Summer Family Engagement
Everybody's going surfin' . . . okay, maybe not in Nebraska. But there are plenty of other fun summer things to do. Why not make reading a part of your summer fun? Take some books on a picnic, read by the lake, shelter from the sun with a good story. Engaging children in reading no matter the weather or what you're doing is a way to let them know that literacy is important to you and to them. This month we focus on the books and stories of summer. Learn about summer programs that are combining fun activities with reading, discover our treasure trove of summer books, and be sure to check out our new Family Guides library. |
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| Nebraska Growing Readers Is Accepting Donations |
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Nebraska Growing Readers is working to build funding sources that make literacy programs sustainable across the state. We know that you have enjoyed our books and programming and hope you'll share what we do with those in your community who are committed to literacy efforts and want to make a difference. You can now access our donation link on the NGR website. Donations help buy books for children and families. Please share with those you know. |
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Building Back the Love: Beyond School Bells and NGR Partner in Literacy Projects |
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They sit in a circle, books in hand, ready to discuss the reading they’ve done the night before. Taysia Holbein describes the scene, “They read a few pages and then stop to talk about it.” It’s a book club, right? And that’s exactly what she calls it. But Taysia doesn’t work at a library or a bookstore. The group she describes are children attending the summer program at the Gothenburg Impact Center. What’s more, this isn’t an assignment. The children in the group voluntarily go home each night to read the pages of the fire fairy book they’ve chosen for the following day’s discussion, and they meet the next day to read and chat . . . about books!
The book group is, in part, made possible by a partnership between Nebraska Children and Families Foundation’s Beyond School Bells (BSB), Nebraska Growing Readers (NGR), Unite for Literacy, and Linked to Literacy. In March of this year, by offering grants of up to $2,500 for literacy projects connected to summer programming, Beyond School Bells implemented what Education Commisioner Brian Maher described as the Department of Education’s vision of fostering “a culture of proficient and lifelong readers in Nebraska.”
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Spend time bonding with your child over reading and an activity. Nebraska Growing Readers has plenty of books that allow you to spend some fun, relaxed reading time together, and then amp things up with an exciting activity. |
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| Looking for a morning or post-nap activity? Spend a few minutes reading Lets Go Outside to give those young ones a chance to wake up and then head outside to see what you can find. |
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Is it a rainy day? Too hot to go outside? Whatever is keeping you in, you can plan a quiet indoor activity with How to Draw a Flower. A little reading, some pen and paper, and it's time to draw. And when you can get outside, you can always smell the real things. |
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Did you enjoy reading these books? Want to read other books available in the NGR library? |
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The Nebraska Growing Readers website now offers a variety of family guides designed to inform and support families on topics such as health care, safety and prevention, wellness, language and literacy, development and parenting, relationships and behavior, and play as learning. The books are easy-to-read guides that can be used by providers and families. |
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| Is It a Fever is written by local Nebraska nurse Jillian Krumbach and describes what a fever is, the likely symptoms of someone with a fever, how it's usually measured, and the common treatments for a fever. |
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| Do you sing to your babies? Do you use nursery rhymes? Yes? Good! Talking Grows Language discusses why these activities and others are so important for a child's language development. It also shares activities that are fun for those listening little ones. |
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View our full collection of Family Guides
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Join Our Facebook Group
Nebraska Growing Readers has a Facebook Group where you can get up-to-date information about the program; engage with this program and the other NGR provider sites; and share ideas, resources, and tips for getting kids excited about reading.
This private group, will require you to answer a question to get in. There are no wrong answers. We just want to assure a safe space specifically for providers. |
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| Learn More about Nebraska
Nebraska Growing Readers continues to build the library of content written by Nebraskans and about the various cultural experiences you can find in the state. Want to know more about Nebraska books? Visit our Spotlight on Books page to see what's happening in your state. |
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Nebraska Growing Readers is a collaboration between Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, the Nebraska Department of Education, the Statewide Family Engagement Center, and Unite for Literacy.
If you have questions of comments concerning the program, please contact Greta Carlson (gcarlson@nebraskachildren.org). |
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