Children’s Literacy and Reading News Roundup – 22 February

Welcome to the weekly roundup of news, analysis, and ideas for raising readers. This week, Jen has covered it all with some great finds at Jen Robinson’s Book Page.  This week Jen Robinson and I have collected plenty of content for you about literacy & reading-related events; literacy and reading programs and research; 21st century literacies; and grants, sponsorships & donations.

Thankfully what originally was a threat of snow has turned to rain for today. There is something very surreal about hearing the birds singing about spring and staring at the snow-covered ground. But I digress …

In this week’s roundup, Jen has several articles about what budget cuts are doing to school and public libraries. In communities from coast to coast there are closures, layoffs, or potentially both. Raising our voices locally about the importance of these resources is critical, but we need to grab national attention, too. Both Jen and I have mentioned two ongoing efforts by Pepsi and Ideas for Change which allow US to vote for projects we believe should be funded. You need to vote your heart, but there are opportunities to be  part of a grassroots campaign that says teaching kids to read is critical.

• There are four days left to vote for Everybody Wins! idea of a National Read to Kids campaign in Ideas for Change in America. In Ideas for Change, “the 10 most popular ideas will be presented at an event in Washington, DC to relevant members of the Obama Administration, and Change.org will subsequently mobilize its full community to support a series of grassroots campaigns to turn each idea into reality.”
• There are six days of voting left in the Pepsi Refresh project. The Pepsi Foundation will grant $1.3M in various categories, including education. Here is the direct link to vote for Reach Out and Read’s Pepsi Refresh proposal to help 25,000 kids enter school more prepared.

At B.A. Bookworm this morning, Mindi has a great post about how to make the most of your child’s natural desire to repeat a favorite activity.  “We get the joy of playing the same games with our kids, singing the same familiar songs, and of course, we read the same books to our children time after time. Now, consistency has its place, however being consistent does not nurture a child’s curiosity or stimulate their problem solving abilities. So, its up to us as the adults, to ask questions that will help our children be innovative thinkers.”  Later in the article, she offers tips on ways you can make sure your child is actually reading a text rather than reciting it from memory.

Jen has packed not one, but TWO roundups with great stuff. Stop by to read the latest edition of Literacy ‘Lights at Booklights.  Jen’s first piece about a Q&A with Diane Frankenstein is the perfect extension of Mindi’s article about reading or memorizing.

Today’s Nonfiction Monday round-up is at Diane Chen’s School Library Journal blog, Practically Paradise.

Irene Latham had a full house (37!) for last week’s Poetry Friday Roundup at Live. Love. Explore! This week, Jone McCullough is hosting at Check It Out! Thanks for your continued interest in and support of children’s literacy.