Named an “outstanding resource” in a starred review by Library Journal, Mother Goose on the Loose (MGOL) incorporates books, rhymes, fingerplays, flannelboards, music, dance, and child-parent interaction into dynamic programs that bring whole families into the library. Her research-based approach to helping young children learn has made Diamant-Cohen’s book a best-seller, and now she’s revised and updated it to include additional research, information, and tips. Filled with ready-to-use plans and activities that build motor, music, social, emotional, and pre-literacy skills in infants and toddlers, this resource includes planning and scheduling sheets for implementing the program; guidance on designing new MGOL sessions, plus five MGOL programs with complete scripts and instructions, easily adaptable as needed; suggestions for incorporating digital media such as tablets; tips for communicating with parents, library administrators, and stakeholders; research findings on the learning process for infants and toddlers, including the importance of repetition, ritual, play, reading, movement, and music; and links to additional online resources such as music, sample participant surveys, and promotional tools. Librarians, educators, and caregivers across the country have already found MGOL easy to learn and easy to present, and so will you!

This text contains a comprehensive overview of library services for preschool children that provides simple, practical tips for working with the youngest library patrons, including computer usage. Tailoring a portion of your library towards the needs of toddlers, preschoolers, and parents of infants is a complicated undertaking. Children's librarianship involves much more than simply providing a good selection of books for children; creating an effective program for this user group requires specific experience and knowledge. Crash Course in Library Services to Preschool Children covers all aspects of library service for preschoolers, including programming, collection management, policies and procedures, child development, dealing with caregivers, community partnerships and events, computer use, storytelling, creating a child-friendly children's room, and working with special populations. This text is especially suited for new librarians or librarians in isolated communities, as it contains a plethora of useful hints, new ideas, and simple, helpful directions. Contains many successful suggestions from practicing children's librarians regarding weeding and programming for two-year-olds Includes a comprehensive bibliography and webliography of relevant reference resources, as well as books that are recommended specifically for preschoolers

Co-author of the popular titles Booktalking Bonanza and The Early Literacy Kit, Betsy Diamant-Cohen brings together 18 examples of successful outreach partnerships that children's librarians and administrators can adapt to their own situations. Contributors from the U.S and Canada explain how they partnered with schools, community organizations, museums, businesses and other agencies to create novel experiences for children across the children's services spectrum (preschool through middle-school). Inside this volume readers will find: Descriptions of innovative award-winning collaborations, such as The Read to Me Program (a family literacy project that evolved from a collaboration between an adult corrections facility and a public library), Programming ideas perfect for enhancing community outreach, Inspiration to create and kick-start new initiatives, Filled with lively collaborative programming ideas, Children's Services will help you reach out to your communities and to your constituents in new and exciting ways.

Here is a new approach to storytime that incorporates more recent theories on developmental learning and research on how children's brains work. According to this research, the best way to make new connections in the brain is by building on something already known. A child who loves a book will listen to it repeatedly, maintaining interest. Using a selected book in a number of consecutive preschool storytimes, but presenting it differently each time can help children learn new skill sets. Employing repetition with variety expands the story experience, helping children to connect and engage with the story on a higher level through activities specifically designed to address multiple intelligence's. The experience a child has with that book then becomes much richer. Diamant-Cohen encourages a repetition-based process that maximises children's benefits by exploring the same story with a variety of accompaniments. She includes a template for six sessions of repetition and presents scripts for 10 different books. A list in each chapter's conclusion contains optional alternative selections. Planning aids such as a book list, a fill-in-the-blank planning sheet, questions for evaluation and outlines of storytime sessions make your job easier. Detailed explanations of theory and research said in plain English that include real world, practical examples help you explain changes to parents and administrators. From setup to execution, here's everything you need to create and implement a successful, elevated storytime.