Spotlight on Phonological Awareness

Phonological awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and play with the individual and smaller sounds in words.

Phonological awareness includes the ability to hear and create rhymes, to say words with sounds or chunks left out and the ability to put two word chunks together to make a word. Most children who have difficulty in reading have trouble in phonological awareness.

Nonsense, rhyming, and word play. These are the hallmarks of early childhood songs, rhymes, poetry and picture book language. They are also aspects of phonological awareness, an important early literacy skill. Every time you share a nursery rhyme or fingerplay, play word games, or read-aloud a picture book with rhyming language, you're helping your child get ready to read!

For more suggestions on children's books and music to help build this skill in young children, check out the phonological awareness spotlight on the library's Birth to Six web site.

January Spotlight on Storytelling

You Have an Important Story to Share

Storytelling is one of the most powerful ways we communicate, share experience and memory, and organize our world. While children are born without narrative skills, they quickly develop in the first years of life. What parents and caregivers do during these years is important in developing these early storytelling abilities.

By adding vocabulary and description to a child's experiences and world around them, you're helping build important language skills. Sharing bedtime stories, talking about the events you experience during the day, and telling stories about the past, the day your child was born, and your own experience or favorite stories as a child all help build narrative skills and a love of language.

Having narrative skills means being able to describe things and events and tell stories. This is an important pre-reading skill that all children need. As your child grows, sharing traditional stories that are a part of your family's heritage also gives them a sense of community and builds their sense of identity.

This month, stop by the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library's Birth to Six site for links to storytelling information, events, and suggested books for both children and the adults that care for them.

Keep the story alive!

December Spotlight: Childhood Immunization

Last month, the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library highlighted information on autism spectrum disorders available to the community. Childhood immunization is the focus of this month's Birth to Six Spotlight. As with any medical information, consult with your family doctor or pediatrician for health care decisions and advice.

Check out the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library's Birth to Six site for links to online resources on vaccines. For more children's health information, see the recommended links in our Parenting section.

You'll also find book recommendations to share with a young child about going to the doctor on the Library's Birth to Six site.

Autism Awareness

Autism Awareness

Headlines from newspapers, television, parenting magazines and websites have been putting the spotlight on autism spectrum disorders. In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control released data that found 1 in 150 children have an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The American Academy of Pediatrics just released a clinical report recommending early screening for autism - at or before 24 months of age. The AAP site also gives an autism checklist for parents. For more information, Autism Speaks.org provides videos online that discuss autism and compare typical and atypical development. This month the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library is highlighting information on these disorders and resources available to the community. Please check out the Library's Birth to Six site for suggested books, online resources, and community support on this important topic.

Additionally, if you would like to share your story with autism as part of our efforts, please feel free to email Youth Services Librarian Kristin from the Youth Services Department or call 541-766-6794.