Families

 

What Can I Do?

Read with your children. 

Go to the library and discover books together.  Take books with you as you travel. Carve out time each day – just 20 minutes – to read with your children.

Talk, talk, talk.

Describe your activities and what you are doing to infants and toddlers.  Name objects and people and actions.  Talk about what you see as you travel.

Sing and play with words. 

Make up silly songs and poems to simple tunes.  Change up the words in familiar songs.  Play “I Spy”.  Hunt for colors and numbers and letters with your preschooler.

Everyday moments count. 

A bus ride, a trip to the grocery store or bank, a walk around the block, and even folding laundry are all opportunities to engage with your child.  Learning moments happen anywhere, anytime.

Engage. 

You are the original “App”.  Talking, reading, singing, and listening are the best investments you can make for your children.

Turn off and tune in. 

Turn off all those devices – the TV, phone, and computer – and enjoy some time face-to-face with your child.  Engaging with you is essential to your child’s learning. They crave interaction with you.  Consider this your permission to unplug!

Resources for Families

 

NEW! Season of Thanks and Love 2021 Word of the Day Calendar - Knowing lots of words helps children become strong readers. Worcester Reads’ Word of the Day (WOD) project will help children learn new words throughout the year.

 

NEW!Masks Are A Tool (English) (Spanish)  - Enjoy this short story, illustrated by children,  explains how a mask is an important tool to protect everyone from Covid-19.

 

NEW!Sesame Street has designed developmentally appropriate resources to help you guide your child to be smarter, stronger, and kinder—and an upstander to racism.

 

  • Spring 2021 Word of the Day (WOD) - Knowing lots of words helps children become strong readers. Worcester Reads’ Word of the Day (WOD) project will help children learn new words throughout the year. Spring is a great time to explore new words!
  • February 2021 Word of the Day (WOD) - Knowing lots of words helps children become strong readers. Worcester Reads’ Word of the Day (WOD) project will help children learn new words throughout the year. February is a great time to explore new words!
  • Winter 2021 Word of the Day (WOD) - Knowing lots of words helps children become strong readers. Worcester Reads’ Word of the Day (WOD) project will help children learn new words throughout the year. Winter is a great time to explore new words!
  • Fall 2020 Word of the Day (WOD) - Knowing lots of words helps children become strong readers. Worcester Reads’ Word of the Day (WOD) project will help children learn new words throughout the year. Fall is a great time to explore new words!
  • Pandemic EBT Cards from the Department of Transitional Assistance - What is P-EBT?  The Pandemic - Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT) Program is additional money for families to buy food while schools are closed due to COVID-19. Families will get $5.70 per child per day for every day school is closed. Using P-EBT does NOT impact you or your child’s immigration status. The public charge rule does NOT apply to P-EBT benefits.  Use P-EBT with grab and go student meal sites
  • Summer 2020 Word of the Day! - Knowing lots of words helps children become strong readers. Worcester Reads’ Word of the Day (WOD) project will help children learn new words throughout the year.  Summer is a great time to explore new words!
  • Help Your Child Become a Better Reader - From Positive Parenting News, how to help your child become a better reader.
  • A storybook for families: King Covid and the Kids Who Cared by Nicole Rim - Enjoy this short story that explains Covid-19 to children in a simple format that will help them understand the importance of hand washing, social distancing and doing their part to keep from spreading the virus.
  • PBS Read Along Mondays with Michelle Obama - “Read Together, Be Together” Penguin Random House literacy initiative and PBS KIDS’ “Read-Along” effort on Facebook and YouTube.
  • WPL's Virtual Visits - Missing storytime at Worcester Public Library? Enjoy virtual storytime!
  • International Children’s Digital Library - A collection of fiction and nonfiction books for children pre-K through fifth grade and includes digital texts in over 50 languages.
  • Audible Books and Stories for free - The selection includes children’s books and classics in six languages and can be streamed on a range of devices.  
  • Dialogic Reading - Dialogic Reading is one of the few early literacy interventions documented in academic literature as having a positive impact on children’s vocabulary and other pre-literacy skills.
  • The ABC's of Reading to Your Child - Get your children involved and share a moment with them while you read!
  • Reading Tips for Parents of Toddlers - Some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader.
  • 7 Tips for Summer Reading - This blog from the U.S. Department of Education shares 7 tips to keep children engaged in reading during the summer months.
  • Dialogic Reading - An effective way to read aloud with young children.
  • Does reading aloud really matter? - Learn why it is so important to read aloud to your baby.
  • Understanding the Difference Between a 'Late' reader and a Child with a Learning Issue - This article explains the early signs that parents can look for to determine the difference. 
  • Sharing Wordless Picture Books - This article gives great tips on how to read picture books with very few to no words.  The great news is there is no right or wrong way!  Read on to learn more!
  • How to Read an E-Book with Your Child - This article offers practical tips for sharing e-books with your child, and how to keep the focus on reading and the story.
  • Read With Me Gift Certificates - Give the gift of time with Read with Me gift certificates. Simply print off this sheet and share the gift of reading with friends, family and loved ones.
  • Kindergarten, Here I Come! - Dear Families: Wow, time flies! The years before kindergarten are full of new learning and development. Enjoy this time together. Here’s what teachers love to see in Kindergarten. On the back are some fun ways to help your child build these skills. We can’t wait to meet your child!  This information has been translated into several languages.
  • International Children's Library - This is an excellent FREE online resource that has over 4000 books, for ages 3-13, in 20 international languages.The ICDL Foundation promotes tolerance and respect for diverse cultures by providing access to the best of children's literature from around the world.  Click here to search by language.
  • Let's Talk about Grandparents! - As a grandparent, you play a truly special role in the lives of your grandchildren and family members. When you share rich conversations and stories with your grandchildren, you are helping to support their early brain and language development. Here are some fun ideas for ways you can bond with your grandchildren—simply by talking, reading, and singing together (in person or over the phone).
  • Worcester Public Library Children's Events - Use this link to go directly to Worcester Public Library's Children's Program page.