Early Lit Bits

June, 2011

Issue No . 14

In This Issue

Theatrical Programs

Nursery Nook

Learning with Crafts

Book Review

KDLville Play Space

Theatrical Programs

What better way to bring stories to life than with drama? Cultivate Print Motivation in your child with one of our theatrical programs this summer: a wonderful mix of puppet shows, medieval street theatre, and interactive Story-Ramas. The love of books and an interest in reading are the foundation for future academic success, so be sure to check out one of these creative opportunities at your local library branch!

Nursery Nook

To Market To Market

To market, to market

To buy a fat pig

Home again, home again

Jiggety-jig

To market, to market

To buy a fat hog

Home again, home again

Jiggety-jog

Directions: This is another bounce. You can tip baby to one side on the line "jiggety-jig"

Bounce to the Beat: Bouncing baby while chanting provides an opportunity for baby to hear and feel the beat. This ability to keep a steady beat helps in using scissors, bouncing a ball, and even walking. Baby may be drawn to the steady beat due to its similarity to the heartbeat that baby experienced up close while in the womb.

Katie L. on Facebook!

Kent District Library's very own mascot, Katie L. is now on Facebook! Head on over and "like" her to get updates about her travels around the world and to find out when she might visit your local KDL branch!

Katie L.

Greetings!

The Kent District Library is here to provide you and your child with the skills needed to succeed in school and in life. KDL's Early Lit Bits newsletter is full of FUN and simple activities that will help foster that growth. For more information regarding the skills your child needs before he or she learns to read, visit the Play-Grow-Read section of the KDL website. You can also stop by any KDL branch in order to speak with one of our helpful youth librarians. We hope to see you soon!

Learning with Crafts

Re-telling a book is a great way to reinforce Narrative Skills with a child. Read the fun book Swimmy by Leo Lionni and then create some props together to help retell the story and get in the mood for summer activities. This Caldecott Honor book is the story of a little fish that shows his friends how they can overcome danger through teamwork. Start by creating your own ocean scene on paper. Many of the beautiful illustrations in this book were created through stamping. You can easily interpret this by making your own potato or styrofoam stamps. By cutting away a shape that your child has drawn on a potato or carving a picture they have drawn on a Styrofoam plate, they can use washable tempera paint to stamp their own original scene. Then you can either make fish with paper or double-up the activity with snack time by using goldfish crackers and gummy fish to represent the fish characters for the retelling.

Book Review

When a Dragon Moves In by Jodi Moore

Introducing a perfect picture book for summer! Readers young and old will find humor in this imaginative picture book. When a young boy builds the perfect sand castle, a dragon decides to move in. At first, the dragon proves to be the perfect playmate...the two friends fly a kite, frolic in the water, blow bubbles. Before long, the dragon starts to cause some mischief. The boy's family can't see the dragon, so the boy is blamed for eating all of the sandwiches and throwing dirt onto his sister. The expressive and vibrant illustrations add to the fun. Reading engaging books to your child is a great way to encourage the early literacy skill of print motivation. Creating a happy reading experience will motivate your pre-reader to want to spend more time looking at books and sharing them with an adult.

Dragon Moves In

KDLville Early Literacy Play Spaces

Visit the newest KDLville location at KDL's Englehardt Branch in Lowell! Like all KDLville locations, this play space features toys and activities that are designed to help your child get ready to read and write! Current activities include a play kitchen and restaurant, a puppet theater, multicultural dress-up clothes, I-Spy binoculars and more! Visit the Englehardt Branch or any of our other KDLville locations for free learning fun!

Miss Lynda and Miss Chris Celebrate with Katie L.