Articles
Librarians, educators, and parents are concerned that middle school students often lose interest in reading. They prefer instead to play video games, participate in sports, watch television, and surf the Internet and don’t find time to read and talk about good books. Developing intergenerational family literacy programs can be one way to engage middle school youth, the family and the community. These programs included discussions, visual art activities, reader’s theater, food, and more, which lead to remarkable levels of understanding, involvement and literacy empowerment.
In this series of articles learn how the Emporia (KS) Arts Council, in collaboration with Emporia State University, developed a successful path of intergenerational literacy that is just as powerful and effective today as when it was launched. At the time of these programs in the early 2000s, Catherine Rickbone was the Executive Director of the Emporia Arts Council, while Gerrit and Barbara Bleeker were professors at Emporia State University.
Voya – Voice of Youth Advocates
Founded in 1978, Voice of Youth Advocates, or (VOYA), magazine is the leading library journal dedicated to the needs of young adult librarians, the advocacy of young adults, and the promotion of young adult literature and reading. Regular…
Let’s Talk About It – An Intergenerational Family Literacy Program
Let’s talk about it! Librarians, educators, and parents are concerned that middle school students often lose interest in reading; they prefer instead to play video games, participate in sports, watch television, and surf the Internet. They don’t find…
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Let’s Talk About It – Experiencing Seedfolks, Spreading the Word
Our discussion of Paul Fleischman’s Seedfolks (HarperCollins 1997/VOYA June 1997) is a marvelous illustration of our group process because it shows how such “seeds” can germinate in ways we don’t expect. This short novel depicts a diverse group…
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Let’s Talk About It – More Novels for Discussion and Response
Other novels inspire a variety of visual and written responses that are displayed at the arts center to be viewed and studied by the hundreds of townspeople who visit. They often ask questions and remark on what they…
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Let’s Talk About It! – Growing Readers Intergenerationally
We have observed fascinating results due to our intergenerational interactions with books. Guided intergenerational reading sparks conversation at home – books provide a safe avenue for teens to discuss their own lives and feelings. Young people see sides…
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