Every Child Ready To Read @ GCLD

Great Booklists for Young Listeners

2010-02-22T17:59:00.011-07:00

Booklists for Young Listeners:

Best Books for Babies: An annual list of great books for the youngest children, selected by Beginning with Books. http://www.beginningwithbooks.org/books

Brooklyn Public Library: Lists for each age group, grouped by age-appropriate features.

Books for Babies: www.brooklynpubliclibrary.org/f irst5years/read/baby/books.jsp
Books for Toddlers: www.brooklynpubliclibra ry.org/first5years/read/toddler/books.jsp
Books for Preschoolers: www.brooklynpubliclibra ry.org/first5years/read/preschooler/books.jsp

Hennipin County Library: Search their Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange (ELSIE) to find books that emphasize a particular early literacy skill. Newest titles appear first. www.hclib.org/BirthTo6/ELSIE.cfm

King County Library System: Printable Booklists for each age group.

Books for Babies:www.kcls.org/kids/whattoread/booklists/Booklist Babies.pdf
Books for Toddlers: www.kcls.org/kids/whatt oread/booklists/Booklist Toddlers.pdf
Books for Preschoolers: www.kcls.org/kids/whattoread/booklists/Booklist Preschoolers.pdf

Multnomah County Library: Lists for each age group.

Favorites for Babies: www.multcolib.org/birthtosix/booklists/bkbabies.html
Favorites for Toddlers: www.multcolib.org/birthtosix/booklists/bktoddlers.html
Favorites for Preschoolers: www.multcolib.org/birthtosix/booklists/bkpreschoolers.html

What Preschoolers Like In Books

2010-02-22T15:26:00.022-07:00

What Preschoolers Like In Books (4 - 5 Years of Age)

Books that tell stories

Books that make them laugh

Books with simple text they can memorize

Books about kids that are like them - also books that introduce children who are different from them

Books about going to school and books about making friends

Books that have playful or rhyming language

Alphabet books, counting books, and vocabulary books

Books about the real world - trucks, dinosaurs, insects

For Print Motivation:

Non-Fiction Books can follow a preschooler's fascination about the world around them. Let them know the things they love can be found in books!

Repeated Phrases and Patterned Texts Books make it easy for preschoolers to jump in and participate.

Read an old favorite of yours. Your enthusiasm will be contagious!

For Phonological Awareness:

Song Books are a great way to help them hear the smaller sounds in words. Preschoolers will enjoy song collections that keep everyone singing!

Rhyming Books can have a good rhythm to the language, even if they are not written in formal "poem" stanzas. They are some of the best ways to build phonological awareness skills.

Preschoolers are ready for longer rhyming collections.

For Vocabulary:

Picture Books build vocabulary because they have more "rare" words than our casual conversation.

Books that incorporate questions to the reader are great conversation starters. The more we talk with our children, the larger their vocabularies will be.

ABC Books often are full of objects to name and things to discuss.

For Narrative Skills:

Stories that explore daily events, the passing seasons, or steps involved in making something, help children understand sequence.

Hearing different versions of familiar folktales help make children aware of the basic structure of a story.

Wordless and Nearly Wordless Books let children tell stories in their own words.

For Print Awareness:

Books about reading and writing are great ways to help build a child's interest in and awareness of books and print.

For Letter Knowledge:

Preschoolers are starting to learn letter sounds as well as letter shapes. You can use I Spy Books to look for objects that start with a certain sound.

Preschoolers are also ready for more sophisticated alphabet books that play with letter shapes, letter sounds, and vocabulary.

Search-and-Find Books give preschoolers a chance to practice differentiating between shapes and objects. Make sure the books are not to easy.

What Toddlers Like In Books

2010-02-19T16:56:00.015-07:00

What Toddlers Like In Books ( 2 - 3 Years of Age)

Small books to fit small hands

Books with simple rhymes

Books with familiar items - shoes, toys, pets

Books with familiar routines - bedtime, bath time, meals

Lift the flap books

Books with very few words or with repeating words - books little ones can learn by heart

Goodnight books for bedtime

For Print Motivation:

Lift-the-Flap Books are very engaging!

Silly Books appeal to a young reader's developing sense of humor and help them create positive associations with books.

Sharing books about a toddler's favorite things is a great way to keep them motivated about books.

For Phonological Awareness:

Song Books that contain simple, familiar songs are good choices and toddlers will appreciate songs with multiple verses.

Noise Books are a great way for toddlers to practice imitating animal noises and making language sounds.

Rhyming Books like Mother Goose and sharing poetry with children are some of the best ways to build phonological awareness. One rhyme per page works well for toddlers.

For Vocabulary:

Picture Books build vocabulary because they have more "rare" words than our casual conversation. For instance, the nappers in the "Napping House" are not just sleeping; they are dozing, cozy, snoring, and dreaming.

Non-Fiction Books are amazing vocabulary builders!

ABC Books are often full of objects to name and tings to discuss. Younger children will need simpler pictures to be successful.

For Narrative Skills:

Repetitive Books help children practice predicting what comes next in a story.

Different versions of familiar folktales helps make children aware of the basic structure of a story.

Wordless and Nearly Wordless Books let children tell stories in their own words.

For Print Awareness:

Labeled Picture Books help children make the connection between the words they know and the print on the page.

Heavy Cardstock Books help toddlers transition form board books.

Large Print and Simple Text Books that are surrounded by white space help children see the words being read.

For Letter Knowledge:

ABC Books that are clean and simple so toddler can focus on the letter shape helps build letter knowledge skills.

Search-and-find Books give children a chance to practice differentiating between shapes and objects. Make sure the books are not too tough.

What Babies Like In Books

2010-02-19T15:43:00.025-07:00

What Babies Like In Books (0 - 2 Years of Age)

Board books with photos of babies

Books with bold, clear pictures of familiar items in baby's world

Books with rhythm and repetition

Books with textures or touch-and-feel books

Books with animal sounds

Lullaby books

For Print Motivation:

Touch-and-Feel Books engage multiple senses, making read-aloud time more interactive and more fun!

Photo Books with large clear images of baby faces because babies love to look at other babies! This is a great way to help them focus on the page.

Activity or Object Books that are primarily lists make it easy to read as many or as few pages as hold a baby's interest, keeping storytime a positive experience.

For Phonological Awareness:

Song Books that contain simple, familiar songs are a great way to help them hear the smaller sounds in words.

Noise Books that celebrate noises all around give babies practice in listening to the sounds of our spoken language.

Rhyming Books with one rhyme per book are best for babies. Reading Mother Goose books and sharing poetry with children are some of the best ways to build phonological awareness skills.

For Vocabulary:

Word Books offer great opportunities for describing objects to babies adding more words to their vocabularies.

Hearing Words Repeated in context is one way babies learn new words.

Song Books that list or name objects (Head Shoulders Knees and Toes or Old MacDonald Had a Farm) are one way to introduce new words to babies.

For Narrative Skills:

Short and Simple stories about daily routines begin to introduce young listeners to how stories work.

Photo Books of objects surrounded by plenty of white space allow children to focus on one item while you describe it.

Question and Answer Books help introduce babies into the patterns of spoken language.

For Print Awareness:

Cloth Books allow even the youngest babies to explore books and learn how they work.

Large Print Books make it easy to point to the text on the page as you read, which helps babies begin to learn that print carries meaning.

Repeated Words, Word Bubbles, or Words Incorporated into the Illustrations also make it easy to point to the text on the page as you read.

For Letter Knowledge:

ABC Books for babies and young toddlers should have very simple letter shapes to minimize distractions.

Shape Books will help young toddlers establish a strong foundation in shape recognition.

Opposite Books will start building their ability to tell shapes and later letters apart.

Quick Early Literacy Tips for Parents & Caregivers

2009-10-07T12:33:00.050-06:00

Early Literacy Tips for Parents & Caregivers

Getting stuck giving Early Literacy Tips to Parents and Caregivers during storytime?

You feel like you don't know what to say or feel like your tips are too wordy?

Give these quick tips a try!

For Babies (0 - 2 years of age):

Print Motivation (Love Books): The interest in and enjoyment of books and reading

"Babies have short attention spans. Unless your baby really wants to, you don't have to read for more than 2 - 3 minutes at a time."

"Keep the reading sessions short and fun! When they lose interest, go on to another activity and read more later."

"Babies and toddlers who grow up with books around them become more motivated to learn to read."

"Keep books everywhere -- in the diaper bag, in the car, in their bedrooms, all over the house."

Phonological Awareness (Play with Sounds): Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words

"Hearing and making animal sounds helps your child hear different kinds of sounds in language."

"Babies can start to tell the difference between sounds, which helps them hear the smaller sounds in words."

"Songs have a note for every syllable, so when you sing songs to your baby, you're helping them hear that words can 'come apart' into syllables."

"Understanding 'parts of words' will help them sound out words they are ready to learn to read."

Vocabulary (Learn New Words): Knowing the names of things

"Sing song like 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes' and point to the body parts as you sing them."

"Active songs like 'Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes' are a great way to increase vocabulary!"

"Talk to your baby and toddler all the time -- even before they can answer you!"

"The more words a child hears, the bigger their vocabulary will be. The more words they know, the easier it is to recognize words when they start to read."

Narrative Skills (Tell Stories): Being able to describe things and events, and tell stories

"Talk about what you're doing, out loud, while you're doing it."

"Understanding how stories work helps with reading comprehension when they start to read. Tell stories often and your baby or toddler will soak up your words and start learning about how stories work!"

"When your baby babbles at you, say something back! Then pause and wait for an answer."

"Don't worry if your child can't say anything back, or that you're not understanding each other -- your baby is learning how conversations work."

Print Awareness (Use Books): Knowing how to handle books, noticing print all around us

"Children love their own names!"

"Write their name on the pictures they draw, then put your finger under the letters and say their name out loud. This will help them start to learn that print represents the words they hear."

"In order to start learning how books work, babies need to be able to play with them."

"Keep some board books in the toy box and let them use all their senses to explore them -- touching, seeing, and even tasting!"

Letter Knowledge (Know Letters): Knowing the names, sounds, and shapes of the letters

"Let your child explore different shapes, different textures, different tastes. Talk to them about what is the same and different."

"Practicing figuring out what is the same and what is different will help them later when they try to figure out all the letters of the alphabet."

"Being able to tell letters apart is basically a shape recognition skill."

"Talk about shapes with your baby! Tell them that their rattle is round or that their book is square. You are helping them get ready to learn their letters!"

For Toddlers (2 - 3 years of age):

Print Motivation (Love Books): The interest in and enjoyment of books and reading

"We are important role models to our children. They want to do the things they see us doing!"

"Let them see you reading -- tell them when you're reading recipes, or grocery lists, or magazines, or e-mails."

"Spend time everyday reading and experiencing books with your child!"

"Always keep it positive and fun. If your child gets restless, just put the book aside and come back to it later."

Phonological Awareness (Play with Sounds): Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words

"Play a rhyming game of 'I Spy' with your child -- 'I spy something that rhymes with sock'."

"Playing games with rhymes helps children get ready to read."

"We know that kids who know some nursery rhymes by heart have an easier time learning to read. This is because rhyming is one way kids learn to hear the smaller parts of words."

"Check out a Mother Goose collection and read one or two rhymes every day!"

Vocabulary (Learn New Words): Knowing the names of things

"As you're reading to your child talk about words that may be unfamiliar by giving a simple definition."

"A big vocabulary is a big help when it comes time to learn to read!"

"Ask your child lots of questions that don't have a 'yes' or 'no' answer. These are called 'open-ended' questions and they give toddlers a chance to use all the words they hear for themselves."

"Ask your child to 'use their words' instead of just pointing to an object or picture."

Narrative Skills (Tell Stories): Being able to describe things and events, and tell stories

"When your child tells you something, ask them lots of questions that don't have a 'yes' or 'no' answer. These are called 'open-ended' questions, and they give young children a chance to build their storytelling skills."

"When you're playing with your child, describe their toys for them -- 'This ball is round, blue, and bouncy.' or 'This teddy bear is brown and soft'."

"Being able to describe things helps build comprehension skills."

"Encourage your child to tell their own stories!"

Print Awareness (Use Books): Knowing how to handle books, noticing print all around us

"Be silly! Sometimes when you read with your child, hold the book upside down or backward and see if your child notices."

"If your child does not know the proper way to hold a book and turn the pages -- talk about it."

"Point out the words on a cereal box and signs on the street to your child, so they become aware that print is all around us!"

"Write their name on the pictures they draw, then put your finger under the letters and say their name out loud. This will help them start to learn that print represents the words they hear."

Letter Knowledge (Know Letters): Knowing the names, sounds, and shapes of the letters

"ABC books are a great way to share letters with your child."

"Look for ABC books with big, clear letters, and simple pictures."

"The most important letter to a child is the first letter of his or her name!"

"Look for a child's first letter in their name and point it out anywhere you might find it -- in books, on signs, or on cookies!"

For Preschoolers (4 - 5 years of age):

Print Motivation (Love Books): The interest in and enjoyment of books and reading

"To really help your preschooler get excited about books, bring home books about the things they love and are interested in."

"Have your child say repeated phrases with you as you read -- like 'just right' in Goldilocks or 'chicka chicka boom boom'."

"This helps get them involved in the story, which makes reading more fun and enjoyable for them."

Phonological Awareness (Play with Sounds): Being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words

"Kids love their own names! Have your child help you think of other words that start with the same sound as the first letter in their name -- like for Megan; Milk, Moon or Mug."

"When you hear your preschooler use a cool new word, clap it out with them -- clap once for every syllable."

"Clapping out the syllables in words helps your child learn to hear them, which will help them sound out words when they're ready to read."

Vocabulary (Learn New Words): Knowing the names of things

"Reading books together is a great way to expand your child's vocabulary, since children's picture books have more 'rare' words in them than regular conversation."

"When you're talking with your preschooler, look for opportunities to use different words to help build their vocabulary."

"To help build their vocabulary, instead of saying 'car', you might say 'SUV', 'convertible', 'pick up truck', 'station wagon', or 'limo'."

Narrative Skills (Tell Stories): Being able to describe things and events, and tell stories

"Being able to tell stories is a skill that helps children understand what they're reading."

"After you read a story together a few times, let your child 'read' it to you!"

"When children understand how stories work, it helps their comprehension when they read."

"Use things you have around the house as props while reading a story. Then let your child play with the props -- this helps your child remember the story and retell it by themselves!"

Print Awareness (Use Books): Knowing how to handle books, noticing print all around us

"Learning to write and learning to read go hand in hand. Making little books with your preschooler is a powerful way to help them learn about print."

"Have your child draw pictures, then write down the story they tell you, and read it back to them!"

"Every now and then while you're reading a book to your child, run your finger under the words of the title or words that repeat. This helps your child learn you are reading the words on the page, and not the pictures."

Letter Knowledge (Know Letters): Knowing the names, sounds, and shapes of the letters

"Children learn better when they are interested in something."

"If your child loves princesses talk about the letter P. If you have Batman fans at home, draw the letter B for them on a piece of paper."

"Kids learn best by playing, not by flashcards, workbooks, or quizzes."

"Look for ways to play with letters -- keep foam letters in the bathtub and magnetic letters on the fridge. Draw letters with sidewalk chalk or make them out of play dough!"

Helpful Websites

2009-07-09T12:30:00.016-06:00

Here's a list of websites to check out:

Born to Read

www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/borntoread/index.cfm

Through Born to Read, libraries partner with local health care providers and other community agencies to provide new and expectant parents with library cards, reading materials, incentives, and resources to help them raise children who are “Born to Read”.

Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy

www.clel.org

Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy is passionately committed to strengthening children’s literacy through library services and community advocacy.

ELSIE: Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange

www.hclib.org/BirthTo6/ELSIE.cfm

Search ELSIE to find books that help children develop the early literacy skills necessary for learning success. Presentation notes show how to emphasize skills in a fun, interactive story sharing experience.

Every Child Ready to Read @ your Library

http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/ecrr/index.cfm

Every Child Ready to Read is a joint project of the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children that seeks to incorporate “the latest research into a series of parent and caregiver workshops to provide public libraries with vital tools to help prepare parents for their critical role as their child’s first teacher.”

Healthy Minds: Nurturing Your Child’s Development

http://www.zerotothree.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ter_par_parenthandouts

Developmental milestones handouts produced by Zero to Three organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Hummingbird Educational Resources

www.hummingbirded.com

This site is filled with preschool themes and storytime extension activities.

Important Milestones

http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/actearly/pdf/parents_pdfs/MilestonesChecklists.pdf

Developmental checklists at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. The checklist information is from Caring For Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5, by Steven Shelov and Robert E Hannermann (American Academy of Pediatrics).

National Association for the Education of Young Children

www.naeyc.org

“The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is dedicated to improving the well-being of all young children, with particular focus on the quality of educational and developmental services for all children from birth through age 8.”

National Institute for Early Education Research

http://nieer.org/

“The National Institute for Early Education Research supports early childhood education initiatives by providing objective, nonpartisan, information based on research. The goal of NIEER is to produce and communicate the knowledge base required to ensure that every American child can receive a good education at ages three and four.”

National Network for Childcare: Fingerplays Plus

www.nncc.org/literacy/fingplus.html

“In this collection, we have included fingerplays with a variety of concepts and movements. We have also included some suggestions for related activities. Children learn best when they can experience or practice new concepts in several different ways. We hope these fingerplays and verses will become favorites.”

Reach Out and Read

www.reachoutandread.org

“Reach Out and Read (ROR) is a national non-profit organization that promotes early literacy by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud in pediatric exam rooms across the nation.”

Reading Is Fundamental

www.rif.org

Reading Is Fundamental offers resources, prepares and motivates children to read by delivering free books and literacy resources to those children and families who need them most.

Reading Rockets

www.readingrockets.org

“Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.”

Zero To Three

www.zerotothree.org

“ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that informs, trains, and supports professionals, policymakers, and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.”

Benefits of Traditional Storytimes

2009-05-06T15:00:00.011-06:00

All Positive!

Libraries around the world offer storytime for their young patrons. Storytime provides many benefits to children:

Stories help develop a child's imagination.

Stories help a child discover new ideas.

Stories help nurture a child's listening abilities.

Stories help children comprehend the world around them.

Stories expose children to a larger vocabulary than the spoken word.

Stories introduce and reinforce concepts such as colors, shapes, letters, etc.

Stories encourage a love of reading.

Storytime encourages families to come to the library and check out materials.

Storytime introduces authors and illustrators to families in a fun way.

Storytime models good oral reading skills for parents and caregivers to follow.

Storytime can help children become successful readers and learners.

Storytime introduces songs, finger plays and nursery rhymes to parents that can be enjoyed at home.

Story time creates a social opportunity for parents and caregivers.

More Positives!

Traditional storytimes almost always incorporate fingerplays and songs as well as books. Benefits of these components include:

Songs can add fun, variety and movement to storytime.

Song help break up words into syllables for children to hear.

Songs allow children the opportunity to get up and move.

Songs help children stay focused.

Listening skills are sharpened.
Fingerplays help children learn about concepts such as numbers, size, shapes, direction, and color.

Fingerplays teach sequencing.

Fingerplays build coordination and strength in small and large muscle groups.

Fingerplays help create a positive self-image for children. Children learn that their minds and bodies contain a whole world of possibilities.

Fingerplays help children socialize with one another. They are a way of doing something "separately together".

Fingerplays are multicultural and have been passed down from generation to generation.

Fingerplays can be adapted to other activities such as flannel board stories, puppet shows, and music.

Storytime Sample

2009-05-05T17:56:00.027-06:00

Here's a sample Storytime Plan from Granby Public Library for the Preschool Story Hour on April 15, 2009.

Storytime Plan
Spring Time

Welcome and Closing Song: "The More We Get Together"

Books:

Bear Wants More; by Karma Wilson [Narrative Skills, Print Motivation, Print Awareness, & Vocabulary]

Flora's Surprise!; by Debi Gliori [Narrative Skills, Vocabulary, & Print Motivation]

Muddigush; by Kimberley Knutson [Phonological Awareness]

Spring an Alphabet Acrostic; by Steven Schnur [Print Awareness, Phonological Awareness, Letter Knowledge, & Vocabulary]

Spring is Here Grumpy Bunny!; by Justine Korman [Narrative Skills & Vocabulary]

Spring's Sprung; by Lynn Plourde [Phonological Awareness]

Splish, Splash, Spring; by Jan Carr [Print Motivation, Phonological Awareness, & Vocabulary]

Stuck in the Mud; by Jane Clarke [Narrative Skills, Vocabulary, Print Awareness, & Print Motivation]

When will it be Spring?; by Catherine Walters [Narrative Skills, Print Awareness, & Vocabulary]

Fingerplays/Songs:

Did you ever see a bunny hop so......(fast, slow, backward, & on one foot)

10 Little Bunnies (Counting on fingers ending in claps or bunny hop)

Open Shut Them

Itsy, Bitsy, Spider

Bear Hunt

Bunny Hokey Pokey (with Bunny Puppets)

Early Literacy Tip for Parents & Caregivers:

Helping children get involved in the story makes reading more fun. They can guess what will happen next, count, or repeat phrases.

Craft/Activities:

Paper bag Bunny Puppets

Hop Parade with Bunny Puppets

Observations and Feedback:

Books Read:

Spring Sprung (illustrations are beautiful, but the concept of Mother Nature in a human/nature form was hard for preschoolers to grasp; however, great questions were asked, "Why is the mother green?" and "She looks like the hill.")
Bear Wants More (was followed by a successful Bear Hunt, which the children loved! The children got involved in the story and repeated the phrase, "but bear wants more" with little prompting.
Stuck in the Mud (Relate our Mud Season with spring. Great book for Print Motivation! Children liked the animals and repeated who was stuck with the appropriate animal sounds, plus counting the baby chickens and animals stuck.)
Flora's Surprise! (Parents liked this story a lot. It's cute and it's a great lead into the bunny puppets or in the future a lead into a gardening project. Children repeated "It's a house".)

Fingerplays/Songs:

As always the Bear Hunt is successful.
"Did You Ever See a Bunny" and the "Bunny Hokey Pokey" were also great ways to expend energy.

Crafts/Activities:

Paper bag Bunny Puppets were a hit! Pieces were already cut out, so they could focus on gluing and decorating their bunnies. A demonstration of assembling a puppet was very helpful to the children.
In the Bunny Parade we use the skills we learned in the "Did You Ever See a Bunny" hopping slowly, fast, backward, and on one foot around the room.

Storytime Components

2009-05-05T15:59:00.011-06:00

Storytime Components recommend by
Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy

Effective storytimes don't "just happen". They take time to prepare, require practice by the librarian and have basic ingredients regardless of the storytime theme or subject. They also require flexibility to adapt books, fingerplays and songs to the attention span of the children.

The basics of a good storytime incorporate the following components:

Opening or Welcoming Song. (This song should be the same every week.) Like: "The More We Get Together", "If You're Happy and You Know It", "Here We Are Together"

Age appropriate books. Things to remember when choosing your storytime books:

Don't use long or complicated books with preschoolers
Use eye contact, voice inflection, and enunciate loudly and clearly
Always note who the author and illustrator are

Songs and fingerplays. These transitional activities engage the children, keep them involved and help them be ready to listen to another book.

A variety of materials such as puppets, flannel-board storied, cut and tell stories or draw and tell stories. (But not all of these every time--change it up.)

Closing Song. (This song should be the same every week.)

Storytelling Techniques

2009-05-04T18:39:00.006-06:00

A simple review of Storytelling Techniques:

Enthusiasm - enjoy what you are doing!

Hold the book so all children can see.

Read clearly and expressively and not too fast.

Interactive - involving the children in the stories and activities. (Dialogic Reading, crafts, etc.)

Adjusting stories and activities to the needs of the children.

Have fun - If you're not having fun, your audience is probably not having much fun either.

Dialogic Reading

2009-04-21T16:14:00.021-06:00

"How we read to children is as important as how frequently we read to them."
-Multnomah County Library

Dialogic Reading is an important method developed by researchers to get children more activity involved when a story is read to them. Children learn more when they participate. With Dialogic Reading the adult helps the children become the tellers of the story. The adult becomes the listener, the questioner, and the audience for the children. Think of it as children and adults having a conversation about the book.

Dialogic Reading is based upon three techniques:

Asking "What" Questions:

Point to the item in the book and say "What's this?" or "What's this called?".
Avoid questions that the children can answer with a "yes" or "no" or by pointing.
Repeat what the children say. Let them know the answer is correct by repeating it back: "Yes, that's a cow."

Expand on what the children say:

Keep expansion short and simple.
Make sure to build on your child's phrases just a little so that your child is able to imitate what you've said. Add, "Yes, you're right! That's a truck, a yellow dump truck."
Continue the conversation by following the answers with questions. "What is that truck doing?" "Yes, it looks like he is dumping dirt into the hole."

Ask Open-Ended Questions:

Open-ended questions do not have right or wrong answers and send the message, "I want to know what you think."
Open-ended questions require more thought to answer and encourage children to use their imaginations and more words. "What do you see on this page?" "What's happening here?"
Ask the children to say more, "What else do you see?" Open-ended questions allow children to say whatever they're thinking which often leads to interesting conversations.

Early Literacy Storytime

2009-04-21T15:42:00.005-06:00

We've got the Six Pre-Reading Skills under our belt and we know a bit about child development, but how can we create an Early Literacy Storytime?

What is Early Literacy Storytimes?

Early Literacy Storytimes or Literacy-Enhanced Sotrytimes or Literacy-Based Storytimes are a response to brain research. They are storytimes that model for parents and caregivers ways they can help a child develop the Six Pre-Reading Skills.

Key elements in a Early Literacy Storytime are:

Parents and caregivers are strongly encouraged to attend storytimes with their children and have fun.

At least one Early Literacy Skill is highlighted during each storytime.

The storytime leader models activities during the storytime that builds Early Literacy Skills.

Books and activities selected promote the use of Early Literacy Skills.

Information is given to parents and caregivers either verbally, through a handout or both about ways they can build Early Literacy Skills with their child/children at home.

"There is substantial data proving that programs which promote the growth and development of young children are the best investment for developing human capital necessary for economic growth."
- World Bank Symposium, 2005

Children's Developmental Milestones

2009-04-21T12:53:00.011-06:00

Children's Development Milestones

Now that Six Early Literacy Skills have been broken down, I thought I'd share the development milestones in children that will help us understand how a child is developing. This information will assist us in enhancing our storytimes with activities, books, and crafts accordingly.

From 0 - 12 Months

Has full color vision (6 months for eyes sight to fully develop with color vision - high contrast books recommended)

Socializes by watching faces

Becomes interested in pictures

Stands for a moment without support

Looks at correct picture when image is named

Begins to use objects correctly

By 24 Months

More excited about the company of other children

Separation anxiety increases towards midyear, then fades

Begins to sort by shapes and colors

Begins make-believe play

Recognizes names or familiar people, objects, and body parts

Scribbles on his or her own

By 3 Years

Objects to major changes in routine

Matches an object in hand or the room to a picture in a book

Vision nears 20/20

Understands most sentences

Bends over easily without falling

Turns book pages one at a time

By 4 Years

Cooperates with other children

Often can't tell the difference between fantasy and reality

Recalls parts of a story

Understands the concepts of "same" and "different"

Begins to copy some capital letters

By 5 Years

Abel to distinguish fantasy from reality

Can count 10 or more objects

Understands books are read left to right, top to bottom

Hops, somersaults, stands on one foot

Understands that stories have a beginning, middle, and end

Draws pictures that represent animals, people, and objects

Letter Knowledge

2009-04-20T18:28:00.014-06:00

"The most successful way to improve the reading achievement of low-income children is to increase their access to print. Communities ranking high in achievement tests have several factors in common: an abundance of books in public libraries, easy access to books in the community at large, and a large number of textbooks per student."
- Newman, Sanford, et. All. "Americana's Child Care Crisis: A Crime Prevention Tragedy: Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, 2000.

Letter Knowledge "Know Letters" is a very common school readiness skill. Most kindergarten teachers expect that children will know their letters by the time they enter kindergarten. It involves:

Recognizing and naming letters of the alphabet

Recognizing similarities and differences between letters

Recognizing that there are upper- and lower- case letters

Recognizing that specific sounds go with specific letters

Children who know their letters and understand that letters represent sounds are better prepared to "crack the code" (figure out the letter-sound relationship that becomes words). They understand that specific letter symbols can result in specific words and can start to predict the letters in words with some success.

Young children can quickly learn the alphabet song, but they are primarily learning it as a song, rather than understanding that the song refers to a list of letters.

By the age of 3, most children will start to show an interest in letters - especially the letters in their names. They may also recognize letters from their names in the words they see around them, also known as "environmental print".

Generally, 3 and 4 year-olds start to show interest in writing their names. It can be easier for young children to begin to write their names using all uppercase letters. Lowercase letters typically require greater fine motor skill.

By the age of 5, many children have expanded the letters they recognize and write to include letters in words that are familiar or meaningful to them.

Although even young children can be taught to recognize and write all the letters in the alphabet, understanding the function or purpose of those letters comes from meaningful experiences producing the letters (such as singing one's name and writing notes to people).

When children start to write their letters, the letters may be upside down or backwards. When writing their names or a word, the letters may be all over the page. They may skip letters or only write their favorite letters. They may just make marks on paper and claim the marks are letters. This is quite normal.

Letter Knowledge in Storytime:

When making nametags, talk about the letters in children's name. Point out when a child's name is written on something such as a list or the child's backpack.

Sing the alphabet song. There are many versions of the alphabet set to music, too. Carole King sings "A, Alligators All Around" on Really Rosie. John Litgow sings "A - You're Adorable" on Singin' In The Bathtub.

Talk with children about the shapes of letters. Look for things with similar shapes in the world around them. Ask children to create letters with their fingers or bodies.

Using large letters, create a sign-in sheet for the children with a line next to each name. Each time a child arrives, encourage him or her to sign in.

Talk with children about environmental print - the words they see around them, such as the EXIT sign above the door and the words on a child's T-shirt.

If possible, make writing materials available for play and exploration. Children need experiences with writing materials on a regular basis in order to find writing letter interesting.

Letter Knowledge Comments for Adults at Storytime:

Babies and younger toddlers: "Children under 2 do not need to know about letters. Letters are symbols that stand for specific sounds of speech, which is inappropriate for babies because it's intangible. It's much more important that babies and toddlers have real objects to play with and an engaged adult."

"Playing with shapes - balls, blocks, and sorting toys - is the beginning of shape awareness, which will lead to letter knowledge in later years."

Toddlers 30 months and older: "A fun game to play with your child is to go on a treasure hunt for his or her own letter - the first letter of your child's name. Show your child the letter and write it down; then, as you go though the day, see how many of that letter you both can find. Once that letter is mastered, move on to other letters, such as M for Mom, G for Grandpa."

"There are some great alphabet books that are more fun for children than the typical alphabet books with pictures and words labels. Try Albert's Alphabet by Leslie Tryon or SuperHero ABC by Bob McLeod."

Summary

What Can We Do for Letter Knowledge?

Flannels, props or stick stories containing large clear letters. For example: C is for Carrot and car, castle, and coin.

Songs and games using the beginning and rhyming letters in words

Large letters to use in play

Stick pictures, props or games using shapes

Using shapes in stories: Tell and Draw of flannel guessing shapes, such as Guess the Shadow

What Can Parents and Caregivers Do for Letter Knowledge?

Write the child's name often, spelling each letter out loud as you go along

Encourage your child to make letters with clay or in sand

Sing the alphabet song together

Suggested Books:

Alphabet Under Construction by Denise Fleming

A, B, See! by Marilyn Janovitz

Mouse Shapes by Ellen Stoll Walsh

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr.

Shiver Me Letters: A Pirate ABC by June Sobel

Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book by Brian P. Cleary

Click, Clack, Quackity-Quack! by Doreen Cronin

B is Bulldozer by June Sobel

Print Awareness

2009-04-16T16:16:00.015-06:00

"The earlier in a child's educational process parent involvement begins, the more powerful the effects." -Cotton, K. Wikelund, K., Northwest Regional Education Laboratory School Improvement Research Series, In Parent Involvement in Education.

Print Awareness "Use Books" understanding how a book or a piece of writing works. When children go to school understanding how print (books and other written materials) works, they are more likely to be ready to learn other things about reading.

The symbols on a page are called letters; when all together, they are called words; and words have meaning

The series of words on the front of a book is the title and, likely, the name of the author and illustrator

A book has a front and a back, a top and a bottom

We turn the pages of the book
from right to left, but we read the words from left to right. (This applies to English)

We start at the top of the page (or paragraph) when reading

We read the words in a book (rather than "reading" the pictures)

Books and other written material contain information

People use books and other written materials to help them in their daily lives (writing and using lists, looking things up, enjoying a story, reading the newspaper, figuring out which bus to take, writing letters and e-mail, and more)

Print Awareness can occur as early as 18 months of age. Children will imitate or pretend to read The book may be upside down, they may turn the pages the "wrong way", and they may use a "reading voice" while pretending.

Gradually, the children will hold the book properly, turn the pages one at a time, and even run their fingers along the print as though they were reading it.

Children may recognize familiar signs in their neighborhood, such as STOP signs. This is called environmental print.

They may point out some printed words and then "read" them. A child may insist that they are reading the words correctly, even though they say something different.

Print Awareness in Storytime

Each time you open a book, show the children the cover. Open the book as it is facing the children. Point to the printed title and author's and illustrator's names on the cover.

Talk with children about the specific elements of a book - title, author, and illustrator.

Occasionally, run your finger along the text as you read (particularly when words repeat or are otherwise interesting).

With preschoolers, you can read a book in a mixed-up manner and see if the children can correct you. Hold the book upside-down, or try to read the book from the back to the front. Be silly; have FUN!

If your storytime includes craft time, make books with children about topics of interest to them (such as dinosaurs, trucks, or birds). It may take several weeks, but if your group is fairly consistent, the process of making a book will help children learn the parts of the book and how a book works in English (the story goes from front to back, the writing goes from left to right, and title goes on the front cover).

Read books that highlight print of the characters engaged in writing.

Model how you use print in everyday life. Some ideas include making nametags for the children attending storytime or making a list of characters in a book while reading with children.

After sharing a flannel-board story, show the children the book it came from. You may want to open the book and show them how the character looks in the book.

Make large print copies of the songs or rhymes you are sharing and post them in a visible location. Occasionally point to a word or phrase on the posted sheet as you sing or recite those words.

Print Awareness Comments for Adults in Storytime:

"When you read to your baby, he begins to learn so many things about books, including how a book works. The knowledge of how books work is called print awareness, one of the six early literacy skills researchers have identified as crucial to reading success."

"Sometimes reading looks like chewing. That's okay because your baby is learning to feel comfortable with books. Babies who play with books find it easier to learn to read later on."

For Older toddlers and preschoolers: "To build your child's print awareness, help your child discover how to hold a book and turn the pages."

"When reading to your child, occasionally point out words in the book and talk about them. This helps your child distinguish between the pictures and the words and builds print awareness."

"At home, try holding the book upside down or backward and pretend to start to read. If your child recognizes your mistake, praise her and talk about the parts of the book. If your child doesn't understand, simply explain, "Oh, I made a mistake. Look, the book is upside down!" Then talk about the book. Gradually build on your child's knowledge of how a book works."

" As you are going about your day, point out words in your child's environment, like the word "STOP" on a stop sign, "bus" at the bus stop, or "apples" in the grocery store. This builds your child's print awareness, one of the six early literacy skills."

Summary

What Can We Do for Print Awareness?

Variety of books, including pop ups and toy books

Word strips, pictures for flannel board or on sentence strips, keep it simple

Training for storytime presenters to illustrate book skills like holding right side up, reading left to right, reading top to bottom etc.

Ways to put words and pictures together. For example; STAR is another way to say:

What Can Parents and Caregivers Do for Print Awareness?

Run a finger under the words as they are read

Call attention to signs and print on the road, at the store, in restaurants

Write messages to your children to show that print is useful and carries meaning

Suggested Books:

Yes by Jez Alborough

Wiggle by Doreen Cronin

What Will Fat Cat Sit On? by Jan Thomas

A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Susanne Bloom

Punk Farm by Jarrett J. Krosoczka

I Stink! by Kate McMullan

Smash! Crash! by Jon Scieszka

Hurry! Hurry! by Eve Bunting

Narrative Skills

2009-04-16T15:33:00.014-06:00

"One out of five school children is reading impaired by the time he reaches 4th grade. 38% of our nation's fourth-grade children are reading below a basic level of proficiency."
-U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. The Nations Report Card: Reading Highlights 2003

Narrative Skills "Tell Stories" is the ability to understand stories (comprehension) and the ability to tell stories or describe events (production). Narrative Skills help children learn to read because when children understand story structure (beginning, middle, and end) and story components (who the characters are, what they do, and why they do what they do), they are better able to understand what they just read (comprehension) and predict what will happen next. When children do not understand a story, narrative skills can help children know what kinds of questions to ask in order to reach understanding.

3 year old children can describe what happens during recurring events (What happens at lunch time? What happens when you get dressed?). These "event scripts" are an early form of narrative skill. As they grow older, they gradually add more detail to their scripts.

You may hear young children use story phrases like "once upon a time" or "the end".

Early on, children can tell stories about events that directly relate to their experience. As they grow older, they start to imagine and tell stories about things they have not experienced.

Narrative Skills in Storytime:

Include stories that are cumulative or sequential, and encourage children to guess what will happen next.

After reading, recall the main events of the story, asking them what happened next: "Then where did Spot go?" Or ask clarifying questions: "Why was Sally looking for Spot?"

Use flannel or magnet boards to tell stories. Allow children to participate in the telling of the story and the placement of the flannel pieces. Leave the flannel board and story pieces out after storytime for children over 3 to explore.

Retell a story with props, allowing the children to help.

Use fingerplays, action rhymes and songs that are cumulative or sequential.

Share some books without interrupting the reading, so children can hear the entire sequence and flow of the story; this helps them learn story structure. After reading, ask the children questions about what happened and why.

After storytime, ask children to draw pictures to go along with the book you read. Ask parents to write down the children's description of their picture.

Act out nursery rhymes or stories with children or encourage children to act out stories with puppets. Some children may become very interested in creating a puppet show.

Add on to favorite stories. What happened the day after Max visited the Wild Things? What else did the five little monkeys do?

Consider offering a favorite book sequel program to encourage children to write about what happens next in their favorite books. Record what the children say in their words. Ask clarifying questions ("Why did he do that?" "How did that happen?"). Ask the children to help illustrate the sequel. "Publish" the story for the children to take home, or post the story and pictures in the room.

Narrative Skills Comments for Adults at Storytime:

For babies and young toddlers: "When you pair a simple song with movement, such as 'The Itsy Bitsy Spider', you help build your baby's narrative skills. Seeing your child's hands come together to form the spider or his arms reach up to make the sun is evidence that he is beginning to understand the sequence of the story."

For older toddlers and preschoolers: "To build your child's narrative skills, encourage pretend play, and play along with her."

"Your child will understand stories and learn how to tell stories if you tell stories. Begin by narrating your day, and talking about what you are doing while you are doing it. Describe your actions using rich language and emotion."

"While sharing a book, let you child be the storyteller."

"After you read a book, use open-ended questions to help your child re-tell the sequence of the story. For example, "What happened when Max got sent to his room?" and "What did the monsters do?"

"Parents, encouraging your child to talk about daily routines is a great way to build narrative skills."

"Your child's ability to re-tell a story, or re-tell stories about special events, helps build narrative skills. Research show that this is a critical part of reading comprehension."

Summary

What Can We Do for Narrative Skills?

Use props for poems and stories

Have materials and do activities to extend discussion and learning from the books presented (games, puzzles, puppets, stuffed book characters, etc.)

What Can Parents and Caregivers Do for Narrative Skills?

Narrate your life activities as you go through the day and ask your child to describe what they are doing as well. Listen patiently and add details to their descriptions

Encourage prediction

Act out simple stories

Suggested Books:

Bear Snores On by Karma Wilson

Silly Sally by Audrey Wood

Ella Sarah Gets Dressed by Margaret Chodos-Irvine

Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann

I Went Walking by Sue Williams

Dinosaur! by Peter Sis

Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle

Chickens to the Rescue by John Hillelman

Vocabulary

2009-04-16T13:30:00.017-06:00

"When mothers frequently spoke to their infants, their children learned almost 300 more words by the age of 2 than did their peers whose mothers rarely spoke to them."
-Hare, B. & Risley, T.R., 1995. Meaningfull Differences in the everyday experiences of young American children.

Vocabulary "Learn New Words" knowing the meaning of words and connecting the words to objects, events, or concepts in the world. (Words we must know to communicate effectively.)

Oral Vocabulary are the words we use in speaking or recognize when listening

Reading Vocabulary are the words we recognize or use in print

While developing vocabulary, children are also developing world knowledge, which is an understanding of how the world works and what is in the world.

Vocabulary is important to Reading Comprehension. Children use the words they know to make sense of the words they see in print. They cannot understand what they are reading without knowing what most of the words mean.

When children have more vocabulary, they can more easily make prediction about the words they are reading (Decoding), and apply their knowledge of the world as they try to understand what they are reading (Reading Comprehension).

Babies usually begin babbling by 6 months

Some babies say recognizable words by 12 months

It's estimated that from about 2 years of age on, a child learns approximately 9 - 12 words each day.

3 year old children need to physically touch or explore something in order to learn the words that go along with the object or experience.

4 - 5 year old children use their real life experiences to bring background knowledge to what they encounter in books. The real world and the world of books build on each other, so that their vocabulary grows even faster.

When children are very young, they may use a single word for all related objects. ("truck" may be used for all vehicles even bikes).

Children may combine two words together to create a word to describe a concept (saying "last day" for "yesterday").

Vocabulary in Storytime:

Talk about the meaning of words with children as they come up in books or conversation. "It's funny--the word 'flower' means two things. It can mean the pretty flowers growing outside in the garden. Or it can mean the white stuff people use to make cookies or bread." Children don't need to know that the two words are spelled differently, but understanding that there are two meanings to a word will enhance their understanding of words and the world.

Model you won interest in words. Don't dumb down you conversations with children.

Help children learn about the world by reading both fiction and informational books, especially about interesting places such as the zoo, park, or animal hospital.

Encourage children's interest in new words by asking questions like, "What is that?" "What do you use that for?" "What does that mean?"

Vocabulary Comments for Adults at Storytime:

"Did you know that hearing language actually changes the structure of babies' brains? Language builds more connections between neurons in the brain. So the more you talk with your baby, the more connections she will have in her brain."

"Toddlers understand many more words than they say, so be sure to talk to them using rich language."

"Books are a source of rich vocabulary that we may seldom use in everyday conversation. When you read to your child, you are building the vocabulary that will help her later when she's sounding out words, learning to read."

"Next time you're at the grocery store, take a moment to talk with your child about the names of different vegetables and fruits. You can also talk about the shapes and colors. These conversations help build vocabulary - one of the six early literacy skills. You can also encourage this activity at the park, at a construction site, working in the garden with plants and tools, all day long!"

Summary

What Can We Do for Vocabulary?

Words on sticks or for the flannel board

Pictures on sticks or for flannel board

Lots and lots of stuff (props, puppets, toys) and pictures of stuff to play with

Props for guessing games

What Can Parents and Caregivers Do?

Read different types of books; books are rich in vocabulary that may not be used in regular conversation

Ask lots of questions when talking and reading to the child

Talk, talk, talk to the child

Suggested Books:

Richard Scarry's Best Word Book Ever by Richard Scarry

Dinosaur Roar! by Paul Stickland

A Visitor for Bear by Bonny Becker

Napping House by Audrey Wood

I Love Bugs! by Philemon Sturges

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae

Fancy Nancy by Jane O'Connor

In the Small, Small Pond by Denise Fleming

Phonological Awareness

2009-04-10T17:00:00.032-06:00

"Most reading problems faced by today's adolescents and adults are the result of problems that might have been avoided or resolved in their early childhood years." -National Research Council, 2000.

Phonological Awareness "Play with Sounds" understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds. It is an auditory skill rather than a visual skill. You don't need to see the word "d" to know that dog starts with the /d/ sound. Phonological Awareness comes before Phonics. Phonics is the predictable relationship between spoken language and written language. To understand phonics, a child must know the kinds of sounds a language makes (phonological awareness) and be able to identify the letters of the alphabet, and then link the two together. Phonological Awareness Includes:

Awareness of Syllables: Butterfly = Butt/er/fly

Awareness of Rhymes: The dog in the bog got lost in the fog.

Awareness of Phonemes (smallest speech sounds): Dog = D/aw/g

Awareness of the sounds that words start or end with: Dog starts with a /d/ sound and ends with a /g/ sound. If you take away the /d/ sound and add the /f/ sound, the word becomes fog.

When children achieve phonological awareness, they are able to think about how words sound, apart from what they mean. They know that bed and head rhyme, that kitchen and cat start with the same sound. Understanding that words are made up of smaller sounds helps children "break the code" between spoken language and written language. Children who are more aware of sounds that make up words and have played with or explored sounds they can:

Grasp that sounds can be represented by letters

Decode (read) words

Spell words

Check out the Language of Literacy Below by clicking on it:

Phonological Awareness does not develop "naturally". Children need to have lots of experience with different words (rhyming and those that do not) in order to become aware of sound similarities and differences (as opposed to seeing the differences in the meaning of the words).

Research has shown:

Babies seem to recognize when speech sounds are correctly organized and when they are mixed up.

Children (as young as 1 or 2) are able to recognize syllables in words as well as the sounds that words start with and a word's vowel sounds. They understand the difference between the words cat, hat, mat, and bat (words with the same vowel sounds but different beginning sounds and different meaning).

Children 3 - 4 may notice and point out when two words sound the same. They can memorize and recite rhyming songs and poems.

Children 4 - 5 may be able to tell what sound a word starts and ends with like "The word 'bat' starts with a /b/ sound". They appreciate a rhyming story, rhyme, or riddle. They might find a story funny because of the rhyme, not just because it's a funny story.

Children who are learning two languages at once, or who are learning a second language, have greater phonological awareness. They are required to sort language sounds and notice similarities and differences on a daily basis; in order to separate the two languages.

When asked to rhyme, children may make mistakes and come up with nonsense words rather than real words or claim two words rhyme when they don't. This is normal. The act of trying to find a rhyme shows that the children are becoming aware that language and words can be broken down into individual sounds.

Phonological Awareness in Storytime:

Play with words; especially ones that make you laugh! (hullaboloo, snickerdoodle, pollywog) Show children that words can make adults smile or laugh too; enjoy words with children.

A child's name is always a good place to start when looking for word sounds. "Hey your favorite food, mmmmacaroni, starts with the same sound as Mmmmolly, your name." Use shakers or rhythm stick to tap out the syllables in each child's name.

Clap along with the song; clap to the beat, with each word, or with the syllables in the word. Distribute noise and rhythm makers (shakers, rhythm sticks, maracas, or tambourines) for variety.

Recite rhyming poems. Add hand a body movements to rhymes to make them fun. Clap along with rhymes. Rhyming poems and songs don't need to make sense. In fact, the nonsense words created in these rhymes tend to bring on the giggles!

Keep a list of the poems, songs, and rhymes that the children have learned. Post the list for Print Awareness. Repeat favorite rhymes.

For children 4 - 5: when reciting familiar rhymes, substitute a non-rhyming word in place of the regular rhyming word (Jack and Jill went up the street..."). When the children stop you, ask what is wrong. See if anyone can identify that the substituted word does not rhyme. If not, explain to children that the poem does not sound right because a different word was used AND the poem does not sound right because the new word does not rhyme. Ask if anyone can think of other words that rhyme.

For children 4 - 5: talk to them about alliteration. Alliteration (when the first sounds of words are similar -- wee, Willie, Winkie or bye, baby, bunting) is another characteristic of language sounds that children will start to notice. Find alliteration phrases (silly, Sally) and ask children what would happen if they changed the first sound of each word (milly mally). Let the children suggest the sounds for the changes. See if the children can make the changes on their own. "What would happen if we changed the /s/ sound in silly Sally to the /m/ sound? Can anyone do it?"

Phonological Awareness Comments for Adults at Storytime:

After chanting a rhyme like "Heckety Peckety Bumblebee" share this message with parents: "Breaking words into syllables is an important part of Phonological Awareness. Playing with sounds now will make it easier to learn to read later."

"Chanting rhymes and singing with your children helps them understand that words can be broken down into smaller parts. That skill is called Phonological Awareness and it is an important part of learning to read."

"Sometimes people get confused between Phonological Awareness and Phonics. Phonological Awareness is an auditory skill. It's your child's ability to hear the smaller sounds in words. Phonics is a more complex skill that combines sounds with letters. That skill comes later."

Summary

What Can We Do for Phonological Awareness?

Rhymes to read and props to see

Clapping songs

Use Nursery Rhymes and other rhymes or poems

Use different sounds to make and hear like participation sounds; for example: farm animal sounds that are part of the story, so kids can identify the animal and become part of the story

What Parents and Caregivers Do for Phonological Awareness?

Sing songs, repeat rhymes, and play rhyming word games

Have fun with silly words

Read rhyming books

Say tongue twisters together

Suggested Books:

Llama Llama Red Pajama by Anna Dewdney

I'm Bad! by Kate and Jim McMullan

Over in the Garden by Jennifer Ward

My Very First Mother Goose by Iona Opie

I Ain't Gonna Pain No More! by Karen Beaumont

Can You Growl Like a Bear? by John Butler

Chuck's Truck by Peggy Perry Anderson

Itsy Bitsy Spider by Iza Trapani

Print Motivation

2009-04-07T16:16:00.023-06:00

"When the interaction around a book is negative (harsh language), the young child likes reading and books less. He associates the negative interaction with the book!"
-Adam Payne, Grover Whitehurst, and Andrea Angell. The Role of Home Literacy Environment in the Development of Language Ability in Preschool Children for Low Income Families. Early Childhood Research Quarterly v. 9 issue 3-4 1994.

I thought I'd break down the Six Early Literacy Skills starting off with the foundation Print Motivation or "Love Books".

Print Motivation is a child's interest in and enjoyment of books. A child with good print motivation enjoys being read to, plays with books, pretends to write, asks to be read to, and likes trips to the library. Children who are motivated by print are excited about learning to read. They will be more likely to persist and succeed when they encounter difficulties or stumbling blocks while learning to read.

Print Motivation in Storytime:

Make storytime FUN! Let the children know that you think books are special and that the time you spend with them in storytime is special. Use funny books and get everyone laughing. Let the children know that you love to read and that one day they will know how to read books all by themselves.

Make storytime interactive. Involve the children as much as possible. Children learn the most from books when they are actively involved. Use participation books or books that have a repeated refrain or chant they can chime in on.

With babies: Include a book-sharing time by surrounding the babies with board books. Let them handle the books and don't worry if they chew on them! This is a baby's way of exploring and learning about books. Make a fuss over the books. Show the adults how to share books with babies: Point to the pictures and talk about them. Relate them to the child's world ("That bear has a red shirt, just like yours!")

Take book requests sometimes.

Put out books for the early birds to read while they are waiting for storytime.

Don't be afraid to stop reading a book that isn't working!

Give children access to writing materials, if possible.

Create positive memories by reading special books at certain times of the year (at the change of the season, after a snow storm, when the first flower emerges).

Follow the lead or the interests of the children.

Read with great expression, but be careful not to overdo it.

Print Motivation Comments for Adults at Storytime:

It is important to relay early literacy information to parents and caregivers. Providing a literacy tip to parents and caregivers is an essential part of a literacy-enhanced storytime. Here are a few comments you can try: (It might seem awkward at first, but you'll pick up a flow.)

"Researchers say that children learn more from books when they are actively involved, so be sure to ask questions while reading."

"Let your child see you reading and know that reading is fun. Find interesting child-friendly articles in the newspaper and read parts of a story aloud."

"It's important to let your child see that reading is functional. You can share maps, recipes, newspaper articles, or other useful bits of information with your child."

"The desire to read is an important factor in children becoming skilled readers, so be sure to follow your child's interests."

"Every positive experience with books builds the literacy foundation that will help your child achieve in school. So, make reading a fun and special time by reading funny books, cuddly, books, whatever your child likes."

Summary

What Can We Do for Print Motivation?

Enjoy the materials and the group: smile and laugh generously

Pop-ups, toy books, books of all sizes that are fun for kids to see and touch

Encourage parents to enjoy books and enjoy them with their kids

Storytime Signs: for example, using a stop sign when it is time to stop talking and pay attention to something else

What Can Parents and Caregivers Do for Print Motivation?

Make sharing stories a big deal; a pleasant, part of every day

Read with voice inflection and excitement

Let the child be a part of choosing books to read

Suggested Books:

Bark, George by Jules Feiffer

Butterfly, Butterfly by Petr Horácek

Go Away, Big Green Monster! by Ed Emberley

Where's Spot? by Eric Hill

Duck on a Bike by David Shannon

Bear Wants More by Karma Wilson

Dear Zoo by Rod Campbell

Monkey and Me by Emily Gravett

How the Six Early Literacy Skills Contribute to Skilled Reading

2009-04-06T13:30:00.015-06:00

"The science is clear: children need responsive care and attention during their earliest weeks, months, and years to build cognitive, social and emotional skills necessary for healthy growth and development." - www.ounceofprevention.org

What is a "Skilled Reader"?

The two primary aspect of learning to read are:

Decoding: putting together letters and sounds to make a word. For example, the letters and sounds /c/ /a/ /t/ make the word "cat."

Comprehension: understanding the meanings of the works and the meaning of the story.

How do the Six Early Literacy Skills contribute to the concept of a "Skilled Reader"?

Foundation for Skilled Reading

Print Motivation

Contributes to Decoding:

Phonological Awareness

Print Awareness

Letter Knowledge

Builds Reading Comprehension:

Vocabulary

Narrative Skills

"In Colorado, in a 2001 Educare Survey of Kindergarten and First Grade teachers, it was found that teachers believed four out of 10 children (40%) entering the classroom were not prepared to learn." - Colorado Department of Education

Early Literacy

2009-04-03T15:59:00.015-06:00

"Children who have not developed basic literacy practices when they enter school are three to four times more likely to drop out in later years." -National Adult Literacy Survey, 1993

What is Early Literacy?

Early literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they learn to read and write. This reading readiness begins at birth. The experiences throughout the early years (before starting school) profoundly affect the development of literacy. Research shows that children need to have six basic skills as a foundation prior to learning how to read.

The Six Pre-Reading Skills:

Sue has posted this information earlier in the comments, but here's another overview with Mary Kuehner and Jefferson County Public Library's terminology in purple quotations:

Print Motivation "Love Books"- is an interest in and enjoyment of books.

Why is it important?

Children who get pleasure from books will want to read more and will learn to read more easily.

Phonological Awareness "Play with Sounds" - is the ability to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.

Why is it important?

Being able to hear rhymes, beginning sounds, ending sounds, and syllables is critical to later reading success.

Vocabulary "Learn New Words" - knowing the names of things.

Why is it important?

Children need to know the meaning of words in order to understand what they are reading. The more words they hear and know, the stronger their reading comprehension.

Narrative Skills "Tell Stories" - is the ability to describe things, sequence events, and tell stories.

Why is it important?

Good narrative skills will lead to good comprehension! Writing abilities will be supported as well.

Print Awareness "Use Books" - is noticing print everywhere and knowing how books work.

Why is it important?

It relays the message that print is meaningful and that books are made up of words and pictures. We read from front to back and left to right. We hold the book upright and turn pages in order.

Letter Knowledge "Know Letters" - knowing letters look different and that each letter has a name and makes sound(s).

Why is it important?

To read written words, children must know how to quickly identify and decode letters.

"According to the National Academy on an Aging Society, 73 billion dollars is estimated annual cost of low literacy skills in the form of longer hospital stays, emergency room visits, more doctor visits, and increased medication."
- "Toward a Literate Nation," Luis Herrera, Public Libraries, Jan/Feb 2004

Every Child Ready to Read Training

2009-04-03T14:30:00.018-06:00

"The single most significant factor influencing a child's early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school."
- National Research Council, 2000

Wow, what a session to motivate us! Sue (the trooper!) and I had a terrific time with our Every Child Ready to Read Trainer, Mary Kuehner, from Jefferson County Public Library and the ECRR Grant Coordinator, Patricia Froehlich, from Colorado State Library.

The training entailed:

The understanding Early Literacy.
The understanding the Six Early Literacy Skills and how these contribute to skilled reading.
How to support children's early literacy skill development in storytime.
The importance of sharing and how to share early literacy information with parents and caregivers.

What's empowering is that we already intuitively do Early Literacy Stroytimes, but now we have new tricks to add to our bags, research and statistics to back up what we do and emphasize how important it is, and a more structured direction for our storytimes.

This blog is set up for the purpose of expanding our knowledge of Early Literacy and enhancing our storytimes around these principals. Sue and I will share what we learned in our training session and the Grand County Youth Services Librarians can promote Early Literacy in each of our storytimes. In communicating, we can share our ideas and experiences with each other regarding Early Literacy storytimes. Hopefully, this will not only promote new ideas, but give a support basis and provide a strong foundation for us to continue community education through our programs.

The information for this blog is provided by the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy with Colorado State Library for the LSTA Storytime Grant Training Manual & The Discussion Guide of Enhancing Library Storytime with Early Literacy Skills and Messages from the Multnomah County Library.

"By the time they were two years old, the children whose parents had a high level of speech with their children had a vocabulary five times as high as those children whose parents had a low level of speech."
-Huttenlocher, Janellen et. Al. Early Vocabulary Growth: Relations to Language Input and Gender. Developmental Psychology v. 27 no. 2 March 1991

Every Child Ready To Read

2009-02-11T12:25:00.010-07:00

Announcing ECRR Training

March 14th @ 9:00am

@ the Granby Public Library.

Welcome grant recipients to the first session of the Every Child Ready to Read training. Remember to bring your lunch as we will be meeting from 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.