Great ECRR Resources on the Web

Great Websites:

A 2015 Update
Ohio Ready to Read: http://www.ohreadytoread.org/ updated & very comprehensive with links, handouts, booklists, videos, & more to the skills and practices

Every Child Ready to Read ning http://everychildreadytoread.ning.com/for updates, research, links, and handouts from recent conferences 

 Saroj Ghoting’s website at http://www.earlylit.net/ has a wealth of information about ECRR. Be sure to click on programs and on resources on the left side of page for handout and storytime ideas. Also, check out Storytime Share at http://www.earlylit.net/storytimeshare/ .

And check out the Summary of the Early Literacy Components, http://www.earlylit.net/workshopmats/elest2/7elcompsummary.pdf, for a handy chart linking the practices of version 2 to the skills of version 1. Click also on the chart showing how the early literacy components and practices support each other at http://www.earlylit.net/workshopmats/elest2/elcomppracchart.pdf.

Play, Grow Read, http://www.kdl.org/kids/go/pgr_main, from Kent District Library. Lots of great ideas for librarians, teachers, caregivers, & parents! Also find annotated lists that help teach ECRR practices at http://www.kdl.org/categories/subcategory/74.

Parents and Kids, Kent District Library handouts of great ideas for organizing play spaces in the library and early literacy activities, http://www.kdl.org/kids/go/PLA2012

Hennepin County Library Early Literacy, http://www.hclib.org/BirthTo6/ELSIE.cfm. Great source for book lists for early literacy skills. Annotated book lists that you can search by one of more of the six skills.

 

http://www.ohreadytoread.org/files/Storytime_Crosswalk_Connections_ORTR.pdf What to do and say during storytime to talk about the skills and practices

http://www.ohreadytoread.org/files/Storytime_Crosswalk_Connections_ORTR.pdf What to do and say during storytime to talk about the skills and practices

http://dallaslibrary2.org/ecrr/skills.php

lots of activity ideas.

http://www.clel.org/content/storytime-take-home-pages

great ideas for handouts.

http://more.ppld.org:8080/kids/GrownUps/earlyliteracy.asp

craft and storytime ideas Also great for science and math workshop or science & math activities. Includes a list of recommended websites

Ohio Ready to Read Library: Existing Programs, Brochures, and Ready-to-Use Ideashttp://www.ohreadytoread.org/existing_programs_brochures_library.html 

Craft & game ideas from Ohio Ready to Read:
http://www.ohreadytoread.org/files/crafts_on_the_go.pdf

http://www.ohreadytoread.org/files/Six_Skills_Games.pdf

http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/

crafts & rhymes

http://www.monroe.lib.in.us/childrens/every-child-ready-read-monroe-county-public-library
for general information, parent tips, ideas, rhymes, & more. 

Storytime Underground: www.storytimeunderground.wordpress.com Lots of great ideas for children's librarians, including early literacy.

Fingerplays from Washington County Library--pages of short video demonstrations! Fantastic! I linked to this from the Guerrilla Storytime write-up. Check it out: http://www.wccls.org/rhymes

ECRR great activities and games (from PLA 2014 ECRR Preconference):

Download these great ideas from the PLA 2013 Conference Program Page (These PDFs can’t be saved.)

PW Activities (1^st PDF):

Download link: http://s4.goeshow.com/pla/annual/2014/profile.cfm?profile_name=download&Handout_key=036C3216-ABD1-4930-977A-639A503B4840&xtemplate=1 

Includes Rhyming game craft and activity; magnet fishing game; Silly Basket—action activity 

Fun with Letters Activities (2^nd PDF):

Download link:

 http://s4.goeshow.com/pla/annual/2014/profile.cfm?profile_name=download&Handout_key=E349F325-537E-4BF0-9F62-5315002EBD56&xtemplate=1

Includes a beginning sounds and pictures matching game; a letter match game children can make; and a MY Name Book mini book for children to make.

Fun with Words Activities & crafts (rhyming & poetry) (3^rd PDF)

Download link:

http://s4.goeshow.com/pla/annual/2014/profile.cfm?profile_name=download&Handout_key=73E43FCD-59F8-4487-AFF8-139EF08230C2&xtemplate=1

Includes a rhyming words matching game; My Poetry Book, a mini book to make; and a word jar activity for home.

Math and Science (4^th PDF):

Download link:

http://s4.goeshow.com/pla/annual/2014/profile.cfm?profile_name=download&Handout_key=D464A479-C50D-4EF0-8E4F-52900B16D0C2&xtemplate=1

Includes a shape and number matching game; My Animals Book to make; and a playdough recipe

Adding STEAM to ECRR:

SimplySTEM

Full of STEAM program ideas for kids of all ages, this wiki features contributions from students in an Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) online course as well as librarians eager to share program plans.

Library Makers

This blog from the Madison (WI) Public Library staff shares a variety of program examples. My favorites are in the WonderWorks category.

Mixing in Math

A great resource for fun ways to explore and enjoy math in everyday library activities. Check out their monthly calendars, which are ready to print.

Steve Spangler Science

This site offers myriad experiments in the Lab section. Experiments are grouped by broad science concepts, from “All About Air” to “Weather.”

ZOOMsci

Here you’ll find hundreds of experiment and activity how-tos, with feedback from kids and teachers who’ve tried them.

Ideas, resources, and programs for early-literacy: Show Me Librarian: http://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com/ Amy’s Wordpress blog links to national library presentations and programs:  http://amyeileenk.wordpress.com/

STEM Storytime Resources (from PLA Conference 2014)

From storytimegoesstem at http://storytimegoesstem.pbworks.com/w/page/76408124/STEM%20Storytime%20Resources

General Resources:

·         Mother Goose Programs: Math and Science (Vermont Center of the Book)

http://www.mothergooseprograms.org/

·         Ready, Set, Kindergarten!: Early Literacy, Math, and Science Tip Sheets for Parents (Brooklyn Public Library)

htt://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/first-5-years/ready-set-kindergarten

·         The Show Me Librarian: ALL THINGS STEAM (Blog)

http://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com/p/all-things-steam.html

Math

·         Mixing in Math

http://mixinginmath.terc.edu/index.php

·         Math Related Children's Books (NAEYC)

http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/MathbookslistSchickedanzexcerpt.pdf

·         Picture Books to Nurture Mathematical Thinking (Madison Metropolitan School District)

http://oldweb.madison.k12.wi.us/tnl/lilm/docs/judys_picture_book_list_3-5.pdf

·         Math at Play (Madison Metropolitan School District)

http://www.mathatplay.org/resources_picb.html

·         Children's Books with Mathematical Themes

http://www.dearteacher.com/math-books

·         Pinterest: Math Ideas for Preschoolers

http://www.pinterest.com/keriel132/math-ideas-for-preschoolers/

·         Early Math Matters (Get Ready to Read)

http://www.getreadytoread.org/early-learning-childhood-basics/early-math/early-math-matters-preparing-preschoolers-to-succeed

·         Bedtime Math

http://bedtimemath.org

(They also have a Bedtime Math Party Kit: http://bedtimemath.org/join-the-movement-2/libraries-hands-on-math/)

 Science

·         Children's Library Discovery Center, Queens Library

http://www.queenslibrary.org/kids/discovery

·         Pinterest: Preschool Science

http://www.pinterest.com/sbishop/preschool-science/

·         Pinterest: Preschool Science Ideas

http://www.pinterest.com/emmavanstone/preschool-science-ideas/

·         Science Experiments in Pre-K

http://www.prekinders.com/science-experiments-in-pre-k/

·         Science Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/science/activities/preschooler-kindergarten/

·         Preschool Science & Magnets:

http://www.pinterest.com/marybethcol/preschool-science-magnets/

Every Child Ready to Read: Does It Really Work?

PLA 2014 in Indy

Every Child Ready to Read: Does It Really Work? Evaluating the Program

Presented information and results from the Views2 Project conducted by the University Of Washington, Information School, Katie Campana, speaker and Project Manager

PDF handouts are available at:

http://www.placonference.org/programs/, Every Child Ready to Read, Does It Really Work? These handouts are goals and behaviors on the part of librarians and children in each skill area of ECRR. They were used as part of the research process, but could easily be used as evaluative tools for any storytime presenter. The suggestion in the program was to use these handouts as such, but more as a learning tool than as an assessment of librarian skills. Working with another librarian was also suggested.

Project Views was a two year research project that was conducted by the University of Washington along with many supporting organizations. It is an acronym for: Valuable Initiatives in Early Learning that Work Successfully. Forty libraries were selected for study. Storytimes were observed and assessed before and after focused training in ECRR.  Librarians in the experimental group received focused training; those in the control group received no extra training. Interestingly, many of the libraries in the study were already purposefully implementing early literacy into storytimes. The difference was that the experimental group received significant training in ECRR.

Study Results:

“When comparing the observations from Year 1 and Year 2 for the control group…NO statistically significant changes in the librarians’ programs or the children’s behaviors” were found. AND

“When comparing the observations from Year 1 and Year 2 for the experimental group…there WERE several statistically significant changes in both the librarians’ programs and the children’s behaviors.”

There was a strong correlation between the focused ECRR program and early literacy behavior exhibited by the children.

The bottom line is that “Purposeful focus on early literacy principles makes a difference in programs and in children’s early literacy behaviors.”

The evaluation tools may be used by librarians to use as planning tools. Start with the age of the children and then choose the early literacy skill(s) that will be the focus of the storytime.

Purposeful and intentional focus on early literacy principles makes a difference in programs and in children’s early literacy behaviors.

Librarians need to model for parents to make the teaching most impactful.

To stay connected with Project VIEWS you can:

• Twitter: #VIEWS2

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/views2

• Website: http://digitalyouth.ischool.uw.edu/

More ECRR--Great Links to Crafts & Games!

PLA 2014 Indy

ECRR great activities and games (from ECRR Preconference):

Download these great ideas from the PLA 2013 ConferenceProgram Page

PW Activities (1^st PDF):

Download link: http://s4.goeshow.com/pla/annual/2014/profile.cfm?profile_name=download&Handout_key=036C3216-ABD1-4930-977A-639A503B4840&xtemplate=1 

Includes Rhyming game craft and activity; magnet fishing game; Silly Basket—action activity 

Fun with Letters Activities (2^nd PDF):

Download link:

 http://s4.goeshow.com/pla/annual/2014/profile.cfm?profile_name=download&Handout_key=E349F325-537E-4BF0-9F62-5315002EBD56&xtemplate=1

Includes a beginning sounds and pictures matching game; a letter match game children can make; and a MY Name Book mini book for children to make.

Fun with Words Activities & crafts (rhyming & poetry) (3^rd PDF)

Download link:

http://s4.goeshow.com/pla/annual/2014/profile.cfm?profile_name=download&Handout_key=73E43FCD-59F8-4487-AFF8-139EF08230C2&xtemplate=1

Includes a rhyming words matching game; My Poetry Book, a mini book to make; and a word jar activity for home.

Math and Science (4^th PDF):

Download link:

http://s4.goeshow.com/pla/annual/2014/profile.cfm?profile_name=download&Handout_key=D464A479-C50D-4EF0-8E4F-52900B16D0C2&xtemplate=1

Includes a shape and number matching game; My Animals Book to make; and a playdough recipe

Guerilla Storytime

PLA 2014 Indy

The website, storytimeunderground.wordpress.com has the write-up for the session, pertinent and helpful videos and many more great ideas.

• Guerilla Storytime is a national movement. It’s a program of sharing. The website (above) is very informative and also has a weekly ‘Ask a Storytime Ninja’ feature. Search the archives for answers to common questions and problems. They have a facebook group, also.

• The session began with a catch good morning song using the tune from She’ll Be Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain’, The Good Morning Train Song.  A video is included in the write-up or click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8_CCseQW7c.

Suggested activities:

• A favorite use of props was a Storytime Song Cube and sack boxes to take home and make.

• A fun activity to use with Lori Berkner’s Pig on Her Head song is to hold a paper plate pig over the head of a child. Or change the words a little and have plate puppets with pictures of different animals.

• Have a magic bag that contains the letter of the day. The letter changes to an animal that starts with that letter. Or put letters in a hat. Pull them out one by one to form a word.

• Use partner songs to invite parents to join in. Have guidelines for parents—encourage them to model for their children. You might say, “Your child will like dancing with me, but will LOVE dancing with you.” Remind parents that they are their child’s first and best teacher.

• An IPad app that was highly recommended was Monster at the End of This Book.

• The U-Tube video by youth librarian Rick Samuelson was recommended: Form the Orange http://www.wccls.org/rhymes/form-the-orange Attendees demonstrated the chant and it’s posted. Another verse was suggested: corn: shuck the corn, end with pop the corn—everybody jump.

• If you set rules for storytimes, the suggestion was to pick three things. Most agreed that two should be, Sit with your Child and no cell phones.

  Guerrilla Storytime at #pla2014: The Recap!

Go to the post about this event for many more of the ideas shared, links to vieos, & lots more!: http://storytimeunderground.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/guerrilla-storytime-at-pla2014-the-recap/:

Posted March 15 by Amy Koester

Storytime Goes STEM

PLA 2014 Indy

STEM Storytime Resources

From storytimegoesstem at http://storytimegoesstem.pbworks.com/w/page/76408124/STEM%20Storytime%20Resources

General Resources

·         Mother Goose Programs: Math and Science (Vermont Center of the Book)

http://www.mothergooseprograms.org/

·         Ready, Set, Kindergarten!: Early Literacy, Math, and Science Tip Sheets for Parents (Brooklyn Public Library)

htt://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/first-5-years/ready-set-kindergarten

·         The Show Me Librarian: ALL THINGS STEAM (Blog)

http://showmelibrarian.blogspot.com/p/all-things-steam.html

Math

·         Mixing in Math

http://mixinginmath.terc.edu/index.php

·         Math Related Children's Books (NAEYC)

http://www.naeyc.org/files/tyc/file/MathbookslistSchickedanzexcerpt.pdf

·         Picture Books to Nurture Mathematical Thinking (Madison Metropolitan School District)

http://oldweb.madison.k12.wi.us/tnl/lilm/docs/judys_picture_book_list_3-5.pdf

·         Math at Play (Madison Metropolitan School District)

http://www.mathatplay.org/resources_picb.html

·         Children's Books with Mathematical Themes

http://www.dearteacher.com/math-books

·         Pinterest: Math Ideas for Preschoolers

http://www.pinterest.com/keriel132/math-ideas-for-preschoolers/

·         Early Math Matters (Get Ready to Read)

http://www.getreadytoread.org/early-learning-childhood-basics/early-math/early-math-matters-preparing-preschoolers-to-succeed

·         Bedtime Math

http://bedtimemath.org

(They also have a Bedtime Math Party Kit: http://bedtimemath.org/join-the-movement-2/libraries-hands-on-math/)

 Science

·         Children's Library Discovery Center, Queens Library

http://www.queenslibrary.org/kids/discovery

·         Pinterest: Preschool Science

http://www.pinterest.com/sbishop/preschool-science/

·         Pinterest: Preschool Science Ideas

http://www.pinterest.com/emmavanstone/preschool-science-ideas/

·         Science Experiments in Pre-K

http://www.prekinders.com/science-experiments-in-pre-k/

·         Science Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten

http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/science/activities/preschooler-kindergarten/

·         Preschool Science & Magnets:

http://www.pinterest.com/marybethcol/preschool-science-magnets/

Storytime Goes STEM

PLA 2014 Indy

Storytime Goes Stem

 Public Library Association Conference Friday, March 15, 2014 Converstation session Faciliators: Lynn Cole, Children’s Discovery Center, Queens Library Saroj Ghoting, Early Literacy Consultant Rachel Payne, Brooklyn Public Library

·         All handouts will be available at http://storytimegoesstem.pbworks.com . This site also has many other pertinent links.

·         Brooklyn Public Library has STEM kits to use in the library.

·         Math and science are two areas that overlap especially with the ECRR skill areas of vocabulary and background knowledge, although they fit will all the skills. Oral language development is important for later language development. Background knowledge—content—is what children know about the world. It is conceptual and abstract thinking. The process areas of math and science thinking have to do with conceptual thinking. Background and story knowledge includes print motivation. Children who experience activities in science and math will be more eager to learn about their world—and read about it. When we share factual books with children it helps teach print awareness along with vocabulary and background knowledge. The set up in a factual book is different than in fiction and the use of the book is different. There is a definite connection between science and math and early literacy. We don’t need one to validate the other, but seeing the interaction is good. We see the whole child and the whole learning. Children are natural scientists. Science is noticing what is going on around you and wondering how the world works. Books help introduce little bits of science and math into the program. Connect math with play and connect science with talk. Make observations, notice things, and talk about them.

o       Freight Train helps teach the color spectrum—the colors are in order of the color spectrum in a rainbow. It also teaches about mountains, cities, bridges, day and night, and more.

o       The Three Little Pigs helps teach predictions and estimations, along with air and air pressure.

o       Knuffle Bunny can be used to teach sorting, patterns, colors and sizes. For example, children can sort socks at home into various categories—by size, patterns, and colors. They can also make a design for socks. They can play a game of What’s My Rule? by sorting them in a certain way and guessing what the rule is.

o       With Mouse Paint children can make paint with chalk, mortar and pestle. Scarves can be added, along with this activity—tie a know in a scarf and ask, Which falls faster—the knotted or unknotted scarf? 

·         The librarian should address the parents to help them make the connection. But you don’t need to interrupt the book. You can read it through once and then go back.

·         Asking open ended questions helps the child think.

·         Communicating and recording is related to writing. One idea is to make dry erase boards by slipping cardboard and white paper. The child can use a dry erase marker to ‘record’ observations and data. One librarian ends each storytime with this activity. She has one board for each child.

·         The craft can be more a process than a product.

·         Repeat patterns—movements, clapping, etc. at least two times. The children copy your pattern. 1. What is the pattern? 2. Imitate the pattern. 3. Continue the pattern.

Ready, Set, Play at the Brooklyn Public Library is offered evenings and weekends. Check out the website: http://www.bklynpubliclibrary.org/first-5-years/ready-set-kindergarten-english .

Many links are available from http://storytimegoesstem.pbworks.com/w/page/76408124/STEM%20Storytime%20Resources

The handout (available at http://storytimegoesstem.pbworks.com):

Science and math is everywhere! There are science and math concepts evident in many of the story time books you already share with kids. Lynn Cole shared some examples to get us started.

Lynn Cole’s examples:

Freight Train by Donald Crews - The color spectrum: The trains are in ROY G BIV order. - Engineering: The trestle is a great example of a bridge and could encourage bridge building activities.

The Three Little Pigs by Paul Galdone (or other versions would also work) - Problem solving: Which house is going to be the sturdiest? - Predator vs. prey: Look at the wolf’s teeth! Why do you think they are so long? - Huffing and puffing!: Air resistance! Fill up your lungs as much as you can. Can you inhale anymore? What are things you can blow?

Owl Babies by Martin Wadell, illustrared by Patrick Benson - Animals learning from their mother. - Nocturnal animals. - There are patterns on the owls’ feathers.

Group Brainstorm: These ideas came from the sharing session after our small group brainstorm.

Head to Toe by Eric Carle - Human behavior vs. animal behaviors. - Labeling body parts. - How the human body moves. - Compare human and animal body parts and actions.

Bee Bim Bop by Linda Sue Park, illustrated by Ho Baek Lee - At the grocery store, sort and match various kinds of vegetables. What shapes are the vegetables? - Following a recipe. Cooking is science! - Chopping vegetables. What shapes to we end up with when cut vegetables? - Get someone from a Korean restaurant to talk about the ingredients they use. - Use non-standard measurement (pinch, a hand full, etc.) and standard measurements (cups, teaspoons, etc.) - Try sensory food activites! How do these foods look, feel, smell, taste and even sound (do they crunch when you chew them?)

My Crayons Talk by Patricia Howard, illustrated by G. Brian Karas - Look at the endpapers. Can you guess what season it is? - Look and some of the illustrations in the book. What is alive and what is not alive? Which things grow and which do not grow? - Count the legs of the animals.

Flower Garden by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Kathryn Hewitt - Talk about the various parts of a flower. - Compare and contrast the animals and humans in the pictured in the book. Animals walk on four legs and humans walk on two. - Talk about the shapes of the leaves and petals. - The people carry objects on one page. Which objects do you think are heavy? Which are light? - Look at the clouds in the sky. What kind of day is it? - The characters use money in the story. - The book shows people planting and recycling.

Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef by Marianne Berkes, illustrated by Jeanette Canyon - Discuss the body shapes and sizes of various fish. Which fish would go faster? Why do think that?

Who is the Beast? by Keith Baker - Who is a predator and who is prey in the story? - What do the various animals eat?

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie… by Laura Joffe Numeroff and Felicia Bond - Talk about the “shape” of the story. It is circular! - Talk about how the mouse has human characteristics. Would a real mouse wear overalls? - How do you make cookies? - How crayons are made? (Mr. Rogers video about how crayons were made).

Swimmy by Leo Lionni - Animal instincts - Different properties of water. - Scientific process: What do you do when you have a problem? Problem solving!

Hop Jump by Ellen Stoll Walsh - Air resistance - Floating and sinking

Zomo the Rabbit by Gerald McDermott - Sequencing - Cause and effect

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats - Drawing and writing in the snow - The physics of sledding - Up vs. down. How does snow fall?

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Don Wood and Audrey Wood - - Sound vibrations and sound traveling the ground or through the air.

Brainstorm: Science Activities & Tips What tips can you come up for parents to encourage them to try science and math activities with their children at home? What activities could you try to encourage science and math exploration?

The Emperor's Egg: Read and Wonder by Martin Jenkins and Jane Chapman

One participant made a life-size emperor penguin and she compared various penguins and their sizes.

“Life Size” series books Show children these books and bring a sewing measuring tape. Let children measure things and compare it the actual size of the animals in the book. Make paint by crushing chalk, mixed it with water. Use a medicine dropper to “paint” with. Pair this activity by Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh.

My Garden by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Kathryn Hewlitt - Talk to the parents about gardening and recycling and that is science and math (sorting!). - Make your own chia pet out of recycled plastic bottles (http://www.repiny.com/pin-2996.html)

My Crayons Talk - Show the kids two dimensional shapes vs. three dimensional shapes. Spheres, circles, cyclinders, squares, and cubes. Which shape will roll? Experiment!

 Recommended resources Steve Spangler Science: https://www.stevespanglerscience.com/

“Math Start” series by Stuart J. Murphy

Every Child Ready to Read Great Sites & Links!

Great websites to help you implement Every Child Ready to Read in the library environment and in storytimes:



Saroj Ghoting’s website at http://www.earlylit.net/ has a wealth of information about ECRR. Be sure to click on programs and on resources on the left side of page for handout and storytime ideas. Also, check out Storytime Share at http://www.earlylit.net/storytimeshare/ .
And check out the Summary of the Early Literacy Components, http://www.earlylit.net/workshopmats/elest2/7elcompsummary.pdf, for a handy chart linking the practices of version 2 to the skills of version 1. Click also on the chart showing how the early literacy components and practices support each other at http://www.earlylit.net/workshopmats/elest2/elcomppracchart.pdf.Play, Grow Read, http://www.kdl.org/kids/go/pgr_main, from Kent District Library. Lots of great ideas for librarians, teachers, caregivers, & parents!

Parents and Kids, Kent District Library handouts of great ideas for organizing play spaces in the library and early literacy activities, http://www.kdl.org/kids/go/PLA2012

Hennepin County Library Early Literacy, http://www.hclib.org/BirthTo6/ELSIE.cfm. Great source for book lists for early literacy skills. Annotated book lists that you can search by one of more of the six skills.

View early literacy play spaces:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXJA-G3PWTU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GokM1UWiN0&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMwO1QqG0To&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH8yk0cpX8k&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OgjOW_o4Ig&feature=relmfu (smallest branch—2,000 square feet and they have directed play spaces!)

Sanitization of the play areas and materials is part of the closing process and takes very little time. The state of Michigan recommends a mix of one gallon of water to one tablespoon of bleach. Use a spray bottle. Watch the demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHBu-6ptqO4&feature=relmfu

PLA Conference 2012 handouts: http://placonference.org/programs:
· Early Literacy and Learning Spaces: An ECRR Workshop
· Every Child Ready to Read in Action
· Collaborating with Child Care Providers: Everybody Wins @ Your Library
· A Wealth of Words: Helping Families Build Young Children’s Language and Literacy
· Branded Interactive Early Literacy Learning Centers: From Grand Places to Table Top Spaces

ECRR in Action

Every Child Ready to Read in Action

Presenters: Kathleen Reif, Saroj Ghoting, Judy Nelson, Holly Henley

ECRR 2 reflects the current research and input from both librarians and workshop participants. The example of a parent-child workshop in ECRR 2 is Math and Science. This approach is a good and a fun way to both demonstrate ECRR in action to parents and to use factual books. Use of factual books is especially important because of what research shows. Parents with no training talk two times as much when they are sharing an informational book with a child and that they allow their child to speak two times as much as compared to sharing a book of fiction. In addition, a higher level of vocabulary is used. So in the workshop as presenters offer opportunities to share books, they offer ample time to share factual books.  Keep in mind that it’s the interaction around the book that helps develop literacy skills in children. Math is a way of thinking, of knowing and solving problems. It’s inquiry, a process. Science and math most directly support vocabulary and background knowledge, both of which are essential for children to understand what they will read. To become good readers children need to have good general knowledge. The parent is the child’s first teacher, as shown on the slide that comes in the ECRR 2 Kit. The Math and Science workshop gives the children the chance to ask questions, to look for answers, to talk about the experiment. Children are naturally curious. The presenter can substitute the experiment, which is melting ice cubes, for another they would prefer. The process will be the same. Children will still be encouraged to predict, make observations, do the experiment, observe, and make conclusions.

Have a display of factual books. Pick one and demonstrate reading it. Allow time for questions and answers. Point out the index, contents, glossary, and so on.

Math is a way to talk about ideas, develop general knowledge, learn vocabulary, recognize patterns, practice sorting, and learn problem solving. The more words a child knows and the more knowledge he understands, the more he will understand when learning to read.

The home should be the child’s learning zone. The presenter should take the time to read the slide that says the home is a learning zone. Encourage parents to use questions and talking with their chldren. All these things take time and energy, but every little thing a parent does to encourage early literacy makes a big different.

The feedback from the Math and Science workshop was that there was too much talking by the presenter at the beginning. Participants loved the activities with the children and using the scientific method. The recommendation is that the presenter separate the children and adults at the beginning for about 20 minutes. If the presenter keeps the families together, she should add songs, fingerplays, and provide activities such as coloring sheets for the children to be doing while the parents listen. Also, don’t provide all the information at the beginning.

Some fun music to use during the workshop includes  The Milkshake Song  from Songs for Wiggleworms, Very Very Tall  from Wiggleworms Love You and Jumping and Counting by Jim Gill. The “Mix a Pancake” rhyme is also good for this program.

The workshop requires stations; participants will rotate among the areas.

Other science activities include floating and sinking, recording by drawing or writing, stations for sock or bean sorting, stringing fruit loops in a pattern, and so on. Other activities libraries have used include making ramps out of cereal boxes and making paper rulers to measure shapes. Sorting groceries was also an activity—by what goes into the refrigerator, freezer, cabinet, counter, and so. There is a video clip in the kit of a father talking with his child in the kitchen and so if you use the grocery sorting activity, use that clip. Challenge the adults to use new vocabulary words as they do the activities with their child. The measuring activity had mixed results with some participants liking it and others not.

Libraries might prefer to do a separate workshop for Math and Science.

In ECRR 2 we are executing the skills through the practices. The new curriculum engages parents and children. Consider starting with one practice. Add play to storytimes. One library changed the name of the storyhour to Play & Learn. Have opportunities for open ended play to allow for adult-child interaction. During the first part of the storytime follow the tradition of songs, fingerplays, rhymes, stories, about 20-40 minutes. During that time deliberately comment about the six skills. Storytime always starts with writing—the child writes his own name on his nametag or for younger children parents help write the name. This is, of course, print awareness. Provide a play time after storytime. Play things might include blocks, trains, letters, dice, pots and pans, flannel boards, etc. With pots and pans children can be encouraged to match colors or parts. Block building helps teach architecture and physics. Everything can be incorporated into block play. Provide cars, trucks, and people, Change what goes with the blocks. Unit blocks are available from Lakeshore. If libraries can, they should buy the biggest batch and the biggest storage unit. It will never wear out. If there are letters on the train sets, children are helped with letter recognition through play. Children love large foam dice and to count the spots. Provide a wordless picture book list. Display real world fun with nonfiction titles for toddlers and preschoolers. Have old catalogs on hand to help children use pictures, drawings and words to make their own pictures or books—‘All About Me’ or ‘My Favorite Things’, etc. Consider leaving the children’s program room open all the time and having directed play activities in there. They can be moved out of the room for storyhours.

Every library should have at least one staff member trained in ECRR to use and share the program with other staff members and patrons.

Our libraries are leaders in preparing children for school by being ready to learn to read. This program helps libraries be taken seriously by the education world. It is an advocacy tool.

Interactive Early Literacy Learning Centers

Branded Interactive Early Literacy Learning Centers: From Grand Places to Table Top Spaces

Presented by Michelle Minerd Clark, Kristin Meyer, Morgan Doane, Denise Robinson

Kent District Library

March 16, 2012, 10:45-12

Find all the very informative and useful handouts from this presentation at: http://www.kdl.org/kids/go/PLA2012

Subscribe to the library’s early literacy monthly newsletter at the above site or http://www.kdl.org/kids.

Libraries need to educate the public on what purposeful play is. Any library can create an early literacy play zone. These play areas support the practices of Every Child Ready to Read. Libraries have created these spaces in a variety of ways, depending on the space available.

The handouts provide samples of a community needs assessment:

http://placonference.org/programs or http://www.kdl.org/kids/go/PLA2012

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die by Chip Heath, Random House, New York, 2007 was the source the library system used to create buy in for the project of creating these play spaces systemwide.

The spaces were tested at four pilot branches.

Success depends not only on community buy in, but also on the enthusiastic support of all staff, including pages. Staff needs to have training and understand the early literacy educational benefit of the play spaces, ‘play with purpose’.

Create a floor plan with rotating activities. Change the activities on a regular basis. Each space is dedicated to an early literacy activity. In a small space libraries can still have dedicated activity areas. They may have fewer activities, but still have very directed activities for children and parents.

Suggested play areas include; a puppet stage, dress up area, kitchen play set, doll house, blocks in a variety of sizes, train table, felt boards and magnet boards—stand alone or on a wall, Legos, writing centers, art carts, cubby activities, puzzles, cozy places to read, singing area with posted lyrics, measuring activities and others.

Cubby activities are cubicles that contain toys related to the monthly theme. For example various dinosaurs might be in the cubicle when dinosaurs are the theme.

A writing center can be a table with paper, crayons, and pencils. Add a mailbox and children can write letters to the librarian or, even better, to the library mascot, which may be a favorite stuffed animal or puppet.

Felt and magnet boards can provide a variety of activities from displaying farm animals to match first letters to an object or animal to matching rhyming sounds or words. They can be used for other letter or number and counting activities also.

Put mirrors on the bottom part of the Circulation Desk with a suggested emotion. Children can be busy with that activity while parents check-out.

Put song lyrics in the bathroom above the changing table to encourage parents to sing to their children.

Always label each activity with a brief suggestion for what the parent can do and also the skill and practice it helps the child learn.

Provide a ‘sanitation bin’ for parent to deposit toys that need to be cleaned.

These can be tabletop if that is the space available. Use endcaps, too. Change the focused activity in each area on a regular basis. For example, dinosaurs might be a ‘theme’ one month and so the play things, suggestions, and displayed books would reflect that theme.

Tips & tricks:

Ø      Keep kits of activities that you can give to children sitting next to their parent who is using the computer.

Ø      Label all materials with a sharpie. Some things leave unintentionally.

Ø      In a small space use baskets to contain the activities.

Ø      Open up the Children’s Program Room and use it for the play spaces when there are no programs.

Ø      Shop yard sales and use Freecycle, http://www.freecycle.org/group/US/Indiana.

See a walk-through of these kinds of spaces on U-Tube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXJA-G3PWTU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GokM1UWiN0&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMwO1QqG0To&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH8yk0cpX8k&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OgjOW_o4Ig&feature=relmfu (smallest branch—2,000 square feet and they have directed play spaces!)

Sanitization of the play areas and materials is part of the closing process and takes very little time. The state of Michigan recommends a mix of one gallon of water to one tablespoon of bleach. Use a spray bottle. Watch the demo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHBu-6ptqO4&feature=relmfu