How words can be put together to communicate ideas and information leads to comprehension; talking with children is especially good at helping them think. Ensure your child can speak with you, not just listen to you talk. Respond to what your child says and follow their lead. Answer your child’s questions as completely as possible. Your explanations help your child learn more about the world.
If your child isn’t talking, ask questions, wait for them to react with a gesture or by babbling, and then give feedback, such as, “Yes, the two bunnies are chasing each other.” Ask your toddler to tell you about something that happened to them today; ask for more details so your child can expand on the story. Ask questions with more than a “yes” or “no” answer. This encourages your child to think about possible solutions and to ask more questions. It increases comprehension skills.
Use new words. Good readers have a large vocabulary. Knowing lots of words helps children better understand what they read. Begin early, even before your children learn to talk. Take turns. Children are just beginning to learn how to have a conversation. You need to ask questions and listen to your children’s responses. Make connections. Help children remember past events and connect them to current and future activities. It helps children understand that language can represent events that are not happening now.
Join our summer reading program open to all ages. Sign up!
Do you know about our Dial-A-Story? Call and listen to a story while on the go, waiting, or walking. Stories are available in English and Spanish. 530-298-9990.
Scribbling is FUN!
Reading and writing go together. Both are ways to represent spoken words and to communicate information or tell stories. Children become aware that printed letters stand for spoken words as they see print used in their daily lives. They see parents and others read newspapers, food labels, road signs, and mail. They watch caregivers write lists, jot down reminders, or make notes on a calendar.
Children develop a knowledge of the purpose and meaning of reading through writing.
Once your child can grasp a thick crayon or marker, give him or her unlined paper and plenty of opportunities to draw and write.
Talk to your child about what he or she draws, ask questions, and respond to what your child says. You also can make up a story to go with the drawing. As children scribble and draw, they practice eye-hand coordination and exercise the muscles in their fingers and hands. This helps develop the fine motor control they need to write letters and words.
Encourage your children to “sign” their name on their drawings. Even if this begins as a scribble, children learn that they can write something that represents their name. Later your child will write the initials of his or her first and last name and then the complete name.
Ask your child to label parts of his or her drawings. This also helps your child understand that letters and words stand for things.
Check out the Art bilingual backpack to explore scribbling, drawing and writing together!
Leer y escribir van juntos. Ambas son formas de representar palabras habladas y de comunicar información o contar historias. Los niños se dan cuenta de que las letras impresas representan palabras habladas, ya que ven que las letras se usan en su vida diaria. Ven a los padres y otras personas leer los periódicos, las etiquetas de los alimentos, las señales de tráfico y el correo. Observan a los cuidadores escribir listas, anotar recordatorios o tomar notas en un calendario.
Los niños desarrollan un conocimiento del propósito y el significado de la lectura a través de la escritura.
Una vez que su hijo pueda agarrar un crayón grueso o un marcador, déle papel sin renglones y muchas oportunidades para dibujar y escribir.
Hable con su hijo sobre lo que dibuja, haga preguntas y responda a lo que dice. También puedes inventar una historia para acompañar el dibujo. A medida que los niños hacen garabatos y dibujan, practican la coordinación ojo-mano y ejercitan los músculos de los dedos y las manos. Esto ayuda a desarrollar el control motor fino que necesitan para escribir letras y palabras.
Anime a sus hijos a “firmar” su nombre en sus dibujos. Incluso si esto comienza como un garabato, los niños aprenden que pueden escribir algo que represente su nombre. Posteriormente su hijo escribirá las iniciales de su nombre y apellido y luego el nombre completo.
Pídale a su hijo que etiquete partes de sus dibujos. Esto también ayuda a su hijo a comprender que las letras y las palabras representan cosas.
¡Mira la mochila bilingüe de arte para explorar garabatear, dibujar y escribir juntos!
Amidst a sea of gray clouds and freezing temperatures, early on the morning of January 16 the sun was not missed. Standing among hundreds of people armed with umbrellas, wrapped in brightly colored scarves, hats, and gloves united for a single cause, the warmth of the sun was felt in human form. The bubbling of voices grew and grew as more people arrived in the parking lot of Sacramento City College. Some with banners illustrated the iconic image of the day Martin Luther King Jr. gave his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. Others wore T-shirts with the words of the man and the reason we were all ready to march nearly 4 miles in his memory.
Amidst a hustle and bustle of presenters going up and down the stage and briefly presenting their speeches, I remember someone saying:
“They may cut all the flowers but they can’t stop the spring.”
As we marched, I could hear the lively laughter of the people around me amidst the blaring music. It was in those moments that I reflected on the rebellious nature of flowers and the inevitability of a vernal dream.
Martin Luther King Jr, the man who once dreamed of a future both free and equitable has not only passed that dream on to his people. But in his legacy, he has awakened a desire to watch, listen and learn among other peoples, like my own. So today, I invite you to do the same. Here are two great books about the life and dream of Martin Luther King.
Entre un mar de nubes grises y temperaturas congelantes, temprano en la mañana del 16 de Enero el sol no hacía falta. Parada entre centenares de personas armadas con paraguas, bien arropadas en bufandas, gorras y guantes de colores brillantes unidas por una sola causa, se hacía sentir el calor del sol en forma humana. El burbujeo de voces crecía y crecía entre más gente llegaba al estacionamiento del Sacramento City College. Algunos con pancartas ilustraban la icónica imagen del día en el que Martin Luther King Jr. dio su famoso discurso “Tengo Un Sueño”. Otros portaban camisetas con las palabras del hombre y la razón por la cual estábamos todos listos para marchar casi 4 millas en su memoria.
Entre un ajetreo de presentadores subiendo y bajando la tarima y brevemente presentando sus discursos, recuerdo que alguien dijo:
“Podrán cortar todas las flores pero no podrán detener la primavera.”
Al marchar, podía oír las risas vivaz de la gente a mi alrededor entre la música a todo volumen. Fue en esos momentos que reflexioné sobre la rebelde naturaleza de las flores y la inevitabilidad de un sueño vernal.
Martin Luther King Jr, el hombre que un día soñó con un futuro tanto libre como equitativo para su gente no solo ha transmitido ese sueño a su pueblo. Si no que en su legado, ha despertado el deseo de observar, escuchar y aprender entre otros pueblos. Así que hoy les invito a hacer lo mismo y les comparto dos libros sobre la vida y el sueño de Martin Luther King.
Martin Luther King escrito por María Isabel Sánchez Vegara ; ilustrado por Mai Ly
Yolo County Library, Washington Unified School District in West Sacramento, and the Winters Joint Unified School District have formed an innovative technology partnership to increase access to more eBooks and eAudiobooks for students. The unique collaboration strives to promote literacy and digital learning by combining school and library digital reading resources in one app.
Using the Sora app, students in Yolo County can borrow from their school’s digital collection of classroom and pleasure reading materials AND from Yolo County Library’s children’s and young adult digital collections. Students can easily log into the Library’s digital collection using the app and their student ID, rather than requiring a separate library card. Sora will automatically filter content to only include age-appropriate titles depending on each student’s grade level.
In addition, Yolo County Library provides TumbleBook Library for all Yolo County public schools. In Tumblebook Library, kids can safely browse and read books by their favorite authors. All books are instantly available, with no need to place a hold or check out. Schools can provide Tumblebook Library on their own website.
Dial-A-Story/Telecuento features children’s books, read aloud, for children ages 3 – 8 years old. Call (530) 298-9990 to hear a story in English or Spanish. Stories are available 24/7. Call from any landline or mobile phone.
The Dial-A-Story program is the latest addition to the library’s collection of early learning tools that help families cultivate a love of learning and reading in children.
To hear the story on the computer, go to the Library’s Dial-A-Story webpage. New stories will be available every month.
Sometimes we might wistfully say, “How great it is to be a child with no responsibilities and just play all day.” However, play is serious work for children. When they interact with others in play, their brains are constantly absorbing information at the speed of light. Play is a tool children use to learn how the world around them works. It is, in fact, a big responsibility for them. Here are some tips and ideas to encourage rich, learning interactions while playing with your child:
Unstructured Strategy
Play can be an excellent time to introduce new vocabulary and early literacy skills. However, be aware that children are already busy observing and absorbing information. You don’t need to make learning the only goal of play. Encourage learning and foster your child’s curiosity. For example, when playing doctor you can introduce the word stethoscope and pretend to listen to a heartbeat. Maybe your child wants to pretend to be a kitten instead. If so, you can adapt and allow your child to change the direction of play. I recommend Yolo County Library Storytime kits like this one, with books, toys, and puppets for your child to play with after reading a good story.
Sticks and Stones
As a child I owned several dolls and accessories – including a two-story dollhouse. I would, however, often abandon them to build tiny houses out of mud and sticks surrounded by a corral made of rocks piled up like the one around the corner in my neighborhood. Other times, I pretended to be a chef and “cooked” flowers and leaves that I cut from my grandmother’s garden. If your little one is more interested in your pots and pans than the newest trendy toy, your experience is not unique. Children learn best through play when we strengthen our connection with them and let go of the reins to safely explore their world openly. To start, I leave you with this book titled “Not A Box” written by Antoinette Portis for you and your child to play and explore with an object as simple as a cardboard box.
Adaptable and Fun
Finally, remember that play is just a door that opens to an infinite world of development and learning. How you decorate that door depends on your child’s needs, abilities, and senses. Therefore, play can be adapted in a myriad of ways and no one way is the only way to open that door. In short, play with us! I invite you and your little one to join us for a virtual or in-person storytime. Click here for a list of free Yolo County Library events.
A veces decimos: “ya yo quisiera ser un niño para jugar todo el día sin responsabilidad alguna”. Sin embargo el juego es un trabajo serio para los niños ya que cuando interactúan con otros en el juego, sus cerebros están absorbiendo toda la información constantemente con la rapidez que cae un relámpago. El juego es una herramienta que los niños utilizan para aprender cómo funciona el mundo a su alrededor así que para ellos es una gran responsabilidad. Aquí te comparto tips e ideas para fomentar el aprendizaje y enriquecer esas interacciones al jugar con tu niño:
Estrategia Sin Estructura
El juego puede ser una excelente estrategia para introducir nuevo vocabulario y un precursor importante para aprender a leer y escribir. Sin embargo es importante permanecer consciente de que los niños siempre están observando y aprendiendo. No es necesario, hacer el aprendizaje como la única meta del juego. Fomenta la curiosidad de tu niño.
Por ejemplo, al jugar al médico puedes introducir la palabra estetoscopio y enseñar cómo se usa para escuchar los latidos del corazón. Pero si tal vez a tu hijo no le interesa jugar al médico y en cambio hoy quiere pretender ser un gatito, posibilita a tu niño cambiar la dirección del juego. Utiliza nuestros kits de Storytime como este que además de libros también tiene juguetes y títeres para jugar con tu niño después de leer un buen cuento.
Piedras y Palillos
De niña tenía varias muñecas y accesorios para muñecas incluyendo una casa de muñecas de dos pisos. Sin embargo siempre abandonaba todo para construir casitas pequeñas de lodo y palillos siempre acorraladas por un corral de piedras amontonadas como el corral en la casa de la esquina. Otras veces pretendía ser chef y “cocinaba” con flores y hojas que cortaba del jardín de mi abuela. Si a tu pequeño tal vez le interesan más tus ollas y sartenes que el más nuevo juguete de tendencia, tu experiencia no es única. Es más, Magda Gerber postuló que los mejores juguetes simplemente no hacen nada. Reitero, los niños aprenden mejor jugando cuando fortalecemos nuestra conexión con ellos y les soltamos las riendas para explotar su mundo abiertamente con seguridad. En fin, te comparto este libro titulado “No Es Una Caja” escrito por Antoinette Portis que te dará unas ideas a ti y a tu niño para explorar con un objeto tan simple como una caja de cartón.
Adaptable y Divertido
Por último, recuerda que el juego es solamente una puerta que abre a un mundo infinito de desarrollo y aprendizaje. Cómo decorar esa puerta depende de las necesidades, habilidades y los sentidos potenciados de tu niño. Por ende, el juego se puede adaptar a un sin fin de maneras y ninguna es la única manera de construir para abrir esa puerta. En resumen, juega con nosotros! Te invito a que tu y tu pequeño nos acompañes a la hora de cuentos virtual o en persona en tu biblioteca más cercana. Haz click aquí para ver la lista de eventos.
Ramadan is more than abstaining from food or beverages during the day for those who belong to the Muslim faith. It is a time for contemplation and reflection that culminates in a great family celebration called Eid al-Fitr. This year Ramadan began on April 2nd and will end on May 2nd with the feast of Eid.
For celebrating or learning more about Ramadan and Eid with your little ones, here are some books about this festive month:
Follow Zahra, a Muslim girl’s sweet story about the important values such as sharing and kindness towards others that are rooted in Islamic traditions.
What Should I Read Next? Answer a few simple questions about what you like to read (or need to read) and library staff will email personalized recommendations directly to your inbox.
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We acknowledge that we are on the traditional territory and homelands of the Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation. For more information, please go to: www.yochadehe.gov
