'Family Trees' will Tell Tales in Concord

The Boston Globe (MA)

December 01, 2008

The 13th annual "Family Trees" at the Concord Museum features about 30 decorated trees based on children's books. A "Very Hungry Caterpillar" tree, based on the Eric Carle tale, is the exhibit's centerpiece. But we're curious to see the "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" tree, or the tree of "The Secret of the Old Clock," the first of the Nancy Drew mysteries.

'Twilight' has a Strong Internet Connection

Los Angeles Times (CA)

December 01, 2008

Going from obscurity to cultural phenomenon in a scant five years is no easy feat. One component of "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer's success was a brilliant and strategic use of the Web.

Teacher Video Can Help Parents Boost Literacy

The Augusta Chronicle (GA)

December 01, 2008

Parents needing an example of good reading practices now have a hands-on tool that models real-life lessons. The Aiken County School District released this month a 20-minute video guide "Parents: A Child's First Teacher" to encourage parents to build literacy skills from birth.

Students Write about Reading

San Gabriel Valley Tribune (CA)

December 01, 2008

For the past nine years, the Upland Public Library has asked local students to write about a good book they've read. Students have been asked to write to an author, whether living or dead, and explain why that particular book moved them and made some sort of impact. It's called "Letters About Literature," and it's a national program of the Center for The Book in the Library of Congress.

Budget Cuts Spell Trouble for New York City Literacy Groups

New York Daily News (NY)

December 01, 2008

Skyrocketing unemployment has city high school dropouts scrambling to get diplomas — only to find massive waiting lists for classes and cuts to vital literacy programs.

Reading, Writing, Snacking

Charlotte Observer (NC)

November 26, 2008

Fourth-grader Shayne Davis says he's willing to try any of the fresh fruit and vegetables handed out daily to him and the more than 800 students at his rural school. His school, Pelion Elementary — about 25 miles southwest of Columbia, SC — is part a federal program meant to curb hunger and expose students in high-poverty schools across the nation to fresh or dried produce many don't get at home.

MPS to Change Strategies for Teaching Reading, Writing

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI)

November 26, 2008

Major changes in how Milwaukee Public Schools teaches reading and writing are coming soon, according to school Superintendent William Andrekopoulos. A team of outside experts has been evaluating MPS literacy efforts and Andrekopoulos expects to get its report in December.

Season Of Caring: Reshaping Lives with Reading Skills

WFMY (NC)

November 26, 2008

Adult literacy is a barrier for nearly half the people of Guilford County, NC. Something as simple as reading a children's book or filling out a job application can be nearly impossible for them. One local organization is trying to change that. Reading Connections relies on personal tutors to teach the fundamentals of comprehension.

Reading Can Be a Hair-Raising Experience

Santa Clarita Valley Signal (CA)

November 26, 2008

It's happened before — Mint Canyon Elementary School Principal Betsy Letzo has come up with some pretty wild ideas. But none have been as hair-raising as her latest reading-enhancement scheme: if students could read and pass comprehension tests on more books that their teachers, the teachers had to sport a Mohawk for a day.

Children Who Live in Public Housing Suffer in School, Study Says

The New York Times

November 25, 2008

New York City children who live in public housing perform worse in school than students who live in other types of housing, according to a study by New York University researchers. It showed that fifth graders living in public housing did worse on standardized math and reading tests than fifth graders who lived elsewhere.

Where Have Our Nursery Rhymes Gone?

Alamogordo Daily News (TX)

November 25, 2008

Imagine a group of enthusiastic children listening to nursery rhymes such as "Baa, Baa, Black Sheep," "Hickory Dickory Dock," "The House That Jack Built," "Old Mother Hubbard," "Skip to My Lou" and "Rub-a-Dub-Dub" for the first time. Why is it that our children are entering kindergarten not knowing these rhymes?

Slam Poet Teaches Children How Words Can Soothe Their Wounds

The Washington Post

November 25, 2008

Gayle Danley has been earning acclaim with the power of her words for almost 15 years. She performs poetry and teaches it to children all over Maryland, inspiring almost everyone who hears her with her frank personal revelations and her ability to coax cathartic self-expression out of some of the most unlikely students.

Mocha Moms Launch Literacy Program at Local Barbershops and Salons

The Louisiana Weekly

November 25, 2008

One group that understands the importance of reading and cultivating a love of books in young people is the New Orleans Chapter of Mocha Moms Inc., part of a national, non-profit support organization for mothers of color who have chosen not to work full-time outside of the home in order to devote more time to their families.

Reading Santa Coming to Tulsa

Tulsa World (OK)

November 25, 2008

An African-American Santa and his Mrs. will be there, and children and families are invited free of charge to a morning of books, photos and entertainment. Santa's gift bag will be filled with brightly wrapped books that he will give to the children as they arrive at the center. According to Audrey McGill, Mothers Group president and Cherokee Elementary School guidance counselor, the gift of books is very important.

Elementary Principals Go to School to Learn About Pre-K Practices

Education Week

November 24, 2008

The preschoolers at Clyde F. Brown Elementary School in Millis, Mass., used to be isolated at the end of a hallway in the 650-student school—a location that symbolized how much attention they received from principal Jeffrey Wolff. But that was before he participated in a fellowship for principals offered by Community Advocates for Young Learners, or CAYL. The Cambridge, Mass.-based organization runs an intensive, yearlong program designed to help elementary school leaders oversee and strengthen the preschool classes offered at their schools.

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HI Reading Effort is one for the Books

Honolulu Star-Bulletin (HI)

November 24, 2008

Principals say it is the biggest draw they have ever had, pulling in crowds of families to public schools in the evenings. Of course, the lure of pizza and prizes helps. But surveys show the Read Aloud Program is leaving a lasting impact at home, getting families to turn off the TV and tune in to each other.

Colorful Tales Fill Pages for Holiday Reading

Columbus Dispatch (OH)

November 24, 2008

Celebrate the season with these new Christmas, Kwanzaa and Hanukkah books for children and families, the best of 2008.

MS District Tackles Students' Reading Deficiencies

Hattiesburg American (MS)

November 24, 2008

The Hattiesburg school district has spent more than $100,000 in tackling reading deficiencies and putting to work five new computer-based programs to expand students' reading comprehension. Lisa Karmacharya, director of elementary curriculum and federal programs, said the radical change in the district's reading curriculum is necessary.

Reading Boot Camp Belongs in Every School: Teacher

Edmonton Journal (Canada)

November 24, 2008

Every school day since late September, Letrell Dunawa gets a half-hour of teacher Coralie Kerr's undivided attention. These intensely focused reading sessions are part of a formal program called "reading recovery" for Grade 1 students who have difficulty with the written word. It could be one of the ways, according to Edmonton public school officials, to catch kids before they fall through the education system's cracks.

Teaching Pre-Reading, Social Skills Works

United Press International

November 21, 2008

It's possible to teach preschoolers the pre-reading skills they need for later school success, while fostering socials skills, U.S. researchers said. Dr. Duane Alexander, director the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Maryland, said the findings address longstanding concerns about whether preschool education programs should emphasize academic achievement or social and emotional development.

Annual Read-Along a Success Story

Andover Townsman (MA)

November 21, 2008

Stefani Traina Goldshein was reading aloud a chapter from Norton Juster's novel "The Phantom Tollbooth" to a class at Sanborn Elementary School several years ago. When she finished her chapter, the entire class "leapt up" to grab classroom copies of the book to find out what happens next, she said. Seeing that love of reading is what keeps the League of Women Voters in Andover, MA organizing its annual Community Read-Along. Now in its 14th year, the weeklong event pairs an adult reader from the community with every elementary school classroom in town, including private schools.

Virginia High-Schoolers Reach Out to Young Readers

Falls Church News-Press (VA)

November 21, 2008

Instead of chasing crushes and living up the end of his senior year at Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology, 18-year-old Drew Tener decided to focus his time and energy on something a little more proactive - he's teaching struggling first and second-grade boys how to read. He founded a six-week, free-of-charge program, coined "Easy Readers," that teaches reading through hands-on activities, such as treasure hunts or food preparation.

Taking a Reading on Literacy

The Times (NJ)

November 20, 2008

How do you get boys to love reading? You can read to them when they're little, surround them with books, bring them to the library and book store and still have a kid who sees reading as a chore. Teachers have started paying a lot of attention to boys and their reading scores because boys score lower than girls at every age level, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Profile: Children's Book Author, Artist Laurie Keller

The Grand Rapids Press (MI)

November 20, 2008

If Laurie Keller could sell tickets to a trip inside her head, people would pay. There are otters in there and Wisconsin with tiny arms and legs making cheese sculptures and something about Zsa Zsa Gabor having "dejaja vu." Keller, 47, has written and illustrated six books for children that have received rave reviews since day one, charming grown-up critics and giggly first-graders.

Inmates Learn Parenting Skills

Tri-Valley Dispatch (AZ)

November 20, 2008

It's never too late to try being the best parent one can be - even from a prison cell miles away from home. More than 100 Hawaiian prisoners housed in Eloy, AZ are learning to do just that, through books, thanks to a program of the Hawaii-based Read-to-Me International organization.