Join me at the Library

Foundation for Early Learning is delighted to feature a guest blog post from Early Learning Public Library Partnership member Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory from Sno-Isle Regional Libraries. If you are interested in being featured in the Foundation's blog, please contact Joel Ballezza, Communications Manager at joel@earlylearning.org.

My 2-1/2-year old grandson Ari loves going to the library, especially library story times. For my daughter and I, the trips to the library are building a literacy foundation for him that will carry him through his lifetime. For him, it’s an adventure, singing some songs, making new friends, and reading a book.

For Ari, and other preschoolers, learning begins long before kindergarten. It begins at home, reading a book before bedtime.  This begins at the park, giving names to objects and building a vocabulary. It begins at the library, connecting the words, the images, and rhythm of language through books. As parents and caregivers, we are our children’s first teachers, even in the simplest shared activities.

At Sno-Isle Libraries we launched a learning initiative for young children and their parents and caregivers.  Ready Readers is designed to enhance literacy and language development for children before they enter school.

Ready Readers – which is a combination of books and activities for children and skill-building for adults—focuses on six core skills and what parents and caregivers can do to bring these skills to life for young children:

• Tell Stories – tell stories together, encourage pretend play, and let the child be the storyteller
• Know Letters--  help your child identify the first letter in his or her name, and then find it in other places like books, signs, labels
• Use Books – the tactile discovery of books and pages; touching books
  Learn New Words – connect specific names to everyday items
• Learn New Words – connect specific names to everyday items
• Play With Sounds – sing songs, play games, share rhymes to help your child begin to recognize sounds
• Love Books – find books that speak to your child’s interests and share them often

At our web site you can find recommended books for your child and books for you, or you can visit your local library. Please join Ari and me at the library.