We are delighted to feature a blog post by Chance Hunt, Director, Public Programming and Partnerships at The Seattle Public Library, a member of the Early Learning Public Library Partnership.

Librarians are often asked to choose a favorite—print books or e-books? In reality there is not a debate—both technologies have their advantages (no more lugging stacks of books through the airport!), and both tools can contribute to the healthy development of young children. But how many of you got new e-readers this past holiday season? And how many of you are also wondering if e-books are a good choice for your children?

In a recent New York Times article about e-readers and kids, Junko Yokota, a professor and director of the Center for Teaching Through Children’s Books, offered that the size and shape of a book “become part of the emotional experience, the intellectual experience. There’s a lot you can’t standardize and stick into an electronic format.” From her research, one could suggest that the convenience of e-readers reduces the benefits of the overall reading experience for young children. Think about it. When you cuddle up to read a children’s picture book, there is much more going on than telling a story. You and your child turn pages; you and your child manage the shape and size of the book (we always preferred the little chubby board books in our house). It involves touching, tasting, and sometimes tearing the story printed in the book. Print book technology offers a child a multi-sensory experience, and this in turn builds their tiny muscles (and growing brains), especially when repeated multiple times (as in, every day). One more bonus: printed books, especially when strewn about the house, create a print-rich environment for your children.

So, the next time you read with your child or pick up dozens of books (as we often do in the library) know that you are building muscles—one book, and one story, at a time.

Contributed by Chance Hunt, The Seattle Public Library

Congratulations to everyone in Washington State that believes in early learning! Today Washington was named as one of the nine Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge grant winners! The Department of Early Learning and many throughout Washington worked to submit a competitive proposal that will more children, more families, and more communities.

Congratulations to our early learning partners. To read the US Department of Education’s announcement, visit:

http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/we-cant-wait-nine-states-awarded-race-top-early-learning-challenge-grants-awards

Turn off the TV. All of those toy ads. The stream is painful for parents, caregivers, educators and librarians who have an understanding and dedication to early learning and early literacy.

At Pierce County Library System, librarians agreed on the 5 Best Toys of All Time according to Wired’s GeekDad blog @ http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/01/the-5-best-toys-of-all-time/all/1

1. Stick
2. Box
3. String
4. Cardboard Tube
5. Dirt

These are true learning toys that foster a child’s imagination—from labeling them toys to creating the energy and magic within and from them. Imagination is perhaps the greatest lifelong gift.

“Not a Box” and “Not a Stick” by Antoinette Portis engagingly portray two of these top toys. David Shannon’s “Too Many Toys” shares how a boy and his mother sort through toys and end with the roundup in GeekDad’s list.

To finish off one’s holiday shopping, one more toy needs to be added to the list—at the top of the list: time from a parent or caregiver to a child. “Blackout” by John Rocco shares this wonderful tale as it transforms and reunites a busy family from their isolated lives to join with neighbors. Through this adventure, the family rediscovers the fun and gift of giving each other their time.

Happy Holidays and take time to read with, listen to and play with the children in your life. Give them the rich and favored gift of learning, and help set them on the road to healthy, compassionate and happy adults. 

Thank you, Pierce County Library System, a member of the Early Learning Public Library Partnership, for this contribution.

A letter from Brian Soneda, Director, Mount Vernon City Library

On November 1, a carpool of four Early Learning Public Library Partnership (ELPLP) members from Skagit County drove down to the ELPLP Symposium. We had a great time and learned a lot. Dr. Lebedeva, of UW I-LABS, made brain research clear and utterly fascinating. As a history major, I have always thought was impossible. Some of the best learning happened when we talked to our ELPLP colleagues and the presenters informally over lunch and breaks.

A lot of the attendees were Youth Services staff members from their respective libraries, including Linda Allen (Mount Vernon Library) and Kathy Brewer (Sedro-Woolley Public Library) from our carpool.  You’d expect that; those on the frontlines of providing service to Early Learners probably have the most to gain from the Symposium.

But I know there were at least two library directors at the Symposium. Debra Peterson (Sedro-Woolley) and I (Mount Vernon) are both committed charter members of ELPLP. ELPLP library directors get some credit for the work we do to get our libraries to fund our memberships in ELPLP. The valuable work ELPLP does on behalf of the Early Learning mission in our libraries does not come cheap. To be blunt, we DESERVE credit for our work on making ELPLP happen.

But Debra and I are also proud to advocate for the value of ELPLP simply by attending the Symposium. Directors get a lot out of attending too. And if anyone were to say Presidents of Washington Library Association also get a lot out of attending, the office I hold had nothing to do with my decision to attend, but if it looks like the stamp of approval to anyone, I’m good with that.

This week Foundation for Early Learning hosted the Early Learning Public Library Partnership Symposium, and asked attendees to let us know their very favorite early learning books (yes, they could choose more than one). Here are the wonderful early learning books they shared.

1.    An illustrated edition of which fairy tale was banned from two California school districts in 1989?

a)    Golden Goose
b)    Little Red Riding Hood
c)    Rumpelstiltskin

2.    Both the Chicago Child Parent Center study and the Perry Preschool Program determined that for every $1 invested in high quality preschool, what amount was redeemed in socio-economic benefits when the child grew up?

a)    $3
b)    $5
c)    $7

3.    How many animals are named in the children’s novelty song “Mairzy Doats”?

4.    Some babies just love a good game of peek-a-boo because:

a)    Babies love getting all of the attention.
b)    Hey, wouldn’t you laugh at grown-ups being fun and ridiculous?
c)    It teaches babies the concept of object permanence, which occurs somewhere between the ages of 4 and 12 months. A baby learns that even if something is out of sight, it still exists.
d)    All of the above.

5.    Diaper changing speed: who is faster, moms or dads?


Answers: 1. b, 2. c (or, investing $43,500 over 5 years will yield $304,500 – a 6% ROI. Retail giant & Forbes.com “Global High Performer” Best Buy has a 5-year return of 5.7%), 3. Four: “Oh! Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy/ A kid’ll eat ivy too, wouldn’t you?” 4. d, 5. Dads. Moms take 2 minutes, 5 seconds (adds up to 3 40-hour work weeks each year!), vs. 1 minute, 36 seconds for dads.

For a great book about the fascinating concepts that young children learn, check out The Scientist in the Crib: What Early Learning Tells Us About the Mind, by Patricia K. Kuhl, Alison Gopnik and Foundation for Early Learning Board of Ambassadors member Andrew N. Meltzoff.

Shop through our link to Amazon.com and a portion of your purchases support Foundation for Early Learning!

We are delighted to feature a blog post by Sally Chilson, Youth Services Coordinator at Spokane Public Library, a member of the Early Learning Public Library Partnership.

School is back in session, the smell of fall is in the air and the leaves are crunchy under my feet.  It is my favorite time of year to cuddle up with a book.  Here are some titles to share with a little one who is ready to cuddle up to listen.

Little Chicken’s Big Day by Katie Davis and Jerry Davis.  Little Chicken gets separated from Mama on an outing and is glad to find that she is near by.  “I hear you cluckin’, Big Chicken” is a great refrain to say together as Little Chicken goes from being annoyed a being hurried along to really glad that Mama is nearby.

Rrralph by Lois Ehlert.  Ralph is an amazing talking dog.  He can tell you he is on the roof, that the stuff on the outside of trees is bark, and that the path is rough, among other things.  It is a great jumping off point for other noises dogs can make, and since the illustrations are done in collage, it is fun to go back through the story and talk about what makes up each picture.

Mama, Why? by Karma Wilson. This is my new favorite cuddling up at night book.  The polar bear cub continues to ask “Mama, why?” after each of her explanations about night until Mama tells her cub that she will dream of her dearest the whole night through.  Changing the question to “Mama, who?” the cub falls asleep to the answer “you.”  The fanciful arctic sky illustrations are beautiful and it can end an evening of stories on a wonderfully quiet note.

At the Foundation for Early Learning administration and research desk we see a lot of information about families, teachers and children come our way.  The following list is a little postcard of current information on early learning, by the numbers.

• Diapers changed by baby’s 2nd birthday: 7,300
• Percent increase in likelihood that a family member participated in home literacy arts and crafts with three-year-olds in 2007 vs. 1993: +36%
• Average age of first-time moms in 1970: 21
  Average age of first-time moms in 2010: 25
• Number of top 10 all time best-selling children’s books whose main character is not a human being: 7
• Percent increase of teachers that report at least 3/4 of their students arrive at school prepared to learn at grade level, since 1992: +10%

• New Twitter record set on 8/28/11 by Beyoncé’s baby news: 8,868 tweets per second
• Percent of teachers that say lack of parental support tops the list of problems that may interfere with learning for a quarter or more of their students: 50%
  (More than violence, English language facility, poor nutrition, poor health, and poverty)
• Average age that children began to watch TV in 1970: 4 years
  Average age that children began to watch TV in 2010: 4 months

For more fascinating facts and information on the power of early learning in our communities--including the full presentation by Dr. Dimitri Christakis on the effects of television on young children--watch Foundation for Early Learning's Connect the Dots video series online.

We are delighted to feature a blog post by Jan E.V.W. Hanson, Youth Services Librarian at Longview Public Library, a member of the Early Learning Public Library Partnership.

The Longview Public Library continues to build on our successful programs for infants, toddlers, preschool children and their caregivers, parents and teachers. In the past, our storytimes were located in the Children’s Fiction area, an unsatisfactory arrangement all around. 

While we did have a small meeting room, it was probably the ugliest space in the library.  The carpet was very old. The “window treatments” were sheets of cardboard. The walls were covered with posters disguising gouges. The media cart used duct tape for a latch. Sofas (staff room castoffs) showed tears, stuffing and springs. The very heavy tables were battered and the space had become a dumping ground for miscellaneous storage. 

We secured funding from our Library Foundation and were able to purchase cabinets, area rugs, blinds, curtains, storage cabinets and early childhood learning equipment. Jennifer King, our Family Literacy Coordinator, helped select toys, vinyl covered play forms and other enhancements to encourage early childhood literacy skills. The custom made hardwood cabinets cost less than library furniture companies charge for off-the-shelf press board. After a delivery delay, the company more than made it up to us by giving us granite countertops for the counter height cabinets, and keyed locks.

A volunteer spackled and painted the walls. We decluttered, surplussed and tossed. Sofas were reupholstered and new sturdy but lightweight folding tables were purchased. The original single paned windows were now covered with insulating honeycomb blinds and insulating blackout curtains.

We invite all of you to our Open House on September 28. We will be collecting ballots for a new name for the space, showcasing our new floating collection from our Board Books, Picture Books and Parenting Collection and featuring our Early Learning Theme Boxes, Nature Backpacks, What’s the Big Idea math and science manipulatives, the Every Child Ready to Read materials, and, of course, Ready to Learn, Ready to Read. 

We’re recruiting! Foundation for Early Learning is looking for 10 people to serve for one year as an Early Learning Fellow. Below is a short F.A.Q. which may help to answer some questions. More information can be found here.

Q: What is a Fellow?
A: An Early Learning Fellow can be almost anyone who is interested in supporting early Learning. Fellows can be parents and primary caregivers, teachers, child care providers, grandparents, librarians, and anyone interested in early learning.

Q: What is early learning?
A: Foundation for Early Learning defines early learning as prenatal to age five. In certain circumstances we will extend the age to six (or slightly older) if the majority of a project is directly impacting prenatal to age five. Projects do not need to cover the whole age spectrum; they can focus on one part of the early learning age range.

Q: What topics will be covered during the leadership training portion?
A: The leadership portion will give you with a strong background on the importance of early learning and why the early years are critical to being ready for school and life. Guest speakers will also talk about Washington’s Ten Year Early Learning Plan. Leadership topics will also cover project management, community engagement, and other topics that the cohort decides to focus on.

Q: I live outside of Washington, can I still apply?

A: Because our mission and work takes place in Washington state we are only accepting in-state applications. If you currently live outside of Washington, but are planning on relocating before the start of the program year please indicate this in your cover letter.

Q: I live in a small town in Washington, can I still participate?
A: YES! We want people from all over Washington to participate. You will need access to email, a computer, and phone to take part in certain parts of the program. Many public libraries offer free computer and internet access. We can also help with travel cost for the two in-person meetings.

Q: I see you are providing a stipend, is the stipend for personal use?
A: No, the stipend is for Fellows to carry out a project that directly serves children and families. It can be used to pay for expenses related to the project, such as staff time, supplies, child care, interpreters, food, etc.

Q: What sort of early learning projects are allowed?
A: Projects must directly serve children and families in Washington state. The project needs to be completed by the end of the program year--think about scale and manageability. Ideas for projects: a literacy night, health and developmental screening event (with a fun component to attract families), children’s concert with an educational goal—the possibilities are endless.

Q: I have a project in mind, but someone else will implement the project-- is this allowed?

A: No, the person who will carry out the project should apply. Remember this is a fellowship opportunity, not a grant request. We are more interested in the person behind the project than the proposed project.

Q: Is there a tuition fee to be a part of the Fellowship?

A: No, there is no financial cost to be a part of the fellowship. However you will need to dedicate time to take part in the leadership program.

Q: Do you have dates set for the meetings mentioned on the application?

A: No, we are waiting to see who is in the cohort and what are the best dates and times. Most of the conference calls will take place during the work day, however if there is a significant portion of Fellows who need to meet during the evening or weekend we will adjust the schedule accordingly. 

Q: I just learned about the Fellowship, can I get an extension on turning in an application?

A: No, applications are due at 5.00 PM on Tuesday, September 6, 2011. We know that people are busy, but we must stick to the scheduled application deadline.

Q: How did the Fellowship come about?
A: Several years ago SVP Seattle created a network map of the early learning sector. The network map was telling; it showed that the early learning sector is fairly isolated, limited in diversity of experiences and people, and the sector is aging. We also saw this as an opportunity to support our partners at Washington Department of Early Learning and helping to create tangible projects related to the Early Learning Plan. Through a partnership with Department of Early Learning and Washington Head Start and ECEAP Association we created the Early Learning Fellows program.

Q: I have more questions about the Fellowship, who do I contact?
A: Foundation for Early Learning is hosting two conference calls to provide more background and answer questions:
• Tuesday, August 23, 2011, 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. PDT or
• Thursday, August 25, 2011, 3:00 – 3:30 p.m. PDT

UPDATE: As requested an additional conference call has been added for Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.
The conference call phone number: 1.866.516.3949, passcode: 7584617#. An RSVP to erin@earlylearning.org is appreciated but not necessary.

Or you can contact Erin Okuno, erin@earlylearning.org, 206.525.4801, x 23, or Sarah Borgida, sarah@earlylearning.org, 206.525.4801, x 28.

Look out Seattle! Back to School is having a come back--Foundation for Early Learning’s Early Learning Community Fair is coming to town and even across Washington State! There will be contests, prizes, fun activities, free books, and free resources for back to school readiness! Come to the fair launch on August 13^th at 2410 East Cherry Street, Seattle, WA 98122. Not in Seattle? Check this map to find a fair near you: http://bit.ly/qkBKC8

This will be my first time hosting a booth at the Educational Resource Fair with the Foundation gang—and I’m excited! It’s not too often I have the opportunity to work directly with children and families. Growing up I was always excited to go back to school and to gather all the supplies I needed. Early Learning Community Fairs are a fun and interactive way to support and reach out to families and children to prepare for school! So I’m eager to help children get ready for school. Come join the back to school readiness excitement.

Check out our Facebook and like us for more updates and details!

http://www.facebook.com/fdnforearlylearning

Tell Me a Story

Tell Me a Story is an interactive story time wiki on the King County Library System Parenting web page.  Parents, childcare providers and teachers can access Tell Me a Story from anywhere in the world. On this web page, you will find links to filmed fingerplays, songs, rhymes and sample story times at your local library. 

So what’s the big deal about fingerplays, rhymes and songs? I’m sure you know the answer to that question!  It’s a fun and engaging way to interact with children to develop the early literacy skills they need in order to be ready to read and learn. Fingerplays and songs are a great way to explore word play, rhyming, vocabulary and build awareness in the child that words are made up of smaller sounds.  

Filmed rhymes and songs on Tell Me a Story are arranged by themes and alphabetically. Each rhyme is linked to individual videos, which are filmed by children’s librarians. Children’s librarians at each library link rhymes and books from their story times to the main Tell Me a Story page. 

Another feature of Tell Me a Story is a map to all 46 King County Libraries. Clicking on a specific library leads to the story times at that library. Children’s librarians working at that community library are listed there, along with the kind of story times offered (such as infant, toddler, preschool). 

Adults who attend story time use Tell Me a Story as a follow-up to their visit, and families who have a hard time attending a physical story time have a wealth of fun, engaging and educational resources to use with their children.  For more information please contact Cecilia McGowan, Coordinator of Children’s Services at 425.369.3320 or cmcgowan@kcls.org. 

Most of us know that reading to children is important. But how we read to children is also important. When most adults share a book with a preschooler, they read and the child listens. However, with dialogic reading, the adult helps the child become the teller of the story. The adult becomes the listener, the questioner, the audience for the child.

An article by Reading Rockets notes “children who have been read to dialogically are substantially ahead of children who have been read to traditionally on tests of language development. Children can jump ahead by several months in just a few weeks of dialogic reading.”

Here are some words from an Early Learning Public Library Partnership member, Carol Schuyler, as she talks about how her library encourages dialogic reading:

Kitsap Regional Library, as part of a Culture of Literacy Grant, has been doing dialogic reading training for parents during some of our story times. The titles that we chose this spring were David Wiesner’s Tuesday and Rosie’s Walk by Pat Hutchins. Our youth services librarians explained the techniques of dialogic reading to the parents, read the stories and then had the parents and children move into their own spaces to practice. Those who wanted to share their “new” stories could then do that. One parent, three weeks later, said that she never would have chosen Rosie’s Walk for her son, but that it was now his favorite book! We have continued grant funding for the fall and will be expanding the program.

In addition, with the same grant, we are working with an artist who specializes in early learning. We shared You Look Ridiculous Said the Rhinoceros to the Hippopotamus by Bernard Waber. It is now out-of-print. However, the concept is what two animals can be combined to make another animal even more “ridiculous.” After listening to the story, the children drew their new animals as an extension of the book. Their art work is at the ferry terminals, the hospital and the branch libraries. I have never been in the Bainbridge Island terminal without young children talking about the animals, either between themselves or with their parents. Imaginations fly.  

Today is the day to donate to Foundation for Early Learning and have your gift stretched by The Seattle Foundation's GiveBIG Challenge! Please donate on this special page of The Seattle Foundation's site.

Make a gift of any size to Foundation for Early Learning on June 23 from 7:00 a.m. to midnight through The Seattle Foundation's webpage dedicated to us! The Seattle Foundation and their sponsors will match a portion of all donations--stretching your gift even further! Your support will help ensure all children are healthy and ready on their first day of kindergarten!

Also when you donate, you may be chosen for the Golden Ticket. If so, choose Foundation for Early Learning as the recipient of the Golden Ticket's $1,000 additional donation.

It's going to be a BIG day!

Can we count on your support for the GiveBIG challenge on June 23?
 
Plan on rallying your friends and supporting your favorite charity (us!) as part of The Seattle Foundation's GiveBIG challenge--one of the biggest days of giving in local history!

During this one-day event, your donation made through this special link (Foundation for Early Learning's page on The Seattle Foundation's website) will be stretched even further by sponsors of the GiveBIG challenge. Your gift will make a bigger impact on early learning programs in Washington state!
 
Mark your calendar! Donate between 7 a.m. and midnight on Foundation for Early Learning's GiveBIG page. You can also like us on Facebook to stay updated.