STOP can be a hard word to teach excited little ones, and all too often it’s a word they really don’t want to hear. Self-regulating is the ability to make your body listen to your brain, and to the requests of those around you. Using Freeze songs is a great way to practice stopping and starting on cue. It can also become a fun way to get young children to pay attention to important words, like “Stop,” “Wait” or “Freeze,” when they become a little too revved up during movement activities, or just day-to-day events.

Some great songs to use include:

“I Can Dance” by Ronno
“Can’t Wait to Celebrate” by Jim Gill
“Bop & Stop” by Merry Music Maker
“Freeze” or “Stop & Go” by Greg & Steve

Any song can be used to play freeze games, though. Fast moving classical songs, or even rock & roll, can be paused for great freeze-song fun!

This article originally appeared in our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

Carlson’s book is part of the Local Indie @ KDL collection, housed at the Cascade Township and Kentwood (Richard L. Root) branches. It was created to give independent authors, filmmakers and musicians the opportunity to be added to our shelves and to be featured by staff in order to increase viewers, readers and listeners.

Click here to browse our Local Indie @ KDL collection.

Summer Reading @ KDL kicks off on Saturday, June 1. Stop by your local branch to sign up, and don’t forget to pick up a program guide while you’re there. Our summer line-up includes dinosaurs, magic, animals, food and music, just to name a few! Watch this video to amp up your excitement!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrA_cvPZEP8

You do not have to have a KDL library card to get a free concert ticket. Watch the video below for full event details, go to Freegal and use your KDL card to download some of the artists’ music (on us!), then pick up your tickets today at any one of our 18 branches!

As part of this fundraiser to help support WGVU Real Oldies and the West Michigan Whitecaps Inner City Youth Baseball/Softball program, a classic car show in the parking lot starts at 3:00 PM.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oW8Q2_QrtkQ

Fishing for Letters

Now that the weather is warming up, it’s time to take early literacy activities outdoors. Here’s a simple activity to make pool time fun and educational this summer.

Materials:

• Child’s plastic pool or large basin or bucket
• Water (optional)
• Plastic magnetic letters
• Child’s fishing rod with no hook on it (or a short piece of string tied to a stick)
• Large metal washer
• Basket or bowl

Directions:

Tie the large metal washer to the end of the fishing pole string, making sure that the washer is secure. Fill the pool or basin with water and throw the magnetic letters into the pool.

To Use:

“Fish” for magnetic letters with the fishing pole. As a child catches each letter, say the name of the letter and make the sounds that the letter makes. Ask older children to think of a word that starts with the letter they have caught. Try catching magnetic numbers too!

Other Ideas:

Give children real fishing poles (child sized) with the hooks removed. Tie small, soft objects to the end of the lines and have children practice casting out and reeling the line in. Take children fishing! Try local parks with small, well-stocked ponds and playgrounds nearby. Talk about different types of fish and check out a book about fish from your local library.

This article originally appeared in our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

A few numbers:

• Hits to the Book Bash website – 5,544 since February
• Participants in the Facebook quilt contest – 12,753
• Attendance at Book Bash – 1,467
• Dollars raised for KDL programs – $31,797
• 93 volunteers worked 1,245 hours

Thanks to everyone who volunteered, shopped and supported the event. See you next year!

Good news for eBook fans — new titles from major publisher Hachette Book Group are now available from the library again! Hachette stopped selling eBooks to libraries in 2010, limiting the availability of popular authors such as James Patterson, David Baldacci, Sandra Brown and others to only titles released before this date. But they are now once again making their full collection available for libraries to purchase.

KDL has purchased over 200 new Hachette titles, including:

• Life after Life by Kate Atkinson
• The Hit by David Baldacci
• Death of Yesterday by M. C. Beaton
• Low Pressure by Sandra Brown
• Beautiful Creatures series by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
• The Fifth Assassin by Brad Meltzer
• 12th of Never by James Patterson & Maxine Paetro
• Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

Since lots of popular titles are now available for the first time, we’ve also increased the checkout limit to 15 items, so visit http://ebooks.kdl.org and start downloading!

You love-bomb us, we love-bomb you right back.

aaaaaaaand go!

P.S. – Comments left on this blog post will not be considered for the contest; please fill out the form by clicking here.

Subscribe to our Early Lit Bits eNewsletter. Read the most recent issue online or sign up to receive this monthly update highlighting early literacy tips and resources for parents and caregivers.

Find great early literacy activities and information on our Play-Grow-Read! website.  After all, books are for babies too!

Join one of our Babytime groups, which will delight and stimulate your baby with songs, a story and playtime. Get to know other families and help your baby develop listening and language skills.

Get out of the house and head to KDLville, early-literacy play spaces in each KDL branch.

Your Happy Pregnancy is a three-part series led by chiropractor Dr. Jessica Avery Karns. And pick up a library card for the little one while you’re there — it’s one of the best things you can do for your new baby.

Prepping Your Body to Make a Superbaby  

• Saturday, May 4, 10:30 AM – KWD
• Saturday, May 11, 2:00 PM- EGR

Congratulations, You’re Pregnant!  Let’s Make This a Great Experience!

• Saturday, May 18, 10:30 AM – KWD
  Saturday, May 25, 2:00 PM – EGR

The Bundle of Joy is Here: What to do for Baby and for Momma

• Saturday, June 1, 10:30 AM – KWD
• Saturday, June 1, 2:00 PM – EGR