Enviado por: Sol López (Grupo 5) Artículo núm. 1 & 2

PLA Promotes Student Literacy

Library conference highlights programs for children from PreK–12
By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 4/1/2004
Parents of children who participate in early literacy programs at the public library improve their own reading skills, and as a result, significantly boost the reading levels of their kids. Moreover, attendance at these programs also leads to increased library use regardless of ethnicity, income, and education levels. That's the finding of a recent nationwide study of more than 1,800 parents and caregivers and 30,000 children under age five unveiled at the Public Library Association's (PLA) 10th national conference held in Seattle from February 24–28.
"The Early Literacy Project," a two-year study sponsored by PLA and the Association of Library Service to Children, also found that teenage parents and those with low education and income levels showed "impressive significant gains across the board," especially when it comes to reading to children 0–23 months old and gaining a better understanding of age-appropriate books.
Public libraries have also been instrumental in closing the digital divide by providing free, public access to computers and the Internet, particularly to those without access at home or work. "Toward Equality of Access: The Role of Public Libraries in Addressing the Digital Divide," a report released at the conference by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, says that 95 percent of libraries now offer Internet access, which is being used by 14 million Americans. In contrast, only 28 percent of libraries offered public access to computers in 1996.
This year's PLA conference drew a record 8,700 librarians, exhibitors, authors, and guests, and there were plenty of sessions dealing with emergent literacy, teens, and technology. Librarians packed a huge ballroom to hear Clay Roberts of the Seattle-based Search Institute speak about "New Directions for Serving Young People in Libraries." Clay, along with Carmen Martinez of the Oakland Public Library and Wendy Schaetzel of the Maryland-based Youth Activism Project, outlined ways to work with teens, develop community partnerships, and prepare library staff for serving young adults.
Carole Fiore, a youth services consultant at the State Library of Florida, and other presenters from state libraries in Oregon, Washington, and Maryland, spoke at the "State Involvement in Early Learning and Emergent Literacy" session about innovative programs based on research that proves the importance of early learning. And Kimberly Bolan Teney, author of Teen Spaces: The Step-by-Step Library Makeover (ALA, 2003), showed librarians how a little creativity and a lot of teen involvement can turn a drab room into a bustling teen center.
Some librarians were treated to a tour of the new Seattle Public Library, a nearly 363,000-square-foot building with a dramatic glass exterior designed by architect Rem Koolhaas. The library, set to debut in May, will hold more than 1.4 million books and materials and feature more than 400 public computers. A 275-seat auditorium, the building's centerpiece, connects the two main entry levels.

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Kids Just Wanna Have Fun

The best way to encourage early literacy is also the most amusing
By Renea Arnold and Nell Colburn -- School Library Journal, 2/1/2004
We think fun is a key word when it comes to early literacy. Learning to read is hard work for most children—and kids, like adults, enjoy things that bring them pleasure. So as professionals who work with young children, our job is to make sure that kids discover the joy of books. And one of the best ways to do that is by providing children with exciting, memorable reading experiences.
In the past two years, the Public Library Association and the Association of Library Service to Children (a division of the American Library Association) have joined forces with the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) to disseminate the latest research findings on how children learn to read. The research pinpoints six emergent literacy skills—the building blocks that kids need in order to learn to read and write successfully when they begin school.
The first essential skill is "print motivation," defined by NICHD as "a child's interest in and enjoyment of books." In other words, kids must be motivated if they are to become readers. In the future, we'll be writing about all six of the emergent literacy skills. But underlying all that we say is the notion of print motivation—all of the other skills are built upon it.
When we work with parents and caregivers, we encourage them to start with the youngest kids. We tell adults: surround babies with board books. Let them handle them, and don't worry if they chew on them. This is a baby's way of enjoying a book. Make a fuss over the books. Make book sharing a special time. At home or in a child-care center, the pleasure of being nurtured by a loving adult with a book in hand will encourage children to associate books with delight throughout their lives.
We also tell parents, caregivers, and preschool teachers to let kids know that you think books are special. Let them know that you love to read. Let them see you reading on your own. Take every opportunity to remind kids that someday they will know how to read books all by themselves. Take your child to the library and treat each visit as a special outing.
Then there are the books themselves. Choose lots of humorous ones, get everyone laughing. Use books that encourage kids to participate, books like Rod Campbell's Dear Zoo (Little Simon, 1982), Roberta Grobel Intrater's Peek-a-Boo,You! (Scholastic, 2002), and Michael Rosen's We're Going on a Bear Hunt (McElderry, 1989). Books like these draw young listeners into the storytelling and guarantee that they have a good time.
Below is a short list of our all-time favorite books to share with preschoolers. They are our favorites, of course, because they have been so much fun to read aloud, again and again over the 25 years we've each been working with children. They are books we couldn't live without (even though some of them, alas, are now out of print). We'll have lots more to say in upcoming columns about what makes a book work well with different ages of preschoolers. But in the meanwhile, remember to do what the early literacy research advises: make reading fun, and everything else will follow.
Author Information
Renea Arnold is coordinator of early childhood resources for the Multnomah County Library in Portland, OR. Nell Colburn is MCL's early childhood librarian.




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