Welcome to the NYPL Early Literacy Blog! by Chelsea Condren, Early Literacy CoordinatorSeptember 6, 2018

Welcome to the official NYPL Early Literacy blog series! Get ready to take a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at the exciting, innovative early literacy programming taking place at our 88 branches across the city, get some insider tips from NYPL children’s librarians on how to incorporate early literacy practices into your home (we bet you already do it every day!), and come along as we explore all the Library and city have to offer you and your little ones.

For this first blog post, we're highlighting our favorite September early literacy programs at branches across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. We've asked the children’s staff to share their favorite early literacy tip with readers.

The Bronx

If you’re a resident of the Boogie-Down Bronx and Woodlawn is accessible to you, bring your little ones to come celebrate Eric Carle on Friday, September 14, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM. It’s the 50th anniversary of The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Woodlawn is celebrating with crafts and a read-aloud. Best for ages 3 to 5.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar CD cover

The wonderful children’s staff at Woodlawn, children’s librarian Rachel Hanig and information assistant Fatima Alam, don’t want you to miss this opportunity for an engaging early literacy program.

They say, "This program introduces days of the week, as well as the lifecycle of a caterpillar and butterflies. Use favorite books to talk about early science concepts!" 

We know your curious preschooler will appreciate it.

Manhattan

Over on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, St. Agnes is honoring one of the most special people in children’s lives, their grandparents! Sunday, September 9 is National Grandparents Day, and St. Agnes is celebrating on Saturday, September 8 at 10:30 AM. 

Join St. Agnes for a special storytime celebrating grandparents, followed by a light breakfast. Meet other grandparents in the neighborhood and participate in a simple craft. It’s for the whole family, and best for ages up to 5!
 
Our star children’s librarians at St. Agnes, Jessica Agudelo and Doug Varney, say, "We always like to encourage parents to get everyone in the family on board the early lit train. Meaning, anyone in the family who spends a significant amount of time with a child should practice reading, talking, singing, playing, and writing with them. It's a team effort, and will allow the child to grow up knowing the value of literacy and equate it with warm, happy memories with family."

Staten Island

We didn’t forget about Staten Island! The Dongan Hills branch is growing little learners every day and, starting September 18th at 11:30 AM, they will be delivering STEAM Storytimes! This is hands-on, interactive science, technology, engineering, art, or math for toddlers!

Read a story or two together and then do a simple experiment to learn more about the world around us. Registration is required, and the program is best for ages 2-5.
 
Emily Small, the incredible children’s librarian at Dongan Hills, has some tips for you to practice STEAM at home: "STEAM for little ones does not have to be complicated, it can be as simple as talking about why ice melts when it's in their cup, pointing out the different shapes and sizes of blocks as they play, or even letting them help in the kitchen with measuring dry ingredients for cupcakes. Opportunities for STEAM learning are all around us, it's just a matter of pointing them out and talking about them when they arise."
 
Even if you are not able to make it to one of these programs, we bet your local branch has something amazing to offer, so don’t forget to visit and meet the children’s staff. They are always ready with book recommendations, songs and rhymes, crafts, and play ideas, and they love to share their knowledge.
 
Finally, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out our other department blog, Inside NYPL Sings!
 

For those transitioning little ones into school for the very first time, we wish you lots of luck! Don’t forget to check out our website for more!

 
 
View all posts by Chelsea Condren