April LEGO Construction Zone & Robotics

Join us in the Puett Room on April 21st from 1:30-3:00 p.m. for a very special LEGO® Construction Zone. The robotics team from Tigard High School will be demonstrating their amazing talents in technology.  All ages welcome!

Weekened Adventure: Arbor and Earth Days Celebration

Earth Day is Monday April 22nd and Arbor Day is Friday April 26th, so why just not celebrate both days with one whole big celebration?? 

So, on Saturday April 20th, join us in the Puett Room at 1:30 p.m. for a special storytime about trees and mother earth, then party on with assorted crafts and activities that celebrate nature!  This program is suited for ages 3 & up.

Friends Spring Book Sale Coming Soon!

It's almost time for another Friends of the Library three day book sale! Shop on Friday, April 19 and Saturday, April 20, between 9 AM and 5 PM at regular prices. Tables will be restocked Friday night with new items for Saturday. Sunday hours are from 11 AM to 3 PM and will be "bag sale" only. Bring a grocery sack or pick one up at the door and fill it with your choice of items for $2! Stop in any day and pick up some books, CDs and DVDs at amazing prices.  Proceeds from the sale is given to the library to fund programs and purchase materials.

Arbor Month Tree Matching Game

Have you ever considered what kind of trees you might find in a picture book? Check out our Arbor Month displays! There’s one in the glass cube by the Puett Room and one on the top of the shelf as you enter the Children's Room.

Play our Arbor Month Tree Matching game and test your knowledge. The contest starts today!

Look for the entry form in the Children’s Room.

You could win a prize!

Happy D.E.A.R. Day!

Happy D.E.A.R. Day!  --That is Drop Everything and READ Day!  This special day is celebrated every April 12th, to honor beloved local author Beverly Cleary's birthday!  Want to celebrate?  All you have to do is read a book!  Or you can even read a book to a child.  It doesn't matter, as long as you read!  Need some reading ideas?  Check out this list of books from the D.E.A.R. webiste!  And happy reading!!!

If You Hold a Seed by Elly Mackay

Just in time for Arbor month. This is the latest offering from Elly MacKay.  Her artwork makes me feel like I'm entering a quiet, simple world of beauty. Her story asks the question, "What happens when you hold a seed in your hand? You could save it. Or you could plant it. What happens when you plant it? Especially if it is a tree seed? Read If You Hold a Seed and find out.

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!

Reading Rainbow 2.0

LeVar Burton is taking Reading Rainbow, the classic 80's hit TV show about books and reading to the next level: the ipad.  In this article interview with School Library Journal, Burton explains the birth of Reading Rainbow and the technology of the time, television, and it's leap to new heights using today's technology of downloadable apps.  Don't have an ipad?  No worries, we still have books and DVD's from the series here at the library!

The impact of TV content on 3-5 year olds

There is a lot of research that shows children under the age of two shouldn’t be exposed to screen media, that media use should be limited for older children, and how parents can use media more effectively with their children to limit negative impacts or even foster learning. Now there has been a study published in the New York Times, Certain Television Fare Can Help Ease Aggression in Young Children, Study Finds which addresses this issue.  While the study was on children ages 3 to 5, it is still recommended that children under two have no screen time.

Key points from the article include:

• That reducing exposure to violence-laden videos and television shows and increasing educational videos and shows reduced the children’s aggression toward others, compared with a group of children who were allowed to watch whatever they wanted
• Exposing kids to less adult television, less aggression on television and more pro-social television will have an effect on behavior
• The children who watched less violent shows also scored higher on measures of social competence, a difference that persisted after one year
• Merely being exposed to pro-social media doesn’t mean that kids take it that way--even educational programming with messages of empathy can be misunderstood by preschoolers, with negative consequences.

.      Important tips for parents to remember:

•      It's not just about turning off the TV, it's about changing the channel
•      Watch television with your child and ask questions during the shows about ways to deal with conflict
•      Set TV goals for your preschooler
•      Stick with age appropriate programming

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!