CE NEWS

May 6, 2020

It’s time to have some fun!

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Alaska Summer Reading Challenges for every age
• Census Materials for Young Children
• Youth Programming Goes Virtual
• Grab and Go Kits
• COVID 19: Resources for Afterschool
• Webinars You Don’t Want to Miss
• May CE Calendar

Alaska Summer Reading Challenges for every age

The Alaska State Library is encouraging families to read together every day this summer. Daily reading is the best way to prevent summer learning loss in children. When parents read aloud to their children, they are promoting the development of positive social and cognitive skills.  Parents who read aloud to their children are demonstrating that reading is important and enjoyable.

The Alaska Summer Reading Challenges for every age is inviting everyone to read 10 or more hours this summer and complete at least one of the fun and engaging activity badges. 

Libraries sharing information about the Alaska Summer Reading Challenges for every age to their community members, may want to use the promotional resources available from the Statewide Summer Reading webpage.  

Beanstack Training Tutorials for Library Staff and Readers 

The Alaska Summer Reading Challenges for every age uses the Beanstack platform. Training tutorials, articles and FAQs for library staff may be found on the Beanstack Help Desk.  Library staff may want to share the links to the following three (under 3 minutes each) Beanstack tutorials which demonstrate for patrons the process of logging books, logging activities and using the mobile app.

Census Materials for Young Children  

Libraries looking for free resources to include in Grab and Go bags may want to visit the US Census Pre-K Materials. These resources are available in English and Spanish and are designed to introduce young children to the concept of data and the importance of numbers. Examples of the resources available are the Everyone Counts! activity booklet, Dr. Seuss Coloring Pages and World of Animals.

Youth Programing Goes Virtual in Alaska

Youth Services librarians in Alaska haven’t let library closures due to the Coronavirus pandemic stop them from providing fun, entertaining and educational programming to children.   

Fairbanks North Star Borough Public Libraries are offering a weekly Virtual Preschool Storytime with Ms. Karleen and Parents and Twos Storytime with Ms. Sarah.

The Kenai Community Library is offering programs Monday thru Thursday via their virtual classroom. Programs offered on the virtual classroom include Let’s Draw, LEGO Club Challenge, Facebook Live Storytime and DIY or S.T.E.M. Thursday.

Anchorage Public Library’s Virtual Programs for Everyone hosted an online comic contest for children, three virtual book clubs and a Facebook Connect for Anchorage Parents.

The Wasilla Public Library is conducting virtual story times via Facebook Live. 

Grab and Go Kits

Sitka Public Library is offering Saturday Craft-Kits to Go

During the library closure Maite Lorente Rial, the Youth Services Director at the Sitka Public Library has been providing families with a weekly craft kit. Each kit is carefully designed to support children’s early learning and provide families with a fun shared activity.  

Many libraries are planning on incorporating grab and go kits into their summer reading programming.  Abby Johnson, the author of Abby the Librarian blog has written two posts on the science activity kits that she uses as prizes for her summer reading program.  Those Summer Reading Club Prizes published on Thursday, June 12, 2014 includes links to the following activity kits: Balloon Rocket, Building Squares, Exploding Stick Bomb, Marshmallow Building, Tangram Challenge and Texture Book.  Abby Johnson includes a photo, materials list and instructions for each kit. Her  Science Activity Packs Revisited was published on Thursday, May 25, 207 and includes links to the following new activity kits: Catapults, Germinating Seeds, Parachutes, Soda Straw Rockets, Static Electricity Butterflies and a revised Marshmallow Building.

Science Sparks: Making Science Fun for Kids published a post titled Science Challenge Bags by Emma Vanstone on September 22, 2016 includes examples of inexpensive science kits that would appeal to younger children.

If you are looking to put together kits with open ended activities that foster creativity and innovation, you may want to read The Mystery Bag Stem Building Challenges Buggy and Buddy blog post published on June 19, 2017  

Each mystery bag (aka kit) includes an assortment of materials (recyclables and other random items) and a challenge card. Children have to use the materials in their bag to solve the challenge. Which materials they choose to use and how they use them are up to the children.

COVID 19: Resources for Afterschool

The Alaska Afterschool Network has compiled an online list of resources relating to COVID 19 and children’s programs. COVID 19: Resources for Afterschool cover the following topics:  What should I do if I or my children become ill?, Talking to Kids about COVID 19, and Combating Stigma.  

Webinars You Don’t Want to Miss

• How Foundations and Friends Can Support Their Libraries During COVID 19
  • May 7^th at 9:00 am
• COVID-19 Safety Tips for Reopening Your Library
  • May 12^th at 10:00 am
• Shifting Your Events Online During COVID 19
  • May 20^th at 10:00 am  

May CE Calendar

Visit the CE Calendar for a list of free continuing education opportunities for public librarians in Alaska.