Here is our October update for 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten!
Remember, if you have not yet registered, there are two ways to participate in 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten:
- You can visit a Library location to receive a paper log. Staff will take your information and provide you with a booklet to keep track of all the books your child reads.
- Or sign up on Beanstack to track books online, the Library’s online reading platform. Just create an account and log books as your child completes them. You can even download the Beanstack app to log books by scanning their barcode with your phone!
Literacy at Home
If you’re reading along with the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, you know how important it is to read every day with your child. But what if you can’t get to the library for new books this week? Or you left home to run errands with your little one without a book to read together? Never fear, opportunities to read are all around you!
The next time you’re out with your child, point out street signs and billboards. Read restaurant menus together; look at maps, notice timetables, brochures, flyers! Even things around the house or at the store like cereal and snack boxes make great bites of reading material. No matter what you read with your child, you’re building print awareness.
We talked a little bit about print awareness in our last post about writing - let’s explore it some more! Young readers with print awareness understand that written and printed text has meaning and can represent spoken language, like when a book is read aloud. They also understand that print can have different functions, from words on a street sign to words in a storybook. Text can even represent their own name! For a great article on the basics of print awareness, check out Reading Rockets’ online article.
Don’t forget that simply talking about what you see with your child is also a major literacy booster - it’ll grow and strengthen their vocabulary while you bond over sharing your observations, thoughts, and feelings.
Book Recommendations
What A Map Can Do: We love this fun introduction to maps, ideal for preschoolers. Maps show us where things are, how to get to where we want to go, and so much more! As a fun activity to do together, make a map with your child of their room, your house, or your neighborhood.
Runaway Signs: The two figures on the “School Crossing” sign run away from their yellow sign for a day and have an adventure! What signs do you recognize from being out and about?
Cars, Signs, and Porcupines: Another great book with lots of signs, neighborhoods, and things that go. It’s almost like a seek-and-find book!
The Numbers Store: A trip to the store can be perfect for exploring words and numbers. There are so many packages and boxes to read at the grocery store!
P Is for Pastrami: What are you ordering off the deli menu? From apples and bagels to yaprah (stuffed grape leaves) and zhug (a spicy green sauce), there are so many delicious foods to choose from!
For Caregivers
Reading for Our Lives Maya Payne Smart emphasizes pointing out words and objects as part of her TALK method for early literacy: Taking turns babbling and talking, Asking questions, Labeling and pointing out words, and Keeping conversations going at every opportunity. Offering “easy, immediate, and accessible ways to nurture language and literacy development”, there are tips, data, and encouragement for all parents and caregivers of babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond.
Library Updates
The next time you visit the library, notice and read signs, flyers, and event calendars with your child – there’s always something exciting to learn about and look forward to!
New this fall, SLPL is excited to introduce STEM Make & Play! This drop-in program gives kids and their caregivers a chance to build early STEM skills through hands-on experiments and activities; it’s best suited for children ages 2-5. Our family-friendly Live at SLPL performances return with music, dance, and theater, including the holiday favorite Nutcracker! You can filter our full calendar for storytimes, events, activities to suit your preferred branches, age ranges, and program types.
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