building literacy

We all know a lot has changed in these last few months. Familiarity with things like e-learning, washing off groceries, and wearing face coverings has increased, while things such as in-person playdates or visits to the Library are off-limits for now. Thankfully, many things haven’t changed, such as the specialness of reading a book out… Read More

We are often asked here at the Library, “How can I help my child learn to read?” Our answer is, “Read to your child...a lot!” Reading to your child gets them ready to read, exposes them to new vocabulary, helps them understand narrative, and, most importantly, teaches them that reading is enjoyable. To help you… Read More

We’ve moved from the backyard to the kitchen, but we’re still celebrating science and math activities that you can do with your child. There are many activities to do in and around your kitchen to help your child develop math and science literacy.   Magic Milk is a fun experiment to do together, and it’s… Read More

We clap and sing hello, we clap and sing hello! Did you know that singing is one of the five early literacy practices that you can engage in with your child? Along with reading, writing, talking, and playing – singing is a valuable (and fun!) way to help your child learn how to read, starting… Read More

Even though our Summer Reading Program is over and school is right around the corner, there is still plenty of time, and many ways, to celebrate all things STEAM! Science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities are easy to accomplish right in your house and also in your backyard. Your yard is a classroom full… Read More

I have always valued the screen time guidelines set out by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) as a way to promote the values of literacy and healthy media use. Before becoming a parent I intended to follow these guidelines to the letter. Yet like so many of the lofty goals of pre-parenthood, reality came… Read More

The five early literacy practices get your child ready to read, are easy, fun, and can be done right in our Preschool Pavilion! Our Picture Book Notebook has booklists by subject matter. Read: This one is kind of a no-brainer, since you’re surrounded by books! Check out the Picture Book Notebook for booklists by subject matter.… Read More

As parents of young children, we have all navigated a variety of issues. Remember sleep training? Did you use Ferber or Weissbluth? Introducing vegetables? Broccoli, meet floor! The potty? To bribe or not to bribe, that is the question. If you’re like me, you probably consulted books here at the Library for help with getting through… Read More

In this series, we have been examining practices that will help you raise a reader:  reading, writing, singing, playing and talking. These easy- and fun-to-do practices are the early literacy building blocks. Today’s post on writing may surprise you, as there’ll be very little writing involved! Write with your child. For this practice, I’m going… Read More

A few months ago, I wrote about the building blocks of literacy:  five practices that will help get your child ready to read! These practices couldn’t be easier or more fun:  you just read, write, sing, play and talk with your child. In this post, we’ll look at the verbal practices of talking and singing. … Read More