Serving on the CLEL Bell Awards Committee has given me a new way to look at picture books. I have always been passionate about early literacy, but this experience has encouraged me to think more intentionally about the books we share with young children. Instead of simply asking whether a book is engaging, funny, or beautifully illustrated, I now find myself asking a different question: Does this picture book model an early literacy practice?
Category: Early Literacy
Building Better Business Partnerships for Storytime
Every month, I partner with a local business and head to their gymnastics studio to lead a brief storytime that kicks off an hour of free play. From its inception, this program has been a smash hit, with some months reaching the capacity of the studio space! The genesis of Gymnastics Storytime? Jealousy. When trying to reschedule storytime to better align with staffing needs, I was running into a bit of a problem. Families are busy, and almost everyone was busy on the same day. As I spoke with folks about dates and times, it became clear that everyone was doing gymnastics, and they were doing it for free, in the town over, with a story-reading included. Our town has its own gymnastics studio, but I’ve never heard it mentioned in the busy schedules of younger children. Well, that seemed like a big opportunity to me! I reached out to…
Follow the Early Literacy Research and See Where it Goes
As co-chair of the Early and Family Research Committee, I’ve spent a lot of the last year thinking about research. Our members find scholarly research relating to early literacy and synthesize it to share to ALSC members as part of the Early and Family Literacy Research Database. However, earlier this year, I was reminded that research doesn’t just have to be finding peer-reviewed studies, diving into data, and pouring over bibliographies. Research can be diving into best practices for a new program, or uncovering a new side of something you think about every day. It can be blog posts (like this one), documentaries, websites, and more. For all this committee loves our academic, peer-reviewed research, we also love supporting fact finding and strengthening of early literacy practices in all ways. Often falling down a research rabbit hole might start somewhere you don’t ever expect to see it. For me, It…
4 At-Home Summer Literacy Strategies
As summer approaches, families may be searching for ways to support literacy development at home. Last month, I wrote about how to speak with caregivers about literacy. In that post, I mentioned the importance of empowering families by offering a few practical suggestions that are easy to infuse into daily routines. Below are 4 simple strategies you can share that align with key literacy concepts. These strategies all follow Science of Reading principles. In addition to sharing with families, you can also use these strategies into your own programming to build literacy skills with patrons!
New Research on the Ecosystem that is Changing Early Literacy in NYC
I’m sure everyone reading this has had the privilege of experiencing that magical moment when a child receives a new book. Their eyes light up, they start talking about the picture on the cover, and immediately open the pages. These magical moments happen all across New York City, in libraries, child care centers, community based organizations, and in health clinics.
Windows, Mirrors, and Doors in Play
Just as stories provide mirrors, windows, and sliding doors for folks – toys can too! Being intentional with the items we place in our public spaces makes our spaces more engaging. Being creative with our toys and play spaces also helps us make our limited budgets go further. One way we’re being intentional within our library play space is through our doll play. We were able to purchase the “Play-All-Around Dollhouse,” furniture, and “Lakeshore Block Play People – Complete Set” from Lakeshore Learning for our children’s area. We elected to withhold the furniture pieces that were choking hazards and only put out what fit easily within the rooms. This also means a little less to clean up. Please note, this is not an advertisement for Lakeshore; I simply find their toys made well for long-lasting play. For the dolls, we chose 34 of the people to create 12 families. Some…
How to Speak with Caregivers about Literacy
As librarians, reading and literacy are concepts that have been ingrained into our practice. Growing up, many of us most likely enjoyed reading or being around books. However, that is not the case for all who walk through our doors. Many people have negative memories about learning to read, didn’t like reading, or didn’t have it as a routine in their home. When initiating conversations about literacy with caregivers, it’s important to know how to speak with respect on this topic so that we can empower and serve our patrons to the fullest extent. Here are some Do’s and Don’ts when talking with caregivers about how to support their child’s reading journey.
Science of Reading in the Library: Just-Right Texts for Emerging Readers
Selecting just-right texts for emerging readers ensures that reading is an enjoyable—versus frustrating—experience. But what makes a text just right? Today’s post is yet another installment in an unofficial series on the science of reading in the library.* Our topic: the factors to consider when selecting texts for emerging readers.