Here's the kick off....and it's good!

Blue, 42, set, hike! The Reading Railroad is kicking off the school year with some help from a few guys who know a little about a good kick! Come and join the Reading Railroad and the Logansport Berries football players as we host ‘Meet Me at the Carousel: Meet the Football Players’, this Sunday night at the carousel in Riverside Park, from 5:30-7:30pm. The Berries football players will be on sight to read football-themed stories, and help host fun football-themed literacy centers. There will also be free books given away, and free carousel rides from 6:30-7:30pm. Our fun is geared toward PreK-2nd graders, but the whole family is welcome! So grab your football helmet, pom-poms and jersey, and come join in on the fun, as we kick off another year to love literacy! We’ll meet you at the carousel!

Beyond Alphabet Soup

This Saturday, people from all around Cass County will follow their rumbling tummies to Little Turtle Waterway, anxious to delight their taste buds on a stroll through the many vendors at this year’s ‘Taste of Cass County’. And for those of you who have kids, whose appetites crave both food and fun, Reading Railroad will be on hand to serve up a taste of different sorts; we’ll be serving heaping portions of literacy fun!

You can find Reading Railroad in our ‘A Taste of Literacy: What’s Cookin’ With Laura Numeroff’ area, located in the gazebo next to the Depot. Come enjoy special story times, as local community leaders read ‘If You Give a Mouse a Cookie’, and other food-oriented, fan favorite, Laura Numeroff books. Then, stick around after the story time to put your literacy skills to work, by creating your very own cookbook! We will have pre-made recipe cards, featuring recipes inspired by Laura Numeroff’s stories, and scrapbooking supplies available so you can create your own cookbook to take home. After all, cooking and literacy go hand in hand; like chocolate chip cookies and milk, you can’t have one without the other!

Admission to the ‘Taste of Cass County’ is $1 per person, and kids under six are free! Which means, the kiddos can come and check out what’s cooking with Reading Railroad, at little or no cost to you. Plus, Reading Railroad will be giving away free books, while supplies last! Sorry parents, the cookbooks are for the kids, but please come and join them as they cut, paste and create!

So, if you’re hungry for literacy, come and get your fill! Who knows, maybe a little taste is all it will take for your child to develop a life-long appetite for literacy! Bon Appétit!

Back-to-School Mode

With the beginning of a new school year just around the corner, we want to offer some back-to-school tips to prepare your child for the transition. It is so important to integrate the skills your child has picked up (or will be picking up) at school into activities at home so they may benefit from the continued practice. Doing crafts with your child can give them a chance to work on their cutting and pasting skills, handwriting, or coloring inside the lines. And of course, keep up on the reading - 20 minutes a day! - and practicing the alphabet. Check out the links below, as well as those listed on the sidebar, for some ideas to give your child a head start on the school year.

http://momshomeroom.msn.com/
http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/back-to-school/
http://www.hubbardscupboard.org/kindergarten_prep.html

In other news - the Reading Railroad Train Station Literacy Center wrapped up its summer schedule last Monday with an end of summer Hawaiian Luau. The Train Station will be closed the next two Mondays in preparation for the school schedule. We will be back in action August 16th for a Back-to-School themed Literacy Center held from 1-6PM at the Logansport library. Mark your calendars and come out to join us in kicking off the school year.

If you haven't already done so, click the Follow button on the sidebar to become a follower of our blog. And as always, be sure to check back for updates on Reading Railroad events, as well as more tips for spreading literacy!

Don't Forget to Eat Breakfast!!

Goodmorning-

With school creeping closer and closer I thought I would give a little plug for the most important meal of the day....Breakfast. This meal is not only important during the school year, but all year round as kids get up and prepare for a day full of non-stop activity.

By eating breakfast you can easily enhance your performance throughout the day in all activities. From literacy activities to physical activities, eating breakfast can set you apart from other children. This article from Kid Health gives multiple suggestions for a healthy start to your day as well as research examples to prove that breakfast is a vital part to everyones day.

Check it out!!
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/breakfast.html

Welcome New Friends

Hello-

If you are viewing our blog for the first time or for your hundredth time, welcome. We are excited about this new opportunity to reach the parents and children of Cass County to let them know about all of the exciting things the Reading Railroad has going on throughout the year. Since its inception the blog has been used to spread the word about or weekly programs, give reports of how those programs went, tips for packing fun and healthy brown bag lunch ideas, literacy ideas to keep kids active throughout the summer and website suggestions for parents trying to find helpful ways to keep their kids active in literacy.

Throughout the year we hope to continue the blog's regularity and keep it up to date several times a week. It has been a bit easier this summer having two summer interns in the office to take care of such tasks, but as the summer draws to a close it will all be back in the hands of Nikki Reed, the program director. However, she is looking forward to using this valuable resource to reach all of the fans of the Reading Railroad and spread the news of all the good things we are doing.

If you are a first timer, check out the side bar where you will find interactive website suggestions that are good for kids to link up to, as well as childrens book author suggestions. These authors are some of our favorites here at the Reading Railroad and ones your children are sure to enjoy. We update both of these whenever we receive word of something new and exciting. If you know of an author or website we do not have listed, please contact us at nikkireed@verizon.net and let us know. We are always looking for ways to better the literacy experience for the children of Cass County.

With all of this being said, make sure to stop by daily and see what we have going on at the Reading Railroad. It is an exciting time in Cass County as we start to turn over a new leaf in the era of social media. Don't miss the opportunity to be a big part of it by following our blog.

In Reading 20 minutes every day,

SLS

Link-Up at the 4-H Fair

Hello All-

The Reading Railroad has been out at the Cass County Fair all week, and will be out there through Friday in merchang building 1. Make sure to come out and see us and take the pledge to read 20 minutes a day. By doing so you can add a personalized link to our evergrowing chain that will be placed in the library at the conclusion of the fair.

Plus we have several other things to offer. We have a supply of free childrens books for kids of all ages to stop by and choose from. We also have bookmarks and several other goodies to choose from. We are located right next to the United Way booth in Merchant Building 1 so stop by and see us. Tonight is bracelet night, so hopefully we will see several little ones looking to take the pledge and link up with the Reading Railroad. See you tonight.

StoryBook Success!!!

Hello All-

We are back in action here at the blog. It was a long week of preparation for our StoryBook Festival last Sunday, but this week make sure to check back daily for your Reading Railroad updates.

Our StoryBook Festival that took place on Sunday was a huge success. There were children all over the park and each one seemed to be having a great time. With all of our planning finally coming to a head on Sunday at the park it was a great feeling for us here at the Reading Railroad to see everyone having such a good time.

We had plenty to offer the children as the park was turned into something straight out of a fairytale. Our theme for the festival was "Once Upon a Time." The kids were able to make their own crowns, wands, bookmarks, illustrate their own fairytale story, create their own fairytale music, joust like knights and even take in a puppet show. There was no shortage of entertainment. Not to mention the delicous cookies, popsicles and popcorn that was donated from our gracious sponsors. All in all it was a fantastic day.

Another benefit of attending the festival this year was that each child who participated in the festival received a free children's book. All they had to do was visit our book distribution corner and choose from the hundreds of childrens books we had to offer. This festival gave us a chance to reach out to the children and families of Cass County and spread the gift of literacy. It was a true display of what the Reading Railroad is all about. Seeing children have fun with literacy is one of the most gratifying gifts on can give, and that is exactly what we get to do every day here with the Reading Railroad.

Thanks to all of our sponsors who provided donations to help the festival come together as it would not have all been possible without them. A big thanks to all of our volunteers and the families who showed up as well. This is something that we look to continue building on in the future and hopefully everyone comes back to join us in future years.

However, the festival DOES NOT mark the end of our summer programs. Don't forget to join us on Mondays for our literacy centers, Tuesday and Thursdays for Brown Bags and Books and Wednesday nights for our Story Nights at the Story House Depot. Two more weeks left. Let's finish up strong. Check back tomorrow for some Brown Bag ideas.