Fun

with Letters for

Parents &Children

Why we are hereState-of-the-art ideas

Proven practices

Fun things to do at home

Reading is essential to school success.

Learning to read begins before children start

school.

Start now to help

your child be ready to learn to

read

Why is it important for

children to get ready to read

before they start school?

Children who start kindergarten with good pre-reading skills have an

advantage.

They are ready to learn to read.

Why are parents so important in

helping their children get

ready to read?

You are your child’s first teacher.

You know your child best.

Children learn best by doing, and they love doing things with you.

Five simple practices help childrenget ready to read.

Help your child get ready to read

with simple activities every

day.

Every child is unique.

The five practices provide fun learning experiences for children of different

ages and interests.

Becoming fluent in a

first language is

critical.

Learning letter names and sounds.

Make it fun! Start with name songs.

There is a child that I know bestAnd Noah is his name oh,

N-O-A-H, N-O-A-H, N-O-A-HAnd Noah is his name oh.

Now you try.Pre-reading skills:• Name all 26 letters.• Match letter names with letter shapes.• Match letters with their sounds.

Talking about letters.

Talk about letter names and sounds as

you go througheveryday activities.

Letters are all around us!

• Can you find an “M”? • Can you find two “O”s?• Can you find the letter at the beginning of your name?

Singing about letters.

Let’s sing the alphabet song!

Clapping once for each letter in the

alphabet song helps children hear the sound of each individual letter.

Reading about letters.

Let’s share an alphabet book. We have lots to choose from!

Alphabet books help children learn letter names and

sounds.

Today’s book

Writing letters.

Make learning about letters a

hands-on experience. Form

letters from many materials.

• Make letter-shaped cookies • Trace letters• Use magnetic letters• “Write” your name in a tray of rice• Form letters with clay or pipe cleaners.

Making Letters

Something we grow in Louisiana

Writing letters

You can havefun writing

letters anywhere!

Have fun with letters every day.

Have fun with letters in many ways!

There are many ways

to talk, sing, read, write, and play with letters.

Make your home a learning zone!

Your home can be a learning center to help your child get

readyto read.

Set up a Quiet Zone where your children can sit away from tv, video games, and

noise.

A Quiet Hour before bedtime—for bedtime reading, bath, and non-electronic toys--will

help your child fall asleep at bedtime.

Your Library has

parenting advice in

books and on DVDs.

Quiet Please!

Your library helps children get ready to read.

We have weekly story hours.

Bring a friend to story hour.

Talking and reading:

1. Come to the Library with your kids. 2. Read books to them. 3. Talk about

the books. 4. Borrow a couple of books. 5. Bring them back. 6. Repeat.

Board Books are wonderful for babies and

toddlers. They won’t last forever, but they are lots of fun.

Singing:

We have music to borrow.Learn new songs and the words to old songs!We have rap, pop, children’s, Cajun, country, classical, folk, and world music! Free to borrow.

Dancing with your kid is fun and tires them out!

Writing

We have places where you can write.

The Library has the tiniest pencils with no erasers!

Because you can make mistakes at the Library.

We offer coloring pages and have crayons that your child can use at the library.

Include “coloring time” in your library visits.

Playing:

We have many exciting free performances, especially in the Summer.

Partying at the Library is Fun!

It’s NOT always scary!

Find free programs for all ages @ neworleanspubliclibrary.org

Teen Programs: Game Nights, Workshops, Movies.

Adults: Artist talks, author visits, book clubs, and more.

Please come to future Every Child Ready to Read classes

for parents and caregivers.

• Fun with Stories • Fun with Words

• Fun with Science and Math

We also offer PrimeTime Family Reading Time, a program for families with children ages 6 to 12. It

is a 6-week program of free workshops with meals, transportation, and rewards.

Bring a photo ID with your current address to the Library to get a free

library card.

How do I get a Library card??

neworleanspubliclibrary.org

Hours (vary by location)Monday through Thursday: 10 am to 7 pm

Saturday 10 am to 5 pmFriday: 10 am to 5 pm Main Library, Central City

Friday: 9 am to 5 pm King Branch

The New Orleans Public Library has been dedicated to promoting reading

since 1896.