Toddlers love to hear their parents read out loud. Story time combines some of your child’s favorite things: snuggling, interesting illustrations, and your voice. At this age, story time can be more interactive. Your toddler can repeat favorite phrases, request multiple readings of a favorite book, and point to colors, animals, and objects as you read their names aloud. To …
Offering students a balance of fiction and nonfiction reading experiences has always been important. Since the publication of the Common Core State Standards, which emphasize the use of both kinds of text, informational picture books have gotten more and more attention. And the attention is well deserved. Though many of us turn first to fiction for a pleasure reading, I …
Spring cleaning is a time honored tradition with roots in many global religions and cultures. Jewish people clean their homes before Passover. Every year on the spring equinox, Iranians participate in spring cleaning in honor of Now Rouz (the new year). The Chinese also participate in spring cleaning around the time of their New Year celebrations. In that spirit, this …
Philadelphia, March 24, 2016—Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Philadelphia, and Wells Fargo, a diversified, community-based financial services company, have partnered to help transform literacy instruction to ensure children in Philadelphia read proficiently by third grade. Wells Fargo presented CLI with a $50,000 check, which will go toward Philadelphia’s Early Literacy Project during the 2015-2016 school …
PHILADELPHIA, MARCH 16, 2016 — Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization headquartered in Philadelphia, and American Airlines, the world’s largest airline, are partnering to help more of the nation’s children read proficiently by third grade. Employees and executives on American’s Citizenship Steering Committee at the airlines’ Philadelphia International Airport hub recently awarded CLI an in-kind donation of 1,000,000 …
Any parent who owns a copy of Goodnight Moon knows that there are some books children can listen to over and over (and over!) again. Teachers know this, too. Knuffle Bunny. Click, Clack, Moo. Amazing Grace. These books never grow old. Children seem to feel for Trixie, root for those cows, and cheer Grace on with the same amount of enthusiasm …
Watch and learn. Our earliest learning experiences are rooted in these words. Parents tell their children “Watch that bird searching for food on the ground” and “Watch me tie my shoes”. We learn by watching. This doesn’t change as we grow older. Most of us, when entering new places and situations, take some time to watch – noticing how people …
Chicago, January 28, 2016 – The Chicago Tribune Charities, a McCormick Foundation fund has selected national nonprofit Children’s Literacy Initiative (CLI) for a $60,000 one-year grant in support of the Chicago Early Literacy Project for elementary schools in the Little Village neighborhood. “The biggest lever for improving our student’s educational outcomes is reading and writing by 3rd grade. It’s absolutely …
Warming up before you exercise is considered a really good idea. It allows your body to prepare for the workout ahead – you stretch your muscles, you increase your heart rate and you are able to “get in the mindset” and prepare for your workout. Warming up is also important for students before you read aloud to them and taking …
The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) recently released the results of the 2015 Nation’s Report Card for 4th and 8th grade students. In the NAEP reading assessment, students’ reading comprehension is measured by reading grade-appropriate materials and answering questions based on the selection they read. The type of texts students read are literacy (fiction, literary nonfiction, and poetry) and …