1. Read, Play, and Learn: Make Early Learning Interactive and Fun! Theresa Hadley & Mandee Manes

2. “The More We Get Together” The more we get together, together, together, The more we get together, the happier we’ll be. For your friends are my friends, And my friends are your friends, The more we get together, the happier we’ll be. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

3. Session overview and goals: Defining Early Literacy/Early Learning Every Child Ready to Read: Talking, Singing, Reading, Writing, Playing Public libraries have a long tradition of helping children get ready to read. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 How can public libraries support your work with children ages birth – 3 years?

4. Early Literacy = Early Learning because Children are born learning Therefore Learning to read begins at birth Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

5. Let’s examine what the research says. Children start to develop early literacy skills beginning at birth. Children who begin school with well-developed early literacy skills have greater success learning to read and generally have greater success throughout their school years. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2013

6. Reading = learning the code and understanding the meaning. Decoding Skills Noticing Print Knowing Letter Names and Sounds Recognizing the sounds that make up words (Phonics) Comprehension Skills Narrative Skills Vocabulary Motivation Not all skills are equal. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

7. Why Is Early Learning so Important? "The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school." - National Commission on Reading, 1985 About 85% of the human brain develops in the first three years of life. (Thrive by Five) 1 in 3 children entering Kindergarten is not prepared for school. “Change the beginning and change the whole story.”- Department of Early Learning

8. Five simple practices help children get ready to read. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 The Six Skills are now the Five Practices! Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

9. TALKING Children learn about language by listening to adults talk and joining in the conversation. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Use new words. Take turns. Make connections.

10. Let’s practice! Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 TALKING Group Practice: Take a Picture Walk Using the book provided, talk about the book! TIP: Remember, a picture walk is not reading the book, but talking about the pictures. TIP: Walk through the book, page by page, talking about what is happening. TIP: Remember to take turns talking!

11. Singing helps children get ready to read. SINGING Songs are a natural way to learn about language. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Songs break down worlds into individual sounds and syllables. Songs develop listening skills. Language is processed on the left side of the brain, melody on the right. Nursery rhymes and songs put those functions together.

12. Nancy Stewart: Sing With Our Kids Website Free stuff to make singing with kids fun and easy! Songs Ideas Printables Ideas for using books to sing: Books based on songs or using a beat can work magic on a restless group of children, and they are especially good for building language and early literacy skills. “Quite simply, children need music to fully develop.” -Nancy Stewart

13. Fingerplays and Lap Rhymes TIP: If you don’t know the tune to a fingerplay or lap rhyme, make it up! Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Tunes are catchy and movements help children to focus, and get the wiggles out! Many rhymes have the same tune! PRACTICE: “On My Toe There Is a Flea”

14. Reading is the single most important way to help children get ready to read. READING Reading together or shared reading: Develops vocabulary and comprehension. Nurtures a love for reading. Motivates children to want to learn to read. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

15. Tips for reading to babies and toddlers Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Be expressive, silly and make it FUN! Do not force it…but do not give up. Have lots of books around for children to encounter on their own. Keep reading FUN!

16. Dialogic Reading Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Involve children in the stories! Have a conversation about a book while you are reading it. Ask “what” questions. Build on the child’s answers. Ask open-ended questions that relate to their life.

17. Writing helps children get ready to read. WRITING Reading and writing go together. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

18. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Tip: Ask children to sign their drawings! Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

19. WRITING Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Partner Practice: Scribble, Narrate and Scribe! Decide who will be the 2 year old, and who will be the adult. The 2 year old will scribble/draw something. The adult will ask the 2 year old to describe what they drew. TIP FOR ADULT: Remember to ask leading/clarifying questions. TIPS FOR 2 YEAR OLDS: Remember that you have a limited vocabulary, limited world knowledge and may not like to talk/give details.

20. Playing helps children get ready to read. PLAYING “Play is serious learning” – Fred Rogers Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

21. PLAY Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 GROUP PLAY: Oh, A Hunting We Will Go by John M. Langstaff "Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn." - O. Fred Donaldson

22. MOVEMENT Group Movement: “Walking, Walking” Walking, walking, walking, walking, Hop, hop, hop. Running, running, running. Now we stop. Children who have little opportunity to explore and experiment with their environment may fail to develop fully the neural connections and pathways that facilitate later learning. - Hawley, T. (2000). Starting smart: How early experiences affect brain development. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Use books to move! Movement stimulates brain activity, and vice versa. Let’s move!

23. Library services are changing! Literacy skills are gained beyond reading books Appealing to and empowering parents Early Learning Public Library Partnership (ELPLP) Children who have little opportunity to explore and experiment with their environment may fail to develop fully the neural connections and pathways that facilitate later learning. - Hawley, T. (2000). Starting smart: How early experiences affect brain development. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

24. Public Library Resources Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Physical Collection Books Preschool Theme Kits, Baby Boxes, Early Literacy Kits Parent Teacher Resource Collection Music CDs Digital Collection eBooks Tumblebooks Storytimes and Class Visits Summer Reading Program

25. Talking and reading: We have books for you to take home and read together. Board books Picture books Wordless books Non-Fiction Picture Books Preschool Theme Kits Baby Boxes Early Literacy Kits Genre Books for the Very Young Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

26. Singing: We have music to borrow. Learn some songs at storytime and sing them all day long! Find the songs on the libraries’ websites and/or Facebook pages. Play nd Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

27. Writing: We have places where you can write. White boards Heat-sensitive activity wall panels Crayons, coloring pages and paper “Creation Stations” Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

28. Playing: We have places to play and learn. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

29. Storytimes! BPL: www.bellinghampubliclibrary.com/children Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Little Storytime Ages birth – 3 years with an adult partner Preschool Storytime Ages 3 - 5 years with an adult partner Time for Tales Ages 4 – 8 years with families welcome Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Baby Time Pre-walkers (pre-registration required)

30. Playing: We have places to play and learn. Pictures of Dodson Room and/or Ferndale Playdate. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

31. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Storytimes! WCLS: www.wcls.org/kids Toddler Time Preschool Storytime Family Storytime Play-n-Learn STEM Programs Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

32. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Theresa and Mandee’s Takeaway Tips Learning to read begins at birth. Parents and caregivers are a child’s first and best teachers. Early Literacy is developing the necessary skills to be ready to read. Those skills can be learned through talking, singing, reading, writing and playing. Developing early literacy skills should be FUN for children and adults. Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014

33. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Theresa and Mandee’s Takeaway Tips Model the five practices in everyday work and home life. Be silly and expressive! “Change the beginning and change the whole story.”- Department of Early Learning Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014 Content and fun is more important than a theme. Mess = Success

34. Play and Learn! BPL/WCLS All Staff Learning Day 2012 Contact Information Mandee Manes (Bellingham Public Library) Email: almanes@cob.orgalmanes@cob.org Phone: 360-778-7240 www.bellinghampubliclibrary.org Theresa Hadley (Whatcom County Library System) Email: Theresa.Hadley@wcls.orgTheresa.Hadley@wcls.org Phone: 360-384-3150 ext. 256 www.wcls.org Read, Play & Learn! Focus on Children 2014