Early Literacy in a Bag

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There are five basic practices that help preschool children get ready to read. They are: reading, writing, singing, playing and talking. Early literacy kits provide a convenient and fun way to include these practices in your everyday routine. Each kit contains five age appropriate books, to read and talk about, a music Cd for singing and listening, a list of songs and fingerplays and a toy. All of the items reflect a particular theme. So, if your child likes animals we have a kit for that. If she likes gardening, we have a kit for that and we will be adding more themed kits in the future.

These kits can be checked out at your local branch library for twenty-eight days just like a book. We have kits for children ages 0-2 years and 3-5 years old. If you can’t find a theme you like at your branch, ask the librarians to show you how to browse the different themes on our library catalog and order one from another branch.

Pajama Story Time

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Three of our branches begin offering a drop in pajama story time on Monday, June 10. The story times are in the evening, so put your little ones in their PJs and bring them to the library for stories, rhymes, and songs! All of these sessions are drop in so no pre-registration is necessary.

The Amelia Branch story time begins at 6:30 p.m. Attendees ages 0-6 are invited for stories, songs, and crafts with their parent or caregiver. For more information, call the library at 752-5580.

The Felicity Branch story time starts at 6:00 p.m. Attendees ages 0-6 are invited for stories, songs, rhymes, games and crafts each week. For more information, call the library at 876-4134.

The Milford-Miami Township Branch story time starts at 6:30 p.m. Parents and caregivers join their children ages 0-6 for books, songs and early literacy tips each week. For more information, call the library at 248-0700.

Amelia Branch Beach Party!

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It’s a Beach Party at the Amelia Branch Library on Saturday, June. 8, at 1:30-4:30 p.m.

Stop in to kick off our Summer Reading Program with a trip to the beach! We’ll have creatures from the Newport Aquarium, a face painter, games, and crafts.

A great chance to learn how to win prizes throughout the summer with our Dig into Reading Summer Reading Program!

For more information, call the library at 752-5580.

The Importance of Reading to Preschool Children

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Reading is the single most important way to help children get ready to read. Books with rich language help hold their interest long before they can read those words themselves. Children who enjoy being read to are more likely to want to learn to read themselves.

There are many books in the library that contain rich language. One you might want to try is “Z is for Moose” by Kelly Bingham and cleverly illustrated by Paul Zelinsky. It is an alphabet book that starts very calmly with A is for Apple, B is for Ball, C is for Cat — and the D is for Moose (Moose says). No, moose does not start with a D. Zebra is making this alphabet book and his friend Moose wants to fit in SOMEWHERE! At letter H, Moose asks if it is his turn yet. No! Surely at letter M, it will be Moose — but no it is Mouse. Then the book gets a bit VIOLENT! Moose starts trying to fit into each letter — he knocks over the Queen for Q; he tries to put antlers on the Snake for S to turn him into a Moose. Moose starts crying as the book nears an end and he is still not in the book — but on the last page, Zebra puts him in finally as “Z is for Zebra’s friend, Moose”. So, even though preschool children would not know all of the words of this story, it can be read to them and because of the exciting story hold their interest and attention.

Bugs! Bugs! Bugs!

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Come to the Bethel Branch on Saturday, May 18 at 11:00 a.m. as we’re joined by the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Attendees ages 3 – 10 are invited to get up close and personal with all kinds of fun and interesting creatures! Participants can build a toy bug, play hide-and-seek with a very hungry frog and meet some ofss the museum’s other live insects friends!

Sign Up Now! Space is limited, so please reserve your spot by visiting the branch, calling 734-2619, or registering online. This program is for ages 3 – 10.

Children’s books about bugs.

Children’s Book Week 2013

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Established in 1919, Children’s Book Week is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country. Every year, commemorative events are held nationwide at schools, libraries, bookstores, homes — wherever young readers and books connect!

Celebrate at the Amelia Branch. Stop in anytime during regular library hours Monday-Saturday, May 13-18 to find a craft featuring characters from some of your favorite children’s books!

Children’s Book Week originated in the belief that children’s books and literacy are life-changers. In 1913, Franklin K. Matthiews, the librarian of the Boy Scouts of America, began touring the country to promote higher standards in children’s books. He proposed creating a Children’s Book Week, which would be supported by all interested groups: publishers, booksellers, and librarians.

Mathiews enlisted two important allies: Frederic G. Melcher, the visionary editor of Publishers Weekly, and Anne Carroll Moore, the Superintendent of Children’s Works at the New York Public Library and a major figure in the library world. With the help of Melcher and Moore, in 1916, the American Booksellers Association and the American Library Association sponsored a Good Book Week with the Boy Scouts of America.

Children’s Book Week is administered by Every Child A Reader, a 501(c)(3) literacy organization dedicated to instilling a lifelong love of reading in children.

Take A Picture Walk

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The next time you sit down to read a book with your child take a “picture walk” first. Look at the cover and talk about what the book might be about and who wrote it. Then, open the book and “tell the story” just using the pictures. Don’t read the words until you have gone through and talked about all the pictures. Be sure to allow your child to tell his version. Don’t correct her, because there is no right or wrong answer. Be sure to ask your child open ended questions like, “Who do you think will win the race?”. Don’t ask simple yes or no questions like, “Do you think the frog will win?”. Yes or no questions do not invite conversation. If you have trouble “reading” without words, try a wordless picture book first.

The real fun is then reading the story and finding out if your predictions were correct. Below are some titles that are good for taking a “Picture Walk”.

The Napping House by Audrey Wood

The Pout Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen

Snow Rabbit Spring Rabbit: A Book of Changing Seasons [board book] by Il Sung Na

Celebrate Mother Goose Day!

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Research shows that children who memorize nursery rhymes become better readers. Many of our favorite nursery rhymes have been around since Shakespeare’s time! Come celebrate Mother Goose Day at the Batavia Branch on Monday, May 6 at 6:30 p.m. Attendees ages 5-12 can listen to stories, play games and make a craft.

Sign Up Now! Space is limited, so please reserve your spot by visiting the branch, calling 732-2128, or registering online. This program is for ages 5-12.

Collections of nursery rhymes.

April is National Poetry Month

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April is National Poetry Month! Poetry can be an exciting way to share great vocabulary and new concepts with children. It’s also a fun way to explore the early literacy practice of writing.

Read poetry together and write down interesting or new words, rhyming pairs, or all the words that start with the same letter.

After reading some poetry, try writing a poem with your child: think of rhyming words or write about an object or their favorite topic. If your child is older, help him or her spell out the words. You could also try writing down what your child says and pointing out each word as you write it, then let him or her trace over your letters or copy the words onto his or her own sheet.

Some picture books have text that could be considered poetry. You can also find poetry books in the nonfiction section of the library, in the Dewey Decimal section of 811. Here are some great poetry books:

The Lucy Cousins Book of Nursery Rhymes by Lucy Cousins
Yum! Mmmm! Que Rico!: Americas’ Sproutings by Pat Mora
Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site by Sherri Duskey Rinker
Dr. Seuss
Red Sings from Treetops by Joyce Sidman
Runny Babbit: A Billy Sook by Shel Silverstein
Follow, Follow and Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer
Here’s a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry by Jane Yolen
This Little Piggy: Lap Songs, Finger Plays, Clapping Games, and Pantomime Rhymes by Jane Yolen

Thursday, April 18, 2013 is national Poem in Your Pocket Day. Help your child write down his or her favorite poem to keep in his or her pocket and share with friends throughout the day.

There are many ways to enjoy poetry with your child. Try some of these suggestions, or come up with your own ways to explore poetry. Happy National Poetry Month!

March is Sing With Your Child Month

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Singing is a fun way to introduce new words and sounds to children. Singing also includes rhyming and increases a child’s awareness to the sounds in words. Singing, talking, playing, writing, and reading are all easy practices you can do at home to help your child get ready to read.

My sons are not a big fan of my singing, I don’t blame them. But we do enjoy reading books together. When I read them a book that is also a song, like Old MacDonald Had a Farm, they sing along. They may not be able to read the words, but using the picture clues on each page helps them sing along to the story.

Some of our favorite songs to sing and read are:

For more great tips about singing and reading books together, check out the Music Together Website at www.musictogether.com/singmonth.

Next time you come into the library, don’t forget to check out our great selection of CDs for kids. Some of my favorite artists are Raffi, Jim Gill, and Choo Choo Soul (Disney Channel). For more great ideas about songs to sing to your children, stop by one of our branches and ask the librarian about the songs played during story time. There is also some information on our Ready to Read link on the website.

Whether you sing, play instruments, or dance, have fun making music together!