Why Learning Code Benefits Kids

“An understanding of computer science is becoming increasingly essential in today’s world. Our national competitiveness depends upon our ability to educate our children—and that includes our girls—in this critical field.”
—Sheryl Sandberg


Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Facebook, is one of many advocates of computer science education in our country. Educators, technology experts, business leaders, and even celebrities support a new movement with a clear purpose: to teach children to read and write code.
“Coding is the new literacy. To thrive in tomorrow’s society, young people must learn to design, create and express themselves with digital technologies,” says Mitchel Resnick, a media arts and sciences professor at the MIT Media Lab.

Click here for the full article

Coding is the new literacy. There is a big movement going on to teach kids to code and there is a lot of information and resources to start introducing your child to the world of coding. As we become more digital in all aspects of our lives, logic, math and science are becoming increasingly important in early education. Furthermore, encouraging girls to become active in coding is so important! Girls can code!

The logic behind coding can be taught at a very young age. Here is a great article about Coding for Kindergartners. And this kinesthetic learning idea is a fantastic way to introduce the logic of coding. http://leftbraincraftbrain.com/2015/03/18/if-then-backyard-coding-game-for-kids/

Scratch helps young people learn to think creatively, reason systematically, and work collaboratively — essential skills for life in the 21st century.
Scratch is a project of the Lifelong Kindergarten Group at the MIT Media Lab. It is provided free of charge. http://news.mit.edu/2014/scratchjr-coding-kindergarten

Here is a list of resources to get you started:
http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/20-resources-for-teaching-kids-how-to-program-code-200374

YSS Early Literacy Calendar

This project is brought to you by the Youth Services Section of the Wisconsin Library Association and awesome librarians from all over WI contributed to it.

The calendar offers caregivers 365 days of tips on how to raise a reader.

http://wla.wisconsinlibraries.org/images/yss/2016_Early_Literacy_Calendar.pdf

Libraries Outside the Box

In 2015, I was on an ILEAD USA- WI team which was a nationwide leadership immersion program utilizing web technologies. Our team wanted to bridge the gap between school and public libraries. We created a website with resources for librarians, but there are a lot of great resources for teachers and parents as well.

http://www.librariesoutsidethebox.com/

Early Literacy Apps in Storytime

I was on an ILEAD USA- WI team which was a nationwide leadership immersion program utilizing web technologies. One of the other teams of 2015 was the Early Literacy Innovators. Here is a short video offering tips and suggestions on how to incorporate apps into storytime and the value of including the.

Other apps for early literacy resources for librarians, parents and caregivers:

http://littleelit.com/

https://www.pinterest.com/clearwaterlib/early-literacy-apps-for-kids/

https://www.pinterest.com/carisakluver/apps-for-early-literacy/

20 Year Study on the Impact of Books in the Home

Whether you fill your home with books bought from a garage sale, from a bookstore or borrowed from the library, having books in the house for your children can have a major impact on their lives.

From Dr. Mariah Evans' 20-year study, she has formed some hypotheses:

• Reading with very small children -- and talking about the books as you read -- makes a big difference.
• Homes in which books are used to adjudicate questions of fact, rather than debating them as though they were matters of opinion, make an important contribution to childrens learning strategies.
• Children watch what their parents do, so reading at home is very important in a role-modeling sense.
• Children gain skills and culture/content from the books in the home. These skills and content help children perform better on standardized tests.
• Bookish homes help children like school and see their teachers as valuable coaches. Both performing well and liking school encourage youth to persist in education, even when the going gets tough.
  

http://www.educationworld.com/a_issues/chat/chat265.shtml

New Picture Books to Highlight

Moo! by David LaRochelle, is a one word book. I love this book because you can have a lot of fun with it as you read it out loud. One word, but many meanings and expressions!

When Cow gets her hooves on the farmer’s car, she takes it for a wild ride through the country. Moooo! But a bump in the road brings this joy ride to a troublesome end. Moo-moo. . . Has Cow learned her lesson about living life in the fast lane? Moo?
Like Banana! by Ed Vere, it really makes for a fun "read".

 

I am such a sucker for a sweet, loving picture book. The kind of book that makes you go "awwwww". I am a fan of Sam McBratney's books. They are very tender stories with warmth conveyed in the illustrations always (even though there are different illustrators!).
In this story, Little Hansie Bear loves to pretend, but walking like a duck can be hazardous, especially when he falls into a deep- down ditch and has to be helped out by his dad. With a "There, there" and a hug, Hansie is soon off to play again. So when Dad hurts his foot, Hansie knows just what to do — a "There, there," a big hug, and everything is all right again.

How do you hide an elephant?!?In this story, three siblings come upon an elephant named Phil and decide to bring him home. "Our parents will love Phil!" they cry out excitedly. Until it dawns on them: "Uh, oh . . ." No they won't! Hiding Phil by Eric Barclay is adorable!

Great Letter Activity for Boys!

The entire alphabet of "highway abc cards" is available from the Making Learning Fun website.

What a fantastic way for boys to have fun learning the letters of the alphabet. PLAY with them, sound out the letters, talk about the shapes and identify things around the house for that particular letter. Get out the matchbox cards and get those boys MOVING and LEARNING at the same time.