EARLY LITERACY Workshop to prepare for school

The funding comes from a three-county literacy grant.
WARREN -- A workshop for parents, grandparents and child caregivers on early literacy skills will be 6:30 p.m. April 18 at Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, 444 Mahoning Ave.
The "Every Child Ready to Read" initiative offers those involved with children up to age 5 the knowledge to introduce children to six pre-reading skills in preparation for school.
Funding for the initiative comes from a $730,524 federal grant to enhance the literacy skills of young children in Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana counties.
The "Growing Readers, Creating Leaders" grant is aimed especially at economically challenged children and is funded by the Department of Health and Human Services through its Early Learning Opportunity Act Discretionary Fund.
Children's Librarians Ellen Finan and Mary Lu Rosier will present the free, hourlong workshop. Finan said that activities learned during the workshop can support the six literacy skills necessary to turn children into readers. As the child grows, these support activities change.
Targeted skills
For example, she said, parents and others should be aware of how to build the following skills when reading to children from birth until age 5:
ULetter knowledge -- knowing that letters are different from one another, knowing their names and sounds, and recognizing letters everywhere.
UPrint awareness -- noticing print, knowing how to handle a book, learning how to follow words on a page.
UVocabulary -- knowing the name of things.
UPrint motivation -- being interested in and enjoying books.
UNarrative skills -- being able to describe things and events and tell stories.
UPhonological awareness -- being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words.
"The challenge is to teach these strategies to adults involved with the children because the techniques don't come naturally -- they must be nurtured and fostered," Finan said.
"Every Child Ready to Read" is part of a nationwide literacy initiative designed and implemented by The Public Library Association and the Association of Library Service to Children (a division of the American Library Association).
For information about the program or to register for the workshop, call (330) 399-8807, Ext. 401.