I just got back from the amazing ALSC Institute and my brain is buzzing with all sorts of things to share with you (so much so that I’ve already today posted a draft that I meant to go live later this week, which I will fix as soon as I can) but the first thing I wanted to do was share some of the links and resources that my boss Lori and I wound up mentioning or referring to in our presentation on storytime competencies & training, and that I should have had the foresight to put on a handout for everyone. If you weren’t at our session, no worries! I still think these are good resources in general and this is as good an excuse as any to put them out there again.
Maryland Public Library Peer Coaching
MPL implemented peer coaching as a way for their storytime providers to help each other improve their storytime skill sets. This link will take you to a PLA article that describes the process as well as shares sample forms. We looked at these materials when we were first starting to think about our own storytime training & mentoring.
Early Literacy Storytimes @ your library
This handbook, by Saroj Ghoting and Pamela Martin-Diaz, describes what literacy-based storytimes are and how to get started. My library has been using it for 6 years now as a training reference. The authors include sample observation forms to help you become accustomed to identifying early literacy skills in storytimes & these also informed the ones we created. There’s a sample of one of their forms here.
Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy
One of the ways we try to support our storytime providers at my library is by sending out a monthly newsletter. These are in-house documents that share logistical details and resources. In addition, each month I’ve been including a short article with a little more information how the five Every Child Ready to Read practices of reading, writing, singing, talking, and playing connect and support the 6 early literacy skills of phonological awareness, print awareness, print motivation, vocabulary, narrative skills, and letter knowledge. Someone asked if these newsletters were posted anywhere or could be shared. The newsletters themselves are not publicly available, but we were able to share the content of the early literacy articles with the advocacy group Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, which Lori and I are both affiliated with. CLEL added the content to their website, and you can read it here. (There’s also some information about the 6 skills that I helped put together, and I think that’s worth a look as well; don’t miss the “Read more about the 6 skills!” menu block on the right hand side for even more content.)
Dr. Jill Stamm
Recently our library invited Dr. Jill Stamm to speak to our community and give a presentation to our staff, and Lori and I both mentioned things we learned from Dr Stamm as part of our presentation. Dr. Stamm is a founder of the New Directions Institute, and wrote a book about children’s brain development, Bright from the Start, that we highly recommend.
Change the First Five Years and You Change Everything
One attendee asked if we had any recommendations for online training resources that they could use to motivate their staff, especially staff who were reluctant to engage with the early literacy material or were less open to learning from or with their peers. There are so many good resources available–I really need to be better about spotlighting what I do find here on Mel’s Desk. But the first thing that came to my mind in answer to her question was a video I included in a short district-wide training we put together. While this video isn’t strictly about early literacy or Every Child Ready to Read, we heard from many of our staff, both frontline and support services, that it helped them “get it” and understand why our district is so excited about and committed to providing early childhood programs and services. It may be an effective way for you to start a conversation too, or to plant a seed somewhere in your community. It’s from the great Ounce of Prevention Fund and it’s called “Change the First Five Years and You Change Everything.” Have a tissue ready!
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