5 keys to helping every child learn to read

As we hear more and more about how test scores are down and our children are struggling to read, it is such a relief to know that there are easy things we can do every day to build future readers. It's as simple as Talk, Sing, Read, Write and Play.

Studies show that these five things can help build pre-literacy skills that create the neural pathways necessary for children to be readers. Did you know that recent research says that the most important thing you can do for a child ages 0-3 to build reading skills is simply to talk to them? The more words a child hears in the first 1,000 days of life, the more likely they are to become successful readers. If you have young children or grandchildren talk to them … all the time. Describe what you're doing and what you're seeing. Tell them about your day. It doesn't have to be something fascinating. Just talking to young children can be life-changing.

So can singing, reading, writing and playing. The Public Library Association (PLA) and Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) have developed a program called Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR), a curriculum designed to engage parents and caregivers in the early literacy development of their children birth to age five. The basic principles of Every Child Ready to Read align perfectly with the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Reading is an essential life skill, and learning to read begins at birth. We believe that parents and caregivers are a child's first and best teachers. The public library is pivotal in educating those parents and caregivers as they develop early literacy skills in their children.

Using the principles identified in Every Child Ready to Read, the Cedar Rapids Public Library is seizing opportunities to inform parents and caregivers of the value of the skills that are developed at every program they attend with their child. In addition to being a fun activity and a chance to interact with other children, these programs are opportunities to learn the skills necessary to become a reader. Every program consists of activities engaging one or more of the five key early literacy practices: talking, writing, singing, playing and reading.

Storytime is not simply beneficial as a way to engage your child in the love of stories. It may include a craft activity with coloring, exercising the fine motor skills necessary to hold a pencil. Perhaps there is a singalong, which helps develop listening and memory skills. Songs also slow language down so that children are hearing different syllables. Every story time involves reading, and research shows us that reading together helps develop vocabulary and comprehension skills necessary for children.

Storytime is just one example of the types of programs the library offers to help prepare our youngest readers. Storytime happens several times throughout the week and is a drop-in program requiring no advanced commitment by parents or caregivers. Come once a week or once a month; whatever fits within your schedule. Themes and activities are constantly changing.

Another example of a program designed to support early childhood literacy is a six-week course called Mother Goose on the Loose. Mother Goose on the Loose takes place throughout the year at various times, but is a more formal registration-based program designed to teach both parents and caregivers and their child skills through a progressive curriculum. Each class focuses on the skills necessary for reading, using repetition to build upon previous lessons.

Mother Goose on the Loose is specifically geared for children from infant to age three and their parents and caregivers. It uses the same Every Child Ready to Read principles to prepare these children to be readers and develop the skills necessary for school. Through finger plays, dancing, and singing, children are developing a love for learning. They are learning the value of taking turns, following directions, and developing confidence.

The list of programs in which parents and caregivers can participate goes on and changes throughout the year, including: Play and Learn, Parachute Play, Stories for Scooters, Children's Adventures in Coding, and Saturday Specials. All of these activities share the same goal: preparing young children for school and encouraging a lifelong love of reading.

At each story time starting March 21, attendees will receive a magnet with one of the five early literacy practices and recommendations for activities. Parents and caregivers can take this home and continue to practice the skills the child worked on in story time. A new magnet with a new practice will be distributed each week, encouraging the early literacy work to continue at home. The library engages parents and caregivers in the practices so that every child is ready to read and ready to head off to Kindergarten.

Literacy is at the core of everything we do at the Cedar Rapids Public Library. It is a part of our programs, the strategy behind how we build our materials collection, and at the heart of our desired community outcomes. The Library encourages the development of a community of literacy beyond our own doors by participating in initiatives such as Reading into Success, a collaboration between local non-profit organizations and schools to ensure every child is reading at grade level by third grade. We know from research that after third grade children shift from learning to read to reading to learn. In our area, more than 1 in 4 third-graders are not reading at grade level. Reading into Success is working to change those statistics. The library is in a unique position to impact literacy rates in the community and to be a force for progress. The Cedar Rapids Public Library strives to help children enter school ready to learn and continue to reach those important milestones.

We can build a community of readers by starting at birth. Talk, Sing, Read, Write, and Play today to give children the skills they need for a better tomorrow.

'Dara Schmidt is director of the Cedar Rapids Public Library. Comments: schmidtd@crlibrary.org