Blog

Foundation for Early Learning is delighted to feature a guest blog post from Eileen Simmons, Director at Everett Public Libraries, a member of the Early Learning Public Library Partnership. If you are interested in being featured in the Foundation's blog, please contact Joel Ballezza, Communications Manager at joel@earlylearning.org.

When my son was born more than 30 years ago we lived within ten miles of his paternal grandparents. He was their 13th grandchild, so you might think they would have been a bit blasé about the whole experience. But they doted on Patrick. He was the only grandchild who had ever lived so close, and because of that they participated in his daily life in a way that hadn’t been possible with any of the others. They babysat, visited, read to him, and played with him. The three of them had what I would call a mutual admiration society, and he remained close to them even though we moved away when he was seven.

Now I’m a grandmother, with a grandson who lives 3,000 miles away. I have been happy to realize that technology allows me to remain in closer contact than the miles between us otherwise permit.  My daughter-in-law keeps a blog, posting photos, new words, food likes and dislikes, and just general baby news. We also have the occasional video chat. At 16 months, he doesn’t yet know there’s a live person behind that image on the screen, but it’s fun to see him even so. They change so fast and learn so much when they’re little. Watching his progress via the Internet is better than the still photographs my parents had to make do with, and I am delighted all over again with every new blog post. 

I don’t know how this online relationship will change as he gets older, but I am hoping it will allow us to develop a closer relationship than we would have had otherwise. I’ll keep you posted!

-Eileen Simmons

Director, Everett Public Libraries

One of my favorite activities with my little guy is to share a book. He will wander over carrying a book, hold it up to me and say, “daa, daa,” which is his way of saying “please read this with me.” Here is a list of Ivan’s favorite books:

Freight Train, by Donald Crews
There isn’t a real story with a plot, cute characters, or talking trains, but it does have fun illustrations, a nice rhythm, and some neat words. Words such as freight, caboose, trestles, tank car, and gondola are not words that we use in every day conversation but thanks to this book Ivan is now exposed to new vocabulary.

Ten Nine Eight, by Molly Bang
I personally like books that talk about bedtime. I read them to Ivan in the hope that he will begin to enjoy bedtime and go to sleep easier. In this story we count backwards as an adorable little girl moves through the motions of getting ready for bed with her father.

Usborne First Picture Trucks, by Emma Helbrough
Ivan loves the larger format of this picture book. He pulls it out and flips through the sturdy pages while looking at the trucks.

Black and White, by Tana Hoban
This was Ivan’s first favorite book. He has since outgrown it but I still lovingly remember watching him stare at the pictures. We discovered his fascination with the pictures when he was an infant; once when he was fussy we pulled it out and held it up and he instantly calmed down.

Very Hungry Caterpillar, by Eric Carle
Ivan loves the holes in the pages. We often just play with the holes and talk about the foods that the caterpillar ate through. 

Chalk, by Bill Thompson
This is a book that I enjoyed sharing with Ivan. It is a wordless book that depicts a story of a group of children that find a bunch of chalk and the adventure that they create when their drawings come to life. The book is a regular picture book (not a board book).

Owen & Mzee A Day Together, by Isabella Hatkoff
This is one of the few non-fiction board books that we have in our house. The story is simple and the pictures of a tortoise and baby hippo are endearing.

Brown Bear Brown Bear What do You See, by Bill Martin
When Ivan takes this book to his dad they ‘read’ it by making the animal noises together. I like how they are able to find their own special way to share this book and watching to see how silly they get.

Going to Bed Book, by Sandra Boynton

Again I'm very partial to going to bed books. This one has a fun rhythym and some quirky pictures in it. The funniest part for adults is the animals excercising before bed, really that doesn't make sense, but to kids it doesn't really matter.

If you have some favorite books that you would like to share with me, please comment below. We’re always on the hunt for new and favorite books.

On April 8, 2010, our board, donors and staff of Foundation for Early Learning celebrated the organization's 10th anniversary. This birthday party was hosted at I-LABS on the Seattle campus of the University of Washington.

It was a joy to attend this event with current and past board members, early learning experts and supporters. We reflected on the Foundation's ten years of service to Washington State and talked about our plans for the future.

Co-Director of I-LABS and former Foundation board member, Dr. Andrew Meltzoff welcomed guests and provided a brief introduction to brain science. Dr.Meltzoff also highlighted the important advancements in the field of early learning being lead by I-LABS and partner organizations across Washington State.

I would like to thank all those who were able to attend this special event. Below are photos from this evening.

Week of the Young Child (WOYC) is a national celebration held each April highlighting the importance of caring for young children. 

Organized by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the celebration this year begins April 11, 2010. The theme for 2010 is Early Years Are Learning Years®.

How can your company or organization participate?

Foundation for Early Learning is offering free, 15-minute presentations during community and staff meetings during the month of April. To request a free, on-site presentation to your staff or group on simple ways to support the learning of children birth through age five , please contact joel@earlylearning.org. Limited presentations are available. Please contact the Foundation as soon as possible to reserve a date.

What is your organization doing for WOYC?

Share what your organization is doing to participate in Week of the Young Child by adding a comment at this link. Feel free to include links to upcoming events or other Week of the Young Child activities.

Reading and literacy run deep in my family. My mom works in a university library, my mother-in-law is an elementary school teacher, I work with a talented group of library directors and children’s librarians.

In our apartment board books litter the floor. ‘Little I’ thinks of books as an everyday object. On numerous occasions we have watched him pick up a book, hold it upside down, right side up, or any way he chooses and flip through the pages. Little I also attacks our (his parents) books and magazines. He will pick up an adult novel and flip through it to feel the paper and hard cover or he will grab a magazine and tear off the cover or chew through a corner. Many of my librarian colleagues say these behaviors are normal and it shows that he has an interest in print media.

Last night I was reading the NY Times and saw this fun story about a father and daughter that have read together for over 3,000 nights in a row. It started when the daughter was in the fourth grade and has continued on through high school. As I read the story I thought about how parents and caregivers can create this love of reading starting even younger.

Many parents read to their babies before bed, a wonderful tradition. What if we all did it with the same dedication as this father and daughter? As the daughter says in the story, “There’s nothing I’ve ever done with that consistency, not even brushing my teeth.” 

Can we start something here? A streak of reading before Kindergarten? Here is a challenge—there are about 2,000 days between birth and the first day of Kindergarten, what if we can get families to read every day to every baby for at least a minute every day?
 I know some people will say one minute is too little, but it is a start, one minute will lead to five, and then ten minutes. And every day for 2,000 days, can we do it? Let’s try! I know it won’t be easy, there are times Little I wants to run around rather than sit with me to read, but who cares I can still read to him as he throws his books, toys, and wanders away. Part of what I want to show him is reading is fun and we’re spending time together, even if it is just for a few minutes every day.

Chance Hunt, a librarian with the Seattle Public Library, once told me “when you read to a child, you have to give them your whole attention,” that is a great gift for any adult to give a child. So let’s try it! Let’s go 2,000 days reading aloud to a child in your life.

-Erin

Some good resources:
100 Books Every Child Should Hear Before Kindergarten, Pierce County Library System

The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease

Reading Rocket Family Guides, in English, Spanish, Somali, and Hmong

Reading Rocket Reading Tips for Parents
Available by age and in multiple languages: Spanish, Arabic, Traditional Chinese, Haitian Creole, Hmong, Korean, Navajo, Russian, Tagalog, Vietnamese

Ready to Learn, Ready to Read Brochure, Early Learning Public Library Partnership
English and Spanish