April 2025

Literacy for Earth Day, Joyful Poetry, Autism Acceptance … and More!

In this issue: In the Classroom / Spotlight: Autism / Our Blogs: Voices of Experts / Children’s Books & Authors / Literacy at Home / Research, Events & News

In the Classroom: How to Celebrate Literacy, Learning, and Nature

Nature-Themed Books and Activities for School and Home

Do you know any outdoorsy kids who are happiest dipping their toes in a freshwater pond, searching for animal and bug tracks, listening for birds, or hiking to a waterfall? Explore our natural world through books, hands-on activities, apps, and kid-friendly websites — from our companion project, Start with a Book.

Bird Buddies Activity Kit
Learn how birds live, eat, move, fly, sing, and socialize, keep a bird journal, set up an observation station, write poems, myths, and riddles about birds, build a nest, and play games like Bird Bingo and Jeop-Birdy.

Bug Buddies Activity Kit
Get the buzz on insects! Learn about bug babies and the insect life cycle, take the exoskeleton challenge, build a bug, be a bee, explore biomimicry (and invent your own nature-inspired innovation), and discover helpful insects and their role in our world.

River Rangers Activity Kit
Build a watershed model to explore where water goes when it rains and snows, weave a dipping net to become a water detective, discover 10 simple ways to conserve water, write a cinquain about your favorite watery place, and test out the small craft you built from wood and string.

Literacy in the Sciences

Here you’ll find ideas for pairing STEM-themed books with hands-on activities, booklists, interviews with children’s authors, links to science-themed shows from PBS Kids, and more. Our tip sheets (in English and Spanish) give kids skill practice in predicting, sequencing, understanding cause and effect, building a rich vocabulary bank, acquiring background knowledge, and developing the ability to read and write informational text.

Poetry Walk

Jumpstart poetry writing in your class! Outdoor poetry walks give students a way to "write about what they know. Before heading outdoors, read aloud a few poems that are rich in descriptive language. Then, take your class on a walk around the neighborhood to observe and collect sensory images from their direct experience with nature. Students can bring a poetry journal with them to write down descriptive words as they observe, listen, smell, and touch things outside the classroom.
 

Spotlight: Autism Acceptance Month

Every day, we celebrate neurodiverse kids — and their creativity, persistence, and individuality. Browse all of our ASD resources for educators and parents, and share widely!

Supporting children with ASD in the classroom
ASD influences how a child sees and experiences the world. Learn more about how to help kids with ASD thrive in your classroom and become confident, skilled readers.

Picture Books Featuring Characters with Autism or Asperger’s
Understanding and acceptance can begin with stories about a child, sibling, friend, and classmate with ASD. 

The Human Brain Is a Storytelling Brain
Award-winning author of acclaimed middle-grade novels Sally J. Pla (The Someday Birds) talks about how her own autism informs the characters and stories she writes.

Our Blogs: Voices of Experts

6 Things Every Teacher Should Know About Teaching Reading Comprehension

Research suggests that teachers should focus on six critical, interconnected areas: amount of comprehension instruction, a focus on challenging texts across genres and content areas, language comprehension, knowledge-building, executive function, and purposeful questioning routines. Get the details in this fresh blog post from literacy expert Tim Shanahan.

Minding the Research-to-Practice Gap: A Classroom Teachers’ Guide to Reading Research

In this new blog post from literacy coach Margaret Goldberg, you'll get an introduction to the common terminology of reading research and how to gauge if a strategy or intervention can be implemented in your classroom with fidelity and a measurable effect on your students’ learning.

“I remind myself that it’s my job to balance the evidence with my professional judgment about what’s feasible and worthwhile in my classroom. The more discerning teachers become about research, the more focused and effective we can be in raising our students’ achievement. We couldn’t possibly work any harder. Working smarter is the only option.”

Children’s Books & Authors

Celebrate Poetry!

April is National Poetry Month, 30 days of celebrating the joy, expressiveness, and pure delight of poetry. Learn more about the National Poetry Month, get to know some of our most well-loved children’s poets in our video interview series, browse the many online resources listed here, and visit your local library or bookstore to discover wonderful new books and anthologies.

Featured articles:

• The P Word: A personal journey in discovering how to connect with poetry
• 10 Ways to Use Poetry in Your Classroom
• Family Poetry Jam
• Children’s Poets Talk About Poetry

Poems to Share with Young People

Sharing new and favorite poems with kids is the perfect way to celebrate National Poetry Month. In these booklists you’ll find poems for all ages, shape poetry, nature poems, silly poems, poems that don’t rhyme, traditional nursery rhymes, sijo, haiku, and more. Dive in with all your senses!

Flocking Together

Children’s author and poet Jennifer Ann Richter shares ideas for engaging kids in observing and learning about birds (check out her “Be a Bird Detective” activity!). Jennifer is the author of the middle grade novel Bird Nerd, a warm and gently told story of friendship.

Literacy at Home

Outdoor Explorations

Stepping outside is a simple way to set foot into nature's laboratory. Backyards and neighborhood walks can lead to interesting conversations, new vocabulary words, observations, predictions, and investigations. (In English and Spanish)

Patterns and Categorizing

Children begin using their senses to recognize patterns in nature and categorize things at a young age — skills that play an important role in early learning. This tip sheet provides some simple activities, as well as recommended books, that parents can use to help their kids build pattern recognition and categorization skills in science and math. (In English and Spanish)

How do I help my first grader enjoy school when reading is hard? 

Literacy expert DeJunne’ Clark Jackson encourages parents to find out more about their child’s specific struggles with reading — it begins with a good assessment. And don’t forget to celebrate your child’s reading successes!

Learn more about supporting your child’s reading in our Reading and Writing SOS video series, where experts answer real questions from families. (Developed in partnership with the National Education Association).

Research, Events & News

The Reading League Summit
The Science of Reading: With Growing Awareness Comes Incomplete Understandings
April 22-23, 2025 | Chicago, IL

American Library Association Annual Conference
June 26-30, 2025 | Philadelphia, PA

Annual IDA Conference
Reading, Literacy and Learning
October 23-25, 2025 | Atlanta, GA

American Library Association Sues to Stop Trump Cuts
The New York Times (gift article)

Why Steubenville, Ohio, Might Be the Best School District in America
The 74

Mississippi’s education miracle: A model for global literacy reform
The Conversation

Students Who Move More, Learn More
Education Week

The Shockingly Good Children’s Poetry of 2025
School Library Journal

Cultivating Content and Language Learning in ELLs
Edutopia

The Pandemic Is Not the Only Reason U.S. Students Are Losing Ground
The New York Times (gift article)

US children are struggling with reading. Can communities help?
Christian Science Monitor

The American Picture Book’s Unsung Parent: Japan
The New York Times (gift article)

Teaching Science & Reading Together Yields Double Benefits for Learning
The 74