WCheck out our FUNNY LITERACY Pilot & Participating Programs

The Certified Laughter Reader Literacy Program
“Almost all children love funny books, it's what helps hook them into the reading habit.”
~ Michael Rosen, U.K. Children’s Laureate

Everything that has to do with children, including this project, must have room to grow. The purpose of this project is to encourage children to read by introducing them to the naturally attractive phenomena of humor and laughter. Children can grow in significant ways through opportunities to explore their own humor, laughter, and mirth. These topics bring variety and freshness to the classroom and the school culture, promoting eager interest, emotional resilience and self-confidence. The FUNNY LITERACY project capitalizes on the observation that effective teaching techniques must be balanced with humanity and spirit in the form of “a radical performance indicator, namely, laughter.”

Goals:
To provide incentives for kids to love reading by having them complete activities based on reading humorous books; to encourage kids to embrace their own sense of humor and laughter; to promote positive expressions of humor.

To promote laughter and humor as a feel-good factor when reading, by encouraging reading together and to discover the pleasure of funny books in families, schools and libraries. This in turn will reinforce the message that reading together promotes family well-being, and that embracing one’s sense of humor promotes personal well-being.

To draw attention to funny books as readable and enjoyable books. We hope that the FUNNY LITERACY project will enable these books to gain a profile that makes them more credible and accessible to children and young people. The FUNNY LITERACY Project will work to achieve this through a range of activities supported by libraries, teachers and parents.

Kids who complete a prescribed reading activity, e.g., 1 hour per week of funny books, in fifteen minute intervals, during April, plus a follow-up-activity, e.g., tell a joke, write a poem, or draw a picture, will receive the designation of Certified Laughter Reader. Qualification requirements will be decided locally.