Don't Miss the Celebration!

Have you RSVP’d yet? If you have—thank you! If not, please check your inbox and respond to the invitation to let us know if you’re coming!

📍 Framingham Volunteers: Lunch 1pm on Thursday, April 10 at Jack’s Abby

📍 Boston Volunteers: Brunch 11am on Friday, April 11 at Florian Hall

It’s all about good food, great company, and celebrating YOU! Hope to see you there. 💙🎊

Mark Your Calendar

Reminder - No Sessions

• April 21-24 - Spring Recess

Read Across America

Check out National Education Association's event featuring Kwame Alexander’s The Crossover with live jazz by Amy Shook! New episodes released from March 3–7. Watch the performance online on NEA’s YouTube, Facebook, or at nea.org/crossover and experience the magic of storytelling and music.

Rescheduled: Experience Corps Workshop: The Power and Importance of Inclusion and Belonging

Online

4/2 4pm

Join Gerri Madrid-Davis from the AARP Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion to explore how inclusion and belonging build collaboration and respect across all ages and backgrounds.

Register Here

Emotion Coaching Workshop with Mass Mentoring Partnership

Online

4/15 12pm

Learn to validate, empathize, and problem solve with youth to help them feel heard and supported. Don’t miss this opportunity to build stronger connections!

Register Here

Connected Legacies: The Making of Children’s Books

MassArt, 621 Huntington Avenue, Boston

4/17 5pm

Join fellow Literations volunteers at this exciting event at MassArt exploring the art of storytelling with award-winning illustrator Ekua Holmes and author Autumn Allen. Reserve your spot directly on Eventbrite, and let us know if you'll be there—we'd love to connect!



District Calendars

• Boston Public Schools
• Framingham Public Schools

NOTE: These events and trainings are optional unless marked as mandatory. Attending live events should be tracked in the HUB under Training. Watching a recording should be logged under Prep.

Help Needed at Holmes

Can You Lend a Hand?

Some of our volunteers at Holmes Innovation School (40 School St, Dorchester) had to step away, and we could really use some extra support on Mondays and Wednesdays, 1-4 PM for the next month or two—possibly longer.

If you have any flexibility in your schedule and can help out, even just for a little while, we’d be so grateful! Please reach out to Venecia at vmumford@literations.org if you’re interested.



Thanks for considering—it would make a big difference!

Tell Us Your Stories

We know our literacy coaches have incredible stories about the impact they’re making in students’ lives, and we’d love to hear them! Help us tell our story to funders, social media followers, and the broader Literations community by sharing your favorite coaching moments through this quick survey. Of course, there’s no pressure—just an open invitation to contribute if you’re interested.

Helping Students Feel Safe

Some students have shared worries about immigration and ICE. If a student brings this up, here are suggested responses from Boston and Framingham Public Schools to help reassure and support them.

Read the full guidance here.

Thank you for being there for your students!

It's National Reading Month!

Let’s celebrate the power of reading and the difference you make as a Literations volunteer. Every book, every conversation, and every moment you spend with a student helps them grow as a reader and thinker. Thank you for inspiring young readers every day!

Women's History Month

Explore & Celebrate

March is Women's History Month! Celebrate by exploring stories of inspiring women through books, articles, and events.

📚 Read Aloud & RAZ Books for Students

• Women's History Month Read Aloud & RAZ Recommendations

📖 Articles

• LGBTQ+ Women Who Made History
• National Women's History Museum

📚 Books

• 31 Titles to Read During Women's History Month
• Celebrating Trans Women
• Black Feminist Classics

🎬 Movies & Talks

• Films to Stream about Women in Music
• How Fearless Women Lead - How Fearless Women Lead - TED Talks Playlist

Take time this month to explore, learn, and share the stories of inspiring women. Happy Women's History Month!

Training Videos

• Virtual Volunteer Retreat recording
• EC Hub: A recording of our Refresher training can be found on the LINK.
• Emergent Reader Program Town Hall: watch the recording

Volunteers Facebook Group!

Looking to connect with fellow volunteers, share tips, and celebrate successes? Our new Literations Volunteers Facebook Group is the perfect space to build community and stay inspired. Whether you’re seeking advice, sharing resources, or just want to join the conversation, we’d love to have you!

Coaching Quick Tips

Following up on the the library reorganization, we wanted to share some thoughts about why we use the books we use for different parts of our program, starting with Emergent Reader Program. While not always a perfect match, RAZ decodable books (rather than general children’s literature) ensure students see words they have the skills to read.

Importance of Decodable Books for Emergent Reader Practice

We wanted to highlight why decodable books are such a vital part of the emergent reader practice portion of your sessions.

• What Does "Decodable" Mean? "Decodable" refers to words students can sound out using their phonics lessons. For example, a student who hasn’t learned silent “K” wouldn’t recognize the word “know.”
• Why Decodable Books? Decodable books are designed to match the phonics skills students are learning in the classroom, focusing on specific sound patterns and word structures.
• Support Decoding Growth: During decoding practice, decodable books give students the chance to apply their phonics knowledge in a structured way, without relying on guessing.

Thank you for using these resources intentionally during ERP practice. Your guidance is essential in helping students strengthen their reading skills!