Helping Your 1 to 2-Year-Old Get Ready to Read

Parents and caregivers -- you've heard you should read to your toddler, do you feel you have no idea where to start?  Are you wondering how you can get your active little person to sit down and read a book?  Come to the downtown library Monday night, and learn how simple and fun it is to get your child ready to read.   You'll learn more about the Five Practices:

• Talking
• Singing
• Reading
• Writing
• Playing

...and how they can teach your child about letters and language and sounds and books -- and get them ready to read!  All attendees will receive a free gift and certificate of completion, and door prizes will be given away.  At the end of the program, we'll do a brief tour of the Children's Department and the Early Learning Center. 

Ready to Read -- Toddlers!

Monday, October 10, 2011

7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

(Next month, November 14, from 7-8:00 p.m., there will be a session for parents & caregivers of preschoolers, ages 3 to 5.  Feel free to come to both sessions!)

Have You Read To Your Child Today?

Reading aloud to your children -- at any age, from birth on up -- is one of the most important thing parents can do to help your children's reading development.  From sharing short, simple board books with your infant or toddler ... to sharing picture books with your preschooler...to reading snippets of chapter books with your school-age child ... reading aloud has been shown over and over again to be beneficial, in many, many ways.  Just a few minutes a day is all it takes, but you may find you're enjoying it so much, you'll be spending more time reading together!

Checkout Reading Rocket's Top Ten Resources on Reading Aloud for some great tips.

One of my all-time favorite resources on reading aloud with children is the The Read-aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease.

Of course, you can always visit us at the library, where your friendly children's librarians will be happy to share their favorite read-alouds with you!  Happy Reading!

Have you read to your child today?

Adults -- be sure to pick up a Reading Partners Bookmark and complete at least 6 of the reading activities with your children.  Then, fill out the bookmark and bring it back to the library by July 29, 2011 to be entered into the Reading Partners drawing!  Three $100.00 gift cards will be given away in a drawing, but really, everyone who participates will be a winner, because they will have spent time reading with their children!

Read, read, read with your kids!  Share your childhood favorites with them.   Ask them about their favorite books.  Make up stories with them.  And when they start to learn to read on their own, keep on reading to them!   Need ideas for great books to read aloud?  Ask us! 

Are You Looking for Great Kids Books...?

Then don't miss our Mock Election Kick-off, coming up soon! School-age children and adults are invited to attend and hear some stories from award-winning books...find out how to find great books for kids...and learn more about our Mock Elections, in which you are invited to vote for YOUR favorite children's books.

It's all happening on Tuesday, June 14, from 2:00-3:00.

Hope to see you there!

We're Counting Down the Days...

...till June 6. That's the day we've been waiting for! The day the Summer Reading Program starts!! Woo hoo!! We can hardly wait!!

Have you checked out the


Summer Reading Program website yet?
You'll find lots of great info there, like WHO can participate, HOW to get started, WHEN things are happening, and WHAT gifts kids and adults can receive. Coming soon, kids will find some fun interactive games and online stories, as well as a place to submit their own stories and artwork!

Gifts? Did I mention gifts? Yes, I did, and here's the scoop:

At Sign-up, children will receive a voucher for a FREE Tincaps baseball ticket.

Upon completing Level One, pre-readers (babies, toddlers and preschoolers) will receive an FREE egg shaker toy; readers (kids who can read on their own) will receive a FREE throw-yo toy!

Upon completing Level Two, children will receive a FREE tote bag!

Upon completing Level Three, children will get to pick out their own FREE book!

Adults may participate as well. Starting Monday, June 6, adults 18 and older may pick up a Reading Partners bookmark, complete 6 of the 14 reading activities with a child, and fill in and return the bottom portion of the bookmark to any library location for a chance to win a FREE $100 gift card to Walmart, Meijer or Target.

It's all about reading! It's all about fun! And it's all happening at the Allen County Public Library this summer! We hope to see YOU and your family!

Earthquakes, Tsunamis and Other Natural Disasters

Can a tsunami happen here? Or an earthquake?...these are questions many adults are hearing after the tragic happenings in Japan this past weekend.

Sharing stories of hope and goodwill in the midst of chaos, such as Tsunami! by Kimiko Kajikawa, or A Mama for Owen by Marion Dane Bauer, may be a help to some children.

Reading Rockets has just published a list of web-based resources, including kid-friendly news reports of the events in Japan, ways to help children cope with disasters, and basic information about earthquakes and tsunamis.

Several of Children's Services Booklists provide resources for children and adults on coping with with disasters:

• Fears Booklists
  
• Talking with Kids about Violence Booklist
  
• Therapy and Healing Booklist
• Peace Booklist

Do you have other resources that you've found? How have you used them with your children?

Mock Caldecott Elections

Don't forget -- we have two Mock Caldecott programs coming up this weekend. You won't want to miss this opportunity to see, learn and talk about some of the best picture books published in 2010.

Saturday, January 8, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.: Mock Caldecott for Adults
Sunday, January 9: 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.: Mock Caldecott for Kids

Did I mention that Indiana librarians will earn 4 LEUs and teachers will earn 4 professional development points? Registration is required; click on the links above to register.

Movin' to the Music: An Early Literacy Workshop for Adults

Parents and caregivers of young children -- make plans to attend our next early literacy workshop, Movin' to the Music.

We'll talk about what researchers have to say about song, music, and rhyme, and how these activities help young children develop language skills. We'll also introduce you to some of the wonderful resources available at the library, and you'll take home a music CD chock-full of rhymes and songs.

Movin' to the Music: An Early Literacy Workshop for Adults
Monday, November 15, 2010
7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Volunteer for Learn United

The United Way of Allen County has issued a callout for adult volunteers for the 2010 - 2011 Classroom Buddy Program. Volunteers will be paired with students K - 3rd grade for weekly one-hour sessions.

This is a great opportunity to help boost reading skills and change the lives of children in Allen County -- see the United Way's Learn United website for more information.

Babies and Books!

Did you know that every Friday morning, we have three storytimes for babies and toddlers at the Main Library?

Did you know that all of our Branch Libraries also provide storytimes for babies & toddlers?

Have you ever wondered WHY we dedicate so much time to children this age? Well, we want to tell you why!

Come to Babies, Books and Brain Development and find out...
**WHY reading with babies and toddlers is so important
**WHAT kinds of materials and resources the library has for your baby
**HOW you can help your children learn to LOVE books and reading from a very early age

Babies, Books and Brain Development
Monday, August 23, 2010
7:00 p.m.

**All participants will receive a free gift and a certificate of completion. **

Check this out! Jim Gill HERE Tomorrow!

Jim Gill will be at the main library, performing on the plaza for four shows:
Friday July 23 2:00pm AND 7:00pm
Saturday July 24 11:00am AND 1:00 pm

Better start now!!

Your child should read at least 1,000 books

before entering kindergarten.

Start today!

Check out a book and start reading!

Internet Safety for Kids

Parents, guardians, and adults who care for children face constant challenges when trying to help keep children safer in today's fast-paced world. The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) offers easy-to-use safety resources to help address these challenges. NCMEC is the nation's resource center for protecting children. For decades, children were taught to stay away from "strangers." But this concept is difficult for children to grasp and the internet confuses the issue further. It is more beneficial to help build children's confidence and teach them to respond to a potentially dangerous situation, rather than teaching them to look out for a particular type of person. Encourage your child to visit NetSmartz.org where they can learn about internet safety in a fun way.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to visit NetSmartz411.org to have your questions about internet dangers and safety answered.

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Have you always wanted to be involved in the Big Brothers Big Sisters Organization, but thought you didn't have the time? Well, there are a variety of ways to make a difference in a child's life with just one to two hours a month! There is the Lunch Buddy Program, the Sports Buddy Program, the Arts Buddy Program or the First Friends Program. Being a mentor impacts a child's life in so many positive ways! Don't keep a child waiting any longer ~ do it! Call 456-1600 today to ask about a program that will fit into your schedule!

National Playground Safety Week

This week is an opportunity for families, community parks, schools and child-care facilities to focus on preventing public playground-related injuries. More than 200,000 children (that's one child every 2 1/2 minutes) require emergency room treatment due to playground injuries every year.
Visit the Playground Safety website to learn more.

Lesson Pathways

Are you looking for a great place to find free lesson plans? Check out Lesson Pathways. I just took the site tour and was amazed. It is FREE to use the site, but you do have to sign up for an account. If you try it, let us know what you think.

Conversation with Author Fredrick McKissack, Jr.

Join us on Sunday, January 17th at 1pm for a conversation with award winning author Frederick McKissack, Jr.

Since 1969, the Coretta Scott King (CSK) Book Awards have honored African American authors and illustrators for outstanding children’s literature that reflects the African American experience. Join us for a conversation about the award with author Fredrick McKissack Jr. who will share his perspective. Mr. McKissack along with his mother, Patricia McKissack, received a 1995 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Award for their book, Black Diamond: Story of the Negro Baseball League. Indiana librarians can earn 1 LEU credit for attendance

How Do You Read with a Baby?

Parents and caregivers of babies and young children -- and expectant parents, too -- are encouraged to attend our Early Literacy program on Print Motivation this Wednesday, November 18th, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. Come and learn what kinds of books are appropriate for the babies and toddlers that you care for, and find out how to make reading time FUN!

Have you thanked a youth worker today?

Today, November 5, 2009, is Thank a Youth Worker Day. Check out the Thank a Youth Worker Day website and take this opportunity to thank some of the many people who help our kids grow and learn!

Youth workers of all types are important -- teachers, childcare providers, moms, dads, pediatric doctors & nurses, men & women in social service agencies, nannies, children's therapists & psychologists, caseworkers, school counselors, music teachers, coaches -- the list goes on and on! You are all appreciated and valued. Thank you!

Say Yes to No!

Do you have trouble telling your kids 'no'? Adults and caregivers, join us as we begin to explore a new way of empowering ourselves and our children by introducing the "Say Yes to No" concept. This educational presentation from Great Kids Make Great Communities will provide a brief overview of psychologist David Walsh's book No. Why Kids of all Ages Need to Hear it and Ways Parents Can Say It. Don't miss this informational session tonight at 6pm.

* Participants will be entered into a drawing to win one of three copies of Dr. David Walsh's book: No. Why Kids of all Ages Need to Hear it and Ways Parents Can Say It.