Growing up in a small-town in the Northeast, I knew every corner of the area and took advantage of every local resource during the summer months when I was off from school. I think I participated in every library program from the time I was in preschool through high school - I really did just love to read. When I started teaching I was amazed at how many kids didn’t take advantage of the opportunities around them. I had kindergartners who had never been to the library and parents who couldn’t find the local museum for our annual field trip. With all the fabulous opportunities in the community, it seemed a shame for kids not to be able to participate. One year I spent as much time learning about the local area as I could, and compiled my findings into a parent friendly local area guide for my students and their families over the summer. I included summer library program schedules and area tricks, such as the fact the local museum let families in free on Wednesday afternoons. I also included schedules for arts opportunities, such as free concerns in the park, and local traditions, such as the farmer’s market every Saturday morning.
To help my students become familiar with the library, we walked to our neighborhood library (fortunately only a few minutes away) and filled out library card applications. We looked at the games, CD, DVDs, and toys the library had (in addition to the books, of course!) to try and help raise the students’ excitement level. Our local library also has done a great job expanding their bilingual and Spanish sections which is fabulous for supporting our Spanish-speaking families. We also attended one of the story programs and left with a simple craft the kids could take home. I was hopeful that if the kids liked it, they would ask their parents to come back again. Every community has events, places, and people that make it special. Exposing children and families to these opportunities can help everyone – including you!
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