Building a New Generation of Readers

A statewide early literacy project designed by the State Library, Building a New Generation of Readers provides public and school librarians with the training and materials to teach parents and childcare providers strategies for preparing children to enter school ready to learn to read and be successful in school.

Trainings and resources for Building a New Generation of Readers projects are supported with funding granted by the Arizona State Library under the Library Services and Technology Act, which is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Tools include:

• BNGR Early Literacy Library Team - Serving Family, Friends and Neighbor (FFN) Caregivers in your Communities - The purpose of the BNGR Early Literacy Library Team is to expand access to early literacy programming for Family, Friend, and Neighbor providers (FFN) across Arizona by presenting early literacy programs to caregivers in host libraries with a focus on small and rural communities.  For more information on hosting a FFN early literacy program please contact Donna Throckmorton.
   
• Launching School Readiness - The Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, awarded 50 tribal and public libraries collections of pre-loaded learning tablets and read-along picture books to give children across the state access to safe and secure educational apps and recordings of books without the need for internet access.

  The State Library is committed to supporting Arizona libraries in their efforts to provide informal education opportunities for all. The Launching School Readiness opportunity will provide access to digital content to meet community needs and encourage literacy. These collections will be made available for checkout and added to the selected library’s circulating collection.

  Pre-loaded learning tablets and read-along picture books will provide libraries additional resources needed to promote literacy, bridge the digital divide, and make technology accessible to everyone.

  Libraries Launching School Readiness recipients:

  Learning Tablets
  Ava Ich Asiit Tribal Library
  Benson Public Library
  Buckeye Public Library System
  Chandler Public Library
  Chino Valley Public Library
  Desert Foothills Library
  Eloy Santa Cruz Library
  Fredonia Public Library
  Huachuca City Library 
  Isabelle Hunt Memorial Public Library
  Mammoth Public Library
  Mayer Public Library
  Navajo Nation Library
  Page Public Library
  Payson Public Library
  Pinetop Lakeside Public Library        
  San Carlos Public Library
  San Xavier Learning Center Library
  Sedona Public Library
  Tolleson Public Library

  Read-Along Picture Books
  Ak-Chin Indian Community Library
  Apache Junction Public Library    
  Avondale Public Library    
  Black Canyon City Community Library    
  Camp Verde Community Library    
  Casa Grande Public Library    
  Clifton Public Library  
  Cochise County Library District
  Colorado River Indian Tribes Library Archives    
  Coolidge Public Library    
  Douglas Public Library    
  Duncan Public Library
  Elsie S. Hogan Community Library    
  Flagstaff City-Coconino County Public Library    
  Fort McDowell Tribal Library    
  Globe Public Library
  Hayden Public Library
  Kaibab Paiute Tribal Library
  Maricopa Library and Cultural Center
  Mesa Public Library
  Nogales Public Library
  Pima Public Library
  San Tan Valley Library
  Show Low Public Library
  Snowflake-Taylor Public Library
  Superior Public Library
  Wilhoit Public Library
  Winslow Public Library
  Young Public Library
  Yuma County Library District

• Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library® - Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library® (ECRR) is a parent education initiative. It stresses early literacy begins with the primary adults in a child's life. The ECRR toolkit empowers public libraries to assume an essential role in supporting early literacy within a community. ECRR toolkits are provided to every library after attending ECRR training.
   
• Ring of Rhymes - The Early Literacy Ring Cards, lovingly referred to as Ring of Rhymes, began as a resource for families and caregivers to build pre-literacy skills with nursery rhymes.  The cards provide parent tips and nursery rhymes in English and Spanish, to encourage increased conversation and to incorporate simple practices to help parents and other caregivers develop early literacy skills in children from birth to age five. Rhymes are a wonderful way for parents and caregivers to help babies build the skills to prepare to learn to read and succeed. The Ring of Rhymes cards with rhymes in English and Spanish also provide parents tips on simple ways to add early literacy activities to their everyday routine.

  The Ring of Rhymes have expanded to include tips to teach parents and other caregivers how to support the early literacy development of their children using technology/new media and to develop STEM skills based on Every Child Ready to Read® @ your library® (ECRR) initiative.  Our most recent addition is focused on the math skills needed to be successful in school.  All of our cards use simple activities that parents, and caregivers can easily incorporate into their daily activities to develop early literacy skills in children ages 0-5.

  The current set of Early Literacy Ring Cards includes:

  • Ring of Rhymes
  • Technology Time can be Together Time
  • Build Curiosity with STEM
  • School Readiness and
  • Math Moments - NEW!

  Libraries may request sets of Rings of Rhymes to provide to their library patrons from the Arizona State Library by contacting Donna Throckmorton.
   

• LSTA Competitive Grants - Funding is granted for libraries to take workshops out into their communities; to provide digital story times with iPads or other e-readers; to furnish early learning spaces; and other early literacy projects.