True Story

Summer Reading Club starts on Monday, June 11th.  We are busy running around like Cinderella's dress-making mice putting the finishing touches on our bulletin boards, our craft plans and our program schedule.  It's going to be wild in here next week, but we can't wait!  Our club theme this year is Read: Happily Ever After, celebrating both the classic and retold versions of our favorite fairytales.

My all time favorite fractured fairytale is Jon Scieszka's True Story of the Three Little Pigs (If you're like me, and can never remember how to say his name, think Scieszka like Fresca).  His protagonist, Alexander T. Wolf, is the fairytale world's most famous smooth-talking sheister.  Pair it with a classic version of the story and see who your kids think is telling the truth!

Reading over the summer is THE best way to prevent learning loss and studies show that kids who participate in summer reading clubs maintain or improve their reading levels by the start of the next school year.  That's a true story we can all get excited about!

Schooooooooooooool's OUT. FOR. SUMMER!

Okay, almost out.  As you know by now I can't resist a catchy song lyric as a blog title.  Plus, it gets me in the spirit for my favorite event of the year: Summer Reading Club.  I love the smell of sunscreen that wafts through the building as kids stop in after a trip to the pool, and the pride on their faces when they turn in a list of what they've been reading.

This year our theme is all about heroes, of the local and super variety.  We'll be having crafts and programs throughout the summer centered around all things SUPER.  Kids get prizes just for signing up and we have a number of raffles and contests to keep them motivated.  One of the best ways you can prevent summer learning loss in your school-aged children is to make sure they are reading over the summer. 

If you have a baby or toddler, they can participate in the fun too!  In addition to an getting activity sheet full of early literacy tips, songs, and games you can play with your little one, you can also win free board books.  Join us starting June 6th! 

Me...Jane

You Tarzan?  No, you blog-reader-who-is-most-likely-tired-of-my-nerdy-introductions.  Thanks for indulging me anyway.  I promise this book is worth the corny 1930's movie reference.   Bound and illustrated to look more like a young naturalist's journal, this is much more than just the story of Jane Goodall. It chronicles her early childhood and the sense of excitement she felt when she discovered things about the natural world around her.  It even ends with a photograph of the real Jane and a chimpanzee friend.

This is a perfect picture book for nature lovers and anyone with a passion for exploring!  Try making a nature journal with your child and recording the observations you make around your neighborhood.  Using  exciting experiences like outdoor adventures to practice reading and writing with your child can help prevent summer learning loss.

Oops.

I joke that I have a Type A mother (I say it with love, Mom).  The woman does clean every week as if the First Lady is coming for a visit.  Teasing aside, I am very grateful that, despite being the oldest child and my mother's daughter, I never felt pressured to be perfect.  Sure, I erased holes into my school papers trying to get my letter "J's" just right, but I never felt terrified of making mistakes.  Barney Saltzberg fills his newest book, Beautiful Oops, with pages of mistakes.

Each one shows how an accidental tear, fold, spill or scribble can be turned into something fabulous.  It is important to let your children know that it's okay to make mistakes, and to let them do so.  Admit that even grown-ups make mistakes.  Show them that sometimes messing up isn't an "oops" at all if you take a closer look.  This is truly a beautiful book to own, and one that begs to be shared with the children (and grown-ups) in your life who need a little help seeing the beauty in an "Oops!" 

Storytimes are Risky Business

With the amount of parenting info in the media and on library shelves it’s no wonder that parents are often paralyzed with indecision when it comes to the emotional, academic and social well-being of their children.

An example of this overwhelming amount of parenting “advice,” reached out from this week’s newspaper and slapped me in the face: “Teaching reading before age 6 increases risk of learning problems.” The author goes on to make the statement that paying attention to women and doing what women tell you to do are the “two skills most essential to early academic achievement.” Your eyebrows are raised right?

His point seems to be that we are trying to pressure our preschoolers to become readers before they’re ready. I agree that this is not only unrealistic but possibly damaging (not to mention frustrating) for both you and your child. However, reading with your children and helping them develop early literacy skills by talking with them, singing to them and playing with them will help prepare them for academic achievement. It’s also fun.

Join us at the library for storytimes starting September 20th…that is if you’re willing to risk it.

I’m the Best

Well, not really. A painfully awkward adolescence cured me of that notion. But, many young children do struggle with needing to win every game, or wanting to be the best at everything. This can lead to poor sportsmanship and, quite frankly, too much pressure!

Lucy Cousins has a creative and colorful book to address this behavior in preschoolers called, as you may have guessed, I’m the Best. Clad in crazy plaid pants, dog is accompanied by a madcap group of competitive friends including a ladybug, a mole, a goose and a donkey. Help your child learn to balance self-confidence and an empathy for others.  Make a special time for sharing individual "bests" of the day as a family.  My dad, for example, was always best at napping.

Get Ready

Sixty-five percent of children in Montgomery County arrive on the first day of kindergarten without having attended any type of preschool program and/or having been in unlicensed childcare. The other forty-five percent of children either spent time in a public or private preschool, a licensed child care, or a head start program.  If your child isn't in preschool, don't give yourself gray hairs just yet!  There are things you can do to help get him/her ready for school.   Bringing your child to the library for storytimes and on days when we have crafts or programs is a great way to foster kindergarten readiness skills.


1. Storytime is a fun way to encourage your child to feel comfortable when he/she is separated from you. Parents also need this practice, not to mention a half an hour of blissful silence in which to do absolutely nothing.

2. Listening to a storyteller and playing well with peers will help build your child’s attention span and confidence.

3. Crafts and programs are designed to help your child practice socializing, sharing, and behaving in a group. Practice using glue away from your carpet and try out a pair of scissors away from the dog!


For more information on how to get your children ready, attend one of our Every Child Ready to Read workshops this month.

Talking to Grown-Ups

Let's face it, talking to grown-ups is a necessity.  Even I'd rather not do it sometimes, but that's why I work with kids.  This is an especially important skill for children to learn early on.  Part of preparing your child for school is helping him/her get comfortable talking to adults other than parents and family members.

The library is the perfect place to practice! Let your child ask the questions. Don’t feel the need to hurry your child; we are fully prepared to be patient while he or she articulates a question. We do our best to work with young children in a way that is warm and supportive so that they walk away with just the right book and a sense of self-confidence. 

Question we love to answer: How many books can you check out?
Answer: 100! (Cue squeals of surprise and delight)