Print Awareness
This is recognizing print and understanding how books or a piece of writing "works". As you read a story, occasionally point to words to show the sentences go from left to right, top to bottom. This will help them understand that the symbols on the page have meaning. They are words. When you read books, point out the cover with the title, author and illustrator, the back, the top and bottom. Help them understand how a book works by allowing them to handle books and turn pages.
Point out letters and words on objects throughout your day- McDonald's, stop signs, bathroom signs, menus, signs in a store, street signs, labels, etc...This is called environmental print. Make a list before going shopping and have your child be a part of it. Read them the list. When shopping use the list to make connection to the labels on the food. Read books and make your books.
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Rango
Yeehaw! Hope our our buckaroos had fun!
There's a new sheriff in town! She lookin' to catch you reading at the Franklin Public Library!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Shake, shake, shake! Shake your booty!
Did we have a silly time with our Tushies Storytime! We enjoyed some great books- The Three Little Gators by Helen Ketteman, Always Lots of Heines at the Zoo by Ayun Halliday, Chicken Cheeks by Michael Ian Black, Chicken Butt by Erica S. Perl and The Tushy Book by Fran Manushkin.
We talked about all the different names we call our tushies and we did a tushy match-up by matching the animal heads with their bottoms! We danced to a kid-friendly Shake Your Booty song.
My BLFs and LLFs were a little surprised by my exposed tushy when I took off my sweater (really a foam tushy over my pants!) but it was all in good fun!
Everyone has a tushy! Say what? Chicken Butt!
We talked about all the different names we call our tushies and we did a tushy match-up by matching the animal heads with their bottoms! We danced to a kid-friendly Shake Your Booty song.
My BLFs and LLFs were a little surprised by my exposed tushy when I took off my sweater (really a foam tushy over my pants!) but it was all in good fun!
Everyone has a tushy! Say what? Chicken Butt!
Six Skills for Early Literacy-Day by Day
Narrative Skills
This is being able to tell stories and describe things. Some suggestions to help your child develop this skill is to provide puppets, dress-up clothes, flannel boards, dramatic play toys to encourage pretend play and more. Encourage them to make up stories or act out stories that you read to them. Wordless books are a wonderful way to develop narrative skills because your child will make up the story based on the illustrations. Engage in conversations with your child- modeling good listening skills!
Stories have a structure and sequence. There is a beginning, a middle and an ending. When children understand this story structure, they can predict what will happen in the story. This helps when they are trying to read and understand what they just read.
Ask your child to tell you what happened at the grandmas or at preschool. When they describe past events, they are telling you a story. Ask questions that prompt them for more information. Allow your child to draw picture and ask them to describe their drawing. Write down their story, resisting the temptation of making it sound better, and read their story back to them.
This is being able to tell stories and describe things. Some suggestions to help your child develop this skill is to provide puppets, dress-up clothes, flannel boards, dramatic play toys to encourage pretend play and more. Encourage them to make up stories or act out stories that you read to them. Wordless books are a wonderful way to develop narrative skills because your child will make up the story based on the illustrations. Engage in conversations with your child- modeling good listening skills!
Stories have a structure and sequence. There is a beginning, a middle and an ending. When children understand this story structure, they can predict what will happen in the story. This helps when they are trying to read and understand what they just read.
Ask your child to tell you what happened at the grandmas or at preschool. When they describe past events, they are telling you a story. Ask questions that prompt them for more information. Allow your child to draw picture and ask them to describe their drawing. Write down their story, resisting the temptation of making it sound better, and read their story back to them.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Six Skills for Early Literacy-Day by Day
Enriched Vocabulary
This is knowing the specific names of things, feelings, concepts and ideas. The more vocabulary children have the easier it will be for them to understand what they are reading. What can you do to help your child? The best thing you can do is talk to your child starting when they are babies. The more you talk to your child, the more they will develop their vocabulary.
Be descriptive when naming things- the scruffy, brown dog or the big blue truck. Expose children to new words by speaking with them during everyday activities. Describe what you are doing and what they are doing. Children understand many more words than they can verbalize themselves. Discuss observations- what's happening at the grocery store, during the car wash or when playing at the park. Discuss concepts such as time, opposites and the changing seasons. Read books and discuss unfamiliar words or ask swap synonyms for descriptive words in the story. For example, if the story describes the dinosaur as big, say the dinosaur was big, he was huge, he was gigantic, etc.
This is knowing the specific names of things, feelings, concepts and ideas. The more vocabulary children have the easier it will be for them to understand what they are reading. What can you do to help your child? The best thing you can do is talk to your child starting when they are babies. The more you talk to your child, the more they will develop their vocabulary.
Be descriptive when naming things- the scruffy, brown dog or the big blue truck. Expose children to new words by speaking with them during everyday activities. Describe what you are doing and what they are doing. Children understand many more words than they can verbalize themselves. Discuss observations- what's happening at the grocery store, during the car wash or when playing at the park. Discuss concepts such as time, opposites and the changing seasons. Read books and discuss unfamiliar words or ask swap synonyms for descriptive words in the story. For example, if the story describes the dinosaur as big, say the dinosaur was big, he was huge, he was gigantic, etc.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Make It Your Own
I have two tips for my BLFs...
One, I look through the million Oriental Trading catalogs I receive and I copy the craft ideas! So, instead of purchasing their craft kits, I take their idea and use supplies I have in the library to make it myself! Their kits are costly for large groups because they usually contain enough for maybe a dozen kids. If they use craft foam, I just use construction paper! I tweak it to work for my program, budget and supplies. I have used so many holiday ideas from their catalogs! Most people probably don't know that!
Second, I look through educational catalogs like Lakeshore, Learning Resources, Hatch, Learning Shop, Child Craft, Kaplan, etc. and I look at their educational items and make it myself. I LOVE all the educational resources that are out there, but they are just plain expensive! Here is a simple example, (but if you use your imagination and creativity, the possibilities are limitless) a early math skills manipulative - the Smart Snacks Counting Cookies from Learning Resources for $17.00.
I will be making this by taking a big plastic container that I got from Sam's Club that used to have pretzels inside and decorating it to look like a cookie jar. Then I will make the cookies with the numbers on one side and chips on the other. I will laminate these and I will use it in my next program. BLFs- you can easily do this at home! So much fun to be had learning at home!
One, I look through the million Oriental Trading catalogs I receive and I copy the craft ideas! So, instead of purchasing their craft kits, I take their idea and use supplies I have in the library to make it myself! Their kits are costly for large groups because they usually contain enough for maybe a dozen kids. If they use craft foam, I just use construction paper! I tweak it to work for my program, budget and supplies. I have used so many holiday ideas from their catalogs! Most people probably don't know that!
I will be making this by taking a big plastic container that I got from Sam's Club that used to have pretzels inside and decorating it to look like a cookie jar. Then I will make the cookies with the numbers on one side and chips on the other. I will laminate these and I will use it in my next program. BLFs- you can easily do this at home! So much fun to be had learning at home!
Six Skills for Early Literacy- Day by Day
Phonological Awareness
This is playing with and recognizing the smaller sounds that make up words. This involves blending, segmenting, manipulating, mixing and combining sounds. How do you do develop this in children? Sing songs, share rhymes, clap syllables in rhymes and songs, play word games and read books that have rhythm and rhyming words. When reciting a nursery rhyme, leave out the rhyming word and let your child fill in the blank. There is a predictable pattern and children learn by patterns.
Mem Fox, author of Reading Magic, declares that "rhymers will be readers". Furthermore, she shares a remarkable discovery by experts in early literacy and child development-children that know 8 nursery rhymes by heart before they are four years old are usually the best readers by the time they're eight!
Phonological Awareness is the strongest predictor of success in early reading and 35% of the children who enter kindergarten have not acquired this skill naturally and must be taught it according to the Children's Learning Institute.
This is playing with and recognizing the smaller sounds that make up words. This involves blending, segmenting, manipulating, mixing and combining sounds. How do you do develop this in children? Sing songs, share rhymes, clap syllables in rhymes and songs, play word games and read books that have rhythm and rhyming words. When reciting a nursery rhyme, leave out the rhyming word and let your child fill in the blank. There is a predictable pattern and children learn by patterns.
Mem Fox, author of Reading Magic, declares that "rhymers will be readers". Furthermore, she shares a remarkable discovery by experts in early literacy and child development-children that know 8 nursery rhymes by heart before they are four years old are usually the best readers by the time they're eight!
Phonological Awareness is the strongest predictor of success in early reading and 35% of the children who enter kindergarten have not acquired this skill naturally and must be taught it according to the Children's Learning Institute.
Wordless Books
So, I made a black bag with stars and moons on it. Put chalk in it. Had an umbrella. Found the bag. Drew on the chalkboard and it all came to life- the sun, the butterfly, the dinosaur! I hope they had fun!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Six Skills for Early Literacy- Day by Day
There are 6 early literacy skills that serve as the foundation for learning to read and write. I will introduce one skill daily with tips and suggestions on how to help your child develop these skills.
Print Motivation- This is more of an attitude than a skill!
This is being excited about and interested in books. Getting a child excited about reading and books is the first step. Babies learn to emote by mirroring our feelings and enthusiasm. When you have a strong reaction to something, they notice. They don't know they are having fun until you tell them! Well, tell them books are exciting and fun and enjoyable by projecting those feelings when sharing books.
Print Motivation- This is more of an attitude than a skill!
This is being excited about and interested in books. Getting a child excited about reading and books is the first step. Babies learn to emote by mirroring our feelings and enthusiasm. When you have a strong reaction to something, they notice. They don't know they are having fun until you tell them! Well, tell them books are exciting and fun and enjoyable by projecting those feelings when sharing books.
New Board Books
I like board books that are bright and vibrant with uncluttered pages that focus on things that would be relevant to a baby's world. Here are three series that are new in the library that I would recommend.
Natural Baby board books from Priddy Books. The images are bright and colorful. There are photos of real babies. There are objects to point to and talk about that are in baby's world. There is a little handle that allows the little ones to hold the book easier.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Family Snow Painting
Friday, March 4th from 10-12.
No registration is required. Everyone welcome.
Dress warmly as we trek out into the snow and beautify the snow around the library using colored water!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The Quiet Reading Nook
The Quiet Reading Nook has new furniture and brighter lighting so our families can enjoy using it to read together. I am so happy to see more and more families sitting in there now!
Sticks, Strings and Scribbles
In this storytime, I read Hugo and the Really, Really, Really Long String by Bob Boyle, Not a Stick by Antoinette Portis, The Squiggle by Carole Lexa Schaefer and Lines that Wiggle by Candace Whitman.
I had a stick and asked them what I could pretend it was. So, it became a bat, a golf club, a sword, a magic wand, a fishing pole, and more! I had a string and it became a tightrope I walked across, a ribbon in my hair (awwww) a belt, a shoelace and more!
Of course, I had to include a string story, The Mosquito, and a draw-and-tell story, too.
My LLFs got to go to the chalkboard and scribble! I had fun using my imagination and I hope they did too!
I had a stick and asked them what I could pretend it was. So, it became a bat, a golf club, a sword, a magic wand, a fishing pole, and more! I had a string and it became a tightrope I walked across, a ribbon in my hair (awwww) a belt, a shoelace and more!
Of course, I had to include a string story, The Mosquito, and a draw-and-tell story, too.
It's ALIVE!
As librarians, I believe we do concentrate on language arts naturally, but are seeing more of a trend to include science and math into the mix as well. There are a lot of picture books that cover math and science topics. Themes in storytime such as colors, senses, counting, plants, etc. do touch on mathematical and scientific concepts, but I plan on taking it to the next level this year. So, BLFs watch out for my new math and science storytimes coming this fall!
Bring the Outdoors, IN!
I have a large bag full of fake leaves so we can crunch, crunch, crunch through them or roll around in them. We've had snowball fights with cotton balls. I have used multiple fans to create wind. I use spray bottles (really misty ones) when it calls for rain. My LLFs took their socks and shoes off and walked through the sand and squished their toesies in the sand when we visited the beach. I have taped large puddles on the floor when we jumped in puddles. It is so much more fun when you make the stories come alive through creative play! My BLFs can do this at home, too, with little mess and practically no cost!
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Great New Picture Books!
Boy, this book is right up my humor alley! Silly! Can't wait to read it in storytime. Before these three cats read 'Cat Secrets' they have to make sure there are no non-cats around- that means you!
To Holiday or Not to Holiday, That is the Question
A wonderful BLF asked me why I don't do a Halloween theme during storytime when it's Halloween, or a Thanksgiving theme when it's Thanksgiving, etc. Great question I thought, because I generally don't.
I typically don't do a holiday themed storytime when storytime falls during that holiday for one reason only- because there are so many great themes/books I would rather share. As I order books and catalog them, I keep a list of books that would be great for storytime or lapsitters. That list is so long right now and it continually grows. I love to do quirky themes like Tushies, String, or Underwear, etc. and I don't really repeat themes. I figure my LLFs get read Valentine books at home, at preschool, at Sunday school, etc...that they don't need me to do that too. But maybe I am wrong! Since these programs are for our LLFs and BLFs and not for me, let me know what you think.
Calling all BLFs to voice their opinion! Would you rather have holiday storytimes during holidays every year?
I typically don't do a holiday themed storytime when storytime falls during that holiday for one reason only- because there are so many great themes/books I would rather share. As I order books and catalog them, I keep a list of books that would be great for storytime or lapsitters. That list is so long right now and it continually grows. I love to do quirky themes like Tushies, String, or Underwear, etc. and I don't really repeat themes. I figure my LLFs get read Valentine books at home, at preschool, at Sunday school, etc...that they don't need me to do that too. But maybe I am wrong! Since these programs are for our LLFs and BLFs and not for me, let me know what you think.
Calling all BLFs to voice their opinion! Would you rather have holiday storytimes during holidays every year?
Friday, February 4, 2011
This Library is a ZOO!
It really can be a zoo around here sometimes!
Checkout these penguin books...Polar Opposities by Erik Brooks, Tacky the Penguin books by Helen Lester, A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis, Don't Be Afraid, Little Pip by Karma Wilson and If You Were a Penguin by Wendell Minor.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Pizza & Spaghetti
Ciao! My bambinos and I had lots fun making the pizza pies! Each one got some pizza dough and flour to toss their pizza pie. We put them on a baking sheet and placed them in the oven while we enjoyed storytime. We began with a dramatization of "On Top of Spaghetti"! Achoo! Mama mia! Then we read "Spaghetti for Lucy" and danced to Jim Gill's "Spaghetti Legs" Oopah! (oh, sorry wrong language!)
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Snow, Snow, Snow!
Wow! We had a lot of snow! I hope my LLFs got a chance to go outside and play! I hope they made snow angels and went sledding. It wasn't good packing snow, so you probably didn't get a chance to make a snowman or throw some snowballs this time. Maybe next time...
It's going to get cold out there, so snuggle up in the house with some good books. Try these...
Snow Crazy by Tracy Gallup, Mouse's First Snow by Lauren Thompson, Snow by Manya Stojic, Snowmen at Night by Caralyn Buehner and Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London.
Or checkout books on blizzards since my LLFs will be hearing that word a lot! Stay warm!
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