Ready to Read Michigan uses storytimes and other

library programs, displays and signage throughout

libraries, outreach activities and social media to

share information about early literacy with families

and caregivers. Ready to Read Michigan is intended

to support the development of early literacy skills

using the ve key practices of the Public Library

role adults have in shared reading experiences with

children from birth through the preschool years in

supporting young children’s literacy skills.

Ready to Read Michigan is supported by the Library

of Michigan with federal funds from the Institute

of Museum and Library Services. The Library of

Michigan recognizes the important link between

libraries and children and families to provide quality

books, programs, and services. Additional support

is provided by Consumers Energy and the Library of

The 2018 Ready to Read Michigan book is “I Got the

Rhythm” by Connie Schoeld-Morrison and illustrated

by Frank Morrison.

music, guiding the action of their walk as everyone

from the butteries to the vendors join in. Using

music around us is captured in this rhyming book

that encourages children to encourage their own self-

expression and be physically active too.

children, highlighting the need to think thoughtfully

about both the materials as well as opportunities in

using objects and engage in meaningful activities

around them to develop literacy skills.

The National Early Literacy Panel (Lonigan,

Schatschneider, & Westberg, 2008) indicates early

literacy skills are predictive of future literacy success.

This includes knowledge and skills such as the ability

to pay attention to sounds in language, known as

phonological awareness, the ability to identify letters

2001; Britto, Brooks-Gunn, & Grin, 2006; Payne,

Whitehurst, & Angell, 1994; Senechal & LaFevre,

2002; Zill & Resnick, 2006).

The Library of Michigan supports the use of shared

reading experiences or read alouds with children.

Libraries are a natural place for supporting the

importance of reading with young children and

modeling shared reading experiences for families,

whether in small groups with story times or as

librarians help families to choose books. Sharing with

with children early, often, and helping to select a

variety of books is key in developing early literacy

skills (Bus, Van IJzendoorn, & Pellegrini, 1995; Garton

reading. By reading a variety of types of books or

genres during story time (Beck & McKeown, 2007;

Duke, 2000) such as storybooks, informational text,

poetry, and other books that encourage readers to

interact with the text, such as activity books, children

are exposed to dierent types of text and can learn

strategies to think about the text to improve their

way of thinking about the text, or comprehension

for literacy skill development (Dickinson & Smith,

1994; Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998).

reading experience with children, which include

talk, sing, read, write, and play. Reading aloud with

children and including them in the text is important.

Encourage preschoolers to move their bodies

to this song that helps them learn colors, rhymes,

and encourages independence too:

Using newsprint, create a “wall” (carefully and

securely cover the wall with the newsprint) for

preschoolers to write on, encouraging them to think

of an action word with one beat or syllable in it and

write or draw the word on the “action wall” to share

with others. [It is important to remind preschoolers

write, telling an adult the words they want written and

drawing a picture to go along with their spoken words

may decide to write and illustrate on their own.

Encourage preschoolers to make letters of the

alphabet with their bodies, saying the letters as

they make them. Use the letters of their names to

help them associate the letters that carry the most

meaning for them right now, showing them what the

younger, encourage caregivers to hold babies in

their laps and interact with their infants as much as

possible. Sessions with infants should be short, with

care to model early literacy practices caregivers can

continue at home. As you go about the storytime,

you may nd it helpful to point out what you are

doing and why it is important, such as reminding

family members that singing helps infants to hear

the sounds in words or that reading together can

develop a lifelong love of books. As you read, be

Before reading “I Got the Rhythm” by Connie

the reading of the book you’ll be focusing on the words

that make sounds and encourage them to help infants

gently move their bodies to the words and the sounds

you sing a greeting song (it may be helpful to announce

storytime is beginning prior to starting to sing):

The More We Get Together

Skokie Public Library to learn and share sign

language for this song too!)

Share with caregivers that just like in the book,

spending time with toddlers learning action words

can help them learn words through motion. One way

they are already doing this is through ngerplays or

rhymes, such as “If You’re Happy and You Know It”:

caregivers to do the same.

Gather preschoolers and caregivers to the storytime

area as you sing a greeting song (it may be helpful to

(Tune: If You’re Happy and You Know It)

Share with caregivers that just like in the book,

spending time with preschoolers learning action

words can help them learn words through motion.

One way they are already doing this is through

ngerplays or rhymes, such as “Ten Fingers”:

favorite activity. Talk with them about what they

do best and how they do it. Some preschoolers

might want assistance to write, telling an adult the

words they want written and drawing a picture to

go along with their spoken words written for them

by an adult. Other preschoolers may decide to write

and illustrate on their own. Whatever a preschooler

chooses is ne! It is important to share with families

and caregivers that these early marks, regardless

of whether they are something adults can read,

sure to make eye contact with each of the children,

Gather children and caregivers to the storytime area as

you sing a greeting song (it may be helpful to announce

for young children. The Reading Teacher, 55, 10–20.

Beck I. & McKeown, M. (2007). Increasing young low-income children’s oral vocabulary repertoires

through rich and focused instruction. Elementary School Journal, 107, 251-271.

Bracken, S. S., & Fischel, J. E. (2008). Family reading behavior and early literacy skills in preschool

children from low-income backgrounds. Early Education and Development, 19, 45-67.

Britto, P. R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (2001). Beyond shared book reading: Dimensions of home literacy

and low-income African American preschoolers’ skills. New Directions for Child and Adolescent

Britto, P. R., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Grin, T. M. (2006). Maternal reading and teaching patterns:

Associations with school readiness in low-income African American families.

very low-and very-high socioeconomic status rst-grade classrooms. American Educational

Garton, A. F., & Pratt, C. (2009). Cultural and developmental predisposition to literacy. In D. R.

Olson & N. Torrance (Eds.), The Cambridge handbook of literacy (pp. 501-517).

Lonigan, C. J., Schatschneider, C., & Westberg, L. (2008). Identication of children’s skills and abilities linked

to later outcomes in reading, writing, and spelling. In National Early Literacy Panel, Developing early

National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and International Reading Association (IRA). (1996).

A ve-year longitudinal study. Child Development, 73, 445-460.

Whitehurst, G., & Lonigan, C. (1998). Child development and emergent literacy. Child Development,

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