Building Blocks: Building a Parent-Child Literacy Program at Your Library

by Sharon Snow

Overview

Librarians can stay relevant in the twenty-first century when they build on those areas where they have excelled. Service to children is one of those, and a hot topic is emergent literacy, the earliest phases of literacy development. Because parents are a child's first teacher, they need to understand that children who enter school with a larger vocabulary are more likely to succeed in school and that they can offer experiences for their pre-school children to prepare them for school. This book provides six sessions for a children's librarian to use to introduce literacy skills to parents of preschool children. These sessions teach parents how to give their child an opportunity to explore and experience new things. Designed to be conducted in two simultaneous units, one for parents and one for children, handouts and activities are included. These are especially helpful for helping parents who will be able to make most of the teaching devices rather than purchasing expensive commercial items.

The hot topic for children's librarians building their pre-school programming is emergent literacy, the earliest phases of literacy development. A brief introduction to the research in emergent literacy and some examples of successful programs are given.

Because parents are a child's first teacher, they need to understand that children who enter school with a larger vocabulary are more likely to succeed in school and that they can offer experiences for their pre-school children to prepare them for school. This book provides six sessions for a children's library to use to introduce literacy skills to parents of preschool children. These sessions teach parents how to give their child an opportunity to explore and experience new things. Designed to be conducted in two simultaneous units, one for parents and one for children, handouts and activities are included. These are especially helpful for parents who will be able to make the most of the teaching devices rather than purchasing expensive commercial items.

This would be especially helpful as a training manual for solo children's librarians who must use volunteers to conduct the children's workshop.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781591584711
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/30/2007
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	112
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.23(d)

About the Author

Sharon Snow is the Young Adult Services Librarian at the Palm Springs Public Library in Palm Springs, California.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Libraries and Early Literacy: A Background
Chapter 2: Introduction to the Workshops
Chapter 3: Print Motivation: First Session Adult Workshop
Chapter 4: Print Motivation: First Session Children's Workshop
Chapter 5: Print Awareness: Second Session Adult Workshop
Chapter 6: Print Awareness: Second Session Children's Workshop
Chapter 7: Letter Knowledge: Third Session Children's Workshop
Chapter 8: Letter Knowledge: Third Session Children's Workshop
Chapter 9: Vocabulary: Fourth Session Adult Workshop
Chapter 10: Vocabulary: Fourth Session Children's Workshop
Chapter 11: Narrative Skills: Fifth Session Adult Workshop
Chapter 12: Narrative Skills: Fifth Session Children's Workshop
Chapter 13: Phonologoical Awareness: Sixth Session Adult Workshop
Chapter 14: Phonological Awareness: Sixth Session Children's Workshop
Appendixes
Index

Editorial Reviews

In this book, anyone looking to educate parents on the Every Child Ready to Read literacy skills, will find everything they need in order to do so. Included in this book are sample publicity letters, booklists, fingerplays and songs, and completion certificates along with lesson plans for each skill….It takes educating parents about literacy skills to the next level.” —Colorado Association of Libraries

“Attend any children's reading session at a public library and you will observe that the kids who pay the most attention to the reader are with their parents. The real winners are children who pay the closest attention because their parents are paying close attention, too. Whether or not they feel up to much more than passively sitting beside their children and listening, parents are young children's first and most influential teachers and role models. In response, practitioner Snow provides for both children and parents in this innovative set of programs, giving lessons and activities for six weeks of sessions on reading readiness. She covers print motivation, print awareness, letter knowledge, vocabulary, narrative skills and phonological awareness along with invitation forms, certificates, handouts and checklists for instructors and parents.” —Reference & Research Book News

“Because parents are children's first teachers, it is important that they be involved in their offspring's literacy experiences. This book, which was written by a public library YA librarian, describes a series of workshops to help parents teach their children literacy skills….This slim book provides a framework for public librarians to work with parents in support of their children's literacy development.” —Booklist

From the Publisher