Cathy Nagle Class Proposal: Early Literacy Fundations HCLS Mission: A major component of Howard County's strong education

system, Howard County Library System (HCLS) delivers high-quality public education for all ages. Class Need/Purpose: As their child's first teacher, parents and caregivers are in the best position to prepare children to read and instill a love of reading in children. This program intends to educate parents and caregivers on six essential early literacy skills: print awareness, print motivation, phonological awareness,letter knowledge, narrative skills, and vocabulary. Description: Four 45 minute parent/caregiver and child classes introducing the six essential early literacy skills through discussion, modeling and hands-on activities. Each class will teach parents and caregivers about one or two skills and suggest what they can do to promote these important skills both at the library and at home. Class 1: Print Motivation: To foster a child's interest and enjoyment of books and reading. Print Awareness: To recognize that print has meaning and to know how to handle a book. Phonological Awareness: To hear and play with smaller sounds in words. Letter Knowledge: To know the different letters, and the name and sound of each one. Narrative Skills: To be able to tell stories in sequence. Vocabulary: To know and use the names of physical and abstract things.

Class 2:

Class 3: Class 4:

Preparation and Set-Up: Class size and age: 15 parent/caregivers with child ages 3-5 Materials needed: books that emphasize particular skills to use for modeling and discussion (i.e. rhyming books for phonological awareness, books about letters and shapes for letter knowledge, etc.) books for display and check-out by customer emphasizing skill discussed visual aids such as felt boards, storyboards writing tools such as wipe-off boards and wipe-off crayons HCLS Early Literacy Skills fliers

Community Partners: Friends of HCLS supports HCLS's education initiatives. Evaluation: CLS Children's & Teen Class Survey, number of participants, feedback and participation of customers during class How this class fits HCLS's mission: We at HCLS are in a unique position to encourage life long learning by giving parents and caregivers the tools they need to support early literacy in their young children. By instructing parents and caregivers on how they can nurture reading and promote early literacy skills, this class supports HCLS's mission of public education for all. Press Release: To be printed on Source, HCLS's quarterly print catalog of classes and events, posted on the HCLS website, HCLS Twitter page, HCLS Facebook and Pinterest. Time/Date: TBD, offered at 2 times, once a week for four weeks

Want to learn more about how to encourage early literacy in your young child? Early literacy fundations will introduce you to six early literacy skills and offer discussion, demonstrations, and hands-on-activities to promote these skills with your child, ages 3-5 years old.