From now through January 12, 2018, Wyoming students can enter their letters in the 2017-18 Letters About Literature contest to engage with some great reading and to compete for state and national prizes. Classroom and individual entries are welcome. Teachers, librarians, and homeschool parents should know there are resources available to them to guide their student participants.
The Letters About Literature Teaching Guide provides activities teachers can use to guide their students through the book discussion and letter-writing process. The guide addresses the LAL teaching strategies and ways in which the program can dovetail with curriculum for teaching reading and writing. Also included are worksheets for duplication and assessment checklists.
Letters About Literature is a Library of Congress national reading/writing promotion program for students in grades 4-12. Students are asked to read a book, poem, or speech and write to the author (living or dead) about how the book affected them personally. You can download the guidelines and read winning letters on the Library of Congress website.
Postmark entry deadline for Wyoming participants for the 2017-18 contest is January 12, 2018. Students compete in three age categories: Level 1 (grades 4-6), Level 2 (grades 7-8), and Level 3 (grades 9-12). Letters are judged on state and national levels. Wyoming winners in each level will receive a $150 Amazon gift card for 1st place, $100 card for 2nd place, and $50 for 3rd place.
Questions may be directed to Susan Mark, Wyoming State Library publications specialist, at susan.mark@wyo.gov or (307) 777-5915.