Poems by Students: “The Hill We Climb” ▬ West Coast Reader

Poems by Students

@WestcoastReader

West Coast Reader: 4.30.2021

Amanda Gorman is an African American poet. She wrote a poem called “The Hill We Climb.”

The LINC 7/8 class at the Cowichan Intercultural Society in Duncan, BC wanted to celebrate Black History Month in February and National Poetry Month in April.

Seven students wrote poems with the title “The Hill We Climb.” Here are some of the poems. Two other poems are available in the April issue of The Westcoast Reader.

Read & Listen

Miguel's poem

Jack's poem

Yumi's poem

Mei's poem

Zoilabet's poem

Zoilabet reading her poem

The June issue of the WCR is OUT!
It has articles about biking, community gardens, the Marine Detective, and more...

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 7

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 11-13 yrs. old

(Sixth and Seventh graders)

March is Nutrition Month ▬ Westcoast Reader

March is Nutrition Month

@WestcoastReader

Westcoast Reader: 3.02.2021

Healthy eating is different for everyone. Everyone has their own culture and traditions. Everyone has their own preferences and nutritional needs. There is no “one-size-fits-all” for healthy eating.

This year’s theme is “Good for you! Dieticians help you find your healthy.”

Visit nutritionmonth2021.ca for more tips and ideas on healthy eating for you

7 tips to plan meals on a budget

🔽

➧ Bonus Material

➧ Exercises

➧ Comprehension Quiz

➧ Slower Reading Speed

➧ Natural Reading Speed

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Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 6

Reading Level: fairly easy to read.

Reader's Age: 10-11 yrs. olds

(Fifth and Sixth graders)

News Literacy Project Launches NewsLit Nation, a National Educator Network

News Literacy Project Launches NewsLit Nation, a National Educator Network

@NewsLitProject

NewsLit: 2.03.2021

To work toward reducing the harmful effects of misinformation on young minds, NLP is launching NewsLit Nation, the home of its News Literacy Educator Network. NewsLit Nation members advocate for news literacy education and support educators helping students navigate the complex digital news ecosystem.

With educators on the frontline of the fight against misinformation, NewsLit Nation provides resources and know-how for this urgent and important work. The network also organizes locally to enable educators to push for news literacy instruction in their schools and communities, says Ebonee Rice, NLP’s vice president of the educator network.

What is NewsLit Nation?

Nationwide community of teachers, librarians and administrators advocate news literacy education

➤ Trains teachers, librarians and school administrators across the country to advocate on behalf of a news literacy curriculum.

➤ Helps you find opportunities for local partnerships and build channels of communication for your communities as local news literacy champions.

➤ Gives you access to exclusive professional development opportunities, webinars, other training and additional support through online forums and message boards.

➤ Acts as the resource library for all our news literacy materials for educators.

READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 16

Reading Level: very difficult to read.

Reader's Age: College graduate

Easy English Times JULY IS OUR FINAL ISSUE !

Final Issue

Easy English Times
JULY IS OUR FINAL ISSUE !

Easy English Times: July 2020

In response to COVID-19 and the closure of schools, libraries and other adult literacy and ESL programs, we have made Easy English Times available online for free since March to help support distance education. We have continued to print a limited number of copies for subscribers still able to use them.

As we write this, many schools, libraries and other programs remain closed.

The future is uncertain. At this time, the most practical, realistic option for us is to retire and stop publication after this July, 2020 issue.

We will miss the process of creating the newspaper. We will miss all of you. Most of all we will miss learning and sharing the students' stories.

In our July issue...

◉ Black Lives Matter protests have been held coast to coast. A new march on Washington, D.C. will be held Aug. 28.

◉ A national debate on the removal of Confederate statues and monuments.

◉ Athletes use First Amendment freedoms to protest inequality, including taking a knee. The raised fist is a symbol seen at protests. What does it mean?

◉ The Supreme Court made a ruling that keeps the DACA program safe, for now.

◉ Coronavirus cases are increasing.

Is it the end of handshakes?

◉ The Women's Suffrage centennial celebration is extended.

◉ An astronaut who also just dove to the deepest point in the ocean is an inspiration to girls and young women in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

◉ Citizenship questions focus on amendments, the Civil War and related topics.

Why do we celebrate the 4th of July?

◉ The family is the topic for Compelling Conversations.

Sheltering at home has meant spending more time with the family.

◉ The idiom activity is on "couch potato."

◉ A movie/DVD review is on "Little Women."

◉ Student Writing of the Month is from Florida.

Bonus Student Writing is from California. Students in San Mateo, California, help others understand the Census.

It is our hope that you will start by reading this newspaper then "graduate" on to reading community newspapers.  READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 7

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 11-13 yrs. old

(Sixth and Seventh graders)

Easy News Special Issue Black Lives Matter

Easy News 

June Issue

Easy News: Black Lives Matter

United Response: June 2020

Our latest issue is all about Black Lives Matter.

Murder of George Floyd

Black Lives Matter protests

Historical statues and Black Lives Matter

Struggle for equality in history

More information

Easy News is the first news magazine designed to be accessible for people with learning disabilities.  READ MORE ➤➤

Coronavirus Special Edition :: Easy News

Coronavirus 

Special Edition

Coronavirus Special Edition

Easy News: May 2020

Covid-19 starts in China

A very contagious new disease called Covid-19 started making people very sick in China in December 2019. Something is contagious when it can be easily spread from one person to another.

Covid-19 is part of a group of viruses called coronavirus. This group includes viruses such as SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which killed 774 people between 2002 and 2004.

The new Covid-19 virus is quickly spread by infected droplets in the air caused by people coughing and sneezing. This means people can easily breathe in or swallow the virus.

The main symptoms of the virus are a fever, a continuous dry cough and difficulty breathing. A fever is when a person’s temperature is above 38 degrees celcius.

Impact on society

Impact on social care

Impact on the economy

Impact around the world

Impact on sport

How to keep safe from coronavirus

Public support for key workers

   READ MORE ➤➤

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 9

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old

Eighth and Ninth graders)

Easy News :: Winter 2020 via United Response

@unitedresponse

Easy News - Winter 2020 out now!

United Response: Feb 2020

The Winter 2020 issue of Easy News features

2019 UK General Election

Bushfires in Australia

Greta Thunberg, Time magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’

Prince Andrew scandal

Tensions between Iran and the USA

New Zealand volcano eruption, and more.

Previous issues

You can read every issue of Easy News, plus our Special Editions, in our archive:

2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013

More resources

We have a number of easy read resources available for free download.

We have support guides for professionals, families and individuals on a variety of topics such as autism and person centred support.  READ MORE >>

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 8

Reading Level: standard / average.

Reader's Age: 12-14 yrs. Old

(Seventh and Eighth graders)

Easy English Times: Your ESL & Adult Literacy Newspaper! :: February Issue

Activities:
Fill Ins Vocab Crossword

Easy English Times: Your ESL and adult literacy newspaper!

In our February issue . . .

Easy English Times: Feb 2020

What is Super Tuesday? The primary election process is explained. Presidents Day is Feb. 17. The Lincoln Home National Historic Site and the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, both in Springfield, Illinois, and George Washington's Mount Vernon in Virginia are places where you can learn more about these presidents.

What is it like to visit the Supreme Court and see the court in action? Citizenship questions related to these stories are included. Teachers' Corner shares resources for teaching civics. Workers are needed for the Census. 

Black History Month is observed. Feb. 16 is Elizabeth Peratrovich Day in Alaska. February holidays are celebrated and there are stories about love and friendship.

There is a love story that is told at Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, California, to "explain" the return of monarch butterflies there. The conversation activity is on making and keeping friends. Bakersfield, California students write about happiness. A student from Chicago advocates for the legal drinking age to be increased.

The movie/DVD review is on "The Two Popes." There are many instant activities in this issue including reading, writing, conversations and idioms. All this and more in the February issue.

Student Writing of the Month is from Pui Tak Center in Chicago, Illinois. Bonus Student Writing is from Bakersfield Adult School, California.  READ MORE >>

Automatic Readability Checker

Based on (7) readability formulas:

Grade Level: 9

Reading Level: fairly difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 13-15 yrs. old

(Eighth and Ninth graders)

Literacy – Spanning the US :: Ada OK :: Sacramento CA :: Bridgewater NJ :: Napa CA

Literacy: Spanning the US

Ada Library

Ada Public Library Nets Health-Related Programs Grant

Ada News: 10.22.2019 by Eric Swanson

With the help of a state grant, the Ada Public Library is offering tai chi classes to the public this fall.

The library recently received a $4,000 Health Literacy grant from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. The grant, which was funded by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, will pay for the tai chi program and a series of educational sessions on various health-related topics.

APL has already rolled out the tai chi classes, which take place at 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Fridays at the library, Director Jolene Poore said Monday. The classes are free and open to the public.

“As an outreach, we will be able to also offer that starting next year at the senior center,” Poore said, referring to the new Irving Center. “We’ll be able to actually offer classes at two different locations, two classes a week. It’s been a very popular thing.”

Poore said the library is currently developing a series of classes on topics including diabetes and heart disease, which are designed to give people the tools they need to make informed decisions about their health care.

This is the second year that the library has received a $4,000 Health Literacy grant from ODLS. Last year’s grant paid for several projects, including special notepads that patients can take to any health care provider’s office.  READ MORE >>

@saclib

1,000 People Expected At Sacramento Literacy Walk

KCRA: 10.25.2019

About 1,000 people are expected to take to Sacramento streets on Saturday for the Walk 4 Literacy event.

The sixth annual event highlights a hard truth: More than half of Sacramento County children cannot read at grade level.

The Sacramento Public Library Foundation is hosting the walk. The nonprofit provides a community literacy map for families, breaks down the reading level at schools across the county and provides resources for students.

"One out of three brains can read super easy -- really easy, no help needed. They just pick up the phonics -- that's one out of three brains,” Sacramento Public Library Foundation spokesperson April Javist said.  WATCH 01:10

@Litsomerset

Celebrate National Family Literacy Day on November 1

Woman Around Town: 10.26.2019 by Marina P. Kennedy

For the past 23 years, schools, libraries and organizations have celebrated “National Family Literacy Day.” Political and educational leaders, including the National Center for Families Learning’s President and Founder Sharon Darling recognized that parents’ educational attainment and their children’s educational outcomes were related. To draw attention to this work, the NCFL worked with Congress in 1994 to designate November 1 each year as National Family Literacy Day. 

For the past five years, I have been volunteering with Literacy Volunteers of Somerset County (LVSC) in New Jersey. It is an organization that serves the adult community with free programs that include one-to-one and small group tutoring, English Conversation Groups, and United States Citizenship preparation courses. LVSC serves more than 450 adults each year with their 235 active tutors.

My journey as volunteer tutor started over 20 years ago when I received training by a literacy organization and experienced how the education of a parent affects a child. The first student I was matched with was a young mother who was living in a shelter with her four year-old daughter who accompanied her to lessons.  READ MORE >>

Easy English 

Times

In a Hyperpartisan Era, A Napa Newspaper Brings Unbiased News To Readers Learning English

Napa Valley Register: 10.27.2019 by Courtney Teague

Don’t let the name fool you. It’s no cake walk putting out the Easy English Times.

Four thousand copies of the Napa Valley-based adult literacy and English-as-a-Second-Language newspaper are printed at a Healdsburg press and sent to readers across 20 states, 10 times per year, said publisher and co-founder Betty Malmgren.

The eight-page paper, written in straight-forward English, features personal essays and other content from readers, plus articles related to current national events, citizenship matters, sports, health, holidays and American traditions that are mostly written by Malmgren and Editor Lorraine Ruston.

@Napa_Library

“It kind of reinforces the pleasure in reading and also feeling like part of your community,” said Robin Rafael, who oversees literacy services for the Napa County Library. “It also gives you hope that you can read and you can participate in civil life.”

The publication is a hit with the library’s literacy students because the reading isn’t as dry or heavy as a textbook. Readers can keep up with current events in a format that they understand. The opportunity for student-submitted essays is a good motivator for students to practice writing, she said.  READ MORE >>

Easy News – June 2019 :: United Response (UK)

Easy News June

Easy News – June 2019

United Response

Easy News (UK) is the first news magazine designed to be accessible for people with learning disabilities.

Features

Tragic fire at Notre-Dame cathedral

Deadly church bombs in Sri Lanka

Theresa May's resignation as Prime Minister

Wikileaks’ Julian Assange arrested

Quick news

New Royal baby

Climate change protests in London

First ever black hole picture taken

Previous issues

You can read every issue of Easy News, plus our Special Editions, in our archive

READ MORE >>