22 Oct A Few Words for You
The library has spaces and activities for people of all different ages. With young children, there’s a focus on early literacy; that is, helping children be ready to learn to read.
Since 2004, we have incorporated the American Library Association initiative Every Child Ready to Read in the Children’s Room and programs for young children. As the early literacy best practices have grown with research, we have changed as well. The ongoing programs Baby Storytime, Wonderful Ones, and Tot Tuesdays (for twos and threes) are active, fun-based early literacy programs.
With the help of one of our wonderful staff members, we have added the keywords of the program right on the walls of the Children’s Room.
Read; Read to children, tell stories. Keep it fun, stop when they are ready to do something else, don’t be afraid to use words they don’t know!
Write; this includes learning to make letters but also scribbling and even learning fine muscle movement by picking up cheerios off a high chair tray!
Sing; It doesn’t matter if you sing beautifully, sing anyway. Sing songs, do nursery rhymes and fingerplays like The Itsy Bitsy Spider together.
Talk; One of the best ways to help your child be ready to learn to read (and develop their brain in general) is talking with them. Even the tiniest babies benefit from everyday conversation. “Ooh, it’s cold out today, let’s put on your green hat…”
Play; open, unstructured play is great for not only early literacy but also early math and science, empathy, and many other things. That’s why our Children’s Room has a play area with a play kitchen and workbench, train table, duplos, etc.
Here’s a good overview! … and a an interesting article if you want to know even more!
