Early Literacy:
Getting Little Ones
Ready to Read
What do talking, reading, writing, singing,
and playing have in common? They are
five easy things to do with a child to
help them build the skills they need to
become a reader. The Every Child Ready
to Read program, established by the
Association for Library Service to Children
in 2004, highlights these five practices.
They guide librarians and parents in
pre-reading activities to help children
develop foundational skills and set the
stage for reading development, in even the
youngest child.
Library story times are designed to
incorporate these practices. Parents are
encouraged to build upon them at home
with their children.
Talking: Talking with children helps
them learn oral language, one of the most
critical early literacy skills.
Singing: Singing slows down
language so children can hear the different
sounds in words and helps children learn
new words and information.
Reading: Reading together develops
vocabulary and comprehension.
Writing: Children become aware that
printed letters stand for spoken words as
they see print used in their daily lives.
Playing: Play is one of the best ways
for children to learn language and literacy
skills. They learn about language through
playing as the activities help them put
thoughts into words and talk about what
they are doing.
Librarians carefully select story time
books that are engaging, with bright
colors or features that will capture a
child’s attention. Books that rhyme or
play with words also help children learn
how language works. Story time is not
28 FALL 2019 | WWW.SHAKER.LIFE
just for sitting and listening, it’s also for
singing, rhyming, and moving. Story
time librarians incorporate puppets, felt
storyboards, songs, and dramatic play as
tools to engage children.
The Library offers many ageappropriate
story time opportunities to
help get children ready to read.
Drop-In Story Times
at Shaker Library
Nestlings: ages birth-15 months with a
caregiver
10 am Mondays at Main Library
10 am Tuesdays at Woods Branch
Fledglings: ages 15-24 months with a
caregiver
11 am Mondays at Main Library
11 am Tuesdays at Woods Branch
Movers and Shakers: ages 2-5 years with
a caregiver
10:30 am Tuesdays at Main Library
11:30 am Tuesdays at Main Library
10 am Thursdays at Woods Branch
Family Story Time: ages birth-5 years
with a caregiver
7 pm Mondays at Woods Branch
No registration is required for story time
programs; however, groups of six or more
are asked to call ahead to check for
space availability.
Meet the Reference Staff
In addition to an extensive collection of
material available in print or online, the
Library boasts a staff of knowledgeable
and helpful reference librarians, all of
whom have a Masters in Library Science
and a particular area of expertise.
Whether by phone, email, or in person,
the reference librarians are available to
simplify your search. Visit the Reference
Desk for answers to your reading queries
or for recommendations on how to begin
your research.
Adult Services Librarian Rachel
Wilhoyte has worked at the Library
since 2014. She adores all things geeky.
She maintains the Library’s collections
of science fiction, fantasy, horror, and
mystery novels, and likes to read the
same. Her favorite book is It by Stephen
King. Other favorites include The Stand
by Stephen King, What Dreams May Come
by Richard Matheson, and the Inspector
Gamache series by Louise Penny.
According to Rachel, Shirley Hardie
Jackson, an
American
writer known
for her works
of horror and
mystery, and
the iconic
character
of Batgirl
influence
her reading.
She enjoys
watching
movies and
playing video games. Rachel also likes
to write short stories with paranormal
influences. She is currently working on
a book idea that is more general fiction,
and she writes a movie blog, What
the Flick (wtfmovieblog.wordpress.
com), which features the movies she
watches but focuses mainly on disability
representation in movies. When she is
not scaring up a good story, Rachel enjoys
gardening and cooking.
Pam Tidwell grew up in Seven Hills,
Ohio. Her employment has taken her
to North
Carolina and
Minnesota
where she
worked as
a business
librarian for
the University
of Minnesota-
Duluth. When
she moved
back to
Cleveland she
worked at Cleveland State University and
as a librarian for GE Lighting.
Pam attributes her love of reading to a
grade school librarian who introduced her
to the excitement of mysteries, and to the
many teachers she has had over the years.
She enjoys reading mysteries,
thrillers, historical fiction, and biographies.
Her favorite book is The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah. Other favorites she
recommends are Crooked Letter, Crooked
Letter by Tom Franklin, Power Down by
Ben Coes, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker by
Jennifer Chiaverini, Jade Dragon Mountain
by Elsa Hart, and Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens.
@ Shaker Library
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