When Back to School season rolls around, libraries across the country fill displays with books about new teachers and first day jitters. Your library may host an evening for school staff, where they can learn all about library services. You may offer an exclusive teachers-only Friends of the Library book sale. But typically, families with students in special education may not get all the support they need in the lead up to a new school year. Navigating the special education system is challenging – there are IEPs, 504s, evaluations, and tons of documentation – and families new to the IEP system can find it especially overwhelming. But what if the library could build a program that connected parents and caregivers with the expert advice and support they needed before they begin another adventure through special education?
Tag: parents
Real Talk About Kids and Technology
The recent article “Real Talk About Kids and Technology” (Psychology Today Jan 2024), explored the use of technology by age group. Their research supports the ALSC Core Competency I Commitment to Client Group – Understands theories of infant, child, and adolescent learning, literacy development and brain development, and their implications for library service. Psychology Today’s research found “48 percent of parents with children under the age of 5 say their children interact with tablet computers and 55 percent with smartphones.” This increased with the age of the child “with 80 percent of children between 5 and 11 interacting with tablet computers and 63 percent in that age group interacting with smartphones.” In the teen and tween group, half of teens reported “spending at least 4 hours daily on social media like TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (now X). Older teens spend more time online than younger teens, ranging from 4…
Winterizing Your Library Programming
Summer READing prep you say? So, preppers are prepping like crazy for summer reading. But, let’s face it: it’s still winter! Spring ain’t gonna spring anytime soon and the groundhog’s only just thinking about making some French press. While you’re doing your headless chicken routine hiring and lining up summertime performers, have a gander here for some great ideas for sort of now-ish! Don’t let the icy conditions slip you up! Okay, no more puns…for now! ; )) Feb Planning! 1 Students learn about George Washington Carver with this reading passage. [READ MORE] 2 This art-based idea focuses on the work of Langston Hughes, a well-known African American author who wrote poetry and plays. [READ MORE] 3 With adventurous characters, exciting plots, and three to five chapters per book, Leaves Chapter Books check all the boxes to engage beginning readers. [LEARN MORE] 4 Want more activities for Black History Month? [READ MORE] 8 Fun Facts about…
Cookies and Conversation: Early Childhood Programming
On Sunday, June 23 at ALA Annual, ALSC’s Early Childhood Programs and Services Committee (ECPS) hosted a Cookies and Conversation chat in the Networking Uncommons. The goal of this chat was to hear from children’s librarians across the country about what support they would like from ECPS in order to help ECPS plan their next project. We highlight a handful below, but check out the ALSC Connect page for the full set of topics covered.
Thoughts on Graduation
This is the time of year when you can’t avoid the evidence-it’s graduation time. You either know someone who is graduating or someone you know is going to a graduation. A friend’s child barely made it across the finish line and there’s relief. Others are in the throes of meeting final requirements, getting signatures, and making arrangements for the big day and beyond.
Talking to Kids & Parents about Intellectual Freedoms
What librarian hasn’t had an uncomfortable conversation with a parent concerned about the materials their children have been reading or viewing? The ALSC Intellectual Freedom committee has been busy revising documents to help you talk with kids and parents about the intellectual rights of children as the situation arises. (And if it hasn’t yet, don’t worry…it will.) Remember, educating rather than censuring can create partnerships with parents and schools to combat censorship geared towards children.
Did Anyone Get Burnt This Summer?
As librarians, this is always our busy season. Camps are winding down, families are back from vacations, children are getting restless and bored, parents are getting stressed out, and back to school is on the horizon. These pressures can really take a toll. While we are busy working with children during our work day, imagine those who have the job of caregiver both day and night. All staff can face the summer burnout, and as a manager I try to keep an eye out for stressed out staff, but I also look for signs in parents and caregivers as well. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin at Madison found that mothers of children with autism had significantly lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol compared to mothers of children without disabilities. Such hormone levels have been associated with chronic health problems and can affect glucose regulation, immune functioning, and mental…
Changing Table Initiative Come to Fruition
This year, I was delighted to be appointed to the ALSC Early Childhood Programs and Services (ECPS) Committee under the fabulous leadership of Matt McLain. Because ALSC members typically serve two years on a committee and then rotate out, when I began attending meetings they had already decided to create posters for parents to be displayed above or around changing tables in libraries, businesses, and other public places, highlighting the five practices from Every Child Ready to Read (Talk, Sing, Read, Write, Play). These early literacy practices posters would be downloadable and printable, and hopefully customizable. The posters would be beautiful but simple, combining each of the five practices with a rhyme and a developmental tip. Our goal was to inspire parents to talk, sing, read, write and play with their children, beginning with one poster per practice initially, All parents of young children need to change diapers. If visually appealing,…