Looking to get your middle school kiddos more interested in STEM, but needing something that’s a little more their pace in reading level?
STEM Tuesday is a blog that posts each week on Tuesday. Their team works to find books that will increase students’ interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math. STEM Tuesday covers current events in the field, books that go along with monthly subjects, author interviews, giveaways and activities for parents or educators to create a more hands-on approach to STEM. Click here to visit their website.
Things we love about STEM Tuesday:
Interviews from primary sources
The writers at STEM Tuesday love to interview people such as writers or professionals in STEM-related fields. Each blog post promotes talks about modern professionals and new resources being introduced into the field of STEM.
Babies are enchanted by the sound of the human voice, the feeling of being held close and seeing new and interesting things. So, it’s no surprise that babies love to be read to! The more a baby is exposed to books in the first few months of life, the more likely they are to enjoy reading as they grow. Listed below are some great literacy tips for families of infants as they begin their journey into the world of children’s literature.
Get cozy
In the beginning, reading is all about the ambiance. Get a soft warm blanket, find a quiet place, grab a big stack of books and let the snuggle time begin! Soon, you and your baby will begin to see book time as cuddle time.
2. Newborns aren’t picky
Exposure to spoken language helps develop connections in the brain that lay the foundation for reading. This means that for the first few months, your reading selections are for quantity, not content. Before dedicating the next five years to Curious George, Pete the Cat, and Pinkalicious, finish that hot new romance series, visit Hogwarts one more time or—for you students out there—read aloud from your bio-chem textbook! Listening to your voice will soothe your infant and can help to bridge the 30 million word gap.
Did you know a single worker honey bee produces approximately 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey in her lifetime? That means around 22,700 bees are needed to fill a single jar of honey! In honor of National Honey Month, I’ve put together a small list of lovely reads that are truly buzz-worthy! They’re perfect for sharing with your own sweet honey bees.
“Honey” by David Ezra Stein Bear is ravenous when he wakes up from his winter sleep and has one thing on his mind: honey! The world around him is waking up too, and he soon remembers all the other things he loves, like warm grass, berries and rain. One day, he hears a welcome buzzing sound…and finally it is time for Bear to delight in the thing he relishes above all others.
“From Flower to Honey” by Robin Nelson This title describes the process of making honey, from a bee’s collection of nectar to honey production on a beekeeper’s farm.
“BEE: A Peek-Through Picture Book” by Britta Teckentrap Through a hole in the book’s cover, a bee is buzzing inside a flower. Peek into this bright and lively book and discover the big ways this little insect contributes to the beauty of the environment.
Think back to a time when you felt “different.” Perhaps you were in a situation where you didn’t look like or act like everyone else. Maybe you couldn’t keep up with an activity due to physical limitations or lack of skill sets. Regardless of why you felt the way you did, you remember these times because they evoked strong emotions. Brene Brown, American author and research professor at the University of Houston, provides some insight into this universal need to fit in. “A deep sense of love and belonging is an irreducible need of all people. We are biologically, cognitively, physically and spiritually wired to love, to be loved and to belong. When those needs are not met, we don’t function as we were meant to. We break. We fall apart. We numb. We ache. We hurt others. We get sick.” Continue reading “Vive la Différence”
When you’re really little, sometimes a box is more fascinating than its contents. Especially if it’s a big cardboard box that you can sit in! If your kiddo is sitting in cardboard boxes anyway, why not take it a step further and decorate that box to look like a car?
Step One: Find a cardboard box your little one can fit in easily.
Step Two: Attach black paper plates as tires! I like using hot glue, but it’s up to you. If you’re feeling really fancy, you can glue old CDs in the middle of the plates to make wheels! Just make sure it’s the shiny side out.
Step Three: Add headlights and tail lights. You can use yellow circles for the headlights and red circles for tail lights. Cut them out of construction paper or just draw them on with markers. Continue reading “Cardboard Box Cars”
Calling all lovers of history and geography! One of the coolest parts of owning a library card is acquiring access to a variety of online resources free of cost. One of my favorites is CultureGrams. This program is designed to allow kids to explore and learn about places and cultures around the globe.
When entering the CultureGrams website, you are presented with four different choices: World Edition, Kids Edition, States Edition, and (Canadian) Provinces Edition. All choices give a plethora of information including history, geography and fun tidbits about each location. Want to know what it is like for kids in different countries or how to cook a dish from Peru? CultureGrams Kids has information on that and much more.
What are you waiting for? Check out CultureGrams today!
Did you know September 15 through October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month? This celebration has been around since 1968 in honor of the great influence and contributions Hispanic Americans have made in the United States.
To celebrate, you can come to DBRL’s Spanish Story Time/Hora de cuentos en familia! Learn new words while listening to stories and songs in Spanish. This program is for native and non-native speakers alike and is for ages 2-5 with an adult. Registration is not required.
Our libraries also have books in Spanish that include board books, picture books and chapter books. A few of my favorites include “Fantasmas” by Raina Telgemeier, “Con cariño, Amalia” by Alma Flor Ada and “La granja de los siete establos” by Roberto Aliaga. You can check out the rest of our Spanish collection here.
Is your little one learning to coordinate their arms, legs and other body parts to accomplish goals (like walking independently or kicking a ball)? If so, PAL Kit 3: Gross Motor Development for children ages birth-2 will be perfect for them! We have just updated this kit with brand new toys, including a fun bowling set and activity scarves to encourage your child to move, dance and play.
PAL Kit 3 also includes several books, and each of them incorporate movements that you and your child can act out together. One my favorite books in the kit is “Silly Sally” by Audrey Wood. As you read “Silly Sally,” encourage your child to jump, dance and sleep along with Sally and the animals. For infants, act the story out on their bodies.
Interested in checking PAL Kit 3 out? If so, place a hold online to pick it up at your library or bookmobile.
Do your kiddos love moving and grooving? If so, try out these super simple DIY rainbow dancing wrist bands! We use these all the time at the library, and they’re an awesome and colorful way encourage dancing and self expression with your little ones.
What you need:
Shower curtain rings or adult-sized hair elastics
Colorful ribbon, cut into 12″–18″ lengths (You’ll want at least three, though having a rainbow of colors is pretty cool.)
Did you know the library offers tablets for children, called Launchpads? These educational, pre-loaded tablets playfully cover topics such as reading, science, math and much more. Each tablet has 10 learning apps chosen around a theme and checks out for one week.
Already a fan of the Launchpads? Then you will be excited to learn we have rolled out several new tablet themes for each age range! Check out the full lineup below.
Looking to get your middle school kiddos more interested in STEM, but needing something that’s a little more their pace in reading level?
Babies are enchanted by the sound of the human voice, the feeling of being held close and seeing new and interesting things. So, it’s no surprise that babies love to be read to! The more a baby is exposed to books in the first few months of life, the more likely they are to enjoy reading as they grow. Listed below are some great literacy tips for families of infants as they begin their journey into the world of children’s literature.
Step Three: Add headlights and tail lights. You can use yellow circles for the headlights and red circles for tail lights. Cut them out of construction paper or just draw them on with markers. 
