2. Educators say:
Children learn to read in the first
few grades of school
Then, they READ to LEARN for
the rest of their education.
3. We say:
Parents are the first teachers
You have the patience, love, and hope to
teach your child.
Children love doing things with parents.
Children absorb knowledge all day long.
Every Day is
a Learning
Day
4. You have
already
started
helping
your child
get ready
Learning to read
to read.
begins before
children start
school.
5. Children become “ready to read”
“Teach your Baby between 4 and 7 years old.
to Read”™ was
sued by parents
and went out of No DVD, flashcards, or computer
the educational
DVD business.
can do what YOU can do to get them
ready to read—and you’ve already
started.
None of this is expensive to do.
6. Reading Research
Children learn to
hear, speak, and
Reading combines 6 skills that
imitate before they must be learned FIRST.
learn to read.
Hearing lots of words
Phonological awareness
teaches them lots of Print Awareness
words.
Letter Knowledge
When kids enter
kindergarten with Narrative Skills
some preparation,
they can absorb Print Motivation
Kindergarten skills
Easily. Vocabulary
7. Brain Research
Learning = making
connections between Adult
nerve cells in our
brains. Adult
Birth to six: millions
of connections are
made.
1/2 95% Adult
The brain can learn Adult
up to 7 new words a
day.
Birth
Age 6
8. Every Child Ready to Read: Five simple
practices help children
get ready to read.
Every Day
you can help your
child become
READY TO READ
9. “_________ came to the library today.
We’re so glad, we’ll shout ‘Hooray!’”
Your child learns
words from you
talking to him or
her. He or she will
understand many
words before they
say “mama” or
“papa.”
10. Giving your child
the ability to
express
themselves will
help them learn
English later.
12. Questions take
time to answer
Give small children 7 seconds
to answer. There are several
parts of the brain connecting for
an answer.
Let’s time 7 seconds.
13. Let’s start with a picture walk.
We’re going to meet the three little
kittens who lost their mittens.
A Picture Walk
comes before
reading a word
of the book.
14. Songs are a natural way to
learn about language.
Talent and a
great voice is not
required! Your
child will love
your voice.
15. This is the way we wash our mittens,
Wash our mittens, wash our mittens,
This is the way we wash our mittens,
Early in the morning.
This is the way we eat our pie,
Eat our pie, eat our pie,
This is the way we eat our pie,
Early in the evening.
In songs, each This is the way we say yum-yum,
syllable has a Say yum-yum, say yum-yum,
note and a beat, This is the way we say yum-yum,
which helps Every day at dinner.
babies hear
words.
16. Reading together with your children
makes a difference that lasts a lifetime.
Read anything:
signs, labels,
newspapers, mail,
plus books!
17. Let’s read the Three Little Kittens.
FYI
Nursery Rhymes and
Fairy Tales are easy
to tell. Make up your
own.
24. Make your home a learning zone!
Basic toys, cloth or board books, crayons, dolls,
stuffed animals, chalk, sturdy toy trucks and cars, a
few books, and some paper.
Your home can
be a learning
center to help
your child get
ready
to read.
25. Keep one room or corner of your house the place
to get away from tv, radio, and video games. Or
have Quiet Hour before bedtime—it will help your
Your Library
child get to sleep. They will have fewer
has lots of nightmares if they have positive thoughts before
books and sleep.
DVDs on
parenting.
Quiet
Please!
26. Your library helps children
get ready to read.
We have weekly
story hours at
most branches.
Bring a friend to
story hour.
27. Board Books are
The Library is full of books for you to
wonderful for babies take home and read together.
and toddlers. They
won’t last forever, but
they are lots of fun.
28. Check out children’s books based on songs
We have rap, pop,
children’s, Cajun, and nursery rhymes. + music CDs
country, classical,
Dancing with your kid is fun and tires them out!
folk, and world
music! Free to
borrow.
29. We have places where kids can color,
draw on computer screens, free craft
sessions, or write stories.
The Library has the
tiniest pencils with
no erasers!
Because you can
make mistakes at
the Library.
32. Come to future
Every Child Ready to Read classes
for parents and caregivers.
• Funwith Letters
• Fun with Words
• Fun with Science and Math
We also offer PrimeTime Family Reading Time, a
program for families with children ages 6 to 12, a
6-week program of free workshops with meals,
transportation, and rewards.
33. How do I get a Library card??
Bring a photo ID with your current
address to the Library to get a free
library card.
34. The New
Orleans
Public
Library
has been
promoting
reading neworleanspubliclibrary.org
since Hours (vary by location)
Monday through Thursday: 10 am to 7 pm
1896. Saturday 10 am to 5 pm
Friday: 10 am to 5 pm Main Library, Central City
Friday: 9 am to 5 pm King Branch
35. Thank you for coming!
Would you like to
spread the word
about Early Literacy?
Ask us how YOU can
help.
Notas do Editor
[Instructions for presenters are in brackets and red type. Additional background information for this workshop is included in the Every Child Ready to Read ® (ECRR) 2 nd Edition Manual and CD. For this workshop, have an assortment of age-appropriate materials (birth to age five) nearby to use during the presentation: board books, picture books, information books, music CDs, read-along kits, and other types of materials that parents can use to help their children get ready to read. For the interactive parts of the program have copies of the Three Little Kittens nursery rhyme, construction paper mittens and crayons for each child, three pairs of mittens, three plates, and a hat for mother cat. If you are comfortable using puppets, have a cat puppet that can talk about the rhyme and lead the singing. If you have puppets or flannel figures for the Three Little Kittens , have these available. This presentation includes optional slides for The Little Red Hen . If you prefer to use this story, substitute appropriate props, flannel board, or puppets. Choose one set of slides to use in your presentation, either for the Three Little Kittens or The Little Red Hen ; delete the other set.] Information to present and points to make to the audience are in black type. Consider your community and audience as you present the workshop. The workshop is intended to be flexible, so that you can modify the presentation. For example, you can substitute books and activities that may have special meaning for parents and children you expect to attend. Feel free to present information in your own words. [Presenter: Welcome caregivers and children and introduce the workshop.] Points to make We are happy you are here. We are going to have fun together while we talk about how to start getting your child ready to read. You will leave with ideas you can begin to use today.
Children learn so much from parents. You teach them to talk, walk, dress themselves, feed themselves, use a potty. And you are also teaching them lots about the world and language. Every day you can teach them a little bit that prepares them for learning to read.
Points to make From the time they are infants, children learn language and other important skills that will help them learn to read. Whether your child is four days old or four years old, it is not too early or too late to help him or her develop important literacy and pre-reading skills. Doing this now will make it easier for your child to learn to read when he or she starts school. Today, we are going to talk about the five best ways to help children get ready to read. They are talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. You can use these with children of different ages, and they are easy to make part of your everyday routine. Do not push your child. Do have fun with these activities so your child wants to do them again and again!
KG: This is optional, but I think that a lot of parents believe that spending lots of money on educational toys and computers will solve the problem. When they prove that a roomful of gizmos works better than bedtime stories, I’ll take the slide out.
Presenter: This slide shows the research on early literacy and the six skills. Our practices are based on how to encourage and develop those skills in a natural, daily one-on-one manner. Some mothers did the same things this last 100 years or so, without knowing more than it seemed like a good idea. Now, we have scientific evidence on how language is learned and how reading is learned. We also have heart-breaking statistics on what happens to kids who don’t gain the skills before school. Unemployment Drop Outs Low Wages
Points to make We are going to talk about five of the best ways to help children learn pre-reading skills and get ready to read. These five practices are easy to do with children of all ages. They can be done at home, at the doctor’s office, in the car, or anywhere you and your child spend time together. The five best ways to help your child get ready to read are: Talking Singing Reading Writing Playing Let’s have some fun with each one.
[Presenter: Use a simple rhyme to introduce each child. “ ( Child’s name) came to the library today. We’re so glad, we’ll shout ‘Hooray!’”] Points to make Your child’s name is one of the most important words he or she will learn. It is one of the first words your child will want to read and write.
Points to make If English is not your first language, speak to your child in the language you know best. This allows you to explain things to your child more fluently. Your child will be able to translate what he or she knows later, rather than having to learn both the concept and the English word at the same time.
This is one of the research findings. Baby talk doesn’t teach babies English/language. Slowly and simply in a special baby tone but in the right English teaches more words to kids faster.
Parents can be impatient with young children who don’t answer quickly. Do you want chocolate or vanilla? Do you need to go to the bathroom? Where is the cat? Did you see the car go by? Children’s brains are developing connections quickly, but the new connections need time to work. We
[Presenter: Using the Three Little Kittens , demonstrate the following so parents can learn how to take a “picture walk,” which is having a conversation about a book before you read it. Important: this is a picture walk; you are not reading the story but are having a conversation about it. Look at the cover. Point out the title and author. Talk about the illustrator. Ask children what they think the story is about. If children are in the audience, model how you would count the kittens on a child’s fingers and make the sound of a kitten. “ Walk” through the book, page by page. Talk about the characters and predict what might happen to them. Make a guess about how the book will end. Tell parents to talk about the meaning of words that their children may not know.] Points to make A picture walk is a good example of a quality conversation. A picture walk: T eaches a child to take turns in order to have a conversation. H elps children become familiar with how books work and are organized. G ives you a chance to introduce new words and what they mean. (Parent: “The kittens are wearing mittens. How are mittens different from gloves?”) P rovides opportunities to rephrase what the child says so he or she can learn more language. (Child: “Me do that.” Parent: “Yes, you have eaten pie. What is your favorite kind?”) Ex tends conversations to help children learn more about something. Helps children make connections to past and future events so they understand that language sometimes represents events that are not happening right now. (Parent: “Maybe we should make a pie this week. Where can we find a recipe?”)
Rhythms & rhymes help children learn more words—cat, hat, sat, bat, mat. Songs that tell stories and nursery rhymes are good songs for little ones. Sing songs in different ways: fast or slow, loud or soft. Sing songs again and again—repetition is your friend. We have a sheet of songs for you to take home. Points to make Songs help children develop listening skills and pay attention to the rhythms and rhymes of spoken language. Most songs have a different note for each syllable. This helps children break down words so they hear individual sounds in a word. This is an important pre-reading skill. Singing also slows down language so children can hear different parts of words and notice how they are alike and different. Clapping along to rhythms helps children hear the syllables in words, and it helps them practice motor skills. Singing also helps children learn new words and adds to their general knowledge.
Presenter: Suggest singing nursery rhymes and songs that tell a story. [Presenter: Use this slide if you used the Three Little Kittens earlier. Lead parents and children in singing “This is the way we wash our mittens” to the tune of “Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush.” If you have time, ask if someone could suggest a new verse. Example, “This is the way we cry boo-hoo, when we have lost our mittens.”] Points to make Singing helps children remember things for a longer time. Singing helps children hear the smaller sounds in words. Sing songs with rhyming words, silly words, and long stretched out words. Sings songs fast, slow, and over and over.
Points to make No matter what your child’s age, reading together with your child—or shared reading—is the single most important activity that you can do to help your child get ready to read. Shared reading is valuable because your child has your full attention, and you are enjoying the experience together. Shared reading develops a love of reading and an appreciation of books. Children who enjoy being read to are more likely to want to learn to read themselves. A child’s interest in reading is an important predictor of later reading achievement.
[Presenter: Model book reading with the group. Discuss the meaning of unfamiliar words. Talk about the shape of a mitten and how it is different than a glove. Talk about other words for “angry.” Use the “oral close” technique where you stop before a predictable word or line and ask children to chime in. For example, say “the three little” _______. Pause while children say “kittens.” Or “lost their” _______. Pause while children say “mittens.” Ask open ended questions at the end of the story. Examples: What made the kittens happy? What made them sad? Why were they frightened at the end of the story?] Points to make Reading together and talking about what you read: Increases children’s vocabulary and background knowledge. Helps children learn how books work and how written language looks. Gives them an understanding of how stories are organized—that they have a beginning, middle, and end. Encourages imaginative thinking.
Leave up while you read the book and practice discussion.
[Presenter: If you used the Three Little Kittens , give everyone a paper mitten and crayon. If you used The Little Red Hen , give everyone a piece of paper. Ask adults to write their name with their non-dominant hand. Ask how it felt. Point out that children need time and practice to develop the physical ability to write.] Points to make Reading and writing go together. Both are ways to represent spoken words and to communicate information or tell stories. Children become aware that printed letters stand for spoken words as they see print used in their daily lives. They see parents and others read newspapers, food labels, road signs, and mail. They watch caregivers write lists, jot down reminders, or make notes on a calendar. One of the first words children write is their name. This usually begins as scribbling. As children learn letter names and improve their motor skills, they begin to form the letters of their names. As children scribble and draw, they practice eye-hand coordination and exercise the muscles in their fingers and hands. This helps develop the fine motor control they need to write letters and words.
Activities by age: Babies: feel a pair of mittens, talk about color & shape. Toddlers: color & decorate paper mittens. Pre-schoolers: trace mittens onto paper & write their names—with help [Presenter: If you used the Three Little Kittens , ask children to write their name or initials on a paper mitten; have parents help their child if needed. Ask children and parents to draw a picture about the story and briefly discuss it. Have parents help their child write a caption for the picture. If you used The Little Red Hen , ask children and parents to draw a picture about the story, briefly discuss it, and write a caption for it.] Points to make Encourage your children to “sign” their name on their drawings. Even if this begins as a scribble, children learn that they can write something that represents their name. Later your child will write the initials of his or her first and last name and then the complete name. Ask your child to label parts of a drawing. This also helps children understand that letters and words stand for things. Give your child plenty of opportunities to draw and write. Talk to your child about what he or she draws, ask questions and respond to what your child says, or make up a story to go with the drawing. Children develop a knowledge of the purpose and meaning of reading through writing.
Kids playing with other kids often talk a lot! They learn the words for the toys. They use their imagination to re-name things. Foster Imaginative play: boxes, sticks, sheets or blankets for “Forts,” real or toy pots & pans, puppets, and costumes. Kids who are telling stories when they are playing are developing their narrative skills. Points to make Play is one of the best ways for children to learn language and literacy skills. Play helps children think symbolically: a ruler becomes a magic wand, today becomes a time when dinosaurs were alive, a playmate becomes an astronaut exploring space. Through play, children realize that one thing can stand for another. This also helps children understand that written words stand for real objects and experiences.
I have puppets to borrow for this part of the workshop—cat puppets. Involve the audience, especially children, in being the kittens. [Presenter: Use pictures, felt board pieces, puppets, or simple props like mittens and plates to retell the story of the Three Little Kittens . You could also do a “participation” story where each person or group retells part of the story, contributing one part at a time. This is fun and highlights the important skill of remembering key elements of a story.] Points to make Pretend play helps children think symbolically and develop oral language skills. As children play store or pretend to be an animal, they talk about what they are doing. They practice putting thoughts into words. Dramatic play helps develop narrative skills as children make up a story about what they are doing. This helps them understand that stories happen in an order: first, next, last. Make-believe also gives children a chance to act out real-life situations, work through worries and fears, and use their imagination to solve problems. Play helps children feel a sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. This motivates them to try new experiences and not to give up when something seems difficult .
Leave up while you practice re-telling the story: puppets, parent actors, flannel board, singing, reading it in a funny voice, etc.
Points to make You are your child’s first teacher, and your home is where your child begins to learn. You can make your home a great place to learn and help your child get ready to read. It does not take money to create special spaces where you and your child can talk, sing, read, write, and play. Here are a few ideas. [Presenter: Distribute the handout, “Getting Ready to Read at Home.” Referring to the handout, ask the group to describe places at home where their children read, keep books, write, and play. Make this interactive and emphasize that parents and caregivers do not need expensive toys or games to develop their children’s early literacy skills.]
Be sure to talk about the fact that the library has all sorts of information on parenting, health, job searching, home ownership, personal finances, hobbies. We are a place to get facts and suggestions. K. G: my optional slide. I think that we can encourage parents to set up some quiet place or time at home.
[Presenter: You can customize this slide by adding the name of your library or your library’s logo to the purple sidebar on the left. You also can replace the generic “library” photo in the sidebar with a photo of your library. The ECRR Manual includes examples of slides that have been customized to indicate where to place logos, photos, and information. Presenter: Use the following slides to reinforce the five practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing by briefly highlighting how your library supports each one. Have different materials, program calendars, brochures about services, etc. available. Customize what you say, depending on your audience and collections. ] Points to make The library has many materials and ideas you can use to talk, sing, read, write, and play with your child. It does not matter if your child is four days old or four years old, we have books, music, programs, and services to help your child learn language and pre-reading skills. Here are just a few examples.
[Presenter: This is an optional slide. You can customize this slide by adding the name of your library or your library’s logo to the purple sidebar on the left. You also can replace the generic “library” photo in the sidebar with a photo of your library. Add any of the following to the right side of the slide: a photo of your library, suggestions for books that parents and children can check out, or related information of your choice. The ECRR Manual includes examples of slides that have been customized to indicate where to place logos, photos, and information. (See Section II pages 3 and 4.) Customize what you say about this slide, depending on your audience and collections. Show examples of materials to children, parents, and caregivers.]
[Presenter: This is an optional slide. You can customize this slide by adding the name of your library or your library’s logo to the purple sidebar on the left. You also can replace the generic “library” photo in the sidebar with a photo of your library. Add any of the following to the right side of the slide: a photo of your library, a list of the types of CDs, book/CD combinations, and other materials children and parents can check out, or related information of your choice. The ECRR Manual includes examples of slides that have been customized to indicate where to place logos, photos, and information. (See Section II pages 3 and 4.) Customize what you say about this slide, depending on your audience and collections. Show examples of materials to children, parents, and caregivers.]
[Presenter: This is an optional slide. You can customize this slide by adding the name of your library or your library’s logo to the purple sidebar on the left. You also can replace the generic “library” photo in the sidebar with a photo of your library. Add a photo to the right side of the slide that relates to places at the library where children can write. Alternatively, use a photo of the library or a list of library materials that support children as they learn to write. The ECRR Manual includes examples of slides that have been customized to indicate where to place logos, photos, and information. (See Section II pages 3 and 4.) Customize what you say about this slide, depending on your audience and resources.]
[Presenter: This is an optional slide. You can customize this slide by adding the name of your library or your library’s logo to the purple sidebar on the left. You also can replace the generic “library” photo in the sidebar with a photo of your library. Add a photo to the right side of the slide that relates to places at the library where children can play and learn. Alternatively, use a photo of the library or a list of library materials that relate to play. The ECRR Manual includes examples of slides that have been customized to indicate where to place logos, photos, and information. (See Section II pages 3 and 4.) Customize what you say about this slide, depending on your audience and resources.]
Point out that the web-page is the gateway to 24/7 service. They can reserve books, renew books, request books. By books we mean all sorts of media. They can also access all of our online and downloadable services through the web-page. It can make using the Library much more convenient to do things online and come in to pick up.
[Presenter: This is an optional slide. You can customize this slide by adding the name of your library or your library’s logo to the purple sidebar on the left. You also can replace the generic “library” photo in the sidebar with a photo of your library. Add a photo to the right side of the slide that relates to an early literacy program for parents and caregivers. The ECRR Manual includes examples of slides that have been customized to indicate where to place logos, photos, and information. (See Section II pages 3 and 4.)] [Presenter: Mention the Parent Workshop that is just for parents and caregivers and helps them learn more about how to use the five early literacy practices to help their children get ready to read. If you have a Parent Workshop scheduled, give parents and caregivers the details and encourage them to attend.]
Encourage library card sign ups. Let parents know that they can get library cards for their children anytime.
The photo is a turn of the century image from the Main Library that stood at Lee Circle until the 1950s. It was one vast room with columns around the edge.
Presenter: Be ready with some NOPL volunteer forms for parents to fill out. Discuss coming to other workshops and helping with children or contacting community groups and churches about hosting an Every Child Ready to Read workshop or series.