Early LiteracyEarly Literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually do it themselves. From the earliest experiences; babies chewing on books to your preschooler "writing" a grocery list for you, all literacy interactions are important. Parents and Caregivers - you are your child's first teacher.
You can help your child learn those important skills now so that they will be successful in school, and later in life. You can also lay the groundwork to show them that learning can be FUN! Don't worry about flash cards and programs. Instead, have some fun with your child and engage in activities that are fun, natural and relaxed like playing games, singing songs and telling stories. Your child will grow up associating pleasure with learning.
Researchers agree that children are more likely to become good readers if they start school with three sets of accomplishments:
For more information about the six identified Pre-Literacy Skills children need to develop into strong readers and what you can do to help, download a printable guide for parents from the Public Library Association (PLA) and the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) here.

This information can be found on the Born to Read website of the Association of LIbrary Service to Children (ALSC).
National Center for Family Literacy for suggestions on other family literacy projects
Reading is Fundamental for literacy information broken down by your child's age and including a section for the Whole Family. Also links to the new site Leading to Reading with interactive literacy building games, books, articles and advice to help you in your quest to raise a reader.
Zero to Three offers parents information on children's brain development, developmental milestones, early literacy, and choosing quality child care.
The New York Times Book Review recently profiled three new picture books about bears including Otto the Book Bear and Maudie and Bear. Whether they are of the grizzly, polar, or teddy variety, we love picture books about bears! Here are a few of our very favorite bear stories:

The world lost a revered author of children's literature when Russell Hoban passed away last Tueday at the age of 86. Although he wrote more than 50 books for children and was the author of several popular adult novels, here in the children's library he is best known for his Frances books. Bread and Jam for Frances remains one of the definitive books about picky eaters, and the entire series is worth revisiting for its gentle, funny look at the life of a young badger. Check out our collection of Hoban titles at the link below.
If you and your children have been enjoying the iPad mounted in the Children's Library, we have great news! The Children's Library now offers six Early Literacy iPad Kits to borrow.
The kits include an iPad 2, pre-loaded with librarian-selected apps and eBooks designed to stimulate early literacy skills. The kits also includes information for grown-ups on using technology with young children, research on appropriate amounts of screentime, evaluating apps for children, and a list of the librarian-selected apps.
The kits may be borrowed for one week by parents of children ages 2 to 5.
Click HERE for more information on our Early Literacy iPad Kits, the selected apps, and resources on using technology with young children. Did you know that certain technology and devices can enhance the learning experience for pre-readers? iPads offer a multi-sensory tool for engaging a child in a creative, collaborative environment.
Touchscreen technology....
Darien Library's Early Literacy iPads
Further Reading and Resources on Children & Digital Literacy
The Children's Library is now circulating six new Early Literacy iPads. The kits come pre-loaded with selected apps geared towards children ages 2 to 5. The apps were specially selected for their early literacy skill-building qualities. As we discover great new apps, we will update the iPad kits periodically. In the meantime, here is the current list of apps you will find installed on Darien Library's Early Literacy iPads:
ABC Pocket Phonics: a simply-designed app that reinforces letter knowledge. Children are encouraged to trace letter shapes and repeat the sounds.
Goosed-Up Rhymes: Not only will these Mother Goose nursery rhymes help young children develop phonological awareness, a key early literacy skill, but they are hilarious and entertaining for grown-ups, too.
Head2Toes: Rosemary Wells created the featured bunny in this entertaining, multilingual app. Children can sing along to Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes in English, French, Spanish, and Japanese.
Cat in the Hat: Dr. Seuss’ classic book is brought to life in this interactive app that reinforces print awareness and vocabulary-building.
eliasMATCH: A well-designed app that boosts memory and thinking skills, while also developing letter knowledge, number recognition, and vocabulary.
eliasPAINTS: A fun coloring app that inspires creativity. Children can choose from animal, alphabet, number, or object coloring pages.
PopOut! Peter Rabbit: One of our very favorite book-based apps. Children can listen to the narrator read this classic tale while also engaging with the interactive pop-up style illustrations.
Sorting: Early literacy skills are about more than just letters and words. This simple sorting and pattern-matching app encourages the development of basic mathematical and critical-thinking skills.
Moo Baa La La La: A hilarious iPad adaptation of the best-selling board book by author/illustrator Sandra Boynton. Children can read or be read to while learning animal sounds, and discovering hidden interactive features in this barnyard romp.
3 Little Pigs: A highly readable version of the classic tale that is also entertaining and interactive. Blow into the microphone to help the Big Bad Wolf blow down the pigs’ houses. Great fun!
Nursery Rhyme with Storytime: Classic rhymes like Jack and Jill and Three Blind Mice come to life in this highly interactive, music-filled app that supports phonological awareness and helps build hand-eye coordination.
Bee & Bird by Craig Frazier is a wonderful new wordless book. When the tall tree that Bird and Bee sit on is cut down, placed in a big truck and driven away, Bird and Bee are lost and must find their way home. Clearly, the two are great friends because Bee is always perched on Bird's head!
This is a fabulous laptime book to share with your baby. Bird and Bee are on every page and your baby will love finding and pointing to them. The graphics are amazing: the bright, vibrant primary colors with clear, uncluttered illustrations will delight young readers. Language development is effortless as you point to and identify the characters again and again.
This book reminds me that my 44-year-old son's first word was "bird." It could be your baby's first word, too!
-Samarpana Tamm
Did you know that you can borrow children's ebooks from Darien Library on your iPad with just a quick app download and a few taps? Bring your iPad into the Library and lets us show you how. We can load your device with great picture books, easy readers, and fiction for kids.
Can reading aloud to children limit tantrums? According to a new study in Early Childhood Research Quarterly, it can! Researchers found that toddlers who possess a spoken vocabulary at 24 months show an increased ability to later on control their emotions and self-regulate. The rationale behind the findings is that children who have the ability to verbalize their frustrations are able to more effectively control their own behavior.
And what time-tested method have parents and caregivers used for generations to help babies and toddlers begin to develop language skills? Reading aloud! So, stop by our Children's Library and pick up some Tantrum Stoppers... ahem.... that is, books.
These are questions that we children's librarians are asked almost every week. Parents, caregivers, and children will frequently come to us with a Leveled Reading list or instructions from their teachers to find books on the Guided Reading scale (this method of reading instruction, also known as the Fountas and Pinnell system, uses a scale from A to Z to indicate increasing levels of book difficulty.)
Since public libraries are organized and arranged to facilitate browsing, searching, and to inspire a lifelong love of reading, you won't find our Children's Library organized by the A to Z levels. So, how do you locate books that are appropriate for your child's reading level?
We pride ourselves on knowing great children's literature and enjoy making recommendations. We will usually begin by asking you or your child what kinds of books you've read recently and whether those books felt "just right" or not. We can help you find similar titles, ones that are a little harder, or a little easier.
For children just learning to read on their own, a great place to browse is in our F5 Learn to Read area. These books, also known as beginning readers, are designed to help newly emerging readers recognize common vocabulary, anticipate rhyming words, construct meaning through carefully placed illustrations, and build confidence.
For children who are reading independently but not quite ready to delve into Harry Potter, check out our Kids I Read section. Filled with popular chapter book series, these books help keep new readers engaged but not overwhelmed.
3. Use the Five Finger Rule.What is a level H or K or D anyway? What does it mean? It can be frustrating for both parents and children to locate books on their assigned Guided Reading level. Oftentimes, the Guided Reading lists given to parents contain titles that are out of print or unavailable.
One simple and effective way to judge whether any given book is too hard or too easy is The Five Finger Rule. Here's how it works:
Looking for more information on finding great books for your child? Stop by the Children's Library anytime or contact us at childrenslibrary@darienlibrary.org.