Summer Writing Activities List

Summer 2021 is upon us and every literacy advocate and organization has released their official summer reading lists. While everyone is excited to begin the beloved annual summer activity, the question begs to be asked, what about writing? Writing is an incredibly important tool we humans have to help us think, learn and communicate. An …

Why You Should Expand Your Vocabulary

Do you find yourself utilizing the same word repeatedly? Do you have a hard time expressing yourself clearly? Have you ever wanted to find a more direct way to speak or convey your thoughts to others? All of these happenings and thoughts could be clues that you desire to expand your vocabulary. But these aren't …

How to Participate in a Book Club

So you joined a book club, now what? Perhaps a friend or coworker suggested a book club for you, or there is a book that you have wanted to read for a while and coincidentally an organization is running a book club with your book of choice, so you signed up. But now the pressure …

How to Overcome Reading Challenges

One of the biggest challenges I have heard people express about reading is being able to stay focused to complete the paragraph, page, chapter or - the entire book. Even if it is a book or article that covers a topic that readers have an interest in, they still can't seem to find a way …

What is Metacognition?

If you have ever declared you are a "hands- on learner," or knew that you learn by reading, doing, writing, or discussing with someone, congratulations, you have taken part in metacognitive thinking! Essentially, metacognition is having an awareness of how you learn. It is when someone takes the time to think about how they think. …

Around the World Reading Club

On September 20, 2020, Learning w/ Leigh will be launching the Sunday Morning "Around the World" Reading Club. Each week, this reading group will travel around the world by reading one children's literature book that represents a specific country or region of the world. In addition to gathering via zoom at 11:00 every Sunday morning, …

Meet the Artivist

This weekend, I had the opportunity to speak with an artivist. He was captivating, passionate, knowledgeable, helpful and dedicated. During our 40 minute conversation he dropped so much knowledge on me, I felt I had taken a crash course on the modern civil rights movement that included historical and political facts sprinkled in for fun. …

Happy Black History Month!

Happy Black History Month! Happy Black History Month, everyone! With this February being a leap year, we get one extra day to enjoy great novels, poems, plays and essays written by authors such as Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison and Frederick Douglas, Barack Obama, Toni Morrison, Alice Walker, James Baldwin, Maya Angelou, Angie Thomas, Ta-Nehisi Coates, …

News Literacy Skill Building

As with any learning goal, working towards becoming news literate is a self-propelled process that takes commitment and vigilance.  Plotting out a strategy or to-do list can be a helpful guide to move through the layers of understanding. Before you embark on this journey, however, understand that becoming news literate isn't a simple skill that …

Meet the Holistic Health and Life Coach

This week, I had the opportunity to talk to Alexandra Marrero, Holistic Health and Life Coach. Alexandra has spent the last several years on a journey to understanding the mind, body, soul connection and sharing what she has learned with the clients of her wellness business Restorative Health and Wellness. Her journey started with physical …