STARUsing the Sing, Talk, and Read philosophy for Baby Lap Time

What is Lap TimeA program for the smallest patrons (newborn to walking)Encourages parent child interactionsSpecially designed to foster developmental milestonesFocuses on songs, rhymes, bounces, and short stories

Why have a Baby Lap Time?Provides an engaging environment for new parentsOffers and provides resources on Early LiteracyMakes parents aware of their role in the education processPromotes the library and its resourcesHelps foster the parent-child bondDevelops life long library habitsModel best practices for early childhood development

What is Early LiteracyAccording to the organization Zero to Three, the definition of early literacy is, "what children know about communication, verbal and nonverbal language, reading, and writing before they can actually read and write." Early literacy encompasses the child's totality of experiences with conversation, oral and written stories, books, and print. Young children need a variety of skills in order to become successful readers. Specific early literacy skills become the building blocks for later reading and writing. Research indicates that children who enter school with more of these skills are better able to benefit from the reading instruction they receive when they arrive at school. Children who are read to from an early age have a larger vocabulary and better language skills when they start school.It is NOT teaching children to read!

The Early Literacy SkillsVocabulary, knowing the correct names for things, is an extremely important skill for children to have when they are learning to read. Most children enter school knowing between 3,000 and 5,000 words.Print motivation is a child's interest in and enjoyment of books. A child with print motivation enjoys being read to, plays with books, pretends to write, asks to be read to and likes trips to the library.Print awareness includes learning that writing in English follows basic rules such as flowing from top-to-bottom and left-to-right, and that the print on the page is what is being read by someone who knows how to read.Narrative skills, being able to understand and tell stories, and describe things, are important for children being able to understand what they are learning to read.Letter knowledge includes learning that letters have names and are different from each other, and that specific sounds go with specific letters.Phonological awareness is the ability to hear and manipulate the smaller sounds in words. Phonological awareness includes the ability to hear and create rhymes, to say words with sounds or chunks left out and the ability to put two word chunks together to make a word. Most children who have difficulty in reading have trouble in phonological awareness.Oral Language is the foundation of early literacy that includes listening, speaking and non-verbal communication.Background Knowledge or what children know about the world that helps them understand what is being read.

The Early Literacy PracticesSinging: Singing is an easy and enjoyable way to involve children in language. It helps children learn and remember new words and to hear the smaller sounds in words. Strong vocabularies and being able to hear the syllables in words are critical to helping children be ready to learn to read.Talking: Talking with children is an easy way to help them develop language and other early literacy skills. Conversations and storytelling with children introduce them to many new words and to story structure and help them better understand what they read later in school.Reading: Shared reading is the single most important way to help children get ready to learn to read. It teaches them new words, shows them how a book works, and introduces them to the printed word. Introducing reading as a fun activity helps to motivate a child to want to learn to read.Writing: Reading and writing go together. When children experiment with writing, they come to understand that printed letters stand for printed words. Being away of print helps them be prepared to learn to read.Playing: All of the practices above should be done within the context of play, but play is an activity in and of itself as well. Pretend play, dramatic play, sorting, doing puzzles-- these all help children develop skills that will make it easier for them to learn to read.

Visual begin trackinghigh contrast colorsCognitiveprefer human voicesprovide comfort/babbleMovementhand and leg controlgrasping/ opening and closing handsSocialcopy expressionssqueals with delight and selectively smiles

MilestonesBirth to 3 months

Milestones4-7 monthsVisualdistancecolorsCognitivegrabbingmoving items hand to handMovementsitting up/crawlingSocialreact to nounderstand tone of voiceimitate sounds/actions

Milestones8-12 monthsVisualis visually attentiveCognitivesortinglooking for hidden objectsmore dexterousMovementsits unsupportedcan use pincher grabcan standSocialobserves the movement of others

Lap Time ActivitiesHello SongsTicklesBody awareness RhymesBouncesShort StoriesShakersLullabiesBook Share

Resourceshttp://storytimesecrets.blogspot.com/

http://www.earlylit.net/storytimeshare/

http://www.mgol.net/

http://www.clel.org/content/online-resources-planning-baby-storytimes

http://libguides.dclibrary.org/star

My Typical Songs/ActivitiesHello Toes, how do you do? Im just fine and Im dancing tooWith a do do do do dodda dodda doIm just fine and Im dancing too!(knees, tummy, hands, neck, head)

Round and Round the Garden Goes the Teddy BearOne Step, Two Step, Tickle them under there!

Round about, Round about goes the wee mouseUp a step, Up a step, All around the house.

Eye Winker, Tom Tinker, Nose BlowerMouth Eater, Chin Chopper, Gootchie Gootchie Goo!

This is the way we wash our feet, Wash our feet, wash our feet, This is they way we wash our feetSo early in the morning.(knees, tummy, hands, neck, ears, hair)

Bouncing up and down in my little red wagon (x3)Won't you be my darlingOne wheel's off and the axle's draggin (x3)Won't you be my darlingJonnie has a hammer and he can fix it (x3)Won't you be my darling

The Grand ol Duke of York,He had 10,000 menHe marched them up to the top of the hill And he marched them down againAnd when theyre up theyre upAnd when theyre down theyre downBut when theyre only half way up Theyre neither up nor down

Tommy ThumbTwinkle Twinkle

ShakersMirrorsScarves

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