Purple-icious Programs for Toddlers vs. Preschoolers (Narrative and Print Awareness)

For our extension activity with the preschoolers, I put a drop of red and a drop of blue paint (and a dash of hand sanitizer for easier clean up) in a ziplock bag and masking taped them to the (child-level) windows.

During the preschool program, I also made and used my first ever picture schedule. Graphics below:



The "Drawing Story" was me drawing to "Grandpa's Glasses" as I said the rhyme. The "Puppet Story" was for Purple Hair? I Don't Care ... each child got a velcro piece of the puppet and added to my plastic pot. In the end, the kids closed their eyes while I put together the dragon puppet.

Quick Advice for the (Budding) Children's Librarian

As a librarian:

Join and BE ACTIVE in the American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/

Use, especially, the list making features on Worldcat.org: http://www.worldcat.org/profiles/MissHayleyMac/lists

Use Shelfari or LibraryThing to keep track of what you have read/would like to read:
http://www.shelfari.com/
http://www.librarything.com/

Learn about emotional intelligence and communication (e.g. active listening): http://learningemergingleadership.blogspot.com/2010/09/listening.html

Keep exploring and learning about technology: http://www.wired.com/

For children's librarians:
Join and use the ALSC and PUBYAC listservs: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/compubs/alsc20/alscdisclist/index.cfm
http://www.pubyac.org/

Keep exploring new ways to present programs while infusing Every Child Ready to Read tips and teaching/encouraging/recognizing parent involvement:
http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/ecrr/index2.cfm (URL to change soon)
http://www.earlylit.net/

Be familiar with child (brain) development: http://www.worldcat.org/title/rethinking-the-brain-new-insights-into-early-development/oclc/37178569?referer=list_view

Use a variety of storytelling skills/techniques: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0ByZSJgcQD22tMmMwNTE3MmEtMjFjMi00NjA4LWJlOTYtZDg1OThhZTM1NDQ2&hl=en
(See also the National Storytelling Network at http://storynet.org/ )

Make sure to REALLY serve all ages from birth to sixth grade. (e.g. Offer special "Tween" programs for 4th to 6th grade.)

Offer family programs for all ages and really mean and prepare for all ages.

Be conscious of your storytime themes.  Make themes as inclusive as possible.  (e.g. If I offer an exclusively Christmas storytime, my non-Christmas celebrating patron feels excluded.)

Be conscious of your activities.  (e.g. If someone with a special need dropped in, how could I modify the activity/rhyme?)  https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0ByZSJgcQD22tNGIzYTMxNDEtNmNiZC00YTU1LWE5YTEtNTEwMjQ3NzM5NWI5&hl=en&pli=1
(Try using picture schedules at all storytimes ... http://www.mayer-johnson.com/products/boardmaker/)

HAVE FUN during your programs!

Asperger's Syndrome and StoryCorps

At ALA Annual of this year, I caught the end of Dave Isay's presentation.  Dave Isay is the founder of StoryCorps.

I've found that I'm still thinking about this particular story in which a twelve year old boy (who has Asperger's syndrome) interviews his mother.  Here is the animated short.

I think about the questions he asks like, "Have you ever lied to me?" and "Was I the child you hoped I would be?"

I think about how his mother calmly responds, never skipping a beat: "You've exceeded my expectations ... You have made me grow so much as a parent. [I've had to learn to think outside the box, and I thank you for that.]"

In my personal life, I think about the people that I'm close to that face such different challenges than myself.

In my professional life, I think about the challenge of sharing stories and information with a group of developmentally diverse children.

I think about how by knowing and interacting with all those who are different from me, I have had such opportunity to grow as an individual.

"Minds, Brains, and Early Learning: How Infants Crack the Speech Code"

by Dr. Patricia Kuhl

Babies are born with neurons, but not connections.
6 months is really a key time in baby brain dvelopment.
At age 3, children have 3 times the amount of synapses than any other age.
At age 14, the neurons have been pruned to strengthen certain connections.
The brain does have critical learning periods where it needs the right information at the right time.

See Evolution of Language
Babies hear distinction in all sounds.  They are citizens of the world.  From 6 months to 1 year, before the baby produces these sounds, the brain is sorting these sounds out.  Mother-ease, the exaggerated "baby talk" we use when talking to babies is brain food.

Children with autism prefer non-speech sounds to the same frequency, human vocalizations/speech.

Learning opportunities in the first five years are critical for children of all social economic status.  Lower SES environments, however, tend to use less complex, less thought-provoking language, and more "do" and "don't" commands.

See NeuroReport journal.

MEG machines show that TV engagement does not equal learning.
This begs the question ... What is social learning turning on in the brain?
What is the social brain?  We know that cognitive aging is slowed by exercise and social interaction.  Language is a social affair

See the Department of Early Learning