Seeing the Difference



Writing activity



Every time a library staff member visits one of our Jump Start Reading program sites, we are amazed at the progress the children are making with early reading skills. We target program sites in low income, high risk neighborhoods and many of the children we serve cannot demonstrate any pre-literacy skills. However, after only two in a half months of working with the children, caregivers and parents, there is a recognizable change in the children's knowledge and interest towards books and reading.



Connie Ellington facilitating parent workshop



JJ is a three year old student at one of our Jump Start Reading Sites. He was very reluctant to participate in the library program and he was always the last child to sit down for story time. When Connie Ellington, the "Library Lady" (the name the children use affectionately) came to visit on this particular day, JJ had a surprise. JJ asked if he could read a book to her today. He selected three books from the books shelf. He demonstrated several of the pre-literacy skills used in the Every Child Ready to Read curriculum. He modeled reading, he held the book and turned the pages properly, he pointed to the words on the pages and he talked about the illustrations. Through our department encounters, we learned that many students enter kindergarten without the ability to demonstrate these pre-literacy skills. Since JJ's daycare teachers and parents are learning these skills with him, we hope he will continue to learn long after the program ends. The Jump Start Reading program supports the long term learning experience by giving JJ books to take home to begin or enhance a home library and the daycare center that JJ attends will receive fifty books to continue the reading experience. The parents and children also participate in a library tour allowing parents to see all the free resources offered at and through the library. They can have tools and support to continue to be their child's first teacher.



Learning that print represents words



JJ is one of many children who receives literacy support form the library. Child care providers and parents are learning the five simple activities (talking, singing, reading, writing and playing) that they can use to help children get ready to read. Most importantly, JJ is receiving skills and tools that will help him succeed in school and beyond!

Guess Who’s Coming to Día?

This year’s featured author for “El día de los niños / El día de los libros” (Day of the Child / Day of the Book) celebration is Alma Flor Ada. Ms. Ada is an internationally known speaker and the author of numerous children’s books such as Gathering the sun: An Alphabet in Spanish and English, The Gold Coin, The Lizard and the Sun and many more. This year’s Día celebration is focusing on families reading and the five best practices to get children ready to read. Given Ms. Ada’s gifts as both a prolific children's book author and a respected scholar of bilingual education, she is the perfect featured guest for this year’s celebration.

 

Ms. Ada will have several appearances in Charlotte:

April 26, 2012  3:30 UNC-Charlotte (Black Box)

April 27, 2012  4:00 Black Forest Books and Toys
April 28, 2012  12:00 ImaginON 
 
Visit Alma Flor Ada’s website at http://almaflorada.com.  For more information on “El día de los niños / El día de los libros,” visit http://dia.ala.org.
 

6 to 5

(Six Skills to Five Practices)

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Outreach Team with few others CML staff members who involve in Jumpstart project attended the Every Child Ready to Read – New Conversations on Research, Relationships and Partnerships Webinar led by Elaine Meyers, a Consultant from King Ferry, New York last Thursday March 8^th at Beatties Ford Road Regional Library.

From six skills presented in ECRR 1st Edition (Print awareness, Print motivation, Letter knowledge, Phonological awareness, Vocabulary, and Narrative skills) to the new five simple practices to help children get ready to read.

Here are five simple practices that parents and children can enjoy together;

Talking:

Children learn about language by listening to parents talk and joining the conversation.

Books are wonderful conversation starters and learn new words.

Singing:

Songs are a natural way to learn about language. Singing (and rhyming increase children’s awareness or sounds in words. This also helps prepare children to decode print.

Reading:

Reading together with your children is the single most important way to help them get ready to read.

Reading helps children learn less common words.

Writing:

Reading and writing go together.

Writing helps children learn that letters and words stand for sounds and that print has meaning.

Playing:

Children learn about language through different kinds of play such as pretend or dramatic play. Children learn best when they’re having FUN!

One skill--Many practices

One practice – Many skills

Five simple yet powerful practices for the six skills for example talking with children helps develop all six skills featured in ECRR 1st Edition: print awareness, letter knowledge, phonological awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, and print motivation.

These practices can easily be integrated into everyday activities to help children learn early literacy skills.

To become successful readers, children need to learn a code and understand its meaning.

Reading is learning the CODE.

Decoding is noticing print, knowing letter names and sounds and hearing the sounds that make up words.

Happy Reading to ALL!!!

You can learn more about ECRR 2^nd Edition at www.everychildreadytoread.org