Early Literacy Research

A New York Times article on Language Development, Quality of Words, Not Quantity, Is Crucial to Language Skills, Study Finds. 

Books Build Connections Toolkit from the AAP, the American Academy of Pediatrics. This site includes video clips, advocacy information and handouts for families on reading with young children. 

Too Small to Fail, Too Small to Fail aims to help parents and businesses take meaningful actions to improve the health and well-being of children ages zero to five, so that more of America’s children are prepared to succeed in the 21st century.

The 30 million word gap, this White House blog that explains this and other programs and offers tips. 

Cathy 

5 Ways to Turn Homework Help into Summer Fun - Online Database Fun

We usually think of our library’s online resources as homework help, but in summertime kids can use them to explore the topics they really love.

1. Animals- Who doesn’t love animals? Online encyclopedias include pictures and even video, along with articles on everything from aardvarks to zebras. Did you try using Kids InfoBits database?

2. Places- Young travelers can find out about, or just plain find, destinations near and far in geography and history resources. Global Road Warrior is just the place to visit.Scroll down until you find it in list of databases.

3. Celebrities- Whether they’re into sports, movies, or music, biography and news databases are keeping up with kids’ favorite stars. eLibrary Elementary is a place to start.

4. Family- Tap genealogy resources to clarify the family tree when visiting relatives. Figure out who’s a third cousin and who’s a second cousin once removed or find great-grandma in the 1930 census.Come into the library and use Ancestry or use Heritage Quest online.  

5. Weird stuff- News sites just for kids include many stories of the bizarre. Is it true that an accountant fell on a crocodile? Look it up at eLibrary Elementary.  

6. Local History - Going out and about in Rochester this summer? Check out images of local places on the Rochester Images database. 

7. Just interested in many things want a good place to start? Try Grolier Online. You can access information at an elementary, middle school and high school level. 

{Originally a Blog post by Rachel Wood, Arlington Public Library, ALSC Digital Content Task Force - accessed 7/28/14}

Cathy

Why you should read aloud to your children

On Tuesday, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued its first-ever policy statement focused on literacy promotion, calling for pediatricians to advise all parents about the many benefits of reading aloud, which promotes literacy and social-emotional skills.

Read about it here. 

What a great time to check out the Summer Reading program at your library. We have reading programs for babies, kids, tweens, teens and adults. Registration starts Friday, June 27. The link to register will be on the library's homepage Friday morning. 

Cathy

Using iPads with your child

I just came back from Indianapolis where I attended the Public Library Association's Annual Conference. I got to learn about new books coming out and how to use technology in children's program. 

What I have learned is that technology and apps are just another media we use in children's programming just like puppets, music and flannel boards. There are recommendations on how much screen time children from birth to 2 should have and you can read about it here. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center  talks about Joint Media Engagement when dealing with technology and children. The National Association for the Education of Young People and the Fred Rogers Center put out a position statement on Technology and Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs, we use this statement  to help guide us when using technology with children and programs here at the library. 

So just as we help you find the best books to read, or songs to use with your child we will help model the use of technology with your child. To introduce this idea, we will offer a new program called Tablet Time for children ages 3-6 with their adults (grandparents, parents, caregivers etc.)  The programs will be offered in May 10 and 19 and June 2 and 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. Registration is necessary so please check the calendar.  We will explore an app, a book, and a literacy craft that you can take home! At each session we will explore a new app. There will be time for each family to explore our iPads, hone their tablet skills, ask questions, and discover new learning apps at the end of each session. 

This is something new and we hope it will be educational and fun. 

Cathy