Utah State Library Youth Services

The American Library Association will be releasing updated information about Every Child Ready to Read in the upcoming weeks and I thought it would be great to review Early Literacy skills before the new information is released.

There are six main Early Literacy skills that librarians can help parents develop to ensure a child’s success in reading: Print Motivation, Vocabulary, Print Awareness, Narrative Skills, Letter Knowledge, and Phonological Awareness. Today, more about…

Letter Knowledge: Knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds and recognizing letters everywhere.  This skill helps children understand that words are made up of smaller parts.

• Use shapes, e.g., foam, wood, with babies.  If they become familiar with shapes, it will be easier for them to see the differences between letters.
• Find and point out letters in different places: like the car, the doctor’s office, or the store.
• Teach children about favorite letters, such as the letters in their names or in words that they especially like (e.g. dinosaur or mermaid.)
• Make letters out of different things, like your body, yarn, playdough, etc.
• Read alphabet books with children 4 and up.  Remember it’s not necessary to read the book from beginning to end.  Let the child look at the letters that are important to him.
• Point out letters and words on book jackets and in the text of the book. Make flannel or paper letters that are related to the book or storytime theme to reinforce letter knowledge.
• “Letter of the Day” will help children remember and think about a particular letter throughout the day.  Choose a letter, and during the day find and talk about things that begin with that letter.  Give a letter to children after storytime to help them remember that letter.

The Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) recently revised the Competencies for Librarians Serving Children in Public Libraries. The Core Competencies are recommended for all children’s librarians and other library staff whose primary duties include delivering library service to and advocating library service for children ages 0-14.

You can bookmark the page, or follow the additional link to print off a .pdf file in black and white or color for easy reference.

Core competencies are extremely important to ensure children are receiving quality, professional service from their library.

Check out Naomi Bates’ LiveBinders site about creating Book Trailers. There are trailers for teens and children, along with sources you can use to create a trailer, royalty free music, and media converters. It really is a one-stop site for Book Trailers!

The American Library Association will be releasing updated information about Every Child Ready to Read in the upcoming weeks and I thought it would be great to review Early Literacy skills before the new information is released.

There are six main Early Literacy skills that librarians can help parents develop to ensure a child’s success in reading: Print Motivation, Vocabulary, Print Awareness, Narrative Skills, Letter Knowledge, and Phonological Awareness. Today, more about…

Narrative Skills: The ability to describe and tell stories.  Narrative skills develop as children have the chance to converse and tell stories.  Strong narrative skills will make it easier for a child to understand what he or she is reading.

• Parents can perform a play-by-play of their day with babies.  Narrate what is happening and what you are doing throughout the day.
• Tell children stories about what happened during the day.
• Encourage children to talk and listen with patience.
• While reading together with 4 and 5 year olds, ask the child, “What do you think is going to happen next?”
• Dialogic reading (talking about the story while you are reading it and pointing out details in the pictures) helps children learn narrative skills.
• Using flannel board stories and songs during storytime will enhance children’s narrative skills.  Children can help retell a well-known story or picture book.  Help children understand the sequence of stories, that stories have a beginning, middle, and end.
• Share with parents that asking children to retell stories will help them understand what they read.
• Give children plenty of time to respond to questions–at least five seconds or more.

Check out Weber County’s array of booklists for all ages. They have graded lists from Kindergarten to 12th Grade, a number of “If you liked…” lists and many more. Thanks to Jessica at the Southwest Branch in Roy for informing me about them!

Here are some resources and information about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I Have A Dream” speech given by Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington, August 28, 1963. Includes video, audio, and full text.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University, including the King Papers Project.

Information from Infoplease about Martin Luther King Day, including a biography of Dr. King, major events in the civil rights movement, and quotes from Dr. King and other civil rights leaders.

The Seattle Times Martin Luther King, Jr. website.

Reaffirming Equal Opportunity–Events sponsored by the University of Utah commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr. and advocating human rights.

ALSC has published their 2011 Notable Children’s Books list. There are very many great selections divided into younger, middle, and older readers. It’s a very helpful resource to check out!

Additionally, YALSA has a number of lists geared toward teens. You can check out Amazing Audiobooks, Best Fiction, Fabulous Films, Great Graphic Novels, Popular Paperbacks, and Quick Picks.