These picture books feature characters who find ways to communicate with older relatives or with each other, even when they don’t share a common language. Have you ever played Pictionary? How about charades? The general premise of these games is that you have to convey information nonverbally to your partner(s) so they can say a specific phrase or the name…
Empowering Kids Through Storybooks: Helping Kids Make Sense of Global Conflicts with Compassion Distressing images and overheard conversations about global conflicts can affect children, leaving them with questions and emotions that can be hard to express. While children naturally seek emotional support from parents to feel safe, the challenge lies in finding the right words to explain difficult topics to…
Breaking the Silence: A Glimpse into the Heart-Wrenching Struggle of Illiteracy in America Experience the heart wrenching reality of illiteracy in America through, “The Truth About Reading”, a powerful new documentary. This eye-opening film sheds light on the profound issue of illiteracy, featuring stories of individuals who overcame the struggle as adults and offer solutions for a future where every…
Language and literacy pioneer Catherine Snow discusses the current state of literacy in America While the pandemic has challenged literacy development and outcomes for many students, that doesn’t mean America is currently in a literacy crisis. Professor Catherine Snow, a pioneer with decades of research in language and literacy development, says she’s puzzled by the public discourse about a literacy crisis.…
These 5 Proven Methods for Teaching Foundational Literacy are Vital to Overcoming Pandemic Losses By Dean Elson Our first look at long-term trends in reading and math assessments since the pandemic began affirm what many education professionals were anticipating. The National Association for Educational Progress, also known as “The Nation’s Report Card,” recently issued its signature report, which revealed that students…
Missing Out: Kids with Chronic Illness Lose Out on Learning and More By Arielle Haughee Chronic illness can be particularly cruel, especially when it afflicts some of our most vulnerable population, children. According to the CDC, around 27% of children in the United States have a chronic condition, and 1 in 15 have multiple conditions. That’s over 4 million elementary…
The path to prison is often paved by illiteracy. Yet many prisoners aren’t being taught to read. SALEM, Ore. — Vincent Valdez’s childhood memories are tinted by the vodka-filled water bottle he brought to class. “I’ve thrown up a couple of times in the middle of the classroom,” he said. “I’ve fallen over on the bus.” Valdez grew up in…
Low literacy linked to New Mexico’s poverty There is an inextricable link between poverty and literacy — particularly between child poverty and literacy, according to education experts. And for many New Mexicans, the relationship is generational. That is grim news for New Mexico, which had a poverty rate in 2021 of 19.1% — the third highest in the country and…
Book Truck Is Helping Combat Negative Stereotypes Black Wordschoolers is a bookmobile filled with stories from Black authors. It’s helping students learn to repel stereotypes and raise literacy rates. It may look like an ice cream truck, but what’s inside Natalie Pipkin’s creation may be far sweeter. “We have a variety of baby board books,” Pipkin said. “Some are bilingual.”…
Ten Ways to Make Summer Reading Fantastically Fun By Arielle Haughee Summer is a time for fun and also a time when kids can regress in their reading skills. That’s why reading is essential for this time of year. It can be tough to pry kids away from screens and get their noses into books, but we’ve corralled a…