Poem of the Day

Keep a Poem in Your Pocket
~Beatrice Schenk de Regniers

Keep a poem in your pocket
and a picture in your head
and you'll never feel lonely
at night when you're in bed.

The little poem will sing to you
the little picture bring to you
a dozen dreams to dance to you
at night when you're in bed.

So--

Keep a picture in your pocket
and a poem in your head
and you'll never feel lonely
at night when you're in bed.

Book of the Day

I love the book Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. If you have ever dealt with a child who is a picky eater, this is a must read for you both. Little Pea hates having to eat candy at every meal but can't have dessert unless he does. The humor is tongue in cheek, the text is simple and the illustrations are charming. It's new to our shelves and has been a popular choice among parents and young readers.

Early Literacy Strategies - Print Awareness

The third skill is Print Awareness. A child with print motivation is interested in and enjoys being read to. What can you do to help your child develop this skill?

• Use board books or cloth books and have your child hold the book.

• If there are only a few words on the page, point to each word as you say it.

• Read aloud every day – print labels, signs, menus. Print is everywhere!

• Let your child turn the pages.

• Let your child hold the book and read or tell the story.

• Hold the book upside down. See if your child turns the book around.

• Being familiar with printed language helps children feel comfortable with books and understand that print is useful.

Early Literacy Strategies - Print Motivation

The second skill is Print Motivation. A child with print motivation is interested in and enjoys being read to. What can you do to help your child develop this skill?

• Begin reading books early – even to your newborn.

• Make book sharing time a special time with just you and your baby or toddler.

• Let your child see you reading.

• Visit your public library often.

• Read together every day. Identify pictures, concepts and ideas as you read the book together.

It is important to remember that children who enjoy being read to will want to learn how to read.

Early Literacy Strategies- Vocabulary

Early literacy is what a child learns about reading and writing before learning to read and write. There are six pre-reading skills that are essential in order to learn to read.

Parents and caregivers play a major role in helping children develop these skills. The activities used to teach these skills also change with the child's age.

By the time a child is two years old, she can understand 300-500 words. What can you do to help your child develop vocabulary skills?

• Talk to your child about what is going on around you. As the child gets older, add conversations about feelings and ideas.

• When your child babbles or talks, listen and add details to what he says.

• Ask your child lots of questions, even if he can't answer you. The child learns that questions are invitations for response

• Speak clearly and in the language that is most comfortable for you.

• Read together every day. Identify pictures, concepts and ideas as you read the book together.

For a list of great books or for more information about the Every Child Ready to Read program, ask at the children's desk.

Young Writer's & Illustrator's Workshop

It is time for the 14th annual Reading Rainbow Young Writers & Illustrator's contest, brought to us be the great folks at KPTS. The children's library will host a workshop on Saturday, February 2nd at 10:30 am in the library meeting room. The workshop is designed to teach kids to compose a story. It is open to the public.

The contest is open to children in grades K-3. Each public television station hosts an area contest. First, second and third places are awarded and published. First place stories move to the next level. KPTS would like to see 500 stories from their viewing area entered this year. For an entry form or more information, contact the children's desk.

News

Hard to believe that January is almost over. One of my resolutions for the new year was to post more frequently. Maybe February.

Part of our January work is to look at our numbers from last year. We are very proud of the fact the we added over 1100 new titles to the shelves. We strive to keep a good selection of books available, both new and classics, fiction and non-fiction, so there is something to interest everyone.

Preschool story time started back up in January. We meet every Thursday morning at 10:00 am for stories, songs and crafts. We would love to have you join us.

Watch the door to the children's department. We will post upcoming library events as well as on Channel 5 and the Wellington Daily News.