Pittsford, VT — On Thursday, July 15, children served by Maclure Library were treated to a storytelling presentation from Duncan McDougall and brand-new books to keep, thanks to a grant from the Children’s Literacy Foundation (CLiF).
Storyteller Duncan McDougall led an interactive presentation for 64 children at the Pittsford Recreation Center. At the end of the presentation, each child selected two new books to keep from hundreds of titles.
“I liked picking out books and seeing them all,” said Lothrop student Morgan.
CLiF awards Summer Readers grants to organizations serving kids at high risk of experiencing a “summer slide” in literacy skills. The partnership between Maclure Library, Lothrop Elementary School, Pittsford Recreation Camp and CLiF reached Pittsford’s young readers who are at the greatest risk.
“It’s always a great day when we can put quality books in the hands of children,” said Lothrop Librarian Christine Tate.
Research shows that children who don’t read over summer vacation tend to lose literacy skills while children who do read improve their reading abilities. Low-income children and youth often experience greater summer learning losses than their higher-income peers.
“My favorite part was picking out books because I love to read and explore different genres!” said Lothrop student Isabella.
The Maclure Library promotes open access to the highest quality services, books and information resources to encourage a lifetime of reading and learning while the Pittsford Recreation Department provides comprehensive year-round opportunities for quality recreation programs and activities for the residents of Pittsford.
CLiF is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1998 with a mission to nurture a love of reading and writing among low-income, at-risk, and rural children in New Hampshire and Vermont. CLiF has inspired more than 200,000 young readers and writers through literacy program grants and has given away more than $5 million in new, high-quality children’s books. For more information visit www.clifonline.org.
