Storytime and Beyond - by Kathy Barco & Melanie Borski-Howard (Paperback)

About the Book

Join the world of balloons, pancakes, and musical instruments--just a few items to help improve early literacy in the library, the classroom, and at home. Literacy-builders covered range from music and instruments to magnetic letters, alphabet beads, and food.
Literacy is a popular topic of discussion among librarians. Especially important is "early literacy," what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write. In this book, experienced librarians Kathy Barco and Melanie Borski-Howard share hands-on techniques that they have used to successfully promote early literacy and encourage family involvement.

Storytime and Beyond teaches readers how to use "literacy doodads"--inexpensive props that add excitement to storytimes and can be used outside the library or classroom--to enhance the basic components of any early literacy program: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. Many of the doodads can be created as family do-it-yourself projects, and some can be adapted to work with non-readers of any age. Instruments can also be a great way to get children's attention and teach literacy skills, whether it's a drum to beat while reading a story or a maraca for children to shake during a song, and lesson plans for musical storytimes address how to use rhythm, singing, and dancing to make early literacy fun.

• Teaches librarians how to use storytimes to build literacy skills in pre-readers of all ages
• Outlines all of the steps necessary to carry out pre-literacy storytimes, displays, and outreach activities with photos, examples, and instructions for librarians and families
• Offers ideas for using inexpensive "doodads," especially those including letters of the alphabet, to build literacy skills
• Details how the musical and nonmusical can add musical elements to storytime to improve literacy
• Provides tips for engaging caretakers in storytime so that children may continue learning at home

Book Synopsis

Join the world of balloons, pancakes, and musical instruments--just a few items to help improve early literacy in the library, the classroom, and at home. Literacy-builders covered range from music and instruments to magnetic letters, alphabet beads, and food.

Literacy is a popular topic of discussion among librarians. Especially important is "early literacy," what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read and write. In this book, experienced librarians Kathy Barco and Melanie Borski-Howard share hands-on techniques that they have used to successfully promote early literacy and encourage family involvement.

Storytime and Beyond teaches readers how to use "literacy doodads"--inexpensive props that add excitement to storytimes and can be used outside the library or classroom--to enhance the basic components of any early literacy program: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing. Many of the doodads can be created as family do-it-yourself projects, and some can be adapted to work with non-readers of any age. Instruments can also be a great way to get children's attention and teach literacy skills, whether it's a drum to beat while reading a story or a maraca for children to shake during a song, and lesson plans for musical storytimes address how to use rhythm, singing, and dancing to make early literacy fun.

Review Quotes

"Readers will be hard-pressed not to discover something useful and fun right away. A valuable addition for librarians working with young children." --School Library Journal

"The book is jam-packed with scripts, tips, bibliographies and anecdotes related to storytimes... A must-have book for every public library that wishes to really improve their early literacy programs. You will have fun and so will the children participating in your early literacy programs." --Public Library Quarterly

About the Author

Kathy Barco is a freelance library consultant, having retired as literacy coordinator at Albuquerque/Bernalillo County Library System. Her book READiscover New Mexico: A Tri-Lingual Adventure in Literacy won a 2008 New Mexico Book Award.

Melanie Borski-Howard is currently a youth services specialist at the Boulder Public Library, in Boulder, Colorado, where she leads four to five storytimes a week and stars in the monthly television show Read With Us.