Holiday Tunes

Singing, one of the five early literacy practices, is a great way for children to improve their phonological awareness. Songs help slow down language and let children hear the smaller sounds in words. This is really beneficial for children as they begin to learn to read. What better time is there than the holidays to make singing part of your daily routine? If you need a little inspiration, check out our extensive collection of holiday music.

I hope you and your loved ones enjoy a safe, happy, and musical holiday!

Nursery Rhymes: Creating a Solid Foundation

These days, it seems that reciting nursery rhymes is a little less commonplace than it has been in the past. This is unfortunate, since learning nursery rhymes has many early-literacy benefits for young children.

First, nursery rhymes expand children’s vocabulary by exposing them to a variety of words that are not used in everyday conversation. What a great, easy way to build your child’s vocabulary!

Through nursery rhymes, children also hear rhyming words, which helps develop phonological awareness. Research shows that children who know rhymes find it easier to learn to read because they are better able to break down the sounds in words.

In addition, most nursery rhymes follow a clear sequence of events. This helps your child start to develop narrative skills and learn the way in which most stories are organized.

Finally, nursery rhymes are so easy to repeat that they can, often times, be some of a child’s first sentences. Even when children are struggling to string together words to form a sentence, they can repeat a nursery rhyme that they've heard often enough to memorize.

If you’re just starting to introduce nursery rhymes to your children, start with shorter ones, like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” or “Baa, Baa, Black Sheep.” Make sure to be animated to hold your children’s interest. When your children start to learn the rhymes, let them help by stopping to allow them to fill in a word or line. Best of all, since nursery rhymes are recited, you can say them anytime and anywhere—in the car, at the store, while cooking, or before bed. Use your imagination and have fun!

Check out these books for some great nursery rhymes:
My Mother Goose
Will Moses Mother Goose
The Cat and the Fiddle: A Treasury of Nursery Rhymes
Mary Engelbreit’s Happy Mother Goose
Hickory, Dickory, Dock and Other Favorite Nursery Rhymes

I Love You Night and Day

A new picture book just arrived that pretty much melted my heart. I Love You Night and Day, by Smriti Prasadam-Halls is a beautiful declaration of unwavering, everlasting love. Besides the adorable illustrations from Alison Brown, there are a few things that make this book a winner.

First, rather than pictures of people in specific roles, like a mother and daughter who look alike, the images in the book are of a purple bear and a blue bunny. Because of this, the book has the potential to reach a much broader audience. It’s one that could be shared between a grandparent and grandchild, siblings, adoptive parents and children, or even friends.

Next, books that rhyme, such as this one, are great to share with your little one, as they help improve phonological awareness. This allows children to hear the smaller sounds in words, a helpful pre-reading tool.

Finally, the book features several different pairs of opposites that are great to point out and perhaps lead to a discussion about other opposites. Some of the ones in the book, too, aren’t ones that we hear every day and can help with vocabulary-building. For example: “I love you big, I love you tough, / When the path is smooth and when it’s rough.”

This book is a great morning, nighttime, or anytime reminder for your child. Enjoy!

Encourage a Breakdown...of Words!

Children who know that words are made up of smaller parts have an easier time tackling new words when they are reading. This allows them to break words into parts to sound out or decode them. Here are some fun, easy ways to help your child understand this concept:

RHYMING – Rhyming is one way that children hear parts of words. This aspect of phonological awareness helps them later in sounding out words. So, make up rhymes when you’re talking with your child. Play rhyming games. Read rhyming books. Encourage your child to come up with rhyming words on his own. Making up silly, nonsense words is okay, too, and will undoubtedly make it more fun!

SINGING – Songs are a wonderful way to build phonological awareness because there are different notes for different syllables. Babies are learning the rhythm of language, and young children are hearing parts of words. So, sing songs to your child. Listen to music. Teach your child songs that she can sing on her own. Sing often, sing everywhere, and don’t worry about singing on key!

CLAPPING – Though any type of clapping is usually pretty enjoyable for kids, clapping out words—one clap for each syllable—helps break down the words, improving your child’s phonological awareness. Clap when you talk, and clap when you sing. Have fun with it!

While, unfortunately, this is not guaranteed to prevent other types of breakdowns from occurring, it is one kind that you can encourage—even in public!

A Moose That Says Moo!

“If I were allowed to invent my own zoo, the first thing I’d have is a moose that said ‘moo.’” This first line of Jennifer Hamburg’s new book, A Moose That Says Moo!, sets up the silliness that ensues. From an ox acting as a short-order cook, to bears driving cars and pigs tap-dancing and singing, this book’s narrator shows off her hilariously wild imagination. If the words don’t do the trick on their own, the illustrations will surely leave your little one giggling. On top of that, the rhyming text throughout the book is great to help develop your child’s phonological awareness, since listening to rhyming words helps children hear the smaller sounds in those words. 

So, next time you’re in the mood for a book on the silly side, come check out this one. You won't be disappointed!

Play with a Purpose!

 

When promoting early literacy, the five practices are key—talking, reading, writing, singing, and playing. Playing is one thing that, as parents, you are constantly doing with your children. Thank goodness, too, because that interaction is incredibly important on so many levels. Even though play of any kind is beneficial, you can target certain areas of development by playing with a purpose in mind. Here are some ideas to reinforce different early literacy skills:

Phonological Awareness (hearing the smaller sounds in words): Play rhyming games with your child. Take turns thinking up words that rhyme with a chosen word. Or, play I Spy, giving clues like, “I spy something blue that rhymes with _______.”

Vocabulary: When your baby’s playing with a toy, use descriptive words to tell her what it is, how it looks, how it feels, etc. Hearing those new words will be a huge vocabulary-booster.

Print Awareness (knowing that print is everywhere and understanding that it has meaning): When you’re engaging in pretend play, make a menu for your restaurant or make labels for items in your pretend grocery store. This will help your child understand that the written words represent something else.

Letter Knowledge: Play with blocks of various color, shape, and size, and practice categorizing them. This will help your child when she starts trying to distinguish between different letters.

Narrative Skills: Act out stories together. You can even jazz it up by adding puppets or props. This is great storytelling practice for your little one.

Print Motivation (interest in/enjoyment of books and reading): Read a book using fun, silly voices. Your child will beg for more!

These activities are not only fun, but they’ll also help your little one prepare to read. So, don’t just play—play with a purpose!

Two Little Monkeys

From beloved author, Mem Fox (Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes), comes Two Little Monkeys, a story of two playful monkeys named Cheeky and Chee. The book begins with Cheeky and Chee playing together happily before spotting something dangerous lurking nearby in the tall grass. Luckily, the two little monkeys were close enough to a big tree to get farther away from the danger, a leopard on the prowl. The rest of the story tells of them hiding in the tree and leaping through the branches before finally escaping the leopard altogether. 

In addition to the exciting plot and cute illustrations, this book makes for a great read-aloud because of the repetition and rhyming that it has throughout. The repetition will help your child familiarize himself with the book a lot faster, and he’ll probably soon be joining in, finishing the sentences. In addition, reading rhyming books really helps your child hear the smaller parts of words. Being able to rhyme helps develop phonological awareness, or knowing words are made up of sounds. This is a great pre-reading skill. So, when you’re reading this book (or any rhyming book), make sure to really stress the rhyming words.

I hope you and your silly, little monkeys enjoy reading this as much as I did!

Sing Your Heart Out!

When was the last time you and your children had a good, old-fashioned sing-a-long? Now, even though I, personally, love to sing loud and often (something my family and friends don’t ALWAYS love…), I do understand that it’s not everyone’s favorite pastime. I will say, however, that the benefits of singing with your children might just make it worthwhile for those of you who wouldn’t otherwise be inclined to do so. And, luckily for us, kids are a very kind audience and don’t tend to be bothered by subpar vocal abilities.

 

Did you know that every time you sing songs with your children, you are helping them to hear the smaller sounds in words? This early literacy skill is called phonological awareness and will help them later when they try to sound out words as they learn to read. So, singing isn’t just for fun; it’s actually teaching your kids an important skill.

If you’re looking for some good, new kids’ music, I’ve got a couple of suggestions for you. We sing some really fun songs during our storytimes here at the library, and we’ve made a Storytime Playlist of our favorites. The playlist gives the song title and tells the CD’s name and call number, so you can easily locate it.

Another great place to find kids’ music is through the library’s new service, Freegal, which can be accessed from our eCollection page on our website. I’m OBSESSED with Freegal, and I think you will be, too. Freegal has millions of songs that are available for you to download and keep forever (yes, you read that correctly—FOREVER!). All you have to do is enter your library card number, and you’re able to download 3 songs per week to your iTunes account or whatever music program you use on your computer. There’s even a smartphone app that allows you to download songs straight to your phone. It’s amazing. Each library card number can get 3 songs each week. So, if everyone in your family doesn’t have a library card yet, you may want to take care of that!

It's time to get out there, get some new music, and start singing!

 

Hot Wheels

The wheels on the bus are burning rubber through the jungle in Jane Cabrera's new picture book version of this favorite song.

Singing is a fantastic way to help your child's language development because it stretches out words and makes it easier to hear the smaller sounds within them.  Try reading this story and then singing the song to see how your children respond to the slower pace.  Children are more likely to sing along with an adult (especially a parent/caregiver) than alone to music.  So, even if the rest of the world believes your singing should be confined to the shower or car, it's time to belt it out!

If you need a little help getting started, pick up a copy of our Storytime Playlist next time you are in.

Rockin in My School Shoes

Pete the Cat, the grooviest cat around, is back in his second picture book adventure and this time his shoes don't just change colors, they take him to different places in his school.  The book includes music to give you an idea of how the tune goes, and it will be stuck in your head in no time! 

Books that have a musical component are a great way to get your child used to hearing the smaller sounds within words.  This ability is known as phonological awareness and is important to your child's early literacy development.  Syllables within songs have corresponding notes, making it easier for children to understand that words are made up of different sounds.  Children who struggle with reading, often have trouble with this skill.  Pick up Pete's newest, and rock out while you read.

If a duckling grows and becomes a duck,

can a car grow and become...a truck?  Do You Know Which One Will Grow? is perfect for the perpetually inquisitive kids in your family.  The analogies and rhyming predictions will keep your young one guessing while the lift the flap format makes each page unique. 

Rhyming books that encourage children to guess the rhyme based on context clues are great for both phonological awareness AND comprehension.

Antsy Underpants

I admit, I'm feeling a bit antsy for the library's copies of Underpants Zoo to get here.  Brian Sendelbach, the author AND illustrator, is one of our regular storytime dads and he's created exactly the kind of silly story that toddlers and preschoolers will love. 

In a zoo where animals are sporting the wildest undies imaginable, the fun really starts when a large white pair becomes infested with ants, much to the owner's dismay.  This riotous rhyming book is ideal for reading aloud and is sure to become a family (and storyteller!) favorite. 

Brian will be at the library on Monday, May 16th to talk about how he created Underpants Zoo and to sign books!  Book sales will be provided by our friends at the Dayton Mall Barnes & Noble.

Robot Reading

...is a serious condition and everyone is at risk!  Its causes include, but are not limited to,  reading when your eyelids are threatening to slam shut, and/or reading when your child is likely to have a meltdown at any moment.  This type of reading lacks emotion or enjoyment and is dangerous to your sanity and your child's future reading success!  Here are a few tips to help you avoid this dangerous disease. 

1.  Read to your child when you are both in a good mood.  Your child will be more willing to listen to stories if you are enjoying them (i.e. not reading a picture book like you would an IRS instruction manual) and if the child isn't overly tired or stressed out.

2.  Reading to your child for twenty minutes each day does not have to be done all in one sitting!  Read for small increments of time throughout the day and you're both more likely to enjoy the experience.
 
3.  Find ways to liven up your reading with silly voices, puppets, or songs.

We've got number three covered!  As storytellers we try to accomodate your busy schedule and create opportunities for you and your child to enjoy lively storytimes together (especially if you don't have time during the work day to do so).  Beginning September 20th we will hold two evening storytimes each week that will incorporate music, rhymes and fantastic picture books for your child and provide you with a chance to meet other parents and learn a few storytelling tips yourself!

Monday @ 6:30pm Tot Tales -- for children ages 18-36 months and an adult
Tuesday @ 7:00pm Preschool Storytime -- for children ages 3-5 and an adult

For more information about our storytimes, check out: http://www.wclibrary.info/storytime/index.asp

Dashing through the snow...

...on a one horse open sleigh.  Oh wait, it's July.  It may be scorching hot outside, but I've got the tinkling sound of sleigh bells on the brain after playing with finger-bells this morning at storytime.   For just a few dollars, you can  pick up a package of bells at your local craft store and create your own musical instruments. Bells can be sewn onto strips of cloth or, for the domestically challenged like myself, tied to a loop of yarn. It can be worn around the finger, on the wrist or around little ankles. You can easily make enough to involve an entire class or play group in the fun.  So the next time you're draped over an air vent seeking refuge from the 90 degree heat, try playing musical bells with your children for a reminder of cooler weather to come. 

Get started by ringing your bells to Laurie Berkner's Chicken Song on her CD, Whaddaya Think of That?

An elephant sat on my tootsies!

Be silly with your children! Kids adore all things ridiculous and will love you no matter how off key you may be or how tragic your dancing skills are.  Singing rhymes with children, especially ones like Willoughby Wallaby, can brighten a boring day with some much-needed silliness.  Rhyming also teaches children to listen for the smaller sounds within words, a skill they'll need when they start learning to read.

Willoughby Wallaby wee, an elephant sat on me.
Willoughby Wallaby woo, an elephant sat on you!
Willoughby Wallaby wenna, an elephant sat on Jenna.
Willoughby Wallaby wed, an elephant sat on my bed!

Use the names of your family members or find funny things around the house to add to your song…try using the word "tootsies." It’s impossible to frown while saying "wootsies."

If you love Llama Drama…

…check out Anna Dewdney’s newest book, The Roly Poly Pangolin.

The first time I answered a question about a pangolin I was convinced the child was trying to say “Penguin.” I kept smiling patiently and saying, “Yes, we have penguin books.” I now know there is such a thing, and that it is not remotely related to a penguin. Never again will I question an insistent young scholar.

Dewdney’s book is another fantastic rhyming jaunt great for reinforcing phonological awareness. Most children who have a difficult time learning to read struggle with phonological awareness, or the ability to hear the smaller sounds within words. Enjoy rhyming books and songs with your child to help them develop this awareness!