meredithlatta – Fulton County Library System

5 Practices to Get Ready to Read

meredithlatta — Tue, 22 Sep 2020 19:44:56 +0000

Children are ready to learn as soon as they are born. Studies have shown that there are 5 simple practices parents and caregivers can incorporate into their daily lives that will help get Every Child Ready to Read®

Talking- Expand your child's vocabulary by talking to them throughout the day, exposing them to many different words.
Singing- Rhyming and singing slows words down and helps children hear different sounds and rhythms.
Reading- Don't stick only to books. Read everything you see including signs and labels to help your child understand the importance of print.
Writing- Even scribbling or making a mark helps develop the fine motor skills that will be needed to write and helps children recognize the letters they see.
Playing- Imaginative and make believe play provides an opportunity to use different words and to create a story or narrative of what they are doing.

Every Child Ready To Read® is an initiative of the Public Library Association (PLA) and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC).

Benefits of Bubble Play

meredithlatta — Wed, 16 Sep 2020 13:15:26 +0000

Babies and young children LOVE bubbles. I typically end my storytime by turning on a bubble machine and letting the children. While it is entertaining for me and the caregivers, it is also important for early childhood development.

Gross Motor Skills

Crawling or chasing after bubbles and trying to catch them helps develop the motor skills of babies and toddlers. This movement also helps children develop balance and body awareness.

Fine Motor Skills

By learning how to hold a wand and blow bubbles, toddles are using fine motor skills and working the muscles in their hands, mouth, and jaw.

Simple sensory play

Bubbles are an easy way to introduce sensory play to your child. They can see the iridescent colors of the bubble. They can feel them as they pop on their hands and bodies. Asking what they see and feel will help children learn how to communicate what they are experiencing.

Overall, bubbles are an easy and inexpensive way to interact with your child while preparing them for a successful future. You can even make bubbles with things you probably already have in your home!

Try these related books in our collection:

Don’t Forget to Sing! Benefits of singing with children

meredithlatta — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 15:43:16 +0000

Many people know the benefits of reading to babies and children but what about singing? I always start and end our storytime with songs. It is a great way to grab the attention of a group and get moving. Singing together exposes children to more words with can help increase their vocabulary. Songs can also help introduce the concepts of rhyming and rhythm. All of these things will help when a child is learning how to read. You can use a child's favorite song to help create an interest in reading. What is your child’s favorite song about? It is easy to search our catalog by topic to find related titles. Many of the best songs include signs or body movement. Moving and dancing helps develop motor skills and is a great way to get the whole family active.

The best part about singing with little ones is that it gives you another chance to bond with them. This is not limited to the bond between a caregiver and child. This can be a great way to include older children in interacting with younger ones.

Music Resources:

Freegal, our streaming music service, has plenty of music just for children.

Jbrary is another great resource that I use to learn new songs. The following link will take you to a list of song playlists organized by theme. https://jbrary.com/youtube-playlists/