Every Child Ready to Read : Overview

The Public Library Albuquerque Bernalillo County wants every child in Albuquerque and Bernalillo County to develop a life-long love of reading and learning. Children who are strong readers have a much greater chance of success at school, and research shows that children get ready to read years before they start school. ^[1][2]

Early Literacy is everything that a child know about reading before actually learning how to read. To help children and families develop critical Early Literacy skills, the Library has adopted Every Child Ready to Read®, an early childhood literacy program developed by the American Library Association. All of our weekly Storytimes incorporate elements of the Every Child Ready to Read® program, which you can practice at home on your own.

We also have one-hour long Every Child Ready to Read® workshops that provide parents, grandparents, and caregivers tips on how to give young children a head start on a life of learning. Come learn how you can help your child develop Early Literacy skills through Talking, Reading Writing, Singing, and Playing . . . simple activities you probably do already! Guaranteed to be fun! Great free handouts! The Every Child Ready to Read® workshops take place at various locations throughout the City of Albuquerque. If you are interested in the program,  please contact your local branch library or look for an upcoming event in the list below.

[1] National Research Council. 1998. Preventing reading difficulties in young children.
    Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

[2] National Research Council. 2000. From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development.
    Washington, DC: National Academy Press.

Early Literacy Centers and Literacy Kits

Early Literacy Centers are now at thirteen branches of the Public Library: Alamosa, Central & Unser, Cherry Hills, Erna Fergusson, International District, Juan Tabo, Lomas Tramway, Los Griegos, Main, Rudolfo Anaya, San Pedro, South Valley, Taylor Ranch, and Tony Hillerman. These centers give children and parents a welcoming spot to explore the components of Every Child Ready to Read®, providing an opportunity to share special books, puzzles, puppets and educational toys.

In addition, children and their families can extend their enjoyment by checking out a Literacy Kit to take home. Kits are designed to engage children and families in various ways, and each one is based on one of the components of the ECRR program: Reading, Writing, Talking, Singing/Rhyming, and Playing. The Literacy Kits are currently offered at all library branches except for Special Collections. Literacy Kits may be checked out by Adult (and/or Teacher) cardholders with full access accounts, in good standing. Literacy Kits check out for three weeks and may not be renewed; only one Literacy Kit at a time may be checked out by a cardholder.

Funding for the literacy kits is provided by TLC Plumbing, Heating and Air Conditioning. 

Early Literacy Tip - Reading/Talking

When reading a book to a child be sure to ask open-ended questions.  The child will learn to process what is happening and how to think about an answer. This helps children not only understand the story itself, but will help them learn how to analyze and boost their comprehension of the parts of a story that aren’t necessarily written in the text of a book. So the next time you read a story with a child, don’t forget to ask “why did that happen?” or “what do you think will happen next?” Your child’s future comprehension skills will thank you.

…Experts tell us that children need to hear a thousand stories read aloud to them before they begin to learn to read for themselves. A thousand! That sounds daunting. But when we do the sums, it isn't as bad as we might think. Three stories a day will deliver us a thousand stories in one year alone, let alone in the four or five years prior to school. We can do it!

The Gift of Reading

Give books: Give a book for birthdays, holidays, or any special occasion. It doesn't have to be new — you can share one of your favorite books or look for a special old book from a used bookstore! If relatives are looking for birthday gift ideas for your child, ask them to give a book this year.  Get the Tooth Fairy Involved! Instead of money, she could leave a book under the pillow, perhaps with a short inscription on the inside front cover including the date and some details about how that tooth was lost . . .

Weekly Storytimes

Weekly Storytime is a great opportunity for your children to socialize with other young children while developing communication, cognitive, and fine motor skills. Weekly Storytimes occur every day at various library branches where children can listen to stories and participate in fun-filled age appropriate activities.

Storytimes @ Library Branches

Preschool Storytime

Join in the fun with stories, songs, puppets and more that encourage development of Early Literacy skills in young children, using the guidelines from the Every Child Ready to Read program. Ages 3 -5

Music and Movement Storytime

Enjoy a fun way to develop Early Literacy skills in young children with music, dancing, singing, stories and exploration of simple musical concepts. Ages 0-6

Baby and Toddler Storytime

Enjoy an interactive storytime with your child that includes Early Literacy fun with books, songs, fingerplays and body movement. Ages 0-3 

Family Storytime

A program for children of all ages, featuring books, puppets, music, movement, science activities, movies and/or crafts to encourage Early Literacy skills. All ages.