It seems that librarians fall into one of two camps in their selection of books for storytime. They are either the “Careful Preppers” or the “Free and Wild.” Neither way is altogether right. You don’t want to spend SO much time just the right themes, books and stretchers that you have little time for anything else. Nor do you want to go into a storytime flying blind. You should, at a very minimum, read all the way through your storytime books before presenting them. (True confessions- I have not followed my own advice. It makes for an edge-of-your-seat storytime experience).
Early and Family Literacy Research Findings
The charge of the Early and Family Literacy committee is to collect current research in early and family Literacy and disseminate it to our peers. During my research gathering and collecting I came across these studies of note: In Joint Book Reading, Library Visits and Letter Teaching in Families: Relations to Parent Education and Children’s Reading Behavior by Maximilian Prost and Et Al. This study looked into the family literacy activities in preschoolers and how that correlates to the amount of independent reading a child does and their reading comprehension.The findings of the study supported that literacy activities at home, library visits, library programs and book giveaway programs have proven to be beneficial to early reading skills of children as early as preschool age. In Effectiveness of Parent Coaching on The Literacy Skills of Hong Kong Chinese Children with and without Dyslexia by Yijun and Et Al. This research looks into the…
Baby STEAM Program for Summer
We are officially in prep mode for our summer learning program! My library is using the iRead theme: Find Your Voice. I have a great love of STEAM and we already have existing programs for older kids but haven’t had anything for babies and toddlers that is STEAM related. STEAM allows children to find their voice in different ways and we are always trying to incorporate it more into our programming. Our newest program will be a drop-in program for ages 0-3!
Public – School Library Collaboration
As School Outreach Coordinator, the collaboration I have with the amazing school librarians is priceless. From storytimes to starring in Summer Reading Program videos, from booktalks to program promotion, the school librarians are up for just about anything! In this post, I’ll share five simple ideas for collaboration.
All Together Now: Collaborative Projects for Summer Reading
With the 2023 Collaborative Summer Library Program Theme of All Together Now, here are some ideas for collaborative projects in the library community.
Meet Your ALSC Board: Maria Estrella
Monthly, we will profile current ALSC Board members. We hope to offer information about the people who work to guide the organization so that you can feel more comfortable in reaching out to them with your concerns, questions, or comments. This month, we invite you to meet ALSC Board member, Maria Estrella. How did you first get involved with ALSC? I first became involved with the Association for Library Service to Children approximately a decade ago. I was a Youth Services Subject Department Librarian, and my incredibly supportive Public Services Manager encouraged me to submit an ALSC Committee Volunteer Form. There was limited representation of Latine librarians in the state of Ohio at that point in time, and connecting with fellow BIPOC professionals was a professional objective. To my delight, I was selected to serve in the 2016 Pura Belpré Award with five amazing Latinas, one also being Colombian. How…
Changes to Roald Dahl’s Works Spark Controversy. Is it Right or Wrong?
The Roald Dahl Story Company, recently purchased by Netflix, has agreed to change the wording in 17 of Roald Dahl’s written works, after suggestions by consultants from Inclusive Minds, an organization that aims to represent a diverse society through books that foster “inclusivity, diversity, equality, and accessibility in children’s literature.” [Article here.]
Poetry Programs for the Reluctant Poet
April is National Poetry Month! Many people find poetry intimidating. Between meter, rhyme scheme, teachers overly focused on anything written prior to 1900, and words like “troche” and “anaphora,” the language of poetry can seem complex. But it is not too late – or too hard – to unlock your inner poet. Consider adding one of the following poetry programs to your calendar. They all use common library or household supplies, take no special knowledge or skill to lead, and can be put together in an hour or less. Gather ye thine quills and parchment!