Celebrate Literacy Award

Hi everyone,

I’m honored to announce that I’ve just received the ILA/MLA Celebrate Literacy Award. Two awards were given for 2023. Here’s the announcement.

I’m grateful to SAM BOMMARITO and GLENDA NUGENT (co-editors of Missouri Reader, and Sam just finished a term as president of MLA) for nominating me for the recognition. I believe that a video is being created to explain more about the award. I’ll let you know if I see it. I am truly delighted.

New article

Hi everyone,

The Winter Issue of The Missouri Reader is just now out and I’m delighted to have an article in it, “The Seeds of Literacy.” Here’s a link. https://viewer.joomag.com/winter-issue-winter-issue/0128783001627568593?short&fbclid=IwAR2lhGRDqaWwgPfbcEJQJMMGUI0fOU6Ci2KAPlmY5jlu9z5QUJsxyp7OD4U

My thanks to editors SAM BOMMARITO, GLENDA NUGENT, and NERMIN VEHABOVIC, who created another handsome issue filled with helpful articles for teachers. I hope you’ll pass along the good news to others.

Fifty-five ways to celebrate National Poetry Month

Hi everyone,

I’m delighted to say that the new issue of MISSOURI READER is out. Thanks to co-editors Glenda Nugent and Sam Bommarito, the feature article is mine, and just in time for National Poetry Month in April. Seventeen poets and teachers are featured in my article, each with suggestions on how to introduce poet into the classroom and beyond in ways that are sure to engage students.

This issue also features an interview by Evan Robb talking to Laura Robb and me about out book, GUIDED PRACTICE FOR READING GROWTH.

To see the issue, here’s the link. I hope you’ll take a look.

https://joom.ag/zGzI

Working the plan

Hi everyone,

I had a good meeting with my friends at the library yesterday. As a follow-up I’ll outline one virtual presentation of poetry for elementary students, a second one for adults (each in two sessions), and write something for the library blog for National Poetry Month in April. The summer programs will be scheduled for June or July but the proposals are due by the end of this month. Meanwhile, Marcus Cafagna and I are still at work finding a home to make a presentation to celebrate Poetry Month, perhaps on KSMU public radio and/or as a virtual book store program. If we do that as we have in the past, Marcus will also include a couple of his poetry students from his classes at MSU in Springfield.

I’ve made good progress this week on the poetry article for Missouri Reader and hope to wrap it up by tomorrow. Next week I’ll finally get to the article for Our America. At least that’s the plan for now.

How do you celebrate National Poetry Month?

Hi everyone,

I’m putting together a list of ways to celebrate National Poetry Month (April) for the March/April issue of Missouri Reader, the online journal for Missouri ILA, co-edited by Glenda Nugent and Sam Bommarito.

This will include a listing of various ways teachers, librarians, families, and poets focus on poetry, especially during April. I’ll have a few suggestions of my own but I am eager to include your ideas too. If you send me tried and true ways to celebrate poetry that I can use in the article, I’ll give you full credit and list your contract information (if you want it) and one book of poetry you’ve written or that is a favorite that you recommend. You can post your contribution(s) on this page.

Thank you in advance. I’m on a very tight deadline for this so please respond by the end of this coming week. Thanks to all. This will be a unique contribution to poetry lovers everywhere, in the U.S. and elsewhere.