Literacy in our Community
It takes a community to raise a reader…
Week 4: Dive into a Storytime with Make Way for Books
When in-person gatherings had to pause, Make Way for Books launched a free, bilingual, online storytime for young children and families. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning at 10:30 AM they share books, songs, movement, and tips for young children and families. As some stories come from their free app— our online literacy resource of the week —you can download it ahead of time to follow along and then continue learning afterwards!
Week 3: Share, Stream, and Go on an Outing with Stories That Soar and Literacy Connects
“Tucson Cares, Tucson Shares” is a new collaboration designed to develop literacy skills, meaningful self-expression, and the amplification young people’s experiences during the pandemic.
In the artistic spirit of COVID-19 “healing & relief efforts,” the Fox Tucson Theater is partnering with Literacy Connects’ Stories That Soar! program to invite young people to share their stories and unique perspectives of our current times. Select stories will be professionally produced for the community.
Here’s how it works:
- Young people (ages 5-18) reflect on their experience of the pandemic, and from that place get creative!
- Write, draw, record, photograph, video… the sky’s the limit.
- Younger storytellers can get help with writing, but please make sure the words are those of the child.
- Upload your submissions here.
- You will be notified if your story is selected
We believe the youth have a right to be heard, and our community has a need to hear and consider their voices. We thank you in advance for your participation!
Stories That Stream!
To get a virtual sense of how Stories That Soar works with children’s stories, stay tuned for their newest video when it goes live this coming Tuesday, as part of the Midsummer Literacy + Arts Extravaganza! “The Lost Book” is a love story of sorts by an elementary school student, capturing the impact a single book can have on the trajectory of a young person’s life.
Once schools closed in March, Literacy Connects jumped into action with “Inside Outings,” in which kids could take local, virtual field trips based around children’s books. The Fox has partnered with them to bring you one more outing—this time through the history and halls of our theatre, with Kit the Fox and his storybook as your guide.
Week 2: Get Poetic and Take an Adventure with Arizona Public Media
K-12 students are invited to submit one poem in response to the prompt: What do you want the world to know about how you feel? The contest will run from June 16 to July 16. All poetic forms and styles are welcome, as well as bilingual, multi-lingual, and code-switching poems. Young people can even sign-up for a free, zoom-based poetry writing workshop for their age-bracket! Learn more here.
Focusing In
It can be healing for young people to process their experiences through poetic expression. So invite kids to participate in this communal gathering of poems and share how they’ve felt going through these past months. In doing so, they can develop literacy in a meaningful way, participate in this community program… AND lay the groundwork for a wonderful opportunity we’ll send out next week.
Events, virtual screenings, activities, prizes, and more! Members will receive an exclusive Adventure Kit filled with a wide variety of literacy-building activities that engage the whole family. Membership is FREE and registration is open now.
Focusing In
A natural way for kids to build literacy skills is for them to do so as part of an exciting activity, where they’re not even thinking about reading or writing! To that end, try out this “Create Your Own Board Game Activity“–just one example of the many great resources accessible from the live and linked bingo card you’ll get in your Adventure Kit if you sign up for AZPM’s Summer Adventure Club.
Week 1: “Imagine Your Story” with the Library
Get kids reading with the Library’s summer reading tracker.
Either print the one to the left, or utilize the Library’s online tracker on their summer reading page.
Focusing In
One of the writing activities on the tracker invites participants to write an autobiography or biography of someone they know. As we all grapple with the past months, it can be healing for young people to process their experiences through writing.
So why not do the biography activity on the tracker, with a focus on recent months? That way young people can develop literacy in a meaningful way, participate in the Library’s reading program… AND lay the groundwork for a remarkable opportunity we’ll send your way in a couple of weeks.
Navigate the Fox’s
Midsummer Literacy + Arts Extravaganza
Support enriching programs like this one, and ensure that the Fox promise of togetherness endures.