The post PLA 2019 Early Literacy Activities Calendar first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Two young brothers eagerly enter the library on a brisk winter morning with a thoughtful selection of books clutched in their hands. They are not returning these books, but have carefully chosen titles from their own collection, and a stack of library books that they are borrowing, to read to their canine friends that visit the Glen Burnie (MD) Regional Library (GBRL) on the second Saturday morning of each month. Tail Waggin’ Tutors, a program that encourages young readers to practice their literacy skills by reading aloud to a trained therapy dog and handler, has pushed both boys to excel in their reading abilities. Seven-year-old Zach, who was eager to learn to read at a very early age, learned about the program at a summer reading event when he was four years old. The program motivated him even more to read early on. His younger brother Tyler, who is five, followed in the footsteps of his older brother by also learning to read at an early age and has been participating in the program since the age of four. They both prepare by consciously choosing books that they think their canine friends will enjoy. This program has motivated both boys to read consistently and has given them the confidence to read aloud. They found a love for reading at a very early age and much of this is credited to their participation in Tail Waggin’ Tutors through the Anne Arundel County (MD) Public Library (AACPL) System.

Canine-Assisted Reading

Children who participate in canine-assisted reading programs are likely to develop confidence in their reading skills and find reading to be more enjoyable.¹ While there has not yet been an extensive amount of data to be found to prove the effectiveness of children reading to therapy dogs at drop-in library programs, a research study conducted by the Davis Veterinary Medicine Extension at the University of California found that school children who read to therapy dogs on a regular basis improve their reading fluency by 12 percent.² Studies that are available on canine-assisted library reading programs have found results for improvements in oral reading fluency and accuracy, along with significant increases in engaged reading time and significant improvements in reading skills, such as the ability to explain, describe, analyze, and infer.³ Children who feel self-conscious reading to an adult or peer are usually very comfortable reading to a therapy dog. Children know that dogs will not judge their reading skills. Reading to a therapy dog can provide comfort, support, and happiness for struggling and self-conscious readers.⁴

Types of Therapy Dog Interactions

There are two different types of therapy dog interactions with humans, Animal- Assisted Therapy (AAT) and Animal- Assisted Activities (AAA). Both types of therapy dog interactions require a certified animal. The Delta Society, a nonprofit therapy dog organization in Australia, provides the following definitions:

• Animal-Assisted Therapy is a goal-directed intervention in which an animal that meets specific criteria is part of a treatment process. These programs are usually directed and delivered by human health or human services. These professionals have specialized expertise within the scope of practice of their profession. This type of therapy is designed to improve human physical, social, emotional, and cognitive function. The therapy animals may be formally included in activities such as physical, occupational, or speech therapy. Specified goals and objectives are determined for each participant and their progress is evaluated and documented.⁵
• Animal-Assisted Activities provide opportunities for motivation, education, or recreation to enhance quality of life. AAA can be delivered in various environments, such as libraries, schools, or bookstores. AAA are provided by specially trained professionals, paraprofessionals, and volunteers, along with animals that meet specific criteria. AAA are not usually tailored to individual people or medical conditions. Visit content can be spontaneous and length of visit times vary. Canine-assisted library reading programs typically utilize AAA interactions, due in large part to their drop-in nature. Children attending may or may not attend every program. The dog handler is volunteering and usually not a medical professional.⁶

In canine-assisted reading programs, children choose their own material to read. The general goal is to boost reading skills, along with social skills. Children read for a short amount of time, usually in fifteen- or thirty-minute time slots. The setting is very laid back and comfortable, without observations from a professional measuring the effects and outcomes. Feedback and program effectiveness is provided by the caregivers and the children, along with program attendance rates. Caregivers or children may be asked to fill out a survey or verbally answer questions from the library staff relating to their satisfaction with the program. Surveys and answering staff questions are always voluntary and not mandatory. The use of therapy dogs to aid in reading development has been found to increase enthusiasm and interest in reading, along with improving self-esteem, reducing disruptive behaviors, and has led to improvement in reading and writing.⁷

READ: The First Canine-Assisted Reading Program

The first canine-assisted reading program in the United States began in Utah in 1999. Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) was created by Sandi Martin, a nurse and board member of the International Therapy Animals (ITA) organization. After observing the positive benefits that therapy dogs brought to patients, she believed children could have positive outcomes with the presence of a therapy dog to improve reading skills. The original READ program took place in a library setting with a trained dog and dog handler. Sessions were arranged as fifteen-minute time slots with a ratio of one-to-one dog to-client. The program was so successful that within the first year it was incorporated into the school system.⁸ Following the success of the original READ program, similar programs began to evolve all over the country: Sit Stay Read in Birmingham (AL); Dogs Educating and Assisting Readers (DEAR) in Baltimore; Reading with Rover in Bothell (WA); and Read to the Dogs in Portland (OR), to name a few.⁹ The various programs may differ, such as the age level of the children, length of one-on-one reading time, venue (public libraries, schools, bookstores, or childcare centers), selection of participants (self-selected, parents, teachers, or reading specialists), selector of reading materials, and ability level of the participants.¹⁰ However, they all have the same goal, to assist in developing a generation of young confident readers. While there is a lack of extensive scientific evidence, benefits from these programs are consistent to one another, reporting increases in self-confidence, enthusiasm for library visits, and interest in stories and reading.¹¹

Certified Therapy Dogs are Essential

It is imperative for the success of canine-assisted reading programs to use certified therapy dogs and handlers. Therapy dog organizations ensure that the dogs are suitable and insured. Therapy dogs are insured against lawsuits when they are a member of a therapy dog organization and are in good standing with vaccinations, training, and dues. Their handlers are trained for various situations and follow rules established by the therapy dog organization to protect themselves, their therapy dog, and the clients they serve. All of this is very important for canine-assisted library reading programs to protect the library, dogs, handlers, and most importantly the children participating.¹²

It is common for therapy dog organizations to have training standards in place for therapy dogs and handlers who will be working with children. They may also have their own process and procedure to help libraries establish canine-assisted reading programs.¹³

Therapy Dog Organizations

There are national therapy dog organizations that have specialized programs to train dogs and handlers to participate in canine-assisted reading programs. Local chapters of these organizations exist throughout the United States.

Therapy Dogs International

The nonprofit volunteer organization Therapy Dogs International (TDI) was founded in 1976 in New Jersey. TDI is dedicated to regulating, testing, and the registration of therapy dogs and their volunteer handlers. TDI dogs are certified to visit nursing homes, hospitals, other institutions, and wherever else therapy dogs may be needed. TDI volunteers and handlers are present in all fifty United States and in some parts of Canada. Tail Waggin’ Tutors is TDI’s canine-assisted reading program. The main objective of the program is to provide a relaxed and dog-friendly atmosphere, which allows children to practice the skill of reading.¹⁴ Visit www.tdi-dog.org for more information.

Intermountain Therapy Animals

The mission of this nonprofit organization is to enhance quality of life through the human-animal bond. Since 1999 when the READ program launched, ITA has trained more than three thousand therapy teams (dogs and handlers) to work throughout the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Finland, France, Sweden, South Africa, Slovenia, and Spain.¹⁵ For more information, visit www.therapyanimals.org.

Pet Partners

The nationwide nonprofit organization Pet Partners, located in Bellevue (WA), came together forty years ago to improve human health and well-being through the human-animal bond. The Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program was established in 1990 to ensure that dogs and handlers are well-prepared to participate in AAT and AAA programs for therapy pets. Read with Me is Pet Partners’ canine-assisted reading program that promotes literacy and instills a lifelong love of reading by having children read with therapy animals.¹⁶ For more information, visit https://petpartners.org.

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The Kano State Public Library in Northwest geo-political zone of Nigeria holds programs both for and about girls. Girls record the lowest school attendance rate in Northern Nigeria. The programs, which include extra lessons for the girls, include not only those who have not enrolled in schools but also those who did not complete schooling at least to O Levels. These lessons help them to cope well with their academic work. Academic achievement helps to reduce the rate of school drop-outs.

The Library also holds occasional workshops and seminars to educate the general populace on the need to educate girls. Furthermore, in Kwara State, North central geo-political zone, the Ilorin branch of the National library is exploring a partnership with an NGO – Home Street Kids Initiative that works with street children. The organization brings the children in the library to learn basic literacy skills through games and story-telling. Just like Abuja City Library, this library also seeks out street children in a program called “Gold On Our Streets” (GOOS) for reading and learning sessions.

It is estimated that 10.5 million Nigerian children aged 6-11 are out of school and more than sixty percent of these children are in the Northern region.[1] Nigeria has the unique distinction of being the most populous country in Africa. UN projects that the population of the country will outstrip that of US by 2050 as it will go on to become the third most populous country in the world.[2] Increase in population of developing countries always comes with a price – a decline in living standards as infrastructures are stretched to limits.

Nigeria appears to be already paying the price before the main deal is sealed! The UN (2016) Policy Paper 27/Fact Sheet 37 “Leaving no one behind: How far on the way to universal primary and secondary education?”[3] noted that about 263 children and youths were out of school for the 2014 school year. This is made up of 61 million children aged 6-11 years that should be in primary schools, 60 million young adolescents of junior secondary school age (about 12 to 14 years), and 142 million youths of senior secondary school age (about 15 to 17 years). The report credits Nigeria with having the largest number (8.7 million) of out of school children aged between 6-11yrs.

Public libraries are playing definitive roles in resolving the issues that increase the number of out of school children in Nigeria as they provide spaces and opportunities for street children not just to learn but to do it in new and varied ways.

References

1. Amara, Onuh. “Nigeria: Government panics over 10.5 million children who are out of school”. https://answersafrica.com/nigerias-out-of-school-children-10-million.html 2017 Accessed 3^rd August, 2017.
2. UN “World Population prospects”. http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/population/ Accessed 15^th August, 2017.
3. “Leaving no one behind: How far on the way to universal primary and secondary education? Policy Paper 27/Fact Sheet 37” http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0024/002452/245238E.pdf 2016. Accessed 14^th August, 2017.

Further Reading

Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. “Overview: Factors that may place students at risk” http://www.doe.mass.edu/dropout/overview.html?section=riskfactors Accessed 15^th August, 2017.

Center for Public Education “Keeping kids in school: what research tells us about preventing dropouts”. http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/Main-Menu/Staffingstudents/Keeping-kids-in-school-At-a-glance/Keeping-kids-in-school-Preventing-dropouts.html 2007. Accessed 15^th August, 2017.1.

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The editors at The New York Times Book Review, a weekly paper magazine, created a wonderful guide for parents looking for that answer, “How to Raise a Reader.” Editor Pamela Paul, and Children’s Book Editor Maria Russo offer easy-to-follow steps for parents and caregivers as well numerous book recommendations for ages birth-teen. The guide also features fun illustrations by Dan Yaccarino to bring it to life (much like illustrations in children’s books). Russo said the spirit of the guide is “encourage your children to read all kinds of books, in all kinds of places, and to talk about them and share their enthusiasm.”[1]

The guide starts from the beginning: “Baby Books are a Necessity.” It touches on all the important stages: keeping them interested as toddlers and pre-schoolers; working with reluctant readers (and not worrying so much about exactly when a child learns to read); and making sure children see their parents reading regularly. It hits hard on the importance of libraries in the process. The guide suggests “regular trips to the library (even better as a family) to keep a constant stream of new and intriguing books around your house.” It further describes libraries as indispensable resources as they offer storytelling hours, author visits, community events for the whole family, and free computer access with kid-friendly games.

We hit hard on Every Child Ready to Read 2.0 in our library, and this guide gives more ideas for school-age reading to add to your librarian arsenal. What other guides/advice do you use with patrons looking to raise readers?

1. The New York Times, Times Insider, “Want to Raise Your Child to Love Reading? Read These Secrets” by Maria Russo, June 29, 2017.

The post How To Raise a Reader first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Santa Clarita Public Library (CA) started their Dial-A-Story program in January 2017. Stories are selected by staff librarians and recorded by staff and local storytellers. City Librarian Kelly Behle said, “Dial-A-Story is a creative way that librarians are able to extend the storytime experience at home.”

Dial-A-Story can also be a supplement to children’s reading lessons at school. Many libraries list the stories that will be played each week so parents can check out the book ahead of time, and children can read along with the taped version. According to a 2013 study, 65 percent of fourth graders were reading below the proficiency standard. Dial-A-Story can help students with their vocabulary, listening skills, and reading comprehension, all of which contribute to greater reading proficiency.

Dial-A-Story en Español encourages Spanish speaking families to read together in the language they are most comfortable with. More and more libraries are adding this option as their number of Spanish speaking patrons increase. Seattle Public Library also offers their stories in Chinese. The Denver Public Library offers a variety of recorded stories: bilingual preschool stories and songs (English and Spanish), stories for children from kindergarten through fifth grade, and some longer stories for older children.

Dial-A-Story is a great way for parents to spend time reading with their children outside of the library. The free program can help children escape digital media and learn to enjoy the simple act of reading. Dial-A-Story will also help young children get ready to read and help school-aged children progress better when taking standardized reading tests. Reading is an important aspect of everyday life and Dial-A-Story can help foster a love for reading early in childhood.

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• Results published in August from the National Endowment for the Art’s Annual Arts Basic Survey cited a decline in reading for pleasure.[1]

• Pew Survey Shows Adult Reading in Decline: New Pew survey finds small declines in reading across all formats.[2]

• Only 51 percent of children said they love or like reading books for fun, compared to 58 percent in 2012 and 60 percent in 2010, and reading enjoyment declines sharply after age eight, according to Scholastic’s The State of Kids & Reading.[3]

Statistical reports are further distributed through secondary sources with pointed headlines like:

• The long, steady decline of literary reading[4]
• Study: The Number of Teens Reading for Fun Keeps Declining[5]

As disappointed as librarians might be, we must realize there are opportunities and challenges for us. Opportunities exist because we know there is much good in reading for everyone. Reading has many benefits—many of which are documented in scientific studies: reducing stress, improving sleep, increasing vocabulary, fostering empathy, increasing concentration, improving memory, and engaging the brain.

As public libraries have rebranded themselves as centers of learning and technology, are they still doing the book thing? Storytime, summer reading, book displays, early literacy programs, and book discussions are still offered in libraries. One of the greatest challenges we face, however, is that our relationship with a patron is not as mandatory as it is with school librarians.  The job we have in front of us becomes even more difficult when school libraries in our community close or they are not adequately staff by certified, degreed librarians. A child is required to attend school, but they are not required to visit the public library. That is why reaching the child requires us to reach the parent.

To foster a long-lasting love of reading in a child, it is critical to get their parents’ involvement. By taking a two-generation approach, libraries can provide opportunities for meeting the needs of children and their parents.

Programs like Every Child Ready to Read supports parents and caregivers with the early literacy development of their children birth to age five. Librarians should also look out in their community to network with other local literacy efforts. Some may be national organizations with local chapters such as Reach Out and Read, an evidence-based program which builds on the unique relationship between parents and medical providers to develop critical early reading skills in children. Books for Babies, an initiative with ALA’s United for Libraries, is a great outreach program to new parents who may not know the many benefits of reading to their newborns.

Public librarians must focus their efforts on early child literacy to foster the love of reading in their communities. If you can reach the parent, you can reach the child. There may be many places where your patrons can get free Wi-Fi, but where are they going to learn to be good readers? If not you, then who?

References

[1] “Arts Data Profile #10 (August 2016) – Results from the Annual Arts Basic Survey (AABS): 2013-2015,” National Endowment for the Arts, August 29, 2016.

[2] Jim Milliot, “Pew Survey Shows Adult Reading in Decline,” Publishers Weekly, October 23, 2016.

[3] “Kids & Family Reading Report, 5^th Edition,” Scholastic, 2015.

[4] Christopher Ingraham, “The long, steady decline of literary reading,” Washington Post, September 7, 2016.

[5] Charlotte Alter, “Study: The Number of Teens Reading for Fun Keeps Declining,” Time, May 12, 2014.

The post Reading Is in Decline: If Not You, Then Who? first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Public Libraries: What inspired you to begin reading to homeless children at the Crotona Inn homeless shelter?

Colbert Nembhard: My journey with the Crotona Inn homeless shelter began eight years ago. I received a phone call from my outreach department asking me if I could go to the Crotona Inn shelter and do outreach. When I got there, I saw that they had a lot of young ones in the childcare center raging from about 8 months to 3 years old. I believe that literacy starts at an early age; therefore, I decided to take the library to the shelter. Studies have shown that by the time a child reaches the age of four, 90 percent of the brain is already developed. I wanted to make sure I foster literacy in those children at an early age. Often children in the shelters are forgotten and are not involved in the early literacy experience. With me going into the shelter, reading stories, doing sing-along, finger-plays, and conducting family literacy workshops, helps to foster literacy.

PL: What kinds of changes have you noticed in the children who attend your reading sessions?

CN: I visit the shelter on a weekly basis and I do notice that children participate more during story time. Children will often point to the books that they would like me to read to them. Some of them are able to imitate sound, identify images, and numbers. And the older ones can say their ABCs.

PL: What skills do you utilize as a librarian during your programs?

CN: During my programs, I do like to do lots of songs and finger-plays. I also use a lot of puppetry. I also work with them in identifying their colors, letters, and numbers. I sometimes incorporate musical instruments.

PL: What kind of hurdles have you experienced through the years?

CN: One of the biggest hurdles is to get parents of the shelter to take their child or children to the library to take advantage of our free programs and services.

Photo Courtesy of Ayofemi Kirby, New York Public Library

PL: Do you train others to read to children? If so, what advice do you give them as they are being trained?

CN: I have trained others to read to children. In reading to the young, I remind them that their attention span is very small so don’t read books that are lengthy. Choose books that will be appealing to the children-books that have colorful illustrations and books that are interactive. Children love lots of interactions.  Also, kids love pop-up books. I have also told others to get the children involved in your lift-the-flap books by having them participate in opening the flaps.

PL: Tell us a little about the impact that your programs have on you personally.

CN: Going to the shelters for these many years and conducting programs with these children has left an indelible mark on my life. Knowing that I am able to help develop their pre-literacy skills which will prepare them to become successful readers at an early age, has given me a sense of accomplishment.

PL: What do parents think of your reading services?

CN: Parents are grateful that someone takes the time out to read and interact with their children. They are grateful that their children are included and part of this learning initiative. Parents think that this is an awesome service.

PL: What is one thing you would tell other librarians wanting to start a similar program in their community?

CN: I would say to that librarian, go for it because he or she could make a big difference in the life of a child. I would also say it is a rewarding experience.

The post Educating Homeless Youth in the Bronx first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

This column represents the final mining of a batch of submissions about establishing and revivifying the habit of literacy. Our contributors swing through a graceful arc, beginning with a thorough, best practices approach to early literacy, and extending even unto that dark, dark land of adulthood.

Contributors Barbara Ferrara and Cammy Mays describe a solid research-based and comprehensive program for an outward-facing, community-based literacy. Suzy Card demonstrates the open and welcoming attitude that not only makes storytimes a joy but also keeps encouraging parents’ early engagement. (She begins, “Do you ever wonder what the parent of a preschool aged child is thinking?” Just for the record, I recall mostly ruminating about Disney movies and Raffi ditties. It’s not thinking, exactly.) Finally, Karen Andrews gives some concise tips for rescuing parents from lives they imagine are too busy to allow for the opening of
a book.

Most kids are born smart; that’s just DNA. But nurture matters, too, and the common theme through these pieces is the importance of getting parents to model literate behavior. Thanks again to the librarians who keep hammering home that message. The quality of the lives of our children, and our communities, depends on it.

Family Building Blocks

Barbara A. Ferrara, Regional Manager, Chesterfield County (VA) Public Library, ferrarab@chesterfield.gov; Cammy E. Mays, Librarian, Chesterfield County (VA) Public Library, kochce@chesterfield.gov

In the past three years, Chesterfield County (VA) Public Library (CCPL) has shifted storytime and other children’s programs to include activities and dialogue that engage parents and caregivers in the learning experience. In 2013, we surveyed our cardholders, asking everything from “How often do you visit the library?” to “How can the library help you achieve your aspirations?” We discovered 70 percent of our customers use the library for learning. This reflects the national trend toward “turning outward,” introduced by the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation and formalized in the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative, which seeks to strengthen librarians’ roles as “core community leaders and change-agents.”¹

CCPL embraces its transformational role. It equips parents to interpret and use information in new, unfamiliar ways. We have experience accommodating for various learning styles and engaging learners of all ages, whether through an early literacy storytime or another program, class, or one-on-one session with a librarian. This transliteracy goes beyond the basic ability to read and write and often includes an understanding of life skills in diverse areas. In the world of today’s preschooler, the ability to work with information and socialize with other children is crucial for school readiness and preparation for a lifetime of learning. Some parents do not possess the knowledge needed to provide enrichment activities for their children; Literacy and Parents and so they discover new materials and techniques at the library. Meaningful storytime activities such as reading, listening, singing, rhyming, and playing have tremendous influence on a child’s development and help in developing prereading skills needed for success at school.²

PLA and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) created the first Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) toolkit in 2004, inspiring CCPL to adopt a new approach to storytime. PLA and ALSC “concluded that public libraries could have an even greater impact on early literacy through an approach that focused on educating parents and caregivers. If the primary adults in a child’s life can learn more about the importance of early literacy and how to nurture pre-reading skills at home, the effect of library efforts can be multiplied many times.”³ With the information gleaned from ECRR and 2011’s updated second edition (ECRR2), CCPL storytimes were retooled to consciously support the tenets of early literacy, “teaching parents and other caregivers how to support the early literacy development of their children.”⁴

CCPL offers fifteen early literacy storytimes each week, including a pajama storytime in the evening and a Spanish-English storytime at one branch. Each storytime is prepared and structured according to one of the following six early literacy skills identified in ECRR: narrative, letter knowledge, print motivation, phonological awareness, print awareness, and vocabulary. These skills are taught by practicing reading, talking, singing, writing, and playing. Storytime presenters provide aside notes for parents and caregivers that emphasize the selected literacy skill. We talk to parents and caregivers before, during, and after storytime to help them understand the emphasized skill. In addition to the oral explanation of the skill, CCPL librarians created printed bilingual Recipe for Reading Success cards for distribution, each defining one of the six skills and suggesting activities that parents and caregivers could do independently (see below). Our goal is to model behaviors and provide relevant information so parents and caregivers can easily incorporate these educational behaviors into their children’s everyday lives.

While ECRR has proven to be a valuable tool for CCPL librarians designing programs that build early literacy, the positive response by parents has suggested that the library can also contribute to development of other school readiness skills. In Virginia, preschool is not universally provided by public schools. Like many jurisdictions, Chesterfield County provides Head Start, the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), and other programs to build early literacy skills for low-income and immigrant families. These programs have proven valuable for many at-risk families, yet help is still lacking for those who do not meet the income requirements of these special programs but still cannot afford to pay for private preschool. CCPL is creating a new program that includes state-approved educational standards for all areas of early development.⁵ “Building Blocks for School Readiness” combines current storytime standards and incorporates these additional standards.

Launched in January 2016, this school readiness storytime is the same length as existing programs yet includes the use of sensory stations, hands-on learning, and innovative technologies. Creating programs focused on learning outcomes has clear relevance to our patrons, including parents of young children. “Building Blocks for School Readiness” uses play-based learning to create an environment for social and personal development, in addition to standard learning areas.

CCPL’s participation in the Chesterfield-Colonial Heights School Readiness Coalition has proven to be a valuable collaboration with local agencies committed to early education, such as school systems, Head Start, VPI, Smart Beginning, and representatives of numerous Chesterfield County departments, such as Youth Services and Social Services. This coalition meets bimonthly and has led to many partnerships. For example, when turnout was low for the school system’s pre-kindergarten registration, CCPL advertised the registration deadline on its website and through social media and flyers. Soon there was a waiting list. In addition to discussing strategies for ensuring school readiness, coalition meetings often include inspiring success stories that validate the impact of the program.

Children and their parents are the primary focus of CCPL’s storytimes, but teachers, caregivers, and future caregivers also take advantage of our professional expertise and targeted resources. Chesterfield Technical Center teaches a childhood development class for high school students. These students are typically college-bound and interested in pursuing a career working with children, such as nursing, teaching, pediatrics, psychology, or social work. Childhood development students are assigned to a local elementary school and spend time interacting with students during the language arts period. For the past three years, the curriculum has included a visit to our Central Library to learn about library resources that support their knowledge of child development. Students are shown how to create and deliver an early literacy storytime and interact with parents.

CCPL also provides resources to local daycare centers. Each branch offers a monthly storytime for daycares, fostering a relationship with the centers and demonstrating valuable professional tactics as a takeaway for caregivers. A grant-funded training provided by the School Readiness Coalition offers daycare providers resources such as instruction in selecting age-appropriate picture books and access to less familiar library resources such as TumbleBooks. Currently, CCPL is developing a preschool outreach box that will be hand-delivered to local preschools and daycares, and will include a book and activity ideas which can be used in the center, plus library card applications and flyers to send home to parents. CCPL is a community partner that supports local early childhood educators to provide the best resources for children and parents alike.

CCPL contributes to a vibrant community by building relationships with patrons and promoting literacy in the widely diverse range of information they deal with daily. This is our mission statement and our practice. We are transforming information into usable knowledge when we provide early literacy tips to parents at storytime, when we promote state Library and Department of Education resources, and when we create a program inviting kindergartners to practice getting on and off the school bus. The interpretation and application of words, images, and sounds competing for one’s attention can be overwhelming without a trusted guide. We can map out the trail that leads to the treasure trove of information available for learners old and new.

References

1. American Library Association, “Libraries Transforming Communities,” accessed Oct. 30, 2015.
2. Saroj Nadkarni Ghoting and Pamela Martin-Diaz, Early Literacy Storytimes @ Your Library (Chicago: ALA Editions, 2005).
3. “About,” Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library, accessed Oct. 27, 2015.
4. Ibid.
5. Virginia Department of Education, Office of Humanities and Early Childhood, “Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning: Comprehensive Standards for Four-Year-Olds,” 2013, accessed Oct. 30, 2015.

Librarians, Literacy, and Connecting with Preschool-Aged Parents

Suzy Card, Youth Services Librarian, Larry J. Ringer Library, College Station (TX), scard@bryantx.gov

Do you ever wonder what the parent of a preschool-aged child is thinking? The way to find out is through taking the time to listen and learn about their family. “Parents or caregivers can be of valuable assistance in helping the child to become literate with a facilitator’s guidance.”1 I lead many programs within our library for preschool-aged children and their families, and over the years I have really had the chance to get to know some of them. By being a helpful facilitator I can ensure that these parents feel confident that they can help their child with literacy.

We make sure that our library has accessible books for parents and their children to enjoy. I am in charge of juvenile collection development, and I often purchase a book because I believe that a particular family will like it and hope that other families will like it too. I put a book on hold because I believe that a certain parent or their child will enjoy reading it. It is always a wonderful feeling when a parent comes up to you later and thanks you for picking out a book that their child can’t stop reading.

We make up lists for different types of books, such as princess, super hero, transportation, and potty books. We also have lists that are called “Read-a-Likes,” where we write out different series or titles that are similar to another book or series. Say, for instance, that every night the parents are reading the Magic Tree House series to their preschool-aged child, a great adventure series that isn’t too long. With our read-a-likes lists, the parents can find similar books to read aloud or help their child read in the future.

Our storytime sessions for preschool-aged children are educational and enjoyable for parents as well as children. During storytime, we use a lot of repetition. We sing many of the same songs week to week, and the parents learn to sing along. The parents who attend storytimes discover how important repetition is for them to use at home to enhance their child’s literacy. Many of the stories we read are not just for the child’s entertainment but are fun for parents, as well. I find that parents will laugh at something their child may not necessarily understand, but if the parent is laughing that usually gets their children laughing, too. This is a great way to set a model for parents that they can use elsewhere. I have had some parents ask where I got certain music, and I am able to recommend sources where they can find songs.

In my preschool-aged storytimes, we do a lot of crafts and the parents are very involved in helping their children finish projects. Craft time is also a great opportunity for parents to interact with each other and make friends. I often hear them telling each other about new playgroups and setting up times to meet. Many parents use storytime as a place where they can interact with other people their age. After the storytime is over, I let the parents stay a little longer if they like to do just that. I also spend that time interacting and talking with the parents to get to know them better.

We also have a monthly family storytime held at night. This gives working parents a chance to come out and interact within the library. Sometimes I see a lot of familiar people, but I also see new faces. Several parents have told me they found out about this storytime from a friend who comes to the library for other events.

Another way our library reaches out to local families is through our community partnership with Head Start. When we go to meetings, we talk about our programming and invite families into the library. We also work with Head Start to plan class field trips for preschool-aged children. When they leave the class trip, we send information about upcoming programs and how to get a library card home with them to their parents. It is great to see parents come into the library later, either to attend events or just to check out books, and have their children recognize us from the school visits.

In all these ways, we are working with parents to help them feel more confident in themselves and in promoting literacy with their children. We hope that our parents enjoy coming here with their children. It is very rewarding to see parents’ smiling faces each week and watch them open up to us more and more. We see that they feel comfortable here and with us. It makes everything run smoother when you can feel that community connection to your parents. And sure, we sometimes get parents upset with some aspect of an event or a storytime. We do our best to find out why the parent is upset and what we can do to help work through it.

Ultimately, we want parents to bring their children to the library again and again. We want them to take home tips and ideas for new ways to help their children with literacy. But we also want them to feel like they have friends and to feel comfortable here. By working closely with the parents, we can learn what their and their children’s needs are and take the steps to fulfill them. And when we have successfully done this, we learn a lot about what a preschool-aged parent is thinking and how we can make sure that their library visits are pleasant ones.

Reference

1. Myrna Machet and Elizabeth J. Pretorius, “Family Literacy: A Project to Get Parents Involved,” South African Journal of Libraries & Information Science 70, no. 1 (2004): 39–46.

Lafayette Public Library Adult Summer Reading

Karen Andrews, Adult Services Librarian, Lafayette (CO) Public Library, karena@cityoflafayette.com

Two years ago, for the summer of 2014, we revamped the adult summer reading program at Lafayette (CO) Public Library (LPL). We did this in response to feedback from parents who were at the library to sign up their kids for our children’s summer reading program and said that they themselves did not have time to read or would not have time to participate in our reading program. The children’s librarian Melissa Hisel and I had both attended a Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy conference where the keynote speaker explained that the number one predictor of a child’s success with reading is seeing their parents or caregivers read. For us, hearing parents tell us they did not want to sign up for the reading program was a red flag that we were failing in something very fundamental. We were failing to provide a program that encouraged adults not only to read to their kids but also to read for their own pleasure and enjoyment.

The old program had adults register and then submit titles of finished books and write reviews. We did weekly drawings for
prizes of books, coupons to the farmer’s market, and gift certificates. In 2013, our participation had improved over the previous year, in part due to our offer of a coupon to a local coffee shop just for signing up. We had also remodeled our library so that the children’s area and adult fiction shared the same floor. This changed the location of the sign-up for summer reading. Previously, we had registration for the children’s program sequestered in our children’s area, and the adult registration was upstairs in a separate area. In 2013, due to the library remodel, all of the signup locations—preschool, children, teen, and adult—were located in one central spot. This allowed us to at least approach parents about signing up, however, we still received a lot of verbal feedback that parents had no time to participate in the program.

In 2014, we looked to the Poudre River Public Library District in Fort Collins (CO) as a model but decided to keep it as simple as possible: one activity card and one final drawing for seven gift baskets and a grand prize of a tablet. Participating adults just had to sign up and enter completed library activities suggested by our activity card. They could enter up to forty activities over the course of two months. Each activity counted as an entry into the drawing for the gift baskets and the grand prize tablet. Take a look at a sample of the activity cards (at left) so that you can see our suggested activities.

This new model also gave us a good way to introduce the program to parents of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, as the Early Literacy reading log is also activity based. This allowed us to say things like: reading to your child counts as an activity, being seen reading by your child counts, and you can do activities together. We also had the tablet and gift baskets prominently placed near the sign-up table so that the adults could see what the prizes were. This, in addition to the coffee coupon, gave them an extra incentive to sign up. We have trained staff to mention to parents that modeling reading is the best way to ensure that their kids enjoy reading. Parents get this and have embraced our new activities-based program. Participation has increased by 31 percent in just two years.

Being able to just begin the conversation of reading with parents has opened up new possibilities for us to provide readers’ advisory services to the whole family. And that further encourages reading as a family activity. By centralizing all reading program sign-up locations, advertising exciting raffle prizes, supplementing the number of activities adults could count toward raffle entries, and educating parents about the benefits of reading with and in front of their children, LPL increased awareness and participation in its adult summer reading program.

The post PERSPECTIVES | Literacy and Parents first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

What is special about the award is that the winner is decided by the children themselves. Because many of the participants can’t even walk or talk yet, the voting process can get pretty interesting. “The voting process can be determined by each participating location,” explains Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book. “One library gave each child a large circle of construction paper. The books were laid out on the floor and the children each had to put their ‘dot’ on one of the books; their favorite. The librarian then just had to tally all the votes for books”[1] tells Walker. Those dots, along with lots of other votes from fifty-one counties across the state, made Won’s Hooray for Hat! the big winner. Hooray for Hat!, in addition to winning the Firefly Award, has also been named a NPR Best Book and Huffington Post’s Best Read-Aloud of 2014. Readers might also recognize Won’s work as the featured art on this year’s Children’s Book Week poster.

(L) Brian Won (R) Hooray for Hat!

With a young child of his own, Brian Won understands the challenges of creating a book that appeals to a young audience. “If the story doesn’t grab my six year old by the third spread, he’s ready to move to the next book. On the other hand, young readers can also be die-hard fans of a book. My wife and I have read Peggy Rathmann’s GOODNIGHT GORILLA so many times the visuals are etched in my brain. We are grateful that the book has only ten words.”[2]

Hooray for Hat! has a similar appeal of joyful simplicity. Walker says of Hooray for Hat!, “It’s fun and it showcases the idea that if you wake up grumpy, you don’t HAVE to stay grumpy all day. Also, the pictures and layout are clean, enjoyable, and well proportioned.”[3] In addition to being lots of silly fun, the story includes Every Child Ready to Read practices throughout, a requirement for nomination. Every Child Ready to Read emphasizes the important role parents play in helping their children the early literacy skills essential to reading success. Walker explains how Hooray for Hat! can make learning those skills a good time:

Talking: “Children can talk to their parents about ways to deal with feeling grumpy. They can talk about how the hats in the book affect each of the characters mood and what it’s like to get a surprise.”

Singing: “This book has some great repetition of the phrase ‘Hooray for Hat’ which can be chanted by the children, inviting them to play with language.”

Reading: “It’s a great story to read aloud with a group or one on one.”

Writing: “Writing with children as it relates to Every Child Ready to Read can also be thought of as practicing fine motor skills. As with any book, a child could practice turning pages, pointing to the animals, and it would be easy to make crafts based on this book, giving children even more opportunities to practice their fine motor skills.”

Playing: “Children are encouraged to play dress up or with their stuffed animals after reading this book. This would be a great book for a simple readers theatre [sic] as well.”

Even if you don’t live in Indiana, Hooray for Hat! would be a great addition to your library collection! Be sure to also look out for Brian Won’s new releases, including Secret Agent Man Goes Shopping for Shoes (Candlewick Press) written by Tim Wynne-Jones (to be released June 14) and Hooray for Today! (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt), the sequel to Hooray for Hat!(to be released in September 2016).

Resources

Hooray for Today! Animated Trailer

Ladybug Award

Brian Won

Every Child Ready to Read

TeachingBooks.net

Indiana State Library

References

[1] Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book, in an e-mail interview with the author, May 23, 2016.

[2] Brian Won, children’s author, in an e-mail interview with the author, June 2, 2016.

[3] Suzanne Walker, director of the Indiana Center for the Book, in an e-mail interview with the author, May 23, 2016.

The post And the Winner Is… first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Imagine shopping for groceries with your toddler. Suddenly, your phone lights up with a text: “Play with math. Go on a shape hunt…use geometric terms to describe what you find.” You turn down the aisle and begin hunting for circles on cereal boxes with your toddler.

This kind of interaction, in which a caregiver “plays” with their child in a way that promotes early childhood literacy, is exactly what Jessica Ralli, coordinator of early literacy programs, and Rachel Payne, coordinator of early childhood services, at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), seek to promote through “Ready, Set, Kindergarten (RSK) on the Go!” a texting campaign that complements BPL’s face-to-face early literacy program, “Ready, Set, Kindergarten!”

Why Texts?

The idea was born out of a New York Times article[1] that cites a study[2] that found preschoolers whose parents received early literacy tips via texts did better on literacy tests than children whose parents didn’t receive early literacy tips via text[3]. Since 88 percent of American adults own a cell phone[4], texting is an effective outreach method. Also, since unlike other technologies there is virtually no digital divide based on ethnicity, income, or education level[5], texting is an effective means of confronting the thirty million “word gap” that exists between children from the wealthiest and poorest families[6]. It’s also easy; breaking down complex tasks into bite-size pieces[7] allows caregivers to incorporate tips while cleaning, driving, grocery shopping, and so on.

The Pilot

To get a sense for how it felt to be on the receiving end of a literacy texting campaign, Ralli and Payne signed up for other NYC campaigns such as Pre-K on the Go, Talk to Your Baby, and City’s First Readers. To determine how many texts to send, they conducted an informal survey of RSK participants and found a majority preferred to receive one text per week (as opposed to two or three). They solicited participants the old-fashioned way—approaching them in person and asking them to sign up. The program now has hundreds of participants.

The Content and the Cost

Ralli created sixty-five texts set to go out at different times according to the RSK curriculum, each based on one of five areas of the RSK program (Reading, Writing, Singing/Rhyming, Playing, and STEM/Science/Math) and rotating through a five-week cycle. As for the cost, Ralli and Payne got lucky; they were able to pilot their program using BPL’s existing SMS vendor (also used to notify patrons about overdue materials and holds). Thus, the pilot was cost-free.

The Technology

Because the use of texting for social outreach has increased, the number of SMS vendors is growing, and although the rapidly expanding membership of the RSK on the Go! program makes using a new SMS vendor inevitable, Ralli and Payne are content to take a wait-and-see approach. “We want to see what develops technology-wise,” says Ralli.[8]

Ralli would like a vendor that allows potential users to join with keyword, as well as one that enables two-way communication. “A more sophisticated platform would enable us to get feedback from participants,”[9] she says; for example, asking parents what tips they tried, how well they worked, and the ability to tailor texts to the child’s language or developmental stage.

Some SMS vendors allow for real-time editing, a desirable feature because texts can be modified to complement specific library activities or events.

Texting and Libraries: The Trend

BPL is not the only library with an early childhood texting campaign. Dayton Metro Library (Ohio), Frisco Public Library (Texas), Darien Library (Conn.), Oak Park Public Library (Ill.) all have texting programs.

Conclusion

Already used for refugee assistance, rape support, natural disaster relief, AMBER Alerts, school and workplace closings/emergencies, SMS technology is proving an effective means of social outreach. That libraries would be quick to adopt this technology makes perfect sense.

References

[1] Motoko Rich, ^“To Help Language Skills of Children, a Study Finds, Text Their Parents With Tips,” New York Times, November 14, 2014.

[2] Benjamin York and Susanna Loeb, “One Step at a Time: The Effects of an Early Literacy Text Messaging Program for Parents of Preschoolers,” The National Bureau of Economic Research, November 2014.

[3] Jessica Ralli and Rachel Payne, ^“Brooklyn Public Library’s Texting Initiative for Early Literacy,” School Library Journal, July 13, 2015.

[4] Kathryn Zickuhr and Aaron Smith, “Digital Differences,” Pew Research Center, April 23, 2012.

[5] John Hoffman, “OMG! You’re Not Using Text Messaging to Reach Constituents?” Nonprofit Quarterly, August 22, 2012.

[6] Laura J. Colker, “The Word Gap: the Early Years Make the Difference,” Teaching Young Children 7, no. 3 (no date)

[7] Ann Schimke, “A New Medium for Early Literacy Tips: Texting,” Chalkbeat, January 8, 2015.

[8] Jessica Ralli, coordinator of early literacy programs at Brooklyn Public Library, in an interview with the author, April 25, 2016.

[9] Ibid.

The post Brooklyn Public Library’s Ready, Set, Kindergarten! Texting Initiative first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Children from low income communities use an average of thirty million words less than their affluent counterparts and experience a “drought in heard words” by age three, putting them at a huge language disadvantage long before they even enter school.[1] Early language development is vital to early literacy skills. Verbal interaction with a baby can have a huge positive effect on language development. Whether a parent or caregiver talks, sings, or reads, “neural connections of all kinds are strengthened with the baby’s rapidly growing brain.”[2] New and improved storytimes are addressing these needs.

Library storytimes traditionally focused entirely on children—now, they focus on family literacy and modelling strategies that parents can use to develop early literacy skills. Today’s storytimes emphasize education as much as entertainment and offer suggestions for re-enforcing key concepts and skills at home. Sara Feldman, president of the American Library Association, said, “Such early-literacy efforts are part of a larger transformation libraries are undergoing to become active learning centers for their communities—offering services like classes in English as a second language, computer skills, and career counseling”.[3]

The Public Library Association (PLA) and Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) concluded that a dual approach, early literacy and parent/caregiver education, would provide maximum benefits: “If the primary adults in a child’s life can learn more about the importance of early literacy and how to nurture pre-reading skills at home, the effect of library efforts can be multiplied many times.”[4] So, it’s no wonder that parents of the under-five set are competing for the limited number of seats at storytime at their public libraries. If, as current research suggests, there is a “word gap” between low income families and middle/higher income families, then New York City’s five borough ‘s public libraries, The New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library and Queens Library, are certainly trying to fill in that gap.

The New York Public Library just added forty-five children’s librarians to support storytime and designated twenty of its eighty-eight neighborhood branches as “enhanced literacy sites”—they will offer storytime as often as four times a week and distribute fifteen thousand “family literacy kits” that include a book and storytime schedules. In Queens, forty-one library branches are adding weekend story times to meet the demand. In Manhattan, the 67th Street branch holds storytime outdoors during the summer when it can have as many as two hundred people. And in Brooklyn, some branches distribute tickets to storytime because of space and popularity. Unlike other New York events, the libraries have yet to see storytime scalpers. City-wide, storytime attendance rose to 510,367 people in fiscal year 2015, up nearly 28 percent from 399,751 in fiscal 2013.

Other efforts in this arena include:

• ALSC has launched Babies Need Words Every Day: Talk, Read, Sing, Play, which provides shareable resources for parents to bridge the thirty million word gap. Eight visually appealing posters (available in English and Spanish) deliver simple, effective rhymes, games, and other suggestions for parents to communicate with their babies. ALSC also provides a recommended list of books.
• United for Libraries sponsors Books for Babies, a national literacy program that provides parents of newborns with a kit containing a board book for baby and baby’s first library card. Most importantly, the kits (in English or Spanish) emphasize the important role parents play in a baby’s early language development and reading tips and information from nationally-recognized educational organizations.
• The PLA/ALSC initiative, Every Child Ready to Read @ your library (ECRR) was published in 2004 and has updated and expanded to a second edition in (2011). Teaching parents and other caregivers how to support the early literacy development of their children is the basis of Every Child Ready to Read @your library^®.[5]

“It is clear that reading and being exposed to books early in life are critical factors in student success,” Anthony W. Marx, president of The New York Public Library, said. “The library is playing an increasingly important role in strengthening early literacy in this city, expanding efforts to bring reading to children and their families through quality, free story times, curated literacy programs, after-school programs and more.”[6]

References:

[1] Maya Shankar. “Empowering Our Children by Bridging the Word Gap,” The White House [Blog], June 25, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2016.

[2] Ibid

[3] Winnie Hu. “Long Line At the Public Library,” The New York Times, November 1, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2016.

[4] Every Child Ready to Read @ your library: Read, Think Grow. Retrieved January 28, 2016.

[5] Every Child Ready to Read @ your library: Read, Think Grow. Retrieved January 28, 2016.

[6] Winnie Hu. “Long Line At the Public Library,” The New York Times, November 1, 2015. Retrieved January 28, 2016.

Resources:

Order/download free ALSC posters.

ALSC’s talking points for librarians

Books for Babies kit contents

Order a Books for Babies kit.

Order Every Child Ready to Read tool kits, manuals, brochures, PowerPoint presentations, and posters.

The post The Hottest Show In Town: Storytime @ your library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

In an interview with WVXU (Cincinnati Public Radio), Superintendent of Schools Mary Ronan cited studies that show that children from lower-income families across the country have only two or fewer age-appropriate books at home.[1] By receiving a book every month, these children can build their ‘personal libraries’ and meet more reading goals by third grade.

In fact, a 2014 study examined data from a project of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development that looked at forty-two nations found a strong correlation between books in the home and test scores. University of Nevada-Reno sociologist Mariah Evans, who led the team, found that“regardless of how many books the family already has, each addition to the home library helps children do better (on the standard test).”[2]  They also found that books in the home especially benefited children in disadvantaged families.[3]

In the best possible scenario, children would have access to hundreds of books at their reading level through their public library, while still having their very own books at home. These are the books that hopefully get read over and over again—the ones that children end up with under the covers with a flashlight, late at night. Children improve their reading skills by having access to these books whenever they want, then hopefully visit their public library to find something new, or more of the same favorites.

Many of the goals of the home library and public library are similar— we all want kids to become better readers and do better in school. Children’s departments in public libraries have done things for many years that encourage this. Whether it is giving gift cards to bookstores as prizes, or giving away books when children meet summer reading goals, getting good books into children’s hands is the goal.

So what books would you recommend for a child’s home library? These are probably the same ones we buy as gifts at baby showers, or send to relatives on birthdays with a note in the cover. Sometimes they are the ones you don’t always find at the public library because there are flaps and tabs that don’t always hold up so well. They are the ones that are still in the bookshelf of your college-bound child when they are moving out, and the ones adults remember fondly many years later. These shelves probably include titles by Dr. Seuss, Sandra Boynton, Mercer Mayer, and Tomie DePaola among others.  And if you’re unsure what to give to start a home library? Just ask your local librarian.

References and Resources

1. Cincinnati Public Radio (WVXU). Helping Young Children Build Personal Libraries. Tana Weingartner. http://wvxu.org/post/helping-young-children-build-personal-libraries#stream/0. Accessed October 10, 2015.
2. M. D. R. Evans, Jonathan Kelley, Joanna Sikora. Scholarly Culture and Academic Performance in 42 Nations. Social Forces, Vol. 92, Issue 4, http://sf.oxfordjournals.org/content/92/4/1573.full. Accessed November 4, 2015.
3. Ibid.

The post When There Is a Library at Home, Everyone Wins first appeared on Public Libraries Online.