Otsego District Public Library

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Early Literacy & Preschool

WHAT IS EARLY LITERACY?

Early Literacy is everything that children learn about reading and writing before they can actually read and write. Reading aloud and bringing books into daily life is the key to encouraging and developing a young child’s ability to read. By reading, talking, singing, playing, and writing with your child – you give them the foundation for literacy and success! Literacy development begins at birth and is closely linked to a baby’s earliest experiences with books and stories. Babies learn language through social literacy experiences – parents interacting with them using books. These experiences also serve to associate books with parental affection, attention, and approval.

Young children need a variety of skills to become successful readers. Reading experts have determined that five specific literacy skills become the building blocks for later reading and writing. Research indicates that children who enter school with more of these skills are better able to benefit from reading instruction they receive. From day one, a child’s brain begins forming connections very quickly—connections which build the foundation for all learning he or she will do later in life. In fact 90% of children’s critical brain development occurs by age 5. Children who are read to, sung to, and talked to from a young age develop bigger vocabularies, become better readers, and are more likely to succeed in school. Research indicates that when children are reached with high quality early learning experiences, they are 40% less likely to fall behind in school and 70% more likely to graduate from high school.
(Resources cited from Get Ready to Read and Reading Rockets)
 
 

COLOR OUR WORLD – Summer Reading Program
June 21 – August 2
Birth – High School
Sign up for summer reading from June 16 – 21 to get a prize! Sign-ups continue through July 12. Set a reading goal, read, and bring your completed finisher slips to the library for a finisher prize bag full of goodies, pick out a FREE book, and enter our Colortastic Grand Prize drawings! Finisher bags will be available July 14.


Colortastic Grand Prizes
Summer Reading Program finishers can enter for a chance to win:

  • 1st Place • $300 Meijer Gift Card + Red Reading Pillow
  • 2nd Place • $200 Meijer Gift Card + Blue Reading Pillow
  • 3rd Place • $100 Meijer Gift Card + Yellow Reading Pillow
    Plus: FOUR COLORTASTIC GRAND PRIZE PICKS that you can enter to win!

Colortastic Grand Prize Picks

  • Step2 Flip & Doodle Easel Desk With Stool
  • MAGNA-TILES – Two Magnetic Construction Sets
  • Crayola Art Set – Light Up Tracing Pad, Art Case, and Spin & Spiral Station
  • LEGO Classic Creative Fun and Brick Box Sets
  • Pix Brix Pixel Art Puzzle Bricks and Starry Night Sets
  • Magnetic Blocks – Grassland and Forest Building Block Sets including Chicken Jockey!
  • 65” Inflatable Wheel Roller, Pool Toys and Beach Towel
  • Giant Outdoor Set – Kite, Frisbee, and Ladder Toss
GRAND PRIZE WINNERS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR GRAND PRIZE PICKS

Children’s Summer Reading Program Flyer
Select the Flyer Icon or click HERE to view all the details on the teen/tween summer reading Program.
Weekly events, prizes, and all of the details!

Color Our World Kick Off Event
Saturday, June 21 from 10 AM – NOON
(Outdoor Event – Weather Permitting)
ALL AGES
Colorful bounce houses, fun art stations, disc golf, chalk art, color scavenger hunt, popcorn, plus more. Drop in for some colorful fun!

Messy Colorful Play
June 23 – July 28
Mondays at 10 AM
0-5 Years Old
Colorful play stations will be set up so children can explore fun and interactive activities. Spoiler alert – you may get messy!

Benjammin’s Color Our World Interactive Concert
Tuesday, June 24 @ 10 AM
ALL AGES
BenJammin’ and Emily will color your world with music and movement as we rock out with an interactive concert for all ages. Join the band with sing-along tunes!

Joel Tacey’s Foam Party (Outdoors) 
Tuesday, July 1 @ 10 AM
ALL AGES
Foam parties are a fun, playful way to dance, be silly, and burn off energy with skin-safe, non-toxic foam and family-friendly music. Bring a change of clothes for after the fun!

Movie & Popcorn – “Harold and the Purple Crayon”
PG, 1hr 29 min
Tuesday, July 8 @ 10 AM
ALL AGES
Munch on popcorn while you watch this imaginative movie. Movie viewers will pick a crayon to draw something that they would like to make come to life. (Please note: blankets and pillows are not allowed in the library.)

Jeff Wawrzaszek’s Art of Magic 
Tuesday, July 15 @ 10 AM
ALL AGES
Jeff delivers his “best of the best” material in this “awesomazing” magic show. A free reading-themed magic trick will be given to each child in attendance. PLUS kids will learn a bonus “Color Our World” magic trick.

Mosaics with Meijer – Mosaic Art & Cupcakes 
Tuesday, July 22 @ 10 AM
ALL AGES
Plainwell Meijer is partnering with the library to bring you mosaic creations! Each participant will create beautiful mosaic art and make a mosaic cupcake to eat. Meijer staff will be on hand to add to the fun.

Cotton Candy Colors – Science That Tastes Good! 
Tuesday, July 29 @ 10 AM
ALL AGES
Learn all about the science of cotton candy in this fun, interactive show featuring all the colors (and flavors) of the rainbow. Chemists of all ages will enjoy this fascinating program. Plus it tastes good too!

Colorful Stories & Songs
June 25 – July 30
Wednesdays at 2 PM
0-5 Years Old
Stories, songs, colorful play, creative crafts, and lots of fun!

Felix Colors Otsego
June 21 – August 2
ALL AGES
Felix the Fox is painting downtown Otsego! Find Felix and his colorful paintbrushes during this fun, interactive activity. Find them all, return your completed sheet to the library, and receive a prize!

Scholastic Book Fair
June 11 – June 28
Come shop the fair and reward your kids and grandkids for a great school year!
All your purchases help earn the library FREE Books!

 

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

The Otsego District Library is excited to offer 1000 Books Before Kindergarten to local preschool aged children along with ten other Allegan County Libraries! The Allegan County Library Association has partnered with the Allegan County United Way and Volunteer Center, who has given a $7000 grant to fund supplies for the children of Allegan County for five years!

Sign up at the library for our easy, fun, FREE, 1000 Books Before Kindergarten program for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers! Any child that has not started kindergarten is eligible to participate. Anyone in Allegan County can sign up at their home library for this program. Click HEREto register your child today!

Rise & Shine Early Literacy Center 

The library strives to enrich young minds by encouraging early literacy. In doing this we have created an amazing and FREE literacy center with changing themes. The facility is available for access any time during library hours; direct parental supervision is required. The outdoor play area is available Memorial Day through Labor Day during library hours. Stop by the library to learn and play with your preschool aged child today.

MeL eResources for Readers and Pre-Readers 

Are you looking for help with school work or finding a new book to read? Find it HERE! The Michigan eLibrary (MeL) has fast, reliable online resources for homework and classroom activities.

CLICK HERE to Learn
CLICK HERE to Play
CLICK HERE to Read

ABC Mouse 

Did you know that you can use ABC Mouse at the library for FREE! If your child is using one of the library computers or your own device on the library’s Wi-Fi then you can use ABC Mouse for FREE when you visit.

Click HEREto get started today!