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Summer is a great time to add some temporary Language Rich Activities in your library. This summer we are raising butterflies! We bought five caterpillars and a butterfly house and then set up a great experience for our youngest customers. The Butterfly Center includes caterpillars, a butterfly house, magnifying glasses, observation forms, some butterfly decorations, signage with butterfly facts and books from the collection about butterflies. When kids come into the library they can observe the caterpillars, chrysalis, or butterflies – depending on the stage of metamorphosis. Then a natural opportunity arises for parents/caregivers to talk to kids about the process so that they understand what is happening. After they have made their observations and talked about facts and process they can draw or write about what they see and post their observations on the wall for others to read. This center is different each time the kid comes in since the butterflies are progressing through their metamorphosis. Once all of our caterpillars have become Butterflies we will invite customers to their release into the wild. The Butterfly Center creates a sense of wonder and discovery in children. It offers kids and caregivers the chance to talk and learn new words like chrysalis and metamorphosis, write or draw what they see and read to learn more about butterflies.
0 Comments on Butterflies at the Library! as of 7/29/2011 10:29:00 PM
As many of you know by now, I get pretty excited around technology. I get especially excited about technology in SRCs. I’m definitely in the ‘let’s rework that sacred cow of summer reading club’ camp. I really believe SRCs need to change. And pretty drastically. Families are different. Society is different. And not to mention literacy is now literacies. We have a real opportunity responsibility to move SRCs into the 21st century. And counting graphic novels doesn’t go far enough.
Technology, in its fancy red cape, to the rescue!
Now, don’t start wringing your hands, technology need not be the heart of summer activities at the library, but it can be the hub. Technology can allow some deep changes in our SRCs to be pretty easy on staff and pretty fun for the kids.
Ann Arbor is a great example of how to make that happen. They have reinvented SRC in the form of The Summer Game and notice reading is not in the title. Their website allows participants, on the Leaderboard, to see the kids who are really rockin’ and exactly what they’ve done. How better to inspire kids then through the activities of other kids! As well, NYPublic, Brooklyn and Queens have all linked arms and created something similar at summerreading.org. By enticing kids with a pretty cool and customizable online site where participants can create an avatar and a profile, they’ve created a fun way for kids to connect with other kids. Both Ann Arbor and the NY-trifecta offer electronic badges (think Girl Scouts) for completing tasks – whether they read a book, write a review, tag a book on the library catalog, or (gasp!) watch a movie. According to the Ann Arbor KidLibs, the kids really get into the competition for badges.
In our county, I’m interested in creating a county-wide game where our libraries partner with all kinds of arts/sports/cultural organizations to allow kids the chance to engage in local activities and various literacies. I found this recently, a Summer Tooning Story Contest with an iPad app called Toontastic. The more elements like these that we can add to our SRCs, the more literacies kids are going to d
0 Comments on Technology and SRCs: Hub vs. Heart as of 1/1/1900
Another aspect worth noting is that ECRR is now on Facebook and Twitter! Find ECRR on Facebook and then search for the @ALA_ECRR name on Twitter.
Every Child Ready to Read 2nd Edition is expected to begin shipping in late June. Pre-orders are currently being accepted at the ALA Store. Questions? Email [email protected].
0 Comments on New Website for Every Child Ready to Read as of 1/1/1900
We all know how important it is to offer quality preschool resources and early literacy programs in our libraries, but I sometimes struggle with the best ways to help others understand WHY it is so important. I came across this video, “Change the First Five Years and You Change the World,” and think it would be great as an introduction to a presentation on early literacy or as a discussion starter in a parents’ group.
Put together by The Ounce of Protection Fund, an organization working to give children in poverty the best chance for success in school and in life by advocating for the highest quality care and education from birth to age five, this video clearly illustrates the positive impact which can be made in the lives of young children by caring adults.
What methods do you use to advocate for our youngest users?
0 Comments on Advocating for Preschool Children as of 1/1/1900
Santa Clara City Library recently received a grant administered through the California State Library to implement Family Place. The Family Place network currently consists of more than 300 libraries in 22 states, and continues to grow. Family Place is an initiative to make public libraries an inviting destination and vital community resource for children under five and their families. A component of a Family Place Library is a collection of toys, kept in a specially designed area within the children’s department that welcomes families with young children. The toys do not check out, but rather are available for play during all open hours.
Much research has been done regarding the importance of play to a child’s early development. Children learn socialization, problem solving, and spatial relations through play. Play also develops critical fine and gross motor skills, and allows children to use their imagination and exercise their creativity. The right toy can foster the six early literacy skills much as a book can. For instance, our Family Place area features an alphabet abacus that teaches letter awareness. Children build their vocabularies and narrative skills when they tell stories with our puppets or cook a meal in our play kitchen. I’ve witnessed amazingly creative play between the parents and children using Family Place. As we learned in Family Place training, simple toys do really inspire the most complex play.
Other play initiatives can be found at public libraries across the country. Rancho Cucamonga Public Library received a grant from the California State Library to build four “Play and Learn” islands. Themes of these islands include Discovery Dig, Make it Move, and Build Big. These islands can be borrowed by other California public libraries.
Many of our patrons have expressed absolute delight over the addition of toys to our children’s department. Yet I have received some not-so-favorable comments from parents who are accustomed to a more traditional library environment and are concerned that toys distract children from reading and books. I believe books and toys can go hand-in-hand when developing a young reader and will continue to advocate for play in the library, but understand that others might disagree.
Are you playing in your library? What toys have proved most popular? What have been your patrons’ reactions?
Susan Baier, Division Manager of Youth and Extension Services
Santa Clara (CA) City Library
2 Comments on Get Your Play on @ Your Library!, last added: 5/25/2011
We currently have a Thomas Train that is very popular. We also have storybook themed stuffed dolls like Arthur, DW, Buster, Cat in the Hat, and Clifford. Soft blocks and puzzles are also a must. The one thing that stood out for me from my LIS classes was Stephenson’s Play Theory. I really believe that learning has a greater impact when delivered through play. We try to have items that are somehow connected to books. BTW there are also LEGO storybooks as well as design books, so yes, we have LEGOs.
Lisa Bigelow said, on 5/25/2011 12:26:00 PM
I work at the Wilmette Public Library in Illinois, and we do take the angle that imaginative play is a crucial pre-literacy skill. Our dollhouse is probably our most popular toy. We also have puppets (no stage), soft blocks, puzzles, and alphabet carpet squares. Soon we’ll be adding a magnet board with letters, numbers, and story pieces. I think we do quite a bit with our limited space while keeping the cost pretty low. Sometimes newcomers do complain about the activity level, but considering that we have other quiet reading spaces, we don’t feel like we’re putting anyone out too much (though sometimes they act like it).
With new research and feedback from the first edition of ECRR, this product presents a new approach to developing language and pre-reading skills. Brought to you by ALSC and PLA, this project is a must-have for every library!
The kits won’t be available until June 2011, but by ordering now you’re guaranteed to receive your kit when they become available. The cost of the toolkit is $200. For more information, check out the ALA Store.
0 Comments on Order Every Child Ready to Read® 2nd Edition Today as of 1/1/1900
Recently there have been many shared stories about programs for children with special needs and their parents, and how to successfully integrate this population into existing programs. Individuals have shared their stories of inclusion of babies and toddlers into story time and how they adapt to meet the needs of these children. Large library systems have presented conference programs on how to effectively create and run a successful program addressing the needs of children with autism. But what if you are a small library or have minimal resources (i.e. funds, staff, expertise) to conduct an ongoing or large-scale program? Many of us answer that question by finding a community partner to work with.
If your child audience is the under 3 set and you are focusing on early literacy skills and development, a great partner for collaboration and expert information can be found within an Early Intervention (EI) services provider. Early Intervention services focus on the development of basic skills and are designed to meet the special needs of children who have a developmental delay or diagnosed disability. These basic skills include physical (reaching, rolling, crawling, and walking), cognitive (thinking, learning, solving problems), communication (talking, listening, understanding), social/emotional (playing, feeling secure and happy), and self-help (eating, dressing).
Library programs often aim to provide modeling behavior for parents in how to work with their children to develop these important childhood skills. Integrating the expertise and instruction of a developmental specialist from an EI provider can enhance the skills you are sharing with babies and toddlers, as well as provide expert instruction for parents. EI services can also help address the concerns of parents who may feel their child is lagging behind his or her peers and confirm whether their fears are warranted or if parents should give the child more time to reach certain milestones.
The National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities provides a helpful state finder to help locate Early Intervention services in your area http://nichcy.org/state-organization-search-by-state . This site is also helpful in understanding children with disabilities and the challenges they and their family members face on a daily basis. This will be a good resource to librarians as professionals serving their communities.
0 Comments on Library Services for Children with Special Needs as of 1/1/1900
What a fun week we had - enthusiastic kids, parents who participated with their kids, great books, and big crowds!
My funny story for the week comes from a little guy who was wearing a t-shirt with a picture of some heavy machinery on it. I find that commenting on the children's clothing is a good way to connect with them. They are quite attached to their favorite shirt or skirt or shoes, and when I mention how wonderful their light-up shoes are, or how much I like their sparkly dress, they usually have something to say about it. So Thursday I looked at this maybe three-year-old boy's shirt and said, "Wow, that's a great bulldozer." He gave me a look like Duh! and said "That's not a bulldozer, that's a front loader." Silly me! How could I make such a mistake?
It's actually a wonderful thing when little ones can be experts on something, whether it's dinosaurs, trucks, or Disney princesses. That sense of mastery gives them confidence and enthusiasm for learning, which is so valuable when it comes time for school.
Preschool Storytime
We heard stories about "Food" this week, starting with our wiggle-buster rhyme in the key of F - "I figgle my fingers, I figgle my foes." The kids are really getting good at saying that rhyme with the first letter substitutions. My plot is working! They're learning their letter sounds without knowing I'm teaching!
We read:
How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?, by Jane Yolen. I counted 16 different "How Do Dinosaurs" titles on Amazon. This one is another sneaky way to teach table manners.
Mean Soup, by Betsy Everitt. I like to use this book for our "Rotten Days" theme, too. I bring a big pot and wooden spoon as a prop so we can all scream and hiss into it.
Bunny Cakes, by Rosemary Wells. Poor Max keeps making a mess in the kitchen, and he can't get the grocer to read his writing and give him Red Hot Marshmallow Squirters. And will Grandma eat his earthworm birthday cake?
I did The Very Hungry Caterpillar on the flannelboard, and we all made munchy sounds and said "But he was still hungry!" together.
We also sang "There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly" together with the wonderful old lady storyprop. All the animals disappear into her mouth as we sing.
Toddler Time
I'm so sorry we ran out of scarves on Thursday morning. I'm pretty sure all the 3's and under got them, but I know some older siblings missed out. I'm ordering more today.
Our books were:
Tails, by Matthew Van Fleet. This book is a great lap book, since the pages have touchy-feely things on them. I'm sad that the kids don't get a chance to touch the furry and bumpy tails, but that just wouldn't work with thirty pairs of hands.
How Do Dinosaurs Say Good Night?, by Jane Yolen. I wonder if all 16 titles are as good as this one? The kids loved it.
Baby Time
Lots of first-timers this week. I hope they return, and I hope the regular attenders keep doing the rhymes and songs at home. Repetition is so valuable for language learning with babies. When they hear it over and over, they learn to anticipate, which leads to imitating, which leads to language. (And then you're hearing "Again! Again!")
0 Comments on This Week at the Library as of 1/1/1900
Saroj Ghoting, widely respected in the field of early literacy, is the instructor for this innovative and interactive class which will use examples from libraries around the country to demonstrate how simple, affordable changes can be used to foster early literacy. What a great opportunity to learn from one of the leaders in the field!
0 Comments on Early Literacy Online Workshop as of 1/1/1900
FLIP is an acronym for the Family Literacy Involvement Program, a literacy program for families with children birth through age eight. The program helps develop early learners’ reading and comprehension skills, and encourages reading engagement by using family-centered activities designed to be completed in the home.
Sound interesting? Want to know more? If you are a personal or organizational member of ALSC, you have an opportunity to partner with your local children’s museum and apply for a day-long, all-expense-paid FLIP training workshop which will be held in May 2011 at the Children’s Museum of Houston.
For more information, as well as links to a fact sheet, program FAQs, and an award description, go to the ALSC Partnerships Page.
Applications can be found here on the Association of Children’s Museums page. The application deadline is October 15, 2010.
0 Comments on “FLIP” Out Over Family Reading as of 1/1/1900
Today is International Literacy Day, and this year the theme is “Literacy and Women’s Empowerment”—a reminder to us all of the need for increased commitment to literacy, especially for girls and women. This theme reinforces and adds a particular focus to the United Nation’s Literacy Decade efforts to encourage a world-wide commitment to issues of literacy.
One of the multitude of events happening around the world in celebration of the day is the award ceremony for UNESCO 2010 International Literacy Prizes, which recognize innovative approaches to literacy education and is taking place at the organization’s headquarters, in Paris. UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize, sponsored by the Republic of Korea, will be given to projects in Cape Verde and Germany, and programs in Nepal and Egypt will be receiving the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, supported by the People’s Republic of China. You can find the complete list of winning projects and honorable mentions here.
Also happening today, following the awards ceremony, is the launch of a very welcome and potentially transformative initiative: the Knowledge and Innovations Network for Literacy (KINL). Created with support from Verizon Foundation and Microsoft, the Network, which will be operational beginning November 1, will work as a virtual workplace where literacy researchers and practitioners can share knowledge and debate literacy topics online, with the goal of generating new ideas and practices.
Let us know how you are celebrating the day at your school, library or household. And keep in mind that, in the US, one way you can show your support for the right to literacy is by signing this declaration. Before delivering it to President Obama, ProLiteracy is sending the declaration scroll around the country to gather signatures from individuals and mayors.
We all deserve a world in which children and adults have the literacy skills they need to lead happy, productive and fulfilling lives, so let’s each do our part—and every little bit counts!— to promote literacy.
You can find PaperTigers’ archived Literacy issue here. To see all our literacy-related blog posts, click on the “World Literacy” category, on the sidebar.
0 Comments on International Literacy Day 2010: Literacy and Women’s Empowerment as of 1/1/1900
Every Monday, we will be celebrating Poetry Month by sharing some childrens poetry resources with you. We scoured the internet and our own resources to bring you today’s list of great kids’ poems. These works are appropriate for children ages 0 to 4, but also for the child in you!
We learned that exposing children to similar sounds and rhymes has been proven to increase a child’s ability to learn not only more words but more challenging words at an earlier age. For more information visit: Infants & Toddlers: Learning Through Rhythm & Rhyme
There are plenty of ways you can incorporate rhyming into a child’s reading. You can select poems with topics that interest your child or even try to create a few together! Here’s just one of the many activities you can try: Early Literacy Rhyming Activity
Last week I went to my very first Babytime. Different from the traditional storytimes which are standard fare at libraries, Babytime focuses on emergent literacy activities rather than listening to stories read aloud. There's generally music, rhymes, and movement led by a children's librarian and moms and caregivers take part too.
I went with a friend, Geri, her daughter Jeanette and Jeanette's son Wade, a lively 8 month old. Wade goes to Babytime once or twice every week and loves it.The Pima County Public Library has an extensive schedule of Babytimes and Storytimes and their efforts are supported by local agencies like Make Way For Books.
What a delightful time! Imagine 20 babies -- some sitting on laps, some walking around the room, some crawling on a huge colorful quilt in the center of the floor. There were 4 sets of twins! Using a rhyme and a big bear puppet the librarian introduced each child to the group; then the group recited various rhymes like "Eensy Weensy Spider" and "Where is Thumbkin" (those are the ones I remember because they're familiar) aloud with accompanying movements, all the adults engaging with the babies; and we listened to songs. The scheduled Babytime is followed by 30 minutes of free time when the moms and aregivers can talk together and babies can play while soft music plays in the background. There were lots of books around the room for anyone to pick up and look at (and check out too.) Maybe I'll get to go again before we leave Tucson!
The Oregon State Library and Oregon Commission on Children and Families have partnered together to provide training for 300 children’s library staff and Healthy Start family support workers in an adapted Every Child Ready to Read, bilingual language development, media literacy, working with children with special needs, and working with low-literate/illiterate parents. Each participant commits to providing early literacy education to 15 families, and is provided with a resource kit containing the Every Child Ready to Read materials and a variety of additional resources to help them develop appropriate early literacy workshops for diverse parents and children.
Renea Arnold, a national Every Child Ready to Read trainer, and Joann Contini, a local early childhood and brain development specialist, adapted Every Child Ready to Read so that it is appropriate for family support workers to implement with one family at a time in a home setting, and be more flexible for library staff conducting outreach to high-risk populations in a variety of settings. Essentially, Renea and Joann reorganized the curriculum from 3 two-hour workshops for early talkers, talkers, and pre-readers into 6 one-hour workshops, one for each early literacy skill. And, they added workshops on book sharing, dialogic reading, phonological games, and early brain development.
Family support workers and library staff are trained together to foster local partnerships. Healthy Start family support workers help connect library staff with high-risk families who typically do not come to the library to access services. Libraries connect family support workers with resources they can use with their families. Together Healthy Start programs and libraries are beginning to develop local early literacy networks around a common framework—the Every Child Ready to Read @ your library curriculum.
The Reading for Healthy Families Year 1: Summary of Findings is now available online. This evaluation primarily reports statistics on RFHF participants, and the number of early literacy education sessions they have provided to families. Due to the fact that Year 1 participants have until January 2010 to fulfill their commitment of providing early literacy education to 15 families, this evaluation is inconclusive about the impact of RFHF on children and families. However, NPC Research found that families receiving RFHF early literacy education from Healthy Start family support workers reported a significant increase in telling stories or talking with their children about daily activities compared to families who did not receive RFHF early literacy education.
Hopefully this information will support your current early literacy efforts or provide you with some good ideas. If you want more information or have any questions please email me at [email protected].
Thank you,
Katie Anderson
Youth Services Consultant
Oregon State Library
0 Comments on Oregon Partnership uses Every Child Ready to Read @ your library® as of 1/1/1900
At the Membership Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall at the ALA 2009 Annual Conference, April Roy, member of the ALSC Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee presented the new brochure and announced the new product line for the ALSC Born to Read initiative during a Saturday Membership 101 Program.
April shared the new design which offers quick tips about how to share books with your baby, includes a book list, and stresses that talking to and reading to babies increases their language development and understanding. As the parent of a 7-week-old daughter, April knows how busy expectant and new parents are and how overwhelmed they can feel by all of the reading material given to them. The new design is crisp and uncluttered with the headings “Read,” “Share,” “Talk,” and “Play.” Some of the tips are:
Read to your baby every day. Set aside a special time, such as before bed.
Read to your baby in short amounts whenever you have time–while you’re in line at the grocery store or waiting for a bottle to warm.
Read or tell stories in the language you know best.
Attend a baby story time at the library. Ask your librarian for help finding books, music, and toys.
Choose books with bold colors, simple words, pictures of baby faces, and textured pages.
Read with expression. Vary the tone of your voice.
Point to pictures and talk about them.
Chant nursery rhymes and add actions.
Point out and name animals, household objects, people, colors, and shapes everywhere, all the time.
Respond to your baby’s babbling. Laugh, babble, and talk with her.
Share books when you and your baby are both in a good mood. Move on to a new activity when your baby loses interest.
Use reading time to bond with your baby. Cuddle with your baby on your lap and let her hold the book.
After her presentation, April talked with me a bit more about how her library has purchased bundles of the new brochure as part of a grant they have received from a local memorial fund. With these monies, the Kansas City Public Library gives books and Born to Read brochures to local women’s clinics. Speaking of her own experience reading with her baby, April stated, “It’s a fun time for us. When she’s in a good, happy mood, reading is the perfect thing to do.”
The committee continues to work on revamping the Born to Read web site and program material. ALSC members are encouraged to volunteer for ALSC committees as we work to provide exceptional library service to all children. For a committee volunteer form, visit the ALSC Web Site and click on the link “ALSC Wants You!” to download the form.
0 Comments on Born to Read as of 7/17/2009 2:09:00 AM
The Allen County (IN) Public Library (ACPL) has created this flier, “Follow the CAR,” to encourage adults to follow the child’s lead when talking and reading to infants and toddlers. CAR means to:
Comment and wait* Ask questions and wait* Respond by adding a little more
*Waiting gives the child time to respond.
Librarians model and share ideas with caregivers during storytimes, but not all caregivers can schedule their library visits to coincide with library storytimes. This is one more way to spread the word of the importance of reading to and engaging with infants and toddlers. For a larger view of the flier, click on the thumbnail car images. The flier includes the URL for the ACPL Everybody Reads resource page, http://www.acpl.lib.in.us/children/everybodyreads.html.
Another resource to share with caregivers is the ALSC Born to Read Initiative. To visit that resource page, go to ALSC –> Initiatives –> Born To Read.
0 Comments on Follow the CAR as of 5/31/2009 2:41:00 AM
Okay, so perhaps I'm taking this a bit personally because I am not a tidy person by any stretch of the imagination. However, my husband is, and he's not a reader by any stretch of the imagination. So where does that leave this study, reported in School Library Journal about the link between early literacy and orderliness at home? My husband spends an inordinate amount of time cleaning our house (
0 Comments on Cleanliness is next to Godliness. And evidently braininess too. as of 1/1/1900
With all the disclaimers at the end of the article, it sounds like they haven't really discovered much at all. But I wouldn't tell the husband and discourage all the cleaning!
Summer is a great time to add some temporary Language Rich Activities in your library. This summer we are raising butterflies! We bought five caterpillars and a butterfly house and then set up a great experience for our youngest customers. The Butterfly Center includes caterpillars, a butterfly house, magnifying glasses, observation forms, some butterfly decorations, signage with butterfly facts and books from the collection about butterflies. When kids come into the library they can observe the caterpillars, chrysalis, or butterflies – depending on the stage of metamorphosis. Then a natural opportunity arises for parents/caregivers to talk to kids about the process so that they understand what is happening. After they have made their observations and talked about facts and process they can draw or write about what they see and post their observations on the wall for others to read. This center is different each time the kid comes in since the butterflies are progressing through their metamorphosis. Once all of our caterpillars have become Butterflies we will invite customers to their release into the wild. The Butterfly Center creates a sense of wonder and discovery in children. It offers kids and caregivers the chance to talk and learn new words like chrysalis and metamorphosis, write or draw what they see and read to learn more about butterflies. 
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At the Membership Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall at the ALA 2009 Annual Conference, April Roy, member of the ALSC Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee presented the new brochure and announced the new product line for the ALSC 
We currently have a Thomas Train that is very popular. We also have storybook themed stuffed dolls like Arthur, DW, Buster, Cat in the Hat, and Clifford. Soft blocks and puzzles are also a must. The one thing that stood out for me from my LIS classes was Stephenson’s Play Theory. I really believe that learning has a greater impact when delivered through play. We try to have items that are somehow connected to books. BTW there are also LEGO storybooks as well as design books, so yes, we have LEGOs.
I work at the Wilmette Public Library in Illinois, and we do take the angle that imaginative play is a crucial pre-literacy skill. Our dollhouse is probably our most popular toy. We also have puppets (no stage), soft blocks, puzzles, and alphabet carpet squares. Soon we’ll be adding a magnet board with letters, numbers, and story pieces. I think we do quite a bit with our limited space while keeping the cost pretty low. Sometimes newcomers do complain about the activity level, but considering that we have other quiet reading spaces, we don’t feel like we’re putting anyone out too much (though sometimes they act like it).