizzy Burns,
on 11/3/2009
RIF (Reading is Fundamental) is 43 today.
What is RIF? From the website, "RIF is the oldest and largest children's and family nonprofit literacy organization in the United States. RIF’s highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year."
So how to celebrate the big 43?
Have a month long party! Over at the Rasco From RIF blog (Carol Rasco is the CEO of RIF), they've been blogging up a storm.
On Mondays: Monday Memory, columns by people who have been with RIF since it started. How many times do you get to read a blog post by Lynda Johnson Robb?
On Fridays: Fallback Fridays, reminiscing about RIF programs throughout the country.
Have memories of RIF, as a kid or volunteer? Head over to Carol's blog and share, and you get a chance to win a signed book.
Photo from RIF website.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Lizzy Burns,
on 10/23/2009
The final panel.
The final panel after a chock-full day.
Who were these lucky bloggers?
The Reading Tub; Ernestine from Reading is Fundamental; Gina from PBS Booklights; and Jen from Jen Robinson's Book Page.
The topic: coming together, giving back. Individual bloggers, acting as individuals, can only do so much. So "coming together" can be as simple as a multi-blogger targeted blog, such as Guys Lit Wire. It can be about a book blast tour, like those organized by Chasing Ray, which is driven by bloggers.
Then there are the various literacy initiatives that different bloggers have either started or joined or promoted. Share A Story, Shape a Future is a literacy blog tour; "to encourage each other to reach beyond ourselves and do it in a way that we are neither judging nor instructing others." Mark your calendars; March 8 to 14, 2010, is the next Literacy Blog Tour. And, by the way -- this event is in Chase's.
Gina spoke of the history of Booklights and PBS; how it was started and pulled together. Just another great example of how blogging can be more about "me." (says the blogger who is all about me.)
I loved hearing Ernestine talk about RIF and Carol Rasco's entry into blogging (Rasco from RIF) and tweeting. RIF is as old as I am (um, actually, I'm a few months older, lol); and it's a great reminder to all of us that blogging and social media is not about the new kids on the block. They have provided "4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year." Yep, that's millions.
Finally, Year of Reading reminded us of the National Day of Writing. Which was two days ago; and because I knew my timing would be off, I blogged about that a few days ago.
Amazon Affiliate. If you click from here to Amazon and buy something, I receive a percentage of the purchase price.
© Elizabeth Burns of A Chair, A Fireplace & A Tea Cozy
By: Joan S.,
on 8/27/2009
Did you know that First Book, the nonprofit providing books to children in need, is a RIF-approved vendor and a great resource for high-quality, low-cost books for programs serving kids in need? Check out the First Book Marketplace online, offering children’s books and educational materials at deeply discounted prices.
RIF of Southern California Executive Director, Carol Henault, serving over 70,000 children, recently talked about her experiences with First Book. Watch the video below and learn how the First Book Marketplace can enhance and expand the quality and selection of books for RIF programs. Book selections include Caldecott and Newbery Award winners, board books, special editions, bilingual and Spanish-only titles, and more. First Book is a resource to help stretch your purchasing power to provide even more books.
More kids reading more books, that’s fundamentally great!
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By: Nisha T.,
on 8/14/2009
Everybody Wins
A spotlight on Everybody Wins, a reading program during lunch hour based in DC.
The History of the Book
In today’s world, technology seems to have infiltrated every aspect of our lives, even our books. So really, what is a book and where did it come from?
The Glory of Golden Books
Remember Golden Books? This article delves into the history of these accessible and lovable classics, from “The Poky Little Puppy” to “Laddie and the Little Rabbit.”
Laying a Good Foundation for Literacy
Learn some great ways to interact with your child to increase their literacy. Small changes to their routine and environment can strongly enhance their ability to learn.
An Old Favorite with a New Glow
Random House released “What Was I Scared Of?: A Glow-in-the-Dark Encounter” this week on August 11.This Seuss favorite was originally published in “The Sneetches and Other Stories,” and can now be enjoyed with new glow-in-the-dark features.
Boeing Announces Donation to Benefit Literacy
Boeing is deepening its impact, donating $25,000 to Trident United Way.
Cooperative Children’s Book Center (CCBC)
The Cooperative Children’s Book Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a comprehensive resource for children’s literature.
Book A Brighter Future
Macy’s is collaborating with Reading Is Fundamental to get more books to children in need. Visit http://www.bookabrighterfuture.com/ to find out how you can participate.
By: Mitali C.,
on 7/29/2009
Guest blogger Carol Rasco is President and CEO of Reading Is Fundamental (RIF), an organization that motivates children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life.
“No more pencils,
no more books!
No more teachers’
crazy looks!”
Are your kids enjoying summer vacation? Great! But don’t toss out those books and pencils — they can be part of “summer fun!” Exercising kids’ brain muscles all summer brings big benefits in the fall. And not exercising them can mean a loss of hard-earned skills. Picking up a book and reading with kids is the best way to sneak a lot of learning into these lazy, hazy days.
As part of President Obama and the First Lady’s United We Serve summer service initiative, RIF has launched Read for Change to provide parents, caregivers and volunteers a visible measure to record time spent reading with young children at home and in their communities over the remainder of this summer.
The site features a minute meter, which will track the time spent reading to children with a goal to reach 3 million minutes by September 11, 2009—the National Day of Service and Remembrance. RIF will then randomly select five participants to receive a children’s book collection and the opportunity to select a school in their community to also receive a book collection.
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By: Marya Jansen-Gruber,
on 9/17/2008
When I was growing up on the island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean I spent many blissful hours at the British Council Library. Being able to go to the library and to borrow books made the long hot summers bearable. Then, when I was a teenager, I worked as a library assistant, helping to manage my high school library. It was a job I was enormously proud of.
Now here I am spending my life surrounded, literally, by books. Just like my younger self, I cannot imagine what life would be like without books and libraries. When I first moved to Ashland, Oregon, a year ago I was horrified to discover that the town's library was closed and had been in this lamentable state for months. The county and state just did not have the money to keep the libraries in this area open. Finally, to my great relief, the people of the town of Ashland stepped in. We were all asked if we would be willing to pay a little more in taxes so that our library could reopen. We were willing to do this and now our splendid library is up and running again.
Recently I read an article about three mothers who have been trying to get the state of Washington to stop taking money away from its public school libraries. For some children, the books in their school libraries are the only ones they get to read. School libraries also provide another priceless service; they are a place where children who don't have computers at home can learn how to use the Internet. Without this resource they will leave school not knowing how to tap into the World Wide Web.
To me this is a frightening thought, and I decided that I would share the story of these three courageous and determined mothers with you. You can read the complete story on School Library Journal . You can also visit the online petition to add your name to the list, and to thus show the powers-that-be that you support this cause. In addition you can visit the Washington Coalition for School Libraries & Information Technology website for more information about this story and the campaign.
If you live outside Washington State you might well ask why you should care about this campaign. The way things are going these days your state might be next. With libraries and book friendly organizations like RIF losing money left, right, and center, we all need to help one another save what we hold dear.
By: Sondra Santos LaBrie,
on 2/8/2008
Statement from Carol H. Rasco, president and CEO, of Reading Is Fundamental
"President Bush’s proposed budget calling for the elimination of Reading Is Fundamental’s (RIF) Inexpensive Book Distribution program would be devastating to the 4.6 million children and their families who receive free books and reading encouragement from RIF programs at nearly 20,000 locations throughout the U.S.
“Unless Congress reinstates $25.5 million in funding for this program, RIF would not be able to distribute 16 million books annually to the nation’s youngest and most at-risk children. RIF programs in schools, childcare centers, migrant programs, military bases, and other locations serve children from low-income families, children with disabilities, foster and homeless children, and children without access to libraries. The Inexpensive Book Distribution program is authorized under the Elementary & Secondary Education Act (SEC.5451 Inexpensive Book Distribution Program for Reading Motivation) and is not funded through earmarks. It has been funded by Congress and six Administrations without interruption since 1975.
“Since its founding in 1966, RIF’s programs have played an important role in improving literacy in this country. The U.S. Department of Education has shown that the number of books in a child’s home is a significant predictor of academic achievement. In addition, RIF programs also support academic achievement by involving hundreds of thousands of volunteers and other caring adults in encouraging children to read for fun. We urge all Americans to contact their Congressional representatives and ask them to reinstate funding for this important program.”
By: Mary Lee,
on 3/22/2007
My dentist is great! He sends me reminders so I don't forget checkups. He uses the latest techniques based on research. He never hurts me, and I've got all my teeth.
When I ran into him the other day, I was eager to see if he'd heard about the new state program. I knew he'd think it was great.
"Did you hear about the new state program to measure effectiveness of dentists with their young patients?" I said.
"No," he said. He didn't seem too thrilled. "How will they do that?"
"It's quite simple," I said. "They will just count the number of cavities each patient has at age 10, 14, and 18 and average that to determine a dentist's rating. Dentists will be rated as excellent, good, average, below average, and unsatisfactory. That way parents will know which are the best dentists. The plan will also encourage the less effective dentists to get better," I said. "Poor dentists who don't improve could lose their licenses to practice."
"That's terrible," he said.
"What? That's not a good attitude," I said. "Don't you think we should try to improve children's dental health in this state?"
"Sure I do," he said, "but that's not a fair way to determine who is practicing good dentistry."
"Why not?" I said. "It makes perfect sense to me."
"Well, it's so obvious," he said. "Don't you see that dentists don't all work with the same clientele, and that much depends on things we can't control? For example, I work in a rural area with a high percentage of patients from deprived homes, while some of my colleagues work in upper middle-class neighborhoods. Many of the parents I work with don't bring their children to see me until there is some kind of problem, and I don't get to do much preventive work.
Also, many of the parents I serve let their kids eat way too much candy from an early age, unlike more educated parents who understand the relationship between sugar and decay. To top it all off, so many of my clients have well water which is untreated and has no fluoride in it. Do you have any idea how much difference early use of fluoride can make?"
"It sounds like you're making excuses," I said. "I can't believe that you, my dentist, would be so defensive. After all, you do a great job, and you needn't fear a little accountability."
"I am not being defensive!" he said. "My best patients are as good as any one's, my work is as good as any one's, but my average cavity count is going to be higher than a lot of other dentists because I chose to work where I am needed most."
"Don't get touchy," I said.
"Touchy?" he said. His face had turned red, and from the way he was clenching and unclenching his jaws, I was afraid he was going to damage his teeth. "Try furious! In a system like this, I will end up being rated average, below average, or worse. The few educated patients I have who see these ratings may believe this so-called rating is an actual measure of my ability and proficiency as a dentist.
They may leave me, and I'll be left with only the most needy patients. And my cavity average score will get even worse. On top of that, how will I attract good dental hygienists and other excellent dentists to my practice if it is labeled below average?"
"I think you are overreacting," I said. "'Complaining, excuse-making and stonewalling won't improve dental health'... I am quoting from a leading member of the DOC," I noted.
"What's the DOC?" he asked.
"It's the Dental Oversight Committee," I said, "a group made up of mostly lay persons to make sure dentistry in this state gets improved."
"Spare me," he said, "I can't believe this. Reasonable people won't buy it," he said hopefully.
The program sounded reasonable to me, so I asked, "How else would you measure good dentistry?"
"Come watch me work," he said. "Observe my processes."
"That's too complicated, expensive and time-consuming," I said. "Cavities are the bottom line, and you can't argue with the bottom line. It's an absolute measure."
"That's what I'm afraid my parents and prospective patients will think. This can't be happening," he said despairingly.
"Now, now," I said, "don't despair. The state will help you some."
"How?" he asked.
"If you receive a poor rating, they'll send a dentist who is rated excellent to help straighten you out," I said brightly.
"You mean," he said, "they'll send a dentist with a wealthy clientele to show me how to work on severe juvenile dental problems with which I have probably had much more experience? BIG HELP!"
"There you go again," I said. "You aren't acting professionally at all."
"You don't get it," he said. "Doing this would be like grading schools and teachers on an average score made on a test of children's progress with no regard to influences outside the school, the home, the community served and stuff like that. Why would they do something so unfair to dentists? No one would ever think of doing that to schools."
I just shook my head sadly, but he had brightened. "I'm going to write my representatives and senators," he said. "I'll use the school analogy. Surely they will see the point."
(Note: This is not an original piece of writing. This periodically shows up in the inbox of my school email. Teachers forward it on to other teachers, but I didn't know if anyone outside the profession ever saw it, so that's why I decided to share it here. If you want to know what it's like to be a teacher under NCLB, this conveys the ludicrousness and frustration of the whole mess. Apply the ideas to YOUR profession and imagine the outrage YOU'D feel!)
I am so thrilled! I would love to have the books donated to a nearby school. This school struggles to put books in the hands of their readers. It is a Title 1 school, and as such, money for books is at the low end of priorities for many families whose children attend the school. The dedicated staff and instructional leaders are inspirations to not only me, but to their student population. The school's name is Morton Ranch Elementary. The school's phrase is: "a school worthy of your children." I think that says it all.
Thank you for the nomination as a finalist. It has been enjoyable participating in this event throughout the week. I would choose to have the books donated to Cuyahoga Falls Public Library. This library has given my family so much over the past 4 years. The staff works so hard to provide a variety of programs for the residents of our city. I was recently talking to the head librarian and she is so proud of the efforts of her staff. It would be awesome for them to receive this donation!
Eric Van Raepenbusch
I am so excited for both of you. I will get the names and your notes included in our ballot!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I saw this earlier, but have been in meetings on and off today and am just getting a chance to pop in!! I have had such a difficult time deciding which school or library to choose because so many are so deserving! I've been able to narrow it down to two, but am unsure if there are any parameters on the size of the programs. If the one I have listed below does not qualify, please let me know. I have another option that is equally deserving!
I would love to donate the books to a small school in my local area called A Time to Discover. It is a small progressive home daycare and preschool. The owner and primary teacher is so passionate and the excitement and learning that is seen in the children (including mine!) is amazing. She has always dreamed of starting her own school, has used her personal savings to create the fabulous classrooms and purchase all of the educational materials, and wants to someday move to a larger facility in order to bring a wonderfully loving and genuine education, full of diversity to a larger population of children! I believe that this donation would contribute to her dreams as well as the children's!! :)
Congratulations to the nominees!