The kids are out of school for the summer! As adults, you know the importance of reading during the summer, with the end goal of helping them avoid the dreaded “Summer Slide”. You’ve made the decision that this will be the summer they read! But how do you make their...
Many of us grew up reading the “classics” as kids. Whether it was at home, with a grandparent, in school or as a group with friends, there are some books that just stick with us! From Corduroy to Mary Poppins and Nancy Drew to the Boxcar Children the reminders of...
From infancy on, play is an important part of a child’s life. Through games and playful activities, children can practice and strengthen important skills that will help them throughout their lives, including learning to focus their attention, strengthening their working memory, and developing basic self-control. Here are some games to play with...
The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program encourages parents to read books with their newborn, infant, and toddler. The goal is to read 1,000 books before your child starts kindergarten. Reading together helps children develop important pre-literacy skills that are needed to provide...
Whether it’s painting their dinner plate with strained carrots or coloring all over the walls, children naturally want to leave their mark on the world. They learn early on that making sounds with their mouths and making scribbles on paper (or other surfaces) are ways to communicate. Reading and writing...
Learning new words can take place anywhere. One of my favorite locations to practice is the produce section of the grocery store or while walking around a produce stand. From apples to zucchini, there is a bounty of fruit and vegetables to discover. Pick up a piece of fruit, say an...
According to an article on the Playful Learning website, “Reading at home is an important predictor in creating and supporting lifelong readers. Family schedules however can be chaotic, so finding time to fit reading into your daily routines may seem like an impossible task.” The following are five ways to sneak...
Young children need to hear lots of words to develop their vocabulary and language skills.
Singing songs together at a Citrus Libraries storytime is more than just for fun – it is an important way that you are helping your child with preliteracy skills. We love to sing songs at storytime, and we would love for you to join us at one of our libraries’...
What is the “Summer Slide”? During the summer months, students are at risk of losing 2-3 months of reading skills if they are not engaged.
Storytime teaches children important preliteracy skills when we read, sing, talk, and play together. Even something as seemingly simple as how pages turn and how we read from left to right, children learn from observations they make about their world. Librarians in story time have the unique ability to model...
0-3 months: Right now, babies are picking up the rhythms and sounds of language and absorbing so much! You don’t need to just read baby books at this age, as newborn babies are getting more from the rhythm and hearing you speak. Consider reading short books aloud or even reading...
One of my favorite things about being a Youth Services Librarian is sharing my love and enthusiasm of reading with young people. Helping children discover the magic, wonder, and endless information that books provide is so rewarding. Finding that one book or book series that can change the mind of...
Reading stories to children introduces a wealth of ideas. Thoughts and emotions can be communicated in simple to understand concepts which provides amusement, fascination, and fun. Telling stories arouses a child’s imagination unlike any other medium. Imagination encourages a child to develop their reasoning skills. Without using their imagination, a child...