I love this kid! How do we help our patrons to be this involved in literacy??
“An 11-year-old from St. Louis wants to celebrate black books and improve the literacy rate among other boys at the same time.
Sidney Keys III started his own reading club for boys called Books N Bros to show his peers that reading can be fun.
Continue reading 11-Year-Old Starts Club For Young Black Boys To See Themselves In Books
Don’t mess with the Book Pirates! The name sounds tough, but this organization has a great goal in mind, and works to promote literacy with kids.
This article from the LITA Blog introduces the “Book Pirates,” or as they are called in their native Germany, “Buecherpiraten.” The goal of the Pirates is to “use the combined powers of digital publishing and self publishing to empower children and young people ages 3 to 19 to tell their own story, in their own mother tongue.”
Kids (of all ages!) can make their own picture book with artwork and stories which gets published on the Book Pirates website. Then, the book is available for free download in first and second language of choice, and can be created into several different formats (tablet, regular book, etc).
It makes sense that this program has been very successful with refugee children. It provides a place to tell their story, which can then be read in their native language, as well as in their new language.
You can make your own picture book, become a translator, or just get more information by visiting their website.
This program was just too cute not to share with CMLE members! As you know, I am a huge fan of library outreach work; and that includes reaching into all areas of the communities we serve. Partnerships make that outreach even stronger. And this program is not only adorable, but a great example of partnerships outside the library!
Dr. James Thomas was invited by the Amon Cartner Museum (Ft. Worth, Texas) to do his program on language play for infants in their gallery. It was such a hit last year, they scheduled four events this year!
“Infancy is the time to begin with an awareness of language and books. During this program you will learn songs, how to share books, sign language, and ways to exercise with your little one to encourage language development. Each caregiver will receive a free CD of all songs and activities shared.” (more information on the program is after the break)
Do you have an idea for reaching out to a segment of your population? Would making some connections, and building up partnerships, help your library provide better service – or something really fun? Great!!
Let’s discuss your plans, and see what we can do to help out! CMLE Headquarters is here to support you and the work you do for your patrons; so let’s do some great things! Continue reading Library Outreach Example: Itty Bitty Art
Check out some really great book advocacy here!!
Have you ever seen a motorcycle group promoting literacy and reading? A group of bikers in Michigan did just that, to promote this book:
Continue reading The Infamous Ratsos: Bikers & Lessons on Kindness
The stereotypical animal that is often associated with libraries (and librarians!) is the cat. And here at CMLE, we definitely love cats. But dogs can be even more helpful when it comes to libraries, and reading in general, especially when it comes to teaching literacy to kids.
This adorable Tweet sparked our curiosity. Just how much do dogs help kids with their reading skills? We also wondered where else in our area might dogs be interacting with kids, students, books, and libraries?
First, we discovered just how helpful dogs can be when it comes to assisting kids with their reading skills. This article from Public Libraries Online shares research done that states, “Children who read to dogs improved their own reading skills in comparison to children who did not read to dogs, based on the results of the Oral Text Reading for Comprehension Test” and even “reported a greater enjoyment of reading than children who did not read to dogs.” When kids are able to practice their reading skills out loud to a patient, non-judgmental listener (like a dog!) their reading improves, and just as importantly, their love of reading grows!
The organization Reading Education Assistance Dogs (READ) Minnesota works with “registered therapy animals who volunteer with their handler as a team, going to schools, libraries, and many other settings as reading companions for children” in order to help kids with their literacy and communication skills. Their site explains ways you can help the organization, and even how to become a READ team with your dog!
For real-life inspiration, we found a few instances of dogs and kids enjoying reading together. This article from MN Women’s Press tells the story of Lesa Hobright-Turner and her READ dog, Murphy, and their impact on a little girl with ADHD. The Hibbing Daily Tribune featured this article about kids reading with dogs at Keewatin Elementary school. The Rochester Public Library has the program “Sit, Stay, Read” that takes place the fourth Monday of the month from September – November. Finally, the Two Harbor’s Public Library has a program “Read to a Dog” that takes place on Fridays, featuring Lucy the dog: 
We’re sure there are more programs out there, and would love to hear about them! Do you know of, or participate in, any activity that features animals helping kids with their reading? Let us know!