Early Lit Bits

January, 2013

Issue No . 33

In This Issue

Teddy Bear Clinic

Nursery Nook

Music Minute

Learning with Crafts

Book Review

KDLville Early Literacy Play Spaces

Teddy Bear Clinic

Keep your favorite stuffed animal happy and healthy by bringing it to KDL for a quick checkup! This program features all the things your child needs to give her little friend a full health examination. Stethoscopes, X-Rays, tongue depressors and band-aids will be on hand.

Check the online event calendar for dates and times. For families.

Nursery Nook

Tony Chestnut

Tony Chestnut (Point to baby's toes, knees, chest then head as you say Tony Chestnut).

Knows I love you (Point to nose, eye, heart, then baby).

Tony knows, (Point to toes, knees, nose).

Tony knows. (Point to toes, knees, nose).

Tony Chestnut (Point to toes, knees, chest then head).

Knows I love you (Point to nose, eye, heart, then baby).

That's what

Tony knows.(Point to toes, knees, nose).

This is a quick little rhyme to say with your child to help him get familiar with the names of various body parts. You can download a free song version with KDL's music service Freegal. Just search for the song title once you log in with your library card.

Music Minute

Singing goes hand-in-hand with reading aloud to a child as one of the five practices that help children get ready to read and write. Many authors have created engaging, beautiful and educational picture books that are also set to music.

Author/illustrator Jane Cabrera has published some wonderful versions of classic nursery rhymes like Old MacDonald Had A Farm, Ten in the Bed and The Wheels on the Bus.

Sandra Boynton has created original songs in her fun and entertaining books like Dog Train, which includes a CD.

Check out this list for more suggestions of books that will have you and your child singing together!

Greetings!

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 to speak with one of our helpful youth librarians. We hope to see you soon!

Learning with Crafts

Wrapping Paper Tubes

Before you throw away those holiday wrapping paper tubes, keep these easy-to-make crafts in mind.

Light Saber: Wrap the tube with colored duct tape then wrap some black tape around the bottom to make a handle. Use small foam stickers to create on/off switches on the handle or just use more colored tape.

Fire Hose: Dressing up like a firefighter is even more fun when your child has a fire hose to put out pretend fires. Cut strips of blue crepe paper at random lengths from about 5" - 12". Tape the strips into one end of the wrapping paper tube. This is the "water" coming out of the hose.

Toy Car Luge Race: Cut the paper towel tube in half lengthwise. Tape one end to the back of a door so that the other end touches the floor. Place a toy car in each luge track and let them go at the same time. Who will win? Make a chart with the color of each car and tally the results.

Book Review

Andrew Drew and Drew by Barney Saltzberg

"Andrew was a doodle boy." In this engaging story, Andrew's pencil and imagination run wild while creating a kite, a dinosaur and many other unique creatures. This book is a delight, with flaps to lift and unfold on each page. As you read with your child, try to guess what Andrew's drawing will be before the flap is lifted. Create your own drawings in Andrew's style, starting with just a line. Try drawing a picture together, with your child beginning on one side of the page with a line, and you finishing the drawing on the other side. This book encourages conversational skills between you and your child, and also models a passion for creativity that you can extend long after the book is finished. Talking and doodling are both important skills to practice because they get your child ready to read!

Andrew Drew and Drew

Tech Tips

There is a heap of information and activities for young children to be found on the KDL website. The PLAY-GROW-READ! section of the KDL website can be found under the "Parents & Kids" tab. There you will find a goldmine of "Printable Activities".

From sequencing cards to puzzles to a rhyming game, there are many fun educational activities for young minds to explore. There are also some printable cutting pages that are great for developing fine motor skills. So the next time you are stuck inside on a rainy day, make sure to explore this great supply of early literacy activities created by KDL Youth Librarians.

Printable rhyming cards.