“Picture books nurture kids in many ways. Not only do they expand a child’s mind by showing them things and situations they do not encounter in their world but they are designed to encourage interaction. Sharing a story, being drawn in and listening to the vibration of a voice is physically nurturing. It is comparable and just as necessary as holding a child in your arms and feeding it.”
Author, Leslie Helakoski
www.picturebookmonth.com
This popular children’s program debuted on November 10, 1969 and has helped millions of children learn letters, numbers, colors and much more while visiting Sesame Street.
The show is considered well researched and well written. Generations of children and adults know and love the characters and people from Sesame Street. Ratings are high and the program has been awarded the prestigious Peabody Award for excellence. It has also received dozens of Emmy Awards.
…brought to you by the letter L (for library!)
Learning to use language and communicate with the written word are critical skills that children acquire as they grow and develop. Reading aloud to children at an early age is the most effective way to help them attain these skills. Reading also stimulates children’s imagination and expands their understanding of the world. By helping our children develop strong reading skills at an early age, we are laying the foundation for their success in school and in life. ……rif.org
To succeed in school and life, children and young adults need ongoing opportunities to learn and practice essential skills. This is especially true during the summer months.
Many Americans have a wonderful image of summer as a carefree, happy time when “kids can be kids,” and take for granted the prospect of enriching experiences such as summer camps, time with family, and trips to museums, parks, and libraries.
Did You Know?
¨ All young people experience learning losses when they do not engage in educational activities during the summer. Research spanning 100 years shows that students typically score lower on standardized tests at the end of summer vacation than they do on the same tests at the beginning of summer.
¨ Most students lose about two months of grade level equivalency in mathematical computation skills over the summer months.
¨ Parents consistently cite summer as the most difficult time to ensure that their children have productive things to do. summerlearning.org
Be sure to take advantage of your public library. The Summer Programs for Children will run until the end of July. Schedules here or at the library.
Summer library programs for children start this week. Printable schedules are available here or ask at your library.
Tuesday, June 12 at Emily Taber PL in Baker County: Dream Big…Creative Crafts.
Thursday, June 14 at Bradford Co. PL: Family Movie Day 11-1pm
Thursday, June 14 at Union Co. PL: Games Large and Small
These programs are the start of a busy summer for children and the libraries. Remember to keep kids reading!
Teachers and parents are encouraged to use audio books because they are a great tool for building literacy.
Audio book Facts “…one of the most important reasons for increasing interest in audio books for young people is the research demonstrating that listening to audio books fosters reading comprehension, fluency, language acquisition, vocabulary development, and improved achievement.” …Book Links
“Audio books help children become better readers and develop a desire to read for themselves…”…Dr. Frank Serafini
Audio books are great for family listening on the road this summer—nothing ends the “are we there yet blues!” like a great audio book. Audio books keep everyone in the car entertained while also increasing literacy skills…families can even knock out a few of the titles on a kid’s summer reading list on the way to vacation.
Teachers and librarians report that listening to audio books helps children build better vocabularies. As new words are heard in the context of a story they become part of a child’s oral and eventually written vocabularies. Audio books also helps then to read with better expression.