News & Views: Early childhood literacy; Meditation on marketing your library, part 3; Folding and cutting in storytimes

News May 11, 2007 (mp3 file: 4.65 MB, 4:57 min.)
Early childhood literacy; Meditation on marketing your library, part 3; Folding and cutting in storytimes

At the top of the ‘cast today: early childhood literacy.

The LSAs are excited about additional funding from the legislature this year; we’ll be doing some focused work on early childhood literacy—helping children get ready to learn. We aren’t talking about teaching kids to read—we aren’t teachers, but librarians have always been an important part of children’s exposure to books and reading and language development, especially through story times and other times when we work with them and with parents.

Those of you who attended the Kids First pre-conference learned about how librarians can help parents help their children to learn, and story times are a key time for that. Saroj Ghoting demonstrated techniques and tools for partnering with caregivers to enhance learning skills: children’s print motivation, phonological awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, print awareness, and letter knowledge. As the summary of Saroj’s book (Early literacy storytimes: partnering with caregivers for success) says, “Storytime is the perfect time to offer guidance to parents so they can better prepare their children to be successful readers.”

So, we at the LSAs really are excited about this opportunity, and you’ll be hearing much more from us about it in the coming year.

And a couple of short CE notes: our second Computerside Chat, this time on blogging, is scheduled for June 7 (repeated June 11) and is in the CE catalog. A keyword search on “computerside” should find it for you in the catalog.

Also, don’t forget to register for the Pat Wagner workshops on June 12—Conflict Resolution during the day, at the Atlantic Public Library, and Influence at the Leadership Level in the evening over the ICN. I know that June is a busy month, with Summer Library Program, but do try to attend the workshops—Pat is terrific.

Books reviewd by Marcia:

• Fold and cut stories, by Jerry J. Mallett and Timmothy S. Ervin. Alleyside Press, c1993.
• Mystery-Fold: stories to tell, draw and fold, by Valerie Marsh. Alleyside Press, c1993.