7th Annual Family Story Time Costume Parade

Join us this Friday, October 28 at 10:15 or 11:15 in the Puett Room for our annual costume parade in Family Story Time. We will have our regular story time and then trick-or-treat for non-edible treats throughout the library. For this day only, I do not limit how many people come to story time.

Are you speaking to me?

Interactive books are one of the best ways to get your children excited about reading. Whether it’s finding Waldo or hunting for the answers to clues, books that ask the reader to do (or not do) something are enticing and can reinforce the love of reading. Two such books are Warning: do not open thisbook by Adam Lehrhaupt and Tap the Magic Tree by Christie Matheson.  You'll have more fun reading these titles than five monkeys in a tree.

 

Calling All Families with Preschoolers!

Do you want to spend a fun morning singing, reading, and creating projects with your child?
Do you want learn playful ways to help your child get ready to read?
Join us at the library for Fun With Letters, an early literacy workshop designed for parents and children ages 3-5.
Sound interesting? Call the Children's Desk to register: 503-718-2656.
Workshop will be held Saturday, May 18 10:30-11:30 a.m. in the Puett Room

Studies Say Students MUST Learn More Words!

According to this study, Students Must Learn More Words, Say Studies, published in Education Week, children need to learn more vocabulary words before they enter Kindergarten.  That is why it is so important to provide opportunities for your child to be exposed to literature, books, and reading.  How does this relate to you and your young children?

• It is important to talk, sing, read, and play with your child because it provides excellent opportunities for him or her to hear and learn vocabulary in the context of their lives.  Come visit one of our many story times to help expose your child to reading, singing, and play!

• If your family struggles with reducing media usage and TV watching, watch TV with your child and play games together on the iphone or ipad and talk about what is happening on the screen.  Kids learn through social interaction and doing and talking, not just sitting and watching silently.

• Think about how you provide context for the rare words in board books and picture books while reading with children. Picture Books provide wonderful opportunitites to introduce words and new vocabulary that isn't necesarily used in every day conversation.

• Try not to dumb down your vocabulary when talking with children, add explanations of challenging words and real world context to develop meaning.  A good example would be the book, The Napping House. It provides multiple definitions for the word "sleeping".

Washington County Cooperative Library Services also has lots of resources on their Ready to Read page that you will find very helpul and easy to do with quick tips, web resources, and fingerplays and songs you can do with your younster!

Apps for Young Children

The Fred Rogers Center, who's mission is "to advance the fields of early learning and children’s media by acting as a catalyst for communication, collaboration, and creative change" has published this post regarding selecting apps for young children.  It stresses the point that parents, teachers, and media creators are responsible for making sure the apps children play with are optimal for their development.  And after perusing the Fred Rogers Center Blog some more, there are other posts of note that cover ebooks, digital media and other topics regarding early childhood learning and development.  I highly recommend taking a look at their blog today!