The Literacy Corner – Update #8

I haven’t done a “The Literacy Corner” update for a while, so I thought I’d give a brief one today. Very brief. In fact, I’m not going to keep you long with this update. And while this barebones rundown doesn’t have a whole lot to sink your teeth into, I truly have a meaty portion of literacy happenings going on — things currently happening and things in the works. 

Let me enlighten you with a list of action-filled reading and writing updates:

1. I will be going through the onboarding process with the tutoring company I’ll be working for part-time second semester of the 2025-2026 academic year. Onboarding is next month, and then, February marks the start of training before beginning the reading tutoring sessions with the students.
2. I’m rereading The Only Grant-Writing Book You’ll Ever Need by Ellen Karsh & Arlen Sue Fox (Fifth Edition).
3. And, I bought another grant-writing book, entitled How to Write a Grant: Become a Grant Writing Unicorn (2nd Edition) by Meredith Noble. (I just got the book on the 21st, and I’m already on page 234 out of 349.)
4. I’m in the process of finishing up two grant applications, requesting grant funds for the nonprofit academy I tutor for. (I also head up the Grant Committee there, so I’m very passionate about becoming adept in the art and the science of grant writing.) 
5. I’ve returned to a “once a week” blogging schedule — here at the Degrees of Maternity blog. (Thursdays seem to be my sweet spot.)
6. I do private reading tutoring for six scholars at the academy I mentioned earlier. (I will have all six returning as my tutees after their winter break is over.)
7. The L.I.T. News Newsletter is still chugging along, bringing motivational, educational, and entertaining information to my newsletter subscribers every fourth Sunday of the month. (In fact, there will be an upcoming issue distributed this weekend, Issue 73 of the newsletter, to be exact.) You’re welcome to sign up to join my email list so you can receive your free copy of the monthly newsletter, starting Dec. 28th. Click on this link to join my email list.
8. On August 17, 2025, I conducted my first meeting of the online LRCU Membership that I created for elementary and middle school-aged children. And, we’ve been going strong ever since. (I may take some time in the future to talk about the membership on this blog, but I don’t anticipate that I’ll be divulging much information about it at this current point in time.) However, I’m having a complete blast with the children in the club. Of course, there’s a literacy component to it, but the main focus of the club is to develop the children’s leadership skills and provide them with an avenue to learn, grow, have fun, and build community together.
9. I’ve put my TpT Store on hold for the remainder of 2025, but I’ve started developing ideas for new reading and writing resources to create for the store. (I’ve already forewarned my daughter that some work will be coming her way in the near future, as she’s the artistic muscle behind my resource designs.)

Well, I think that’s a pretty good lowdown of the rundown. It was meatier than I thought it would be. And, it’s actually kind of cool to see a list of all the endeavors that make my weeks go by incredibly fast. What a wonderful feeling to be busy doing a smorgasbord of meaningful work that fulfills my need to serve others. It’s about time!