Currently, there are about 350 languages spoken in homes in the United States of America. Immigrant families in the U.S. speak as many as 200 languages from around the world. Another 150 languages are spoken by Native American families. Many families are “bilingual,” “emergent bilingual” or even “multi-lingual.” Such labels are honored distinctions of accomplishment as the world population continues […]
Putting training wheels on a child’s bike has become a passé way to teach them to learn to ride a bike. Balance bikes—bicycles without pedals that kids push with their feet and glide along on—are much more effective; they teach kids how to balance more quickly. It takes a typical kid about an hour to […]
Learning from sun up till sundown. That’s what small children do. Everyday they busily seek out and learn from everything they can reach to see, hear, feel, smell or taste. They engage with people and objects to explore what impact they can have upon them. It’s an effort to understand and exert some kind of control over things in […]
I came across an article in the Pacific Standard magazine recently that got me thinking about what diversity in children’s books really means. It was authored by Noah Berlatsky, a somewhat controversial writer and cartoon editor. In it he says, “Diverse kids’ literature gives children of color a chance to see themselves as heroes, which is vital. […]
“Remember that time in 8th-grade science class when Mr. Oetting blew into the pig’s lungs?” “Oh, man! I haven’t thought about that in years. Yes! That was so cool!” Has this ever happened to you? Have you suddenly remembered something that one would think would be unforgettable? Something that once seemed really important or interesting? […]
A is for Apps. B is for Books. C is for Conversation. Apps Want to figure your interest payment on a used car? Want to keep track of your bicycle route? Want to find friends on a Saturday night? There’s an App for each of those. Consider the calculator App on our phones. Tap in […]
Given the hate-filled event of this past week, it seems the perfect time to remind ourselves of the natural love in what we do here at Unite for Literacy. Providing books—the artifacts of an author’s existence—releasing them to the world, reaching out to others, even across space and through time, nurtures unity in a community. […]
Today I read a heart-warming article in the Nerdy Book Club blog by a man who loved picture books when he was a child. As a boy, he had no interest in chapter or age-appropriate books; he just wanted to read what he wanted to read. Specifically, he wanted to enjoy the illustrations and photos […]
A three-step guide for parenting for school and life success is simply: Read books together Talk about what you read Relax and have fun! Unite for Literacy is naturally all about reading as a foundation for lifelong learning. However, the most powerful aspect of parenting little ones to be successful doesn’t necessarily involve reading at […]
As we all know, regular libraries are places where you to go borrow books. The books we check out are ours for a couple of weeks and then we take them back so others can have them. Those books are then theirs for a time during which they can benefit from the joy and information […]
