Early Learning Matters @ Queens Library

Queens Library

Early LearningFall 2014

Early Learning Fast Facts

• Early childhood (birth to age 5) is the single most important developmental period in a child’s life. 80% of brain development occurs at this time.

• A child learns about half of everything they’ll learn in a lifetime by age 5.

• Children who do not have early literacy experiences before they start going to school start behind and tend to stay behind.

Early Learning Mission

Our role is vital not only offering early learning opportunities to families with young children, but also in supporting

parents in being their child’s first teacher.

Early Learning Programs

•Mother Goose (birth to 18 months)

• Toddler Storytime (18 – 35 months)

• Picture Book Storytime (3-5 years)

• Toddler Learning Center (18-36 months)

3040 program sessions

40,899 children + 36,045 adults =

76,934 total attendance

Queens Library UPK @ Woodhaven

1 Classroom, 18 Students

Center Time!

Structure with Choices

Collaboration: Fire Safety

Field Trip to Firehouse

Science Lesson: Trees

Expert Library Users

Collaboration with Children’s Librarian

Parent Engagement

City’s First Readers

Family Place

Family Place Day:Saturday, January 24

Kickoff to Kindergarten

• School readiness focused curriculum for children ages 3-5 and their parents/caregivers

• During 7 weekly sessions, library staff show parents, caregivers and children how to use games, hands-on activities and stories that help build the most important language and social skills.

• Children keep the games and stories to be able to use them at home.

K2K Objectives

– Supporting caregivers in acquiring abilities to promote their child’s skill development in the most critical areas

– Increasing these key abilities

with children directly

Dialogic Reading

Children who have been read to dialogically are substantially ahead of children who have been read to traditionally on tests of language development. Children can jump ahead by several months in just a few weeks of dialogic reading.

NYC Early Learning Network

Vision: To make NYC a place

where all young children can be

successful learners

•Members: DOE Office of Early Childhood Administration, Administration for Children’s Services, Parent/Child Home Program, Department of Health and

Mental Hygiene, Queens Museum, Jumpstart, New York Hall of Science, Literacy Inc, Children’s Museum of Manhattan, WNET, Reach Out and Read,

Day Care Council, Center for Children’s Initiatives, Resources for Children with Special Needs

STEAM SYMPOSIUM

Summer Reading

• Reading log for young children

(and parents too!)

• 7500 families participated

• 50% completion rate

Get Ready to Read stickers!