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StorylineOnline: Storybooks Brought to Life by Actors 

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StorylineOnline: Storybooks Brought to Life by Actors 

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Here is a chance to enjoy popular storybooks with your children! All you have to do is visit StorylineOnline.net, choose the book, and let the actors make the story come to life. This is a fun, educational activity you can do with your child or your child can do alone to ensure that their screen time is educational. (Website)

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The SAG-AFTRA Foundation's Daytime Emmy-nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors reading children's books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

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Reading at home can be woven into your regular routine. You can read a story to your children before bed or you can have them read a story to you. It only takes 5-10 minutes and will make a lasting impact on your child! (Picture)

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Join the Let's Read class with your child! This weekly themed class gives you and your child the opportunity to read a book, do a craft, and take a book home to add to your personal library. The class also provides you with fresh ideas on how to incorporate reading at home! (Family Resource Handout)

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Let's Read is a multi-generational approach to family reading. Built to inspire a tradition of reading in the home, Let's Read offers an action packed hour each week for caregivers and children to laugh, read, and play together. Each session centers on a weekly theme and includes age appropriate books, crafts, and reading tips.

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If you want to enjoy a book read to you by someone else, you can always join your child at the North Kansas City Public Library story time. The book reading will be followed up with a craft or activity. Enjoy! (Family Resource Handout)

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Storytime | North Kansas City Public Library

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North Kansas City Schools Are Getting More Diverse Books Because Representation Matters

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North Kansas City Schools Are Getting More Diverse Books Because Representation Matters

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Dorinda Carter Andrews researches culturally relevant teaching practices at Michigan State University. “Having children’s literature that actually uses names they’re used to hearing in their community, that depicts spaces they’re used to seeing in their community, even including storylines that they experience in their community, help them light up and get excited about reading,” she says.

Read this rest of this article that highlights what Crestview Elementary School is doing to ensure they we books that represent our student body. (Article)

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This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Crestview Elementary third grader Hana Ismail is reading two books she picked out from her classroom library that feature Pakistani protagonists.

"Four Feet, Two Sandals," by Karen Lynn Williams and illustrated by Khadra Mohammed, tells the story of two girls who meet in a refugee camp. "Malala's Magic Pencil," by Malala Yousafzai, is about the young Nobel laureate, with illustrations by Kerascoët.

"I get to pick out all my favorite books," Hana said. "They're really fun to read for me, and they give me more information about everything."

Hana's favorite books to read have characters that look like her, part of a push in the North Kansas City Schools to get more education materials that reflect that the diversity of the student population.
Diverse education materials
When teachers at Crestview took an inventory of the books in their classroom libraries, there weren't that many titles that represented the student population, one of the most diverse in the state of Missouri.

"We cannot change the demand for these types of books unless we demand the change," said assistant principal Vincent Potts. "We have to say to those we're doing business with, this is what our student population needs, this is what they deserve, can you fulfill that need?"

Potts said when the first shipment of books came in after North Kansas City Schools reached an agreement with its supplier, kids were really excited.

"They were ready. They were just craving books that represented them, that were different, that were new and exciting," Potts said.

Potts could relate. He was in elementary school when Marvel started releasing comic books for Black History Month. The black protagonists made him fall in love with reading.
Cultural knowledge
There's mounting evidence that it's actually easier for kids to learn to read when they have access to books that reflect their cultural knowledge.

Dorinda Carter Andrews researches culturally relevant teaching practices at Michigan State University.

"Having children's literature that actually uses names they're used to hearing in their community, that depicts spaces they're used to seeing in their community, even including storylines that they experience in their community, help them light up and get excited about reading," she says.

When the characters and situations are familiar, students can spend more time on the words.

But it's equally important for white students to read books with diverse characters, Potts says. It's one of the ways they learn empathy.

"We're coming up on Dr King's holiday here," Potts says, "and he had a statement just to paraphrase, that people don't get along because they fear one another and they fear one another because they don't know one another."

Here are some of Crestview students' favorite books.
Tennie Shaw, 5th grade
What Tennie is reading: "Dancing in the Wings," by performer Debbie Allen, loosely based on her own experiences as a black dancer, will illustrations by Kadir Nelson.

"I want to dance like her," Tennie said.
Aland Saedun, 4th grade
What Aland is reading: "One Green Apple," by Eve Bunting, will illustrations by Ted Lewin.

"It's about a Muslim girl who just came to America and had no friends in school until one girl came up to her and tried to translate what she's saying to her," Aland said.
Deng Agau Deng, 4th grade
What Deng is reading: "My Name Is Sangoel," by Karen Lynn Williams, with illustrations by Khadra Mohammed.

"It's about a character that just came from Africa and everyone is saying his name wrong," Deng said. "Me and Sangoel connect because we are from the same tribe, we speak the same language, and we call an airplane the same thing, a sky boat."
Vincent Potts, Assistant Principal
What Vincent is reading: "Crown," by local author Derrick Barnes, with illustrations by Gordon C. James.

"I connected with the characters because I still go to the barbershop I went to growing up, 7 Oaks Barber Shop on 39th Street," he said. "That is the place where I saw black men who came from different backgrounds - professionals and judges, police officers - and it's a community centerpiece."
Elle Moxley covers education for KCUR. You can reach her on Twitter @ellemoxley.

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North Kansas City Schools Are Getting More Diverse Books Because Representation Matters

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This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Crestview Elementary third grader Hana Ismail is reading two books she picked out from her classroom library that feature Pakistani protagonists. "Four Feet, Two Sandals," by Karen Lynn Williams and illustrated by Khadra Mohammed, tells the story of two girls who meet in a refugee camp.

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Fall in Love with Reading: Ten Simple Things you Can Do at Home

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Fall in Love with Reading: Ten Simple Things you Can Do at Home

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Check out these ten simple things you can do in your home to promote reading! Spoiler Alert: You can don't always have to read an actual book - storytelling opens the door to many benefits as well! (Article)

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Fall in Love with Reading: Ten Simple Things you Can Do at Home

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There are many ways to enjoy reading with your child. Here are a few ways to make reading a fun part of your everyday life.

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Adult Literacy Programs in North Kansas City

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Adult Literacy Programs in North Kansas City

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Adult Education and Literacy Programs are offered free of cost in North Kansas City. Classes include: GED prep, job search help, U.S. Citizenship assistance, computer literacy, and more. This handout has information on how to enroll and the specific classes offered. Check it out and start your journey today! (Family Resource Handout)

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Community Education / Adult Education & Literacy

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The Adult Education and Literacy program offers preparation classes for adults who want to take the Missouri high school equivalency exam.