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Every Child Ready to Read® @ your Library® Toolkit for Spanish-Speaking Communities is now available from the ALA Store (image courtesy of ALA)

Join ALSC and PLA for an introduction to the 2nd edition of the Every Child Ready to Read @ your library Toolkit for Spanish-speaking Communities. This one-hour webinar is designed for librarians and library staff who are interested in reaching Spanish-speaking families with early literacy information.

This same webinar will be held two different times:

• 11am Central/12pm Eastern, Wed., November 5
• 3pm Central/4pm Eastern, Wed., November 5

The Every Child Ready to Read @ your library Toolkit for Spanish-Speaking Communities is available from the ALA Store. Information on webinar registration is available from the ALSC Online Learning site.

Serving a diverse community can be difficult, especially when you are dealing with diversity across the physical, mental, and emotional spectrum. Often the social aspect of the library can be off putting for children, and parents of children with developmental disabilities. For children on the Autism spectrum, the child’s inability to regulate behavior can be problematic in a highly structured setting (such as a library program). Children with physical disabilities may feel that they are limited in how they can participate in library programs. But often the simplest programs can be the most effective and by offering a new or unique opportunity the library becomes a safe place to engage in something outside their preconceived limitations.

Do you have a pre-set program time for children with disabilities? Do you have a pre-set time for family programs? Consider a family program featuring beginner and child friendly yoga. No matter how you incorporate it, I encourage you to use yoga as a way to bring all your patrons together. If offers the opportunity for all children to interact in a safe social environment.

Children enjoy the same benefits of yoga as adults: increased body awareness, strength and flexibility, as well as stress relief and relaxation. Yoga encourages self-acceptance, compassion, kindness, and discipline. All of this while celebrating creative expression, individual differences, and their place in the community. All of these are extremely important in the life of a child dealing with developmental delays or physical restrictions. Anecdotal reports describe success in reducing obesity and discipline problems, decreasing anger and panic attacks, and enhancing concentration and academic performance. Health problems, such as headaches, stomachaches, constipation, back pain, and colds or sinus problems, are reportedly improved with a yoga practice. (1) A certified yoga instructor can lead and demonstrate proper technique and offer advice and tips. Activities in this program can include age-appropriate poses, breathing exercises, relaxation, and partner poses between parent and child. Even a child with physical limitations can participate in the regulated and guided breathing exercises that accompany yoga practice.

While the research on the effects of yoga in children is lengthy, a tertiary literature review only uncovered a few empirical studies on yoga and the disabled. But using the early literacy principle of “play” and its importance in early childhood development, if you use yoga as an inclusive game, the possibilities for reaching children expands.

A 2011 study published in the International Journal of Yoga examined the positive combined effect of inclusive games and yogic relaxation on selected domestic skills among physically challenged boys. (2)

Since 2001, in a north London hospital, Jo Manuel has been providing yoga therapy sessions for children with a variety of special needs, from autism to cerebral palsy. Manuel and her 12 colleagues see around 500 children per week, and while some children do have physical restrictions the simple act of rhythmic breathing can bring a sense of calm and relaxation to both the children and their caregivers. (3)

Consider adding these titles  in order to make your program reflective of your collection.

You are a Lion:and other fun yoga poses is a fun interactive title that invites children to pretend to be different animals as they do various child friendly poses.

(Image from Pipin Properties)

My Daddy is a Pretzel: yoga for parents and kids is a great story time title. With it’s whimsical look at yoga practice, it offers great introductions for adults and children.

(Image from Barefoot Books)

Sleepy Little Yoga is a wonderful title that introduces nine poses perfect for preparing your toddler for bedtime.

(Image from Macmillan)
________________________________________
1. White, Laura Santangelo. “Yoga for children.” Pediatric Nursing Sept.-Oct. 2009: 277+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
2. Duraisami, V., K. Jaiganesh, and S. Parthasarathy. “Combined effect of inclusive games and yogic relaxation on the selected domestic skills among physically challenged boys.” International Journal of Yoga 4.2 (2011): 100. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.
3. Cooper, Catherine. “A calming influence: a yoga centre helping children with special needs has been achieving some impressively positive results.” Nursing Standard 24.50 (2010): 24+. Expanded Academic ASAP. Web. 16 Aug. 2014.

Lesley Mason is a children’s librarian at the District of Columbia Public Library. She earned her Master’s Degree in Library Science from Clarion University. She specializes in Early Literacy and can be reached at [email protected]

A Wordle (wordle.net) created by the author.

Let’s talk about naming storytime, shall we?

This post started in my head after a parent thanked me for my new preschool storytime (that I’ve named Discovery!) and let me know that her son has developed an aversion to the word storytime. She went on to explain that he loves books and stories and the library, but that “storytime” tripped him up. And I began to think about how we name our programs.

My previous library struggled with translating “storytime” into Spanish. Ultimately the official translation that was approved was “hora de cuentos” which literally translates back to English as “storyhour”. Patrons were constantly asking what kinds of activities happened in our programs. We kept getting the question: “Do you really read to them for an hour straight?” Eventually our Spanish-speaking patrons learned to see past the name of our program. But I often wonder if re-branding or re-naming would have created less confusion.

Before I started at my new library, staff had worked to re-brand all storytime classes under a name: Little University. The idea was to make patrons more aware of the early literacy components and goals in a storytime. Our patrons take Little U classes very seriously — we have a registration start date and classes have a teacher-student ratio, just like a real university. Our brand emphasizes the learning aspects of storytime in a way that’s marketable to patrons.

I know of libraries who make make their storytime names clear and easily understood for patrons: “Wonderful Ones” and “Terrific Twos”; “Walkers, Wigglers, and Crawlers” and “Lapsit”; “Family Storytime” and “On Our Own Storytime” — these storytime names use ages or development milestones or the target audience in their names.

So, what’s in a name? I think the point that I’m trying to make is that the name of your storytime program needs to make sense to your patrons. And that it isn’t necessary to have a clever name, but is necessary to have a clear name. Don’t leave patrons guessing if your program is right for them. Educate them. Reach out to them and make sure that your message is being heard.

No matter the name, a program is successful if it’s reaching your patrons and teaching them to love the library and to love learning those valuable early literacy skills.

What do you call your storytimes and why? Have any interesting name stories to share? And, of course, now is the time to have the library debate of “storytime” vs. “story time” in the comments.

– Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Library
http://storytimekatie.com

You guys. It is October. ALREADY. Which means you’re probably inundated with requests for fall-themed books and storytimes. I’m here to help. There are tons of resources for Fall Storytime available on the internet, whether you’re a storytime newbie or a seasoned storytimer looking to shake things up a bit. Here are some of my favorites:

Books:

• Bear Has a Story to Tell by Phillip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E. Stead (Roaring Brook Press, 2012) – Animals are preparing for winter and Bear has a story to tell before he settles down to sleep.
• The Busy Little Squirrel by Nancy Tafuri (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2006) – How does a squirrel get ready for winter? This could be a great STEM conversation starter!
• Fall is Not Easy by Marty Kelley (Zino Press Children’s Books, 1998) – This hilarious book will get kids laughing as a tree tries its hardest to put on proper fall colors.
• I See Fall by Charles Ghigna, illustrated by Ag Jatkowska (Picture Window Books, 2011) – Make sure you include books featuring diverse children in your fall storytimes!
• Kitten’s Autumn by Eugenie Fernandes (Kids Can Press, 2010) – Mixed media art and simple rhyming text make this one a great one for sharing.
• Leaf Jumpers by Carole Gerber, illustrated by Leslie Evans (Charlesbridge, 2004) – Rhyming text describes the different colored leaves we see on different trees in the fall.
• Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2005) – Illustrations made of fall leaves make this a great one for talking about leaves changing with older preschoolers or early elementary kids.
• Mouse’s First Fall by Lauren Thompson (Simon & Schuster Books for Children, 2006) – Simple text makes this a winner for sharing with very young children.
• Poppleton in Fall by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Mark Teague (Blue Sky Press, 1999) – I love to read the story “The Geese” with older preschoolers and early elementary kids.
• Pumpkins by Ken Robbins (Square Fish, 2006) – The photo illustrations make this a great nonfiction choice for adding some STEM content to your storytime. Don’t be afraid to paraphrase.
• That Pup! by Lindsay Barrett George (Greenwillow Books, 2011) – A spunky puppy has been digging and finding treasures all over the yard – acorns!
• Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White, illustrated by Megan Lloyd (Holiday House, 1993) – After a pumpkin went SPLAT! in the garden, Rebecca Estelle has too many pumpkins!
• We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger, illustrated by Miki Sakamoto (Cartwheel Books, 2005) – Using the familiar cadence of “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt”, this trio is off to find some colorful fall leaves.

(Thanks to the following awesome Twitter librarians for suggesting titles for this list: @Jbrary, @MelissaZD, @misskubelik, @pussreboots, @taletrekker)

Flannel Stories/Rhymes/Activities:

Photo by Abby Johnson

The Perfect Pumpkin. A felt pumpkin and a lot of black felt shapes lead to experimenting with jack-o-lantern creation. Use different shapes to create different faces – some scary, sad, or funny – and ask the kids what shapes you should use to create the perfect pumpkin!

Build a Pumpkin Patch. Pass out felt pumpkins and call kids up to put their pumpkins in the patch based on what color they’re wearing (e.g. “If you’re wearing red today, red today, red today, If you’re wearing red today, please bring up your pumpkin!”). An alternative if you have a large crowd would be to make felt pumpkins of different shapes and sizes (large, small, flat, skinny, triangular) and build a pumpkin patch together, asking for the kids’ help in describing the different shapes and colors they see.

Photo by Abby Johnson

Fall is Not Easy. The trim size of the above-mentioned book by Marty Kelley is a bit small for sharing with a big group. We’ve turned it into a felt story for hilarious fun!

Photo by Abby Johnson

Fall Leaves Felt. You can do a lot with some felt leaf shapes. We hand them out to the kids and call colors to bring up to the board. You can also talk about what colors they are, use them with the above-mentioned story We’re Going on a Leaf Hunt by Steve Metzger, or use them with a “five little leaves” rhyme or song (try Five Little Leaves).

Bring in some real fall leaves to explore! You can make leaf rubbings, arrange the leaves to make pictures (a la Leaf Man), let kids sort by color or size, or put out some magnifying glasses to let kids take a closer look.

• Don’t miss Flannel Friday’s Pinterest boards for fall ideas: Fall Flannel Stories and Halloween Flannel Stories

Songs: 

• JBrary has a fantastic playlist of songs and rhymes for your Fall Storytime
• Break out your scarves and get moving to the song “What Falls in Fall?” by Laurie Berkner (available on her CD Whaddaya Think of That?)

More resources!

You can find more Fall Storytime plans at the following sites:

• Awesome Storytime – Fall Leaves
• Mel’s Desk – Baby Storytime – Fall Colors
• Mel’s Desk – Baby Storytime – Fall Again
• Rain Makes Applesauce – Apples & Fall
• Storytime Katie – Fall
• Storytime Katie – Fall Animals
• Sunflower Storytime – Fall Leaves Fall
• SurLaLune Storytime – Fall, Leaves, Fall
• What Happens in Storytime – Fall is Here

What are your favorite readalouds and activities for Fall Storytime?

— Abby Johnson, Children’s Services Manager
New Albany-Floyd County Public Library
New Albany, IN
http://www.abbythelibrarian.com

Renee Grassi led this informative session on serving children (and adults) with special needs. She started off by sharing the rationale behind expanding services to this population: To provide a supportive and inclusive environment for a traditionally underserved group in your community.
She also shared some startling statistics:
Nearly 20% of the US population lives with a disability- about 13% with a severe disability. Only 56% of students w/ autism finish high school, even though there are more than 1 million people w/ autism in the USA.

For those wondering where to begin w/ developing services for people w/ special needs, Renee suggests starting with conversations- get to know people and talk to them about what they need and want. One way to do this is by offering family tour services at the library. This can be available for any family- special-needs or just new to the community or library. They simply make an appointment and have a customized personal library tour with a librarian, just for that family, adapted to their needs and interests. Other ways to find out about community needs include surveys and focus groups.

Renee talked about where to find partners to help your library reach and serve families with special needs: parks, museums, disability organizations, therapists, health centers & hospitals, support groups, special educators & schools, and other librarians who are already working in this area.

Renee described her major partnership w/ her area special-education district- the spedial-ed teachers & specialists provided training and expertise to the library staff, and used their connections to get a community needs survey distributed to the families they serve.

Top 3 library materials requested in that community needs survey were:

• high interest/low reading level books & booklists
• chapter books paired w/ audio books
• more parenting books on special-needs topics

Top 4 services requested:

• storytime designed for children w/ special needs
• book discussion for teens & adults w/ special needs
• eReader & downloading demos
• social stories about the library- these are first-person stories used to introduce a person with special needs (especially autism) to a new concept or experience.

Next Renee discussed the concept of person-first language: Say “The child with autism” vs. “The autistic child” – or better yet, learn and use their name! It’s important to watch your language even when talking to fellow staff- you never know who hears you, and how disability has affected them.

We talked about ways to adapt existing programs to include children with special needs, and specially-designed programs just for this population. Libraries can offer integrated programs that are open to a mix of ‘”typically-developing” children and those with special needs, or programs that are just for those with special needs- there are advantages and disadvantages to both approaches, and what’s best to do depends on the needs and priorities of the families being served.
One great idea that Renee shared, that I hope to try at my own library, is for when you have a great big noisy program for a large crowd, like a magician or puppet show: ask the performer if they can offer a second, much smaller session that’s adapted to be sensory-friendly. This would mean keeping the lights on, turning the volume on the sound system down, reducing sudden loud noises, and allowing the audience to move around, talk, and fidget with toys. Publicise this extra session as “autism and sensory-friendly” and require registration or tickets to keep the crowd small.

There are many ways to make sure that your library services are accessible and welcoming to everyone, and Renee’s great ideas make an excellent starting point for doing just that.

Handouts from this program:

PowerPoint Slides (available online only)
Presentation Resources
Handout: People First Chart
Handout: Universal Design Checklist

If you’re anything like me, you need help remembering things from time to time. Life is far too complicated to try and make our brains keep everything organized and tidy, so we’ve got to turn to other methods.

Of course, while this can be applied to anything I’m talking in particular about storytime. There are a lot of reasons to document and track your storytimes — for your own personal use, for your yearly evaluation, to help train new staff members, to share with colleagues, and more. Here are my top five tips for documenting your storytimes:

A box full of storytime plans, write-ups, and materials. [Photo courtesy of the author.]

• Start with a good plan. Since starting my new job, I’ve been in LOVE with Jbrary’s Toddler Storytime Planning Sheet. I’ve talked so much about the planning sheets that members of my Early Lit team have also switched over!
• Write up a small “How It Went” immediately after the program. On the back of my attendance sheet, you can find little notes like “I Know a Chicken = STORYTIME GOLD” and “[Child] absolutely lit up during Babies on the Bus today”. These small write-ups take very little time, but remind me of what materials I should use again.
• Take pictures. I take pictures of every flannelboard I’ve made and I took pictures of the crafts that I did. The flannelboard photos are organized on my blog and the craft photos mean I don’t have to keep containers full of example crafts. I can easily look at my flannelboard photos and remind myself of the materials I have available.
• Organize your materials. Don’t leave them all boxed up. (The exception to that is if you’re moving or changing jobs, which is when that picture was taken!) I’m proud to say that my flannelboards, puppets, and documents are now all at work where I can access them when I need to!
• Set your information free! I always remind friends and colleagues: I started my blog to keep a virtual record of my storytimes for me. So that I wouldn’t have a ridiculous paper trail and so I could access my storytimes from any computer with an Internet connection. If you haven’t thought about blogging for a personal record, now may be the time!

How do you document your storytimes? Does your library have a document/program reporting process? Any great ideas that I missed? Let me know in the comments!

- Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library
http://storytimekatie.com

Photo by US Army, Cpl. Hwang Joon-hyun, Yongsan Public Affairs

Why do you offer storytime at your library?

Is it just for entertainment? Is it to give kids and parents something to do? Is it to get them to step inside the library? Is it just because you’ve always offered storytime? Is it because storytime is what libraries have?

I really try to remain nonjudgmental about everyone’s library offerings for youth. Every community is different and libraries need to be doing what’s right for their community. It means that not every library will or should offer the same programs and services.

But the purposefulness of storytime is where I draw the line.

Every community with young children needs programs to help them succeed in school. And that’s exactly what storytime brings to the table.

I cringe when I hear a librarian say that his or her storytimes are for entertainment.

Yes, storytimes are entertaining. Yes, they give kids and parents something to do. Yes, they are generally something public libraries are expected to offer. But storytimes are so much more. And we need to be saying that at every opportunity to everyone who asks.

As I have educated myself and my staff about early literacy and child development, it’s become imperative that every early childhood program we’re offering at the library is based on developing early literacy and school readiness skills. Every activity we include is there for a reason and if a parent asked why we chose that activity, we could tell him or her what skill we’re learning or practicing.

We are professionals. You are a professional. Don’t sell yourself short.

And the best thing? The very best thing?? You’re already providing these skill-building activities in your storytimes. I guarantee it.

Singing? You’re developing phonological awareness – helping children hear that words are made up of smaller sounds. Teaching rhythm helps children learn to think spatially (math skills!).

Reading stories? You’re encouraging print motivation – getting kids excited to read by sharing fun stories with them. You’re demonstrating how a book works: how you open it, how you turn the pages.

Doing a craft? You’re helping young children practice fine motor skills that they will use when they learn to write. Maybe they’re practicing following directions. Maybe they’re unleashing their creativity.

Bringing out some toys for play time? Play is a wonderful learning activity for children. Playing with children encourages oral communication, which leads to children hearing and learning more and more words.

You’re already doing all these beneficial activities naturally in your early childhood programs. But many people (parents, community stakeholders, maybe your director, maybe your trustees) don’t know that having fun in storytime is actually an essential learning experience. It’s our job to tell them that. And that’s how we get to keep our jobs.

“Entertainment” can easily be found elsewhere. But free programs that build early literacy and school readiness skills don’t grow on trees.

We know we have the most fun in the library. But we’re not doing storytime just for the fun of it.

Not sure how to explain the cognitive benefits of your storytime program? Check out some of the following resources to get started:

• CLEL (Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy)
• Every Child Ready to Read
• Jbrary
• The Magpie Librarian’s Little Reminders Everywhere
• Mel’s Desk – Melissa’s Tips for Delivering Early Literacy Messages
• Reading Rockets
• Storytime Underground
• Zero to Three

What do you say when someone asks you why you provide storytime? How do you spread the good word about early literacy and school readiness in your library?

– Abby Johnson, Children’s Services Manager
New Albany-Floyd County Public Library
New Albany, IN
http://www.abbythelibrarian.com

Full disclosure: I am not only a Children’s Librarian who advocates for inclusive programs and services for children with varying abilities, but I am also the parent of a child with a life-limiting genetic syndrome that causes significant developmental delays.  I am motivated to a great extent by my daughter to ensure that libraries across the country have the tools and training needed to create and/or improve their offerings for people with disabilities. It is my goal to have her enjoy visiting the library as much as I did as a child.

Many libraries today are addressing the needs of children with special needs to ensure inclusion in story time programs and successful visits for materials and other resources.  Sensory story times are the most popular offerings, but even a classic story time structure with simple modifications can be offered to include children with special needs.  If you are just getting started with creating inclusive story times and need some basic information to get the ball rolling, there is a great webinar offered through Infopeople that was put together by staff from the Contra Costa County Library (CA) titled, Inclusive Library Programs for People with Intellectual Disabilities. The webinar is fully archived with access to the presentation materials including slides, handouts, and the Q & A Chat with the live participants.  This webinar includes great information on creating inclusive programming for all ages as well as a segment focusing on Inclusive Story Time.

One of the resources suggested in the webinar to help you design appropriate content and develop a better understanding and awareness of the disabilities of children in your community is to connect with parents and professionals.  Communication with parents can be twofold.  It will provide insight into what parents feel are the needed adaptations and/or accommodations for their children to participate in a library story time, as well as create a channel for promoting your inclusive programming within the community.  Parents of children with special needs seek each other out and build strong networks of their own.  Getting the word out through these networks to promote your inclusive programs will help garner the participation and support you’ll need to make your program successful.

I have found many great resources for aiding youth librarians in educating themselves on getting started with programs and services to people with special needs.  One of the common concerns among staff is having the knowledge and understanding for working with children with disabilities.  I wasn’t prepared to be the mother to a child with significant health issues and developmental delays, but the more I worked with my daughter and cared for her, the more I have learned.  This will be true of working with children with special needs in the library.  You will learn more as you do more.  You’ll be thrilled to see how happy parents and local professionals will be to help teach you what you need to know.  Below is a list of several of the online resources I have recently found that can help you prepare for creating an inclusive environment for children of all abilities.

Professional Development:

Info People Webinar (Archived from August 2013), Inclusive Library Programs for People with Intellectual Disabilities

https://infopeople.org/civicrm/event/info?reset=1&id=55

Charlotte Mecklenburg County Library (Online Learning Archive)

http://www.cmlibrary.org/Programs/Special_Needs/

Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies: Library Accessibility – What you need to know

http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaprotools/accessibilitytipsheets

SNAILS – Special Needs and Inclusive Library Services, a professional network of librarians in Illinois working towards increasing and improving inclusive services

http://snailsgroup.blogspot.com/

Resources and Examples:

Brooklyn Public Library – The Child’s Place, Information on programs for children with and without disabilities. Also check out their pamphlet about “Universal Design”.

http://www.bklynlibrary.org/only-bpl/childs-place

Skokie (IL) Public Library Resource List; a comprehensive list of print materials for adults and children

http://www.skokielibrary.info/s_kids/kd_COI/COI_bib.pdf

Center for Early Literacy Learning, resources for adapting activities during story time

http://www.earlyliteracylearning.org/pg_tier2.php

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Bethany Lafferty is the Assistant Branch Manager/Youth Services Department Head at Henderson Libraries – Green Valley Branch in Henderson, Nevada.  She can be followed on Twitter with the handle @balaff1.

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

ALSC Online Education (image courtesy of ALSC)

This fall, get back into the swing of professional development. A brand-new semester of ALSC online courses is now open for registration. Classes begin Monday, Sept. 8, 2014.

Registrants will find that ALSC has increased the number of courses offering certified education units (CEUs). The American Library Association (ALA) has been certified to provide CEUs by the IACET. Courses include:

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs Made Easy
Four weeks, Sept. 8 – Oct. 3, 2014
CEU Certified Course, 1.2 CEUs

Storytelling with Puppets
Four weeks, Sept. 8 – Oct. 3, 2014

Storytime Tools
Four weeks, Sept. 8 – Oct. 3, 2014
CEU Certified Course, 2 CEUs

Detailed descriptions and registration information is available on the ALSC website at www.ala.org/alsced. Fees are $115 for personal ALSC members; $165 for personal ALA members; and $185 for non-members. Questions? Please contact ALSC Program Officer for Education, Kristen Sutherland, 1-800-545-2433 ext 4026.

The month of August is a hybrid of sorts as we transition from our summer reading program to the traditional activities planned for the new school year.  When August 1^st rolls around, do you breathe a sigh of satisfaction after the completion of your successful summer reading club, or do you still have weeks and weeks left of the summer rush before the children return to school? What does your library do with August?

These last few weeks of summer  (Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com)

To Continue Summer Reading or to Conclude Summer Reading: That is the Question

In years past, our summer reading program ended on July 31^st.  While June and July are much busier months in terms of the foot traffic we receive, there are still weeks left to most children’s summer vacation.  This year we extended our summer reading club to August 15^th to allow children and their families more time to participate in our reading program and to collect their prizes.  What is your last day to conclude your summer club?

Less Programs, More Planning

Is there any programming break in August? (Image provided by Thinkstockphotos.com)

Our weekly scheduled story times take a break after July 31^st until the 1^st of September.   While we do temporarily discontinue our weekly story times, we offer the occasional preschool special, school-age program, or teen club to bring people into our libraries.  With more flexibility in scheduling due to less programming, staffing the desks becomes easier even with staff members on vacation.  We also focus our attention on our fall programming sessions, so we are able to hit the ground running when our story times resume and our special programs increase.  Is your August full of story times and outreach visits, or do you completely break from programming to best prepare for the fall?

Taking Training

It may be close to impossible to take training or make assessment a priority during those busy summer reading club months.  August is a time for renewal in terms of staffers’ professional development and is an opportunity for many of us to take in-person training, webinars, or self-paced study. It’s a necessary step for us to consider how to best enhance our own career development and also to assess the direction of our children’s libraries.  Is August a traditional training month for you, or do you focus on children’s services trainings during another time of the year?

Expanding the Vision

August is a time to recharge, to assess our services, and to plan for the fall ahead of us.   It’s an opportunity for us to consider major system initiatives and how to best streamline our efforts.  We are now working on our plan to partner with other county agencies through the Eleven Days of Love Drive for pet-supply donations.  We will include pet-themed elements in our programming as part of this collaboration.   Are there any programs or services at your library that you will implement in the future that you plan now before the kids return to school?

Within our individual libraries throughout the country, there is tremendous variation with our involvement in summer reading clubs and children’s programs during the month of August.  In your library system, August may provide the time needed to assess, evaluate, and focus on youth services training, or it may be a major programming month with a summer reading finale still on the horizon.   Please share how you address programs, services, and training at your library during the month of August.  Let’s begin a conversation in the comments below!

KLASSEN, JON. This Is Not My Hat. 1 CD w/tr book. 34 min.
Scholastic Audio. 2014. $29.95. ISBN
9780545675512.
PreS-Gr 3— Opening with "This hat is not mine. I just stole it," a small fish takes the listener into his confidence as he makes his getaway toward a place where he thinks that no one will ever find him. This unapologetic thief, his annoyed (and very large) victim, and a stool pigeon crab tell this wryly humorous and cautionary fish story. The outcome contains enough ambiguity that sensitive listeners can believe that the robber has more options than becoming a fish dinner. Irish narrator John Keating does a great job with a title that relies heavily on sight gags. Appropriately, his impudent robber is not particularly likable. Nevertheless, the listener empathizes with the brash little chap. A string ensemble, in a manner similar to Peter and the Wolf, accompanies the narration. A cello represents the larger fish, who never speaks, while a violin characterizes the smaller fish. The music ebbs and flows to match the story. Two versions are included on the CD. A gentle marimba riff signals page turns on the first version. The accompanying hardcover book is a "must" to truly enjoy this Caldecott Medal winner. Humor fans will love it.

Inviting audience participation, the following ten picture books (listed alphabetically by title) have worked wonders in my (often large) preschool storytimes. They are among the very best picture books of 2014!

Digger Dog, written by William Bee, illustrated by Cecilia Johansson.  Using progressively larger construction vehicles, a determined dog attempts to dig up a tasty bone. Deftly employing fold-out pages, the book leads to a fun surprise ending that will have children yelling “Keep digging Digger Dog!”

Gravity, written and illustrated by Jason Chin. This striking exploration of how gravity works soars thanks to Chin’s meta approach. The book Gravity falls from the sky, startling a boy. He and his toys then experience a world without gravity. Easy non-fiction at its very best.

Green Is a Chile Pepper, written by Roseanne Thong, illustrated by John Parra. With eye-pleasing illustrations reminiscent of folk art, this delicious bilingual book uses food as a way to introduce colors and various aspects of Latino culture. Thong’s quatrains, peppered with Spanish words, serve up the lessons in a tasty manner.

I Got the Rhythm, written by Connie Schofield-Morrison, illustrated by Frank Morrison. On a beautiful sunny day, a girl thinks of an infectious rhythm that soon has the entire city dancing along with her. This interactive book turns story hour into the coolest dance party in town. Frank Morrison’s illustrations dazzle.

Maple, written and illustrated by Lori Nichols.  This gentle charmer works wonders both as a celebration of nature and as a new sibling story.  The titular character loves her beloved maple tree. Drama enters the picture when Maple notices a little Willow sapling nearby…and a little bulge in her mommy’s tummy.  Uh-oh!

Music Everywhere!, by Maya Ajmera, Elise Hofer Derstine, and Cynthia Pon. Packed with photographs from all over the world, this uplifting work shows children dancing, singing, and playing a wide variety of cool-looking instruments. Helpful captions accompany the vibrant, colorful photos, and the back matter is terrific.

One Busy Day, written by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Jessica Meserve.  Resourceful Mia keeps tries to convince her older brother Spencer to play with her.  He refuses, so she entertains herself with imaginary adventures. Spencer now finds himself intrigued with her fantasy world. So will readers.

A Pet for Fly Guy, written and illustrated by Tedd Arnold.  Easy reader starsFly Guy and his human owner Buzz make their Picture Book Debut (cue trumpets)! In this hilarious romp, Fly Guy longs to have a pet of his very own. What will he choose? The story reaches a delightfully odd conclusion that makes total sense.

Some Bugs, written by Angela DiTerlizzi, illustrations by Brendan Wenzel.  Even those who loathe these critters will find much to enjoy in this delightful tribute to all things buggy.  DiTerlizzi’s rhymes bounce along while Wenzel’s unique humorous illustrations amuse.

Swim, Duck, Swim!, written by Susan Lurie, photographs by Murray Head. Clever, adorable photographs enhance this thoroughly engaging story of a little duckling who does not want to swim. Children love it when the little quacker finally takes a plunge, leading to a joyous ending.

Three Bears in a Boat, written and illustrated by David Soman.  “Their voyage was not without incident,” deadpans the narrator of this exquisitely illustrated adventure. After three bears break their mother’s prized blue seashell, the panic-stricken trio seeks a replacement.  Soman’s illustrations offer a wide variety of inventive perspectives.

What are YOUR favorites? Let me know in the comments below!

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Courtesy photo

Our guest blogger today is Brian E. Wilson. He received his MLS from the University at Buffalo. This is his twelfth year working for the Evanston Public Library where he purchases the picture books for the collection, and offers a public presentation of the finest picture books of the year. Visit his blog at http://mrbrianspicturebookpicks.blogspot.com/

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.

If you’d like to write a guest post for the ALSC Blog, please contact Mary Voors, ALSC Blog manager, at [email protected].

Yesterday I attended ECRR 2.0 Apps for Early Literacy session at #alaac14. A panel of 6 individuals passionate about early literacy discussed current research for best practices, as well as demonstrating a few of their favorite apps.

Panelist Chip D. from TED Erickson encouraged us to think about the 3 C’s:

Content – Is the content of the app developmentally appropriate? High quality? Intentional in its support of ECRR 2?

Context – Is the app appropriate for the context? Will it be used one on one? In storytime? In another setting?

Child – It is appropriate for the individual child? Each child is unique and their personality, interests, and preferences should be taken into account.

This morning I attended a wonderful session titled Every Child Ready To Read 2 – Does It Really Work? Evaluating the Program at #alaac14.

This conversation stimulating session presented the results of an important research study on the impact of ECRR 2 on library storytimes. The research was done in Washington state in 40 libraries of differing sizes over two years. Two groups were created for comparison. One group was experimental in which librarians were provided with training focused around ECRR 2. The second was a control group that was observed, but never given any training. Storytimes were filmed and coded to analyze librarian actions and their on the behavior of children from birth through 60 months. They call their method of evaluation BCPAF/PET and they see it as a way to bridge ECRR 1 and 2 in an effective and intentional way that is easy to plan, identify, and evaluate for librarians.

Overall, they found that any storytime makes a difference. However, the researchers found that purposeful focus on early literacy principles makes a difference in programs and in children’s early literacy behaviors. In other words, being intentional about planning storytimes makes a difference.

What can we do as librarians? Be intentional about planning your storytime. Pick a few behaviors and make small changes. Be intentional and be flexible. The researchers also mentioned that BCPAF/PET can be used also for evaluation – self reflection, peer monitoring, researchers or admin.

Soon the VIEWS2 website will be up and that will have more information on the planning tools, librarian and child behaviors.

If you never gotten the chance to attend a Guerrilla Storytime and you are a storytime leader in your library, you’ve got to try and get to one of these amazing sharing events. A group of librarians meet usually in a common area to not only share storytime songs, fingerplays, tips and tricks, but to advocate for themselves and show other librarians that storytime isn’t just about reading stories, but about so much more! Also, you’ll have to take a look at , an amazing resource for storytime leaders!

ALSC Online Education

Whether you’re going to Las Vegas or not, ALSC has great professional development opportunities for you. This summer ALSc is offering three online courses focusing on red-hot topics that you can take back to your library.

Each courses will run between four and six weeks and will be taught in an online learning community using Moodle. All courses are offered asynchronously (self-directed) meaning you won’t need to logon at a specific time. Courses start Monday, July 14, 2014.

Children’s Graphic Novels 101: Selection, Evaluation and Programming for Children
6 weeks, July 14 – August 22, 2014

Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Programs Made Easy
4 weeks, July 14 – August 10, 2014, CEU Certified Course, 1.2 CEUs

Storytime Tools
4 weeks, July 14 – August 10, 2014, CEU Certified Course, 2 CEUs

Detailed descriptions and registration information is available on the ALSC Online Education site. Fees are $115 for personal ALSC members; $165 for personal ALA members; and $185 for non-members. Questions? Please contact ALSC Program Officer Kristen Sutherland, 1-800-545-2433 ext. 4026.

My library has a very exciting new storytime series going on this summer: Sunset Stories. This weekly evening storytime is a drop-in program taking place on the library’s lawn for all ages. But what makes this program special in my opinion is that the staff will be rotating storytime duties and all Youth Services employees were offered the chance to plan and perform their own week of Sunset Stories.

I love this for a number of reasons:

• It gives all of our staff the chance to develop their storytime skills. We have paraprofessionals, new professionals, managers, librarians, and associates all doing storytime this summer. This is furthering the development of our staff by adding another skill to their repertoire or giving them a chance to step out of their normal job responsibilities.
• It’s giving our patrons the opportunity to see a new storyteller every week. This will keep the program fresh and exciting. Additionally, it’s letting them see what a talented and varied staff we have.
• While I’m still coordinating the entire session (by making handouts and developing a few repeating elements), it’s taking the entire program off of my shoulders. I’m already doing four other storytimes a week and it’s beyond nice to be able to have help and feel supported!

I kicked off tonight’s inaugural session in our rain location and had a great time reading interactive books with the families. I hope that next week’s group and storytime performer get to enjoy the amazing summer weather I know Illinois has to offer!

Have you ever rotated a storytime series between different performers? Let me know!

- Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library
http://storytimekatie.com

I was very excited by the partnership between the Association for Library Service for Children (ALSC) and LEGO/DUPLO. My library purchased classroom sets of three of the Read, Build, Play book and block sets for use in storytimes and other programs. I planned a special storytime series to debut the new sets. The three sets we used were Grow, Caterpillar, Grow, Let’s Go Vroom, and Busy Farm. The librarian toolkit (available here: http://www.readbuildplay.com/Read-Build-Play_Librarian-Toolkit.pdf) was a great resource for storytime ideas for each book, and it also provided good information to share with parents/caregivers. Here is an outline of how we ended up using the Grow, Caterpillar, Grow book and block set in our special storytime offerings for two and three year olds.

Butterflies and Caterpillars

Books:

• The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

• Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek

• Grow, Caterpillar, Grow by LEGO/DUPLO

Rhymes/Songs/Flannelboards:

• Five Little Caterpillars (from Storytime Magic)

• Very Hungry Caterpillar printables

• Color Butterflies

We opened with the same intro each week of Roll, roll, roll your hands (adding verses as appropriate). The first book we used with the Caterpillars and Butterflies theme was The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. I used a caterpillar made from green DUPLOs as a prop for this story. As the caterpillar ate through each item of food, I placed it around my DUPLO caterpillar.

Next we did a flannel board rhyme of Five Little Caterpillars. After that we passed out paper butterflies (made from stapling a paper butterfly cut from a piece of construction paper to a straw). We did the rhyme Color Butterflies and children raised their butterfly and made it fly when their color was read.

Next we read the book Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horacek. When we finished reading we turned on some music (Grow Caterpillar from the DUPLO Jams set available at www.readbuildplay.com). While the music was playing in the background the children helped me build a DUPLO caterpillar. We used a colored die and had a basket of the square DUPLO pieces. Each color on the die had a number on it. The children would add that number of colored blocks to our caterpillar on their turn.

After we built our caterpillar, I passed out copies of Grow, Caterpillar, Grow and together we read the story. After we read it as a group, I passed out the DUPLOS for each book and together the parent and child read the story again and built each bug as they read. This was a great place to insert the literacy tip included in the Librarian Toolkit about why it’s important to read a story twice.

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Kara Fennell Walker works as the Head of Youth Services at the Geauga County Public Library in Middlefield, Ohio. She is writing for the Early Childhood Programs and Services committee. If you would like to learn more about her LEGO/DUPLO programs, you can email her at kara.walker <at> geaugalibrary.info.

It’s no secret to those of us doing storytime programming that it requires a LOT of stuff. And if we’re not careful, that stuff can overtake our lives. I spent eight years at my last job, getting all the stuff under control and I’m about to start organizing at my new library. In today’s post, I hope to offer you a round-up of different links to help you get organized before summer reading begins!

Tips for Organizing

1. A place for everything and to everything its place. It might sound cheesy, but it’s a great tool. If the pompoms don’t have a spot in the craft closet, you’ll never find them when you need them.
2. Spend five minutes a day tidying. Don’t let things pile up!
3. Go through your materials once a year and do a solid inventory. If you haven’t used something and do not have a purpose in mind, donate or thrift it! If your paint is now chalky, throw it out!
4. Have an odds and ends container. Where else are you going to put the hula skirts from the Hide Tide In Hawaii Magic Tree House program or the extra underwear from the Captain Underpants party game?
5. Label things.
6. Keep a spreadsheet of what’s available.

An organized storytime closet. [Photo courtesy of the author.]

• An organized storytime cart since Anna doesn’t have a storytime storage area.
• Several ideas for flannelboard organization come from Lisa and Sarah and Deborah.
• Lisa gives you ideas about puppets, finger puppets, and flannelboards at her amazing storage post.
• And the area that I need to get better about organization — using Evernote as a storytime archive which Melissa wrote for the ALSC Blog.

You might be surprised to learn that I actually created my blog to serve as a searchable database of storytimes that I had done so that I didn’t have to keep a ridiculous amount of files and crafts. Now I don’t have to sift through a bunch of papers and instead just use the search box.

I hope that jump-starts your organization before summer reading starts! If you have tips to share, pictures, or questions, please leave a comment and we can all help each other out!

- Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library
http://storytimekatie.com

  Ladybug Girl and Her Mama by Jacky Davis & illustrated by David Soman Ladybug Girl loves her mama, and can’t wait to spend the day with her. They plant flowers in the garden, share a special lunch, and enjoy a favorite movie. Together-time has never been so sweet. Just right for Mother’s Day! My …

It's been ages since I've done a picture book roundup!  Here are two wordless masterpieces.

• Becker, Aaron. 2013. Journey. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.

• Kim, Patti. 2014. Here I Am. North Mankato, MN: Capstone Press. 

Okay, fellow storytime librarians — you all know the lengthy preparations we take to ensure that our patrons attend the very best storytimes we can offer them. We choose books, songs, rhymes, and fingerplays. We make flannelboards and props. We create handouts and take-home information packets. We practice those literacy tips in the mirror until they sound natural and just roll off of our tongues.

Those are the expected practices.

But it’s time to talk about the unexpected preparations. The things you find yourself doing in the weeks, days, or minutes before your patrons get your undivided attention in your programming space. The untold stories of storytime prep.

The passenger seat of my car this past fall, full of storytime materials!

[Photo courtesy of the author, originally posted on Instagram.]

Like planning your storytime wardrobe the night before and singing your opening song in front of the mirror so you can make sure that your clothes will move in an appropriate manner.

Or keeping a new storytime CD in your car and switching to it the minute a commercial break hits the radio waves. And letting your fellow travelers watch your awesome hand motions while stopped at a train crossing or a red light.

And packing an extra sweater to change into once “the storytime sweat” hits you. Which is always around thirty minutes after your performance is over and you’ve finished your clean-up routine.

Or running to Michael’s and being the first customer in line because you read an amazing last-minute idea the night before and you just KNOW it’s going to make your storytime ever better.

And giving up your front passenger seat for storytime outreach. And the immediate apology to guests in your car, “Hang on, let me move all my things. Sorry about the portable flannelboard.”

Or testing out new action songs for your sister’s dog. If he wags his tail and tries to jump in, surely it will work for the toddlers, right?

So, let it out! This past week, I demonstrated my storytime outfit dance for my storytime moms and not only did it make them laugh, I also think it made them realize the care and thought that I put into storytime. It made the program all the more special.

What are your unconventional storytime preparations? Do you also schedule a bathroom break ten minutes before you get started? Let me know in the comments!

- Katie Salo
Early Literacy Librarian
Indian Prairie Public Library
http://storytimekatie.com

GALAPAGOS GEORGE is the story of the famous Lonesome George, a giant tortoise who was the last of his species, lived to be one hundred years old, and became known as the rarest creature in the world. This incredible evolution story by renowned naturalist and Newbery Medal winner Jean Craighead George gives readers a glimpse of the amazing creatures inhabiting the ever-fascinating Galápagos Islands, complete with back matter that features key terms, a timeline, and further resources for research.

Here are some Common Core objectives that GALAPAGOS GEORGE can help meet:

Identify the main purpose of a text, including what the author wants to answer, explain, or describe. Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a book to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot. Describe the overall structure of a story, including describing how the beginning introduces the story and the ending concludes the action.

And you can use the following questions to help start a specific discussion about this book or a general discussion about informational texts and/or literature:

1. How does a reader determine the genre of a particular book? What characteristics apply to GALAPAGOS GEORGE? RI.2.5, RL.2.3
2. What elements of a book help the reader determine the main idea? What details support the main idea? RI.2.2, RL.2.2
3. How do the illustrations contribute to the text (characters, setting, and plot)? RI.2.7, RL.2.7

GALAPAGOS GEORGE will be available next week!