Click here to link to our online version of the 2013 Poetry Palooza Anthology
Monday, May 6, 2013
Poetry Palooza -- April 8, 2013
We had a wonderful evening of poetry, food and fun. Check out this photo of our stellar young poets!
Click here to link to our online version of the 2013 Poetry Palooza Anthology
Click here to link to our online version of the 2013 Poetry Palooza Anthology
Monday, April 8, 2013
The Importance of Play
Katya Schapiro, FFY Grant Programs Coordinator & Rachel Payne, Coordinator Children’s & Family Services at the Brooklyn Public Library posted these great suggestions for teaching your babies and toddlers through play on the ALSC blog. The programs described below are all part of their “Read, Play, Grow!” Play Tips.
Cereal Box Blocks
What you do: Empty cardboard cereal boxes or other boxes can make great blocks. Stuff the boxes with newspaper to make them sturdier and tape the flaps closed. You can line a few of them up on the floor like dominoes and show him how he can push one into the others and they will all fall down. Build a tower with the blocks. You can also talk about the pictures, colors or letters on the boxes.
What you can say:
When you line up boxes like dominoes, talk with your child about cause-and-effect:
Board Book Blocks
What you do: Get various board books of different sizes and line up board books on their sides like dominos and show your baby how to knock them over. You can also build short towers of books. Often their babies and toddlers will knock them over! Make a tunnel out of books. Get creative! Read the books when you are done building.
What you can say:
The Sorting Box
What you do: Toddlers love to sort objects, particularly blocks. You can make your own block sorter for your toddler using a shoebox with a lid and your toddler's own assorted shape blocks. Trace around each different shape block on the shoe box lid, and then cut out each shape. Let your toddler have fun putting stickers on his sorting box and then turn him loose with his new homemade toy!
What you can say: Use lots of descriptive language to teach your toddler colors and shapes: “This block is a triangle! It is blue.” “Can you find the triangular hole?”
Sort blocks by color and shape: “Let’s put all the square blocks together!” “Let’s put all the red bocks together.” Focus on the concept of In and Out: “Look, we put all the blocks INTO the box. Let’s take them all OUT!”
Black & White Cube
What you do: Very young babies see black and white images best since their vision is still developing. Take a box (a boutique-size tissue box works well) and cover it with black and white pictures. The bolder the design the better, such as a checker board design or the image of a zebra. Cover the pictures with clear contact paper or packing tape to protect it. Give it to your baby to play with.
What you can say:
Cereal Box Blocks
What you do: Empty cardboard cereal boxes or other boxes can make great blocks. Stuff the boxes with newspaper to make them sturdier and tape the flaps closed. You can line a few of them up on the floor like dominoes and show him how he can push one into the others and they will all fall down. Build a tower with the blocks. You can also talk about the pictures, colors or letters on the boxes.
What you can say:
When you line up boxes like dominoes, talk with your child about cause-and-effect:
- “What do you think will happen when we push the first box? Let’s push it! Look! They all fall down!”
- “Which is taller?”
- “Which is shorter?”
- “Look, there’s a T. Your name starts with T: Tom!”
Board Book Blocks
What you do: Get various board books of different sizes and line up board books on their sides like dominos and show your baby how to knock them over. You can also build short towers of books. Often their babies and toddlers will knock them over! Make a tunnel out of books. Get creative! Read the books when you are done building.
What you can say:
- Make lots of sound effects as you knock books over, it will keep your baby or toddler engaged.
- Ask your baby or toddler, “What do you think will happen when we knock the blocks over? Will they fall down? They fell down!”
- You can even play peek-a-boo with books. Hold them in front of your face and say “Where did mommy go?”
The Sorting Box
What you do: Toddlers love to sort objects, particularly blocks. You can make your own block sorter for your toddler using a shoebox with a lid and your toddler's own assorted shape blocks. Trace around each different shape block on the shoe box lid, and then cut out each shape. Let your toddler have fun putting stickers on his sorting box and then turn him loose with his new homemade toy!
What you can say: Use lots of descriptive language to teach your toddler colors and shapes: “This block is a triangle! It is blue.” “Can you find the triangular hole?”
Sort blocks by color and shape: “Let’s put all the square blocks together!” “Let’s put all the red bocks together.” Focus on the concept of In and Out: “Look, we put all the blocks INTO the box. Let’s take them all OUT!”
Black & White Cube
What you do: Very young babies see black and white images best since their vision is still developing. Take a box (a boutique-size tissue box works well) and cover it with black and white pictures. The bolder the design the better, such as a checker board design or the image of a zebra. Cover the pictures with clear contact paper or packing tape to protect it. Give it to your baby to play with.
What you can say:
- Comment on what your baby looks at. “What do you see on the box? I see a zebra!”
- As your baby plays with the cube, describe what your baby is doing. “You touched the cube!”
- Babies love when you imitate them. Mirror back facial expressions and echo their babbling
Friday, February 1, 2013
Poetry Palooza 2013!
The librarians in the Children’s room are looking
for original poetry written by children and teens for our poetry journal, Poetry
Palooza.
Just one original poem per child/teen can be submitted. All poets MUST
have been a participant, past or present, in Jean's Monday night poetry
programs.
Submissions will be accepted March 1 through March 15, 2013. Submissions will only be accepted by email to: jholmblad@minlib.net. Please include your name, birth date, grade, school, phone number and email address. You will be sent an email to confirm that we have received your poem. If you do not get a confirmation notice within two days of sending your poem, then you must resend it.
Submissions will be accepted March 1 through March 15, 2013. Submissions will only be accepted by email to: jholmblad@minlib.net. Please include your name, birth date, grade, school, phone number and email address. You will be sent an email to confirm that we have received your poem. If you do not get a confirmation notice within two days of sending your poem, then you must resend it.
Copies of Poetry Palooza will be
available for each poet at our Poetry Fest celebration on Monday, April 8,
2013 at 7 pm in Druker Auditorium. Each poet is invited and encouraged to
read aloud your poem! Any questions, call Jean Holmblad at (617) 796-1370
or email her at: jholmblad@minlib.net.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Upcoming Programs
Meet Newton author Alexis Lumbard who will share
her new book, The Conference of the Birds.
Saturday, November 3rd at 2:00 PM. Grades K and up. Druker Auditorium.
Movie Screening
Saturday, November 17th at 2:00 PM
Druker Auditorium
Chinese Martial Arts for Young Dragons.
Ages 8 & up. Tuesday, November 20th at 3:00 PM. Druker Auditorium
Halloween Art
Friday, September 14, 2012
Summer Reading Wrap-up
Well, school is finally back in session and we have all made the adjustment back to our regular routine. This year's summer reading program was a rousing success! We had over 400 children register and 200 who used the online reading log. Some of the highlights of this summer's programs were The Toe Jam Puppet Band, our fabulous themed story/craft programs, poetry writing, cooking, crafty kids, pajama story time, Nappy's Puppets, our Stuffed Animal Sleepover and the Star Wars Symposium. Thanks to all of the great readers in our community the library was able to sponsor two bats through Bat Conservation International. Great work everyone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)