May is here with its blossoming trees and warm, elongated days that make for the most enjoyable bike rides. Did you know that May is National Bike Month? It's a great time of the year to encourage your child to learn how to ride a tricycle or a big-kid bicycle! Reinforcing literacy concepts with play helps your child prepare for independent… continue reading Break out the tricycles, May is National Biking Month!

By written by Kate E.    May 5, 2013    1  

• Music
• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

April is National Poetry Month! Sharing poems and songs with your preschool-aged children helps get them ready to read. Nursery rhymes and nonsense verse are especially great in the way they expand children’s imaginations, and tickle their funny bones. When you sing or say a rhyme, your child learns that words are broken up into… continue reading Preschool Poetry

By written by Sarah S.    April 8, 2013    2  

• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy
• Poetry

Something scary is creeping up behind you… Getting closer every day… It’s HALLOWEEN! And if you’re anything like me, you’re putting off costumes until the last minute. Get some great, super-easy ideas for kids costumes at Kidspot . Make fairy wings in minutes! A no-sew magician’s cape! And of course,… continue reading Halloween Treats

By written by Sarah S.    October 19, 2012   

• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy
• Halloween

Is your little one feeling sniffly and sneezy? Come check out some of these books, and you'll be sure to feel better soon! Bear Feels Sick by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman Poor old Bear wakes up achy and stuffy, and his woodland friends make him feel better with tea, lullabies, and their kind company. Pigs Make Me Sneeze! by Mo… continue reading Take Two Books and Call Me In the Morning

By written by Sarah S.    October 9, 2012   

• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

Did you know that May 23rd is World Turtle Day? Since 1990, the American Tortoise Rescue has designated this date to "bring attention to turtle conservation issues and highlightn ways each of us can help protect these gentle but jeopardized animals."  How about celebrating World Turtle Day with the children in your life, by… continue reading Happy World Turtle Day!

By written by Sarah S.    May 18, 2012    2  

• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

It may seem obvious – but wordless picture books are books with no words! Since there is no text, wordless picture books are a great way to share books with children -- you can even get your child “read” to you. Talk with your child about what is going on in the pictures -- describe what you think the characters… continue reading Fun With Wordless Picture Books!

By written by Rachel F.    May 15, 2012    4  

• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

Celebrate Children’s Book Week at Your Library Next week, May 7 to 13, is the longest running literacy initiative in the United States, Children’s Book Week . Every year, we celebrate the best of the best in children’s books.  Wondering what’s going on at your library? Check out your closest library’s page… continue reading Celebrate Children's Book Week

By written by Sarah S.    May 2, 2012    1  

• Childrens Programs
• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Books Aloud
• Early Literacy

You've asked for 'em, now we've got 'em: interactive, talking ebooks for children! TumbleBooks is "an online collection of animated, talking picture books which teach kids the joy of reading in a format they'll love. TumbleBooks are created by adding animation, sound, music and narration to existing picture books in… continue reading Introducing TumbleBooks!

By written by Sarah S.    February 8, 2012    2  

• Databases
• Digital Collections
• Ebooks
• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

One of the Free Library of Philadelphia’s best and brightest Children’s Librarians can be found at the Independence Branch at 18 South 7 th Street, a neighborhood rich in culture and variety. Margaret Bernardi is known for her great story times for preschoolers and other children, her creative flannel boards, and her expertise in… continue reading Preschool Spotlight on... Margaret Bernardi

By written by Sarah S.    January 5, 2012    4  

• Free Library Staff
• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

Calling all parents and caregivers! Want to learn some new techniques for fostering literacy skills in young children? Consider registering for the Books Aloud! program. This program offers a series of workshops which focus on the importance of early literacy. Each workshop is full of ideas and activities for sharing books… continue reading 2011-2012 Books Aloud! Workshops Have Begun

By written by Sarah S.    October 20, 2011    4  

• Pre K
• Books Aloud
• Early Literacy

Raising a Reader--Phonological Awareness Are you trying to raise a reader? One of the key skills young children develop on their way to reading success is phonological awareness, or the ability to discriminate between different sounds. When children hear and manipulate the tiny sounds (phonemes) that make up words, they become stronger readers.… continue reading Raising a Reader: Phonological Awareness

By written by Sarah S.    September 21, 2011    2  

• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

Are you trying to raise a reader ? Even babies and toddlers who can’t talk yet are learning skills that will make them better and more enthusiastic readers. By inspiring and encouraging imaginative play , your child is wiring his or her brain for phonological awareness (the ability to recognize the differences between sounds), as well for… continue reading Raising a Reader: how encouraging play wires stronger brains

By written by Sarah S.    April 19, 2011    3  

• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

Narrative skills-- the ability to tell or retell a story, or to narrate a series of events --are key pre-literacy skills that every child needs in order to become a motivated and successful reader. One of the best ways to exercise your baby or toddler’s brain and build the neural pathways that will help support narrative skills is reading… continue reading Raising a Reader: how picture books help develop narrative skills.

By written by Sarah S.    April 5, 2011   

• Childrens Books
• Pre K
• Early Literacy

Books Aloud! is the Free Library’s early literacy program. The goal of the program is to encourage parents and child care providers to READ, SING, PLAY, TALK, and WRITE with children in the early years. We also encourage adults to borrow books from the Free Library so that there are always books available for the little ones. Attend a… continue reading Early Literacy Sparks Life Long Learning

By written by Jennifer W.    February 1, 2011    4  

• Pre K
• Books Aloud
• Early Literacy

This Sunday, January 30, Wonder Spark Puppets will visit the library to present the classic tale Little Red Riding Hood. The puppet show will begin at 2:00 p.m. in the Montgomery Auditorium. This program will delight kids of all ages, so bring the little ones and the older ones, and don’t forget grandma and grandpa. Sundays on Stage is… continue reading Puppet Show!

By written by Jennifer W.    January 25, 2011   

• Sundays on Stage
• Pre K
• Books Aloud
• Early Literacy

It’s been a week and people are still talking about the New York Times article titled " Picture Books No Longer a Staple for Children ," which ran on October 7, 2010. From the more than 350 comments posted on the New York Times site to the various other blog posts that have popped up, the author of the article sparked a… continue reading Children and Reading

By written by Sarah S.    October 19, 2010   

• Reading
• Pre K
• Recommendations
• Early Literacy