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Motheread/Fatheread Colorado

posted Sep 18, 2011, 8:07 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com

Motheread/Fatheread Colorado

"The Motheread curriculum encourages adults to hold or sit close to children as they read great children’s literature aloud and to talk about how the story relates to their lives. Adult educators learn how to teach parents activities that reinforce comprehension, such as acting out the story with simple props, singing, creating visual art, and games. Children and parents discover the vital connection between literature and their life experience, resulting in improved communications, reasoning abilities, critical thinking, social and personal values judgment, and decision-making."


See attached Flyer: "Colorado Humanities has raised funds to provide support for educators to attend the Institute in Denver October 25, 26, and 27, including payment of fees, travel costs, and support for book purchases to implement the program as part of their family literacy or classroom activities." 

See attached job description: 
"The Motheread/Fatheread Colorado (MFC) Coordinator is a full-time temporary six-month position (ideally October 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012). To facilitate data-gathering and relationship-building with agencies implementing the program, the MFC Coordinator will work directly with agencies providing literacy programs, including Motheread/Fatheread Colorado. The Coordinator will also work with staff of other humanities councils implementing a Motheread curriculum to help Colorado Humanities design and use tools that measure program effectiveness. The MFC Coordinator will serve under the supervision of the Director of Programs & Center for the Book."

Rocky Mountain Storytelling Festival

posted Sep 18, 2011, 8:00 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com

Rocky Mountain Storytelling Festival
Storytelling: It's more than you think!

The Rocky Mountain Storytelling Festival blends literacy and fun for the whole family. New this year: continuing education opportunity for teachers!

Our featured storytellers:
Heather McNeil, Bend, Oregon: Stories that invite audience participation
Bernadette Nason, England and Austin, Texas: Amusing family anecdotes and personal stories
Christopher Maier, Denver, Colorado: Traditional and original "moving" stories

September 23

10-11 a.m.            Family Concert with Featured Storytellers, for kids 5 and older with their parents
10 a.m.-12 pm.      Tips for Tellers: How to keep middle and high schoolers engaged, presented by Dan Reeves
11:15 a.m.            Kids Tell the Best Stories, workshop for kids presented by Denis Gessing
1:30-4 p.m.           Touching Stories, presented by Gwen Bonilla
1:30-4 p.m.           Preparing, Practicing and Presenting: Tools for Beginning Storytellers, presented by Heather McNeil
4:30-5:30 p.m.      Story Swap with Spellbinders
7-9 p.m.                Evening Concert at Castle Rock Middle School with Featured Storytellers, for the whole family

September 24

9 a.m.-12 p.m.    Narrative Skills: Storytelling in Preschool, presented by Jeanette Urdahl, Kathleen DiLeo, Cliff Davidson, DCL   *Three clock-hour credits for Child Care Providers!
9 a.m.-12 p.m.    21st Century Skills: Storytelling in the Classroom, with John Stansfield and Pete Vincelette, DCSD
1:15-3:45 p.m.   Choosing the Best Stories: Age Appropriate Considerations, panel discussion facilitated by Priscilla Queen
4-5 p.m.            Story Swap with Spellbinders
7-9 p.m.            Evening Concert at Castle Rock Middle School with Featured Storytellers, for the whole family

There is no charge for any of the workshops or concerts. This event is hosted by DCL Literacy Department

Branch Map, Dates & Time

2011 CLEL Annual Meeting Oct 13 - Free Registration

posted Sep 6, 2011, 4:28 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com

The 2011 CLEL Annual Meeting will be held at the McKee Building at The Ranch-Larimer County Fairgrounds just to the north of the Embassy Suites in Loveland.  
 
Join us on Thursday, October 13, 2011 from 8:00 to 3:00 for a day of inspiration, learning and networking at the McKee Building at The Ranch. We are very excited to have a guest speaker -Kathy C. Villere, a Speech-Language Pathologist and Early Childhood Literacy Consultant from Colorado Springs. 
 
Thanks to CLiC, we are registering for the annual meeting and lunch through them.  We will be having a working lunch.  You may bring your own lunch or sign up for a box lunch.  Please go to http://www.clicweb.org/clic-events/list-of-events to sign up for a lunch and/or register.  If you would like to bring some homemade pastries, cookies, a bag of chocolates or other goodies for breakfast and snacks throughout the day, please do.
 
For directions to The Ranch, please go to http://www.larimer.org/theranch/about_location.cfm
 
Please email Vicky at vhays@poudrelibaries if you have any questions.

All CLEL members invited to Steering Committee Mtg 7/22

posted Jul 7, 2011, 12:55 AM by readalouddenver@gmail.com

From CLEL Posting:
Our next CLEL Steering Committee meeting will be on Friday, July 22nd from 1:00 to 4:00 pm at the Highlands Ranch Library at 9292 Ridgeline Boulevard and we would like to invite all of our CLEL members.  Please let Carol Wagstaff  cwagstaff@dclibraries.org  know by July 15th if you will be able to attend.
 
Some of the topics we will be discussing are:
--Rotation off of current members
--Upcoming Annual Meeting Agenda
--Paypal Account
--Grants & Funding for Storyblocks
 
Also, Save-the-Date Information:
CLEL Annual Meeting
Thursday, October 13, 2011 (we don't have definite times yet, but it will take most of the day.  We are working around CAL's first keynote at 4:15 at the Embassy Suites in Loveland)
Council Tree Library
Fort Collins, CO
 
Questions about any of the above?  E-mail Vicky Hays at vhays@poudrelibraries.org

Choosing Good Books: Recommendations from Reading is Fundamental (RIF)

posted Jun 13, 2011, 7:04 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com

Are you having a hard time choosing good children's books? Reading is Fundamental (RIF) can help.

Check out Choosing Good Books with recommendations on multicultural books, travel and vacation reads, award-winning children's books, picture books and more. 

RIF's vision: "Our vision is a literate America in which all children have access to books and discover the joys and value of reading."

RIF's mission"To motivate young children to read by working with them, their parents, and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF's highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age 8."

New StoryBlocks Videos in English and Español

posted Jun 10, 2011, 8:19 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com   [ updated Jun 10, 2011, 8:23 PM ]

Check out the new videos on StoryBlocks: Songs and Rhymes that build readers. From About StoryBlocks:

What is Storyblocks?  Storyblocks is a project of Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, working in partnership with Rocky Mountain Public Broadcasting Services. It is a collection of 30-60 second videos designed to model to parents, caregivers, and library staff some songs, rhymes, and fingerplays appropriate for early childhood. Each video clip includes helpful early literacy tips to increase caregivers’ understanding of child development and pre-literacy needs.  Read more...

First Lady Unveils "Let's Move! Child Care" to Ensure Healthy Start for Youngest Children

posted Jun 9, 2011, 12:24 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com

Let’s Move! Child Care | Press Release | Factsheet  |  HealthyKidsHealthyFuture.org 

“Early childhood settings, including both child care centers and informal care, present a tremendous opportunity to prevent obesity by making an impact at a pivotal phase in children’s lives.”

-Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity Within a Generation: a Report to the President from the Childhood Obesity Task Force.

“Everyone is going to see that these small changes can make a big difference. If our kids get into the habit of getting up and playing, if their palates warm up to veggies at an early age, and if they’re not glued to a TV screen all day, they’re on their way to healthy habits for life,” Mrs. Obama said. “That’s why I’m so excited about Let’s Move! Child Care – because I know that childcare facilities and home-based providers can be a real building block for an entire generation of healthy kids.” Read more…

From the Factsheet
• Obesity rates among preschoolers ages 2 to 5 have doubled in the past four decades. 
• One in five children are overweight or obese by the time they reach their 6th birthday. 
• Over half of obese children first become overweight at or before age two. 
• Only 25% of children ages 2 to 11 years consume three servings of vegetables a day, and less than 50% consume two daily servings of fruit. 
• Preschool children spend over four hours a day watching television and videos, including time in child care. 
• 60% of children under 5 are in some form of child care, spending an average of 29 hours/week in that care. 
• A 2008 survey by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies reported that 93% of parents thought existing health and safety standards for child care should be improved.

EC Superheroes

posted Jun 8, 2011, 9:10 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com

Want to be an Early Childhood Superhero? Check out this short two-minute call-to-action EC Superheroes Video that was created for an Language and Early Literacy Development and Interventions class.

Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference - April 15-16, 2011

posted Mar 26, 2011, 5:39 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com

The Rocky Mountain Early Childhood Conference will be held at the Colorado Convention Center on April 15-16, 2011. Check out these particular sessions in the program. Descriptions copied from Conference Abstracts.


Leading for Change in Early Childhood Education: Leadership Development

by Carolyn Elverenli, Joann Dalton, Ginger Maloney, Lynn Andrews

Friday April 15, 2011 9:00a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Leadership development in the field of early childhood education is an idea whose time has come. As the field enters a new era of brain research, broad based interest on the part of funders, and recent initiatives for professional development systems, the need for effective leadership is paramount. The Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program (BECLP) has developed a set of standards for leadership learning and application that is resonating with early childhood education professionals from across the state and in many types of programs and systems. Leading from every chair is a key concept in the BECLP. Through reflecting about strengths, beliefs, and experiences in early childhood education, participants will develop a vision of leadership for themselves in individual programs and settings. The process of action research will be presented as a tool for promoting positive change in local settings. Previous action research conducted by BECLP alumni will be used as real life examples of the possibilities for promoting positive change that result from employing this methodology. The participants will leave the session with concrete “calls to action” for themselves as leaders.

Buell Early Childhood Leadership Program

Marsico Institute for Early Learning and Literacy




An Explorations of Children’s Rights to Participation: Children as Citizens of the Present

by Ellen Hall and Andrea Sisbarro

Saturday April 16, 2011 10:15a.m. - 11:45a.m.

This presentation considers children’s rights in practice, as opposed to a primarily theoretical treatment; it focuses on young children’s rights, and it emphasizes children’s rights from the perspectives of children themselves. This presentation illustrates the value of viewing children as competent and capable citizens, highlights children’s understanding of their rights and the rights of others, and focuses attention on the tensions between children’s right to protection and their right to participation.



Responding to the Pressures from Above: Getting to Early Childhood Outcomes in the Accountability Age

by Amanda Moreno, PhD and Kim Hartnett-Edwards, PhD

Saturday April 16, 2011 1:45p.m. - 4:30p.m.

First, we will discuss the results of a literature review examining methods of tying “teacher effectiveness” to student scores on standardized tests, and why the lack of consideration of developmentally appropriate practice is a concern in these initiatives. Second, we will use literacy as an example of how to marry “developmentally appropriate” and “outcome- oriented”. Participants will view video examples and engage in small groups and share-out sessions to discuss their experiences with accountability, and innovative ideas for real-world solutions.


Colorado’s New P-3 Professional Development Plan

by Ginger Maloney, PhD

Saturday April 16, 2011 3:30p.m. - 4:30p.m.

This presentation will introduce participants to Colorado’s newly approved P-3 Professional Development Plan and outline steps the state will be taking to implement the Plan. Since this plan has the potential to introduce significant change into the professional development system for early learning professionals, learning about the Plan’s goals, objectives, and process for implementation is important for practitioners and leaders throughout Colorado.


The USGS, STEM and Early Literacy

posted Mar 20, 2011, 8:44 PM by readalouddenver@gmail.com   [ updated Mar 21, 2011, 12:27 AM ]

On the morning after the massive 9.0 Tohoku Earthquake in Japan, I attended a presentation by seismologist Thomas de la Torre, PhD of the USGS Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory to the kindergarten class at the UCLA Lab School

The kids listened intently and asked countless questions about the cause and effects related to both the earthquake and the resulting tsunami. They were clearly eager to learn more about the earth, science and natural forces. de la Torre brought in posters with seismograph readings which was very timely since the kids were learning about using numbers to measure things. 

Towards the end of his presentation, de la Torre asked the kids, "Who wants to be a seismologist when they grow up?" Many hands were raised up high. These kids were definitely excited. Later that day, de la Torre noted that the younger the kids, the more enthusiastic they were about becoming seismologists. 

After watching the kids' reaction to the presentation, I was eager to find out if the USGS Library at the Denver Federal Center had existing partnerships with our local libraries. Specifically, if there were existing USGS programs that children's librarians could use to promote early literacy in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). 

The USGS has the USGS and Science Education program with extensive resources and outreach programs for primary, secondary  education and undergraduates. They have the USGS Resources for Primary Grades which focuses on grades K-6 and the Earthquakes for Kids site complete with animations, puzzles and games. 

How can children's librarians plant seeds of interest in science and integrate STEM into early literacy? We can read non-fiction science-based books during storytime and help parents and daycare providers select non-fiction books for kids. We can also partner with the USGS to develop science-focused early literacy programs for the 0 to 5 age range. 

On September 29, 2010, the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) presented its testimony during hearings to the US House of Representatives Committee on Science and Technology in its report, Averting the Storm: How Investments in Science Will Secure the Competitiveness and Economic Future of the U.S. Specifically, the NAS recommended to "Increase America’s talent pool by vastly improving K–12 science and mathematics education."

It's exciting to know that children's librarians have a role in planting those seeds of interest in science before kids enter kindergarten and more importantly, encouraging parents and caregivers to nurture that interest. Those seeds have the long-term potential to be transformational.

Averting the Storm: How Investments in Science Will Secure the Competitiveness and Economic Future of the U.S. (September 29, 2010). Retrieved March 21, 2011, from http://www7.nationalacademies.org/ocga/testimony/Averting_the_Storm.asp



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