• Overview • Six skill areas • Choosing books • Fingerplays & songs

• Reading aloud - video clips • Reading tips - many languages • Making the most of your library • More literacy websites

More literacy websites:    for children & parents | for parents for children & parents   A B C games Very easy online activities to explore the alphabet.   Gus & Inky - game 1 | game 2 | game 3   Karaoke Sing along with familiar songs. See words and pictures as you sing.   One More Story Listen to picture books. Available only at Library workstations.   PBS Kids Music and games with TV characters.   Peep and the Big Wide World Explore science and math concepts in online games for preschoolers.  Sesame Street Games by topic (examples: alphabet and numbers).  TumbleBook Library Listen to picture books. Click Story Books to begin. for parents   Brain Development How do literacy skills begin in the early years in developing brain? From the Zero to Three organization.   Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) Information about young children, including children with special needs. From the University of Minnesota.   ECFE: Early Childhood Family Education For more information contact your local school district or call (651) 582-8402.   ELSIE: Early Literacy Storytime Ideas Exchange Find books to help children develop early literacy skills.   Leading to Reading Songs, rhymes, stories, fingerplays and more plus literacy tips.   Mama Lisa's House of Nursery Rhymes Words, audio, and simple animations for traditional verses.   Mem Fox's Ten Read Aloud Commandments From a notable children's author and champion of literacy.   Minnesota Storytime Guides Guides for picture books with suggestions for sharing stories with young children. From the Minnesota Humanities Commission.   Parent Guide to Literacy Pre-Talkers: birth to 2 years (pdf) Talkers: 2 to 3 years (pdf) Pre-Readers: 4 to 5 years (pdf) from the Public Library Association and Association for Library Service to Children.   Parenting & Child Care General information, selected by Hennepin County Librarians.   Parents Know - parenting A-Z Select topic Reading Aloud for each age level. From State of MN. newborn age 1-2 age 3-5   Reading Checkups Simple questions to help prepare children to read. From the American Academy of Pediatrics.   Ready for K A Minnesota campaign working for comprehensive policy change for our children, their parents and caretakers.   TV and Your Family Information and tips for parents. From the American Academy of Pediatrics.