Read * Share * Celebrate
“By reading picture books with children, we share other worlds, and even more importantly, we share ourselves. Anna Dewdney, Author of the Llama, Llama
November 1, 2016 (Helena, MT)—Around the world, schools, libraries, booksellers, and book lovers are coming together to celebrate the print picture book during the month of November. Now in its sixth year, National Picture Book Month is a viral phenomenon and was even featured on Oprah.com. Bloggers, book lovers, and educators around the world all have come together to celebrate the power of picture books in helping children to learn to read.
Lewis & Clark Library Youth Services Librarian Marissa Bazan explains the importance of picture books in early childhood education as an essential element in getting kids excited to read. “Picture books are magical. They encourage imagination and the love of stories. Not to mention they support the development of early literacy skills in our littlest community members.”
What is early literacy? Early literacy is everything a child knows before he/she learns to read. Libraries and librarians encourage caregivers/grownups to emphasize five early literacy practices: Play; Read; Sing; Talk; Write.
Children's book author, Mem Fox offers some wonderful advice for reading aloud to your child, what she calls her "Ten Read-Aloud Commandments:"
1. Spend at least ten wildly happy minutes every single day reading aloud. From birth!
2. Read at least three stories a day: it may be the same story three times. Children need to hear a thousand stories before they can begin to learn to read. Or the same story a thousand times!
3. Read aloud with animation. Listen to your own voice and don’t be dull, or flat, or boring. Hang loose and be loud, have fun and laugh a lot.
4. Read with joy and enjoyment: real enjoyment for yourself and great joy for the listeners
5. Read the stories that your child loves, over and over, and over again, and always read in the same ‘tune’ for each book: i.e. with the same intonations and volume and speed, on each page, each time.
6. Let children hear lots of language by talking to them constantly about the pictures, or anything else connected to the book; or sing any old song that you can remember; or say nursery rhymes in a bouncy way; or be noisy together doing clapping games
7. Look for rhyme, rhythm or repetition in books for young children, and make sure the books are really short.
8. Play games with the things that you and the child can see on the page, such as letting kids finish rhymes, and finding the letters that start the child’s name and yours, remembering that it’s never work, it’s always a fabulous game.
9. Never ever teach reading, or get tense around books.
10. Please read aloud every day because you just adore being with your child, not because it’s the right thing to do
Check them out on her website: http://memfox.com/for-parents/for-parents-ten-read-aloud-commandments/
Reading aloud to your child also helps prepare them for kindergarten and can be a fun way for families to earn prizes in the process. Join the Library’s free 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Club. Read stories, earn rewards, and help prepare your child for school.
It’s easy to do: simply read books to your youngsters and keep track on the log sheet provided. Read just 3 stories a day and you'll read a thousand books a year. The best part is that this is a multi-year program where every family reads at their own pace, and it doesn’t matter if your child likes to hear the same book multiple times, it still counts as reading aloud time.
Bazan explains that 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten “encourages reading aloud to children, from birth through age 5, to prepare them for school and beyond. Once parents and children reach certain goals, we reward them with incentives. When families reach 1000 books, we will celebrate with a party!”
Every child who signs up receives a free drawstring backpack and a folder of goodies for their grownup that includes program instructions, reading log sheets, and incentives. You can sign up at any of Your Lewis & Clark Library Branches in Helena, Augusta, East Helena, Lincoln, and on the Bookmobile!
In addition to the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program, Bazan encourages parents and caregivers of infants to preschool aged children to attend the Library’s early literacy programs. Books and Babies is designed for birth through 2 ½ and meets three times a week to enjoy songs, action rhymes, finger plays, and stories. Story Time is for children ages 2 1/2 - 5 years old and their grownups. Participants are invited to share the magic of picture books, puppetry, rhymes, stories, and songs.
For more information about National Picture Book Month, or to become an ambassador, visit their webpage at: http://picturebookmonth.com/. For more information on the Lewis & Clark Library’s early literacy children’s programs, log onto lclibrary.org and Remember, There’s Always Something Going on @ Your Lewis & Clark Library!
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