Reading Ideas for Kids During Coronavirus Times
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Most schools and libraries in our area are currently closed while the nation and the world deal with curtailing the spread of the coronavirus. Many of the children served by RIF of NOVA may not have access to physical books during these closures. Fortunately, there are many non-book options out there for kids and parents to discover. A few ideas (and there are many out there) are noted below.
One is audiobooks -- and listening together can be extraordinarily rewarding for both parent and child.
Brightly, a literary resource for adults and kids, featured a terrific article entitled:
7 tips for listening to audiobooks with kids. The article contains ideas about how to get started, as well as a list of audio recordings that are appropriate for every age! Another Brightly article is titled:
20 Sight Word Games, Activities, and Reading Ideas. It contains lists of free printable cards and books, reading and activity app suggestions, and learning game links.
(Photo above: Jose Luis Pelaez Inc, DigitalVision/Getty Images)
Book Riot offers a list of 11 sites to find free audiobooks, including books for both adults and children. Click
here for more information. And
The Measured Mom offers free, downloadable and printable sight word books for emergent readers. Learn more
here.
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Another resource is
Storyline Online, a children's literacy website sponsored by the nonprofit
SAG-AFTRA Foundation. Books are chosen for each month and read by celebrated actors like Betty White, James Earl Jones, Kevin Kostner, Viola Davis, Oprah Winfrey, and many more. Take a look
here!
(Illustration above: SAG-AFTRA Foundation)
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Scholastic's
Learn at Home program also offers many free opportunities for learning during this stressful time. Kids can go on a virtual field trip, meet best-selling authors, or dig deep into a topic they love. Options are divided into Pre-K/K; Grades 1/2; 3-5; and 6+. Many resources are available in Spanish, too. Fun is just a
click away!
And for those able to get books and needing a fresh batch of book titles, here is a list from
Raise Smart Kid called "
101 Best Children's Books of All Time -- By Age." The list includes so many favorites! Click
here to take a look!
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Here's Another Cool Activity for Area K-3 Students While Schools are Closed...
It's the annual PBS Kids Writers Contest. Children in grades K-3 are encouraged to write an original story, poem, or work of nonfiction to enter. Students must live in Virginia, Maryland, or DC to compete for great prizes. First place winners at each grade level will have their stories published in a hard cover book! Whoo hoo! Entries must be postmarked by April 27. Read additional details
here! And if you want more activities and ideas from PBS Kids during school shut-downs, here's the
link to sign up for that!
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Read Across America Photos and Fun!
Every March,
Read Across America Day is celebrated on a school day that is closest to March 2, the birthdate of Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss. Many RIF of NOVA schools joined in the fun, too, as these photos show!
Arlington's Barcroft Elementary School hosted a RIF of NOVA book distribution with the Dr. Seuss book theme:
Oh! the Places You'll Go! In a group photo, some second-grade students held signs with Dr. Seuss sayings such as: "A person's a person, no matter how small!" and "It is fun to have fun." Yep! So true!!!
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At Arlington's Randolph ES, 5th graders each chose a state to study for the school's Read Across America celebration. During reports to the class, students pointed out their various states and noted some of the places they hope to go!
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RIF of NOVA board president Ann Godfrey joined these Randolph readers in the school's library. Instead of going outside to recess, they elected to stay inside to read with Ann! Great choice!!!
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Vienna/Oakton Junior Volunteer League Gets Involved!
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New RIF of NOVA board member Bradley Vineyard and her daughter Amelia invited long-time board member and liaison coordinator Justina Johnson to speak to the
Junior Volunteer League (JVL) about literacy and RIF of NOVA's efforts to provide books to deserving children in our region. The grade 7-12 young women from the Vienna/Oakton area were quite amazed to learn that 25 million children in the U.S. cannot read proficiently...and that almost a third of 4th graders read below grade level -- contributing to about 7,000 students dropping out of high school every day (
educationdata.org).
During the event, the students remembered favorite books from their own childhood years -- books like
Strega Nona,
Fancy Nancy,
Pinkalicious,
Flat Stanley,
Olivia, and
Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Then they gathered with paper, ribbons, pens, and glue to make book marks and goodie bags for a future RIF of NOVA distribution. Each girl also brought children's books to donate. Additional books were purchased by JVL with a significant discount from the
Bards Alley indie book shop in Vienna. Thanks to all who contributed to this educational and inspirational event!
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Teamwork turns into book marks for RIF kids!
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These clear messages say it all! Read! Read! Read!
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Spotlight: Board Member Glenna Orr
In late February, author and RIF of NOVA board member Glenna Orr celebrated her sixth children's book --
Remembering With the Heart, Stories by America's Finest -- at a dinner and book signing at St. Rita's Church in Arlington. The book features conversations with veterans who reside at the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) in Washington, DC. During more than 20 years of involvement at AFRH, Glenna has grown to know and love the residents and their stories. With her nonprofit organization,
The Kind Kids, she brought veterans and children together with the goal of fostering inter-generational contact and communication. In the resulting book, the veterans tell children about their experiences in the armed forces and bring to life the histories of their lives.
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Children's author and board member Glenna Orr celebrated her new book,
Remembering With the Heart.
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Glenna's new book was illustrated by Marinna Bogatov. The book was chosen for a 2020 Mom's Choice honor.
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Glenna (m) with veterans Norma Gene Strawn Rambow (l) and Barbara Brennan Dannaher.
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Veterans Jim Long (l) and George Johnson at the celebration.
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Veteran Harry Miller celebrated with a special younger guest!
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When you donate to RIF of NOVA...
...pride happens -- pride in owning a newly chosen book! Look no further than this photo to see a couple of satisfied RIF of NOVA fifth-grade faces! So please give generously. It's not only a great feel-good thing to do, it's an investment in a child's future. Thank you for supporting literacy in our community in this very hands-on way!
Here are several ways to donate:
1) Send a check to our mailbox: P.O. Box 7012, Arlington, VA 22207-0012.
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3) Register with
smile.amazon.com
. Type in Reading Is Fundamental of Northern Virginia, Inc. to select us as the charity you want to support. Amazon will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to RIF of NOVA. With the holidays coming, the 0.5% can add up!
4) If your workplace holds a United Way campaign, designate RIF of NOVA as your chosen philanthropy. Our United Way # is 8959. Easy peasy!
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