Anna Foote - Six skills by age six: launching early literacy at the library

Copyright 2016 by Anna Foote and Bradley Debrick

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Foote, Anna, author. | Debrick, Bradley, author.

Title: Six skills by age six : launching early literacy at the library / Anna Foote and Bradley Debrick.

Description: Santa Barbara, CA : Libraries Unlimited, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2015031400| ISBN 9781610698993 (paperback) | ISBN 9781610699006 (ebook)

Subjects: LCSH: Childrens librariesActivity programsUnited States. | Libraries and preschool children. | Libraries and caregivers. | Language arts (Preschool) | Reading readiness. | Storytelling. | Literacy programsKansasCase studies. | BISAC: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Library & Information Science / General. | EDUCATION / Teaching Methods & Materials / Reading & Phonics.

Classification: LCC Z718.3 .F58 2016 | DDC 027.62/5dc23 LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2015031400

ISBN: 978-1-61069-899-3

EISBN: 978-1-61069-900-6

201918171612345

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Illustrations created by Brad Sneed. Copyright 2009 by Johnson County Library.

As one of the national trainers for library staff on the Every Child Ready to Read initiative from the American Library Association, it is gratifying to see how Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) has been a catalyst for Johnson County (KS) Library and the State Library of Kansass 6 by 6 initiative. As a childrens librarian with Montgomery County (MD) Public Libraries when the county was a pilot site for ECRR, I, like the staff at Johnson County, came to realize the public librarys role in helping children enter school ready to learn to read, and the necessity of reaching parents and caregivers to help accomplish this. ECRR gave us the foundation to acknowledge and build our early literacy initiative in intentional ways.

From a simple, modest beginning, 6 by 6 and this book show how far one can go with dedicated library staff who continually think and rethink ways to serve parents, caregivers, and families around early literacy. Six Skills by Age Six: Launching Early Literacy at the Library offers details in both process and content to help you envision your librarys early literacy initiative, to create and develop one, or to build on what you already are doing. The areas covered are staff training, community outreach, parent workshops, storytimes, booklists, and childrens activity kits.

As you proceed, remember that it is important to not just lift content from a model, but rather to use the process to develop what will become your librarys own early literacy initiative that responds to your communities, resources, and goals. The authors have offered both philosophical approaches and practical advice to support your efforts. I hope you will be inspired as you use their knowledge and expertise, adding to your own, as you look for ways to raise the bar for informal education in your community, with the library as an advocate and key player to help all children enter school ready to learn.

Saroj Ghoting

Early literacy has always been important to public libraries, but in the new millennium, it has become even more core to library services, and formalized through ALAs Every Child Ready to Read initiative.

After trial-and-error attempts with implementation, the staff at the Johnson County Library realized that every library had specialized materials and expert staff unlike any other business or agency. They subsequently adapted the standard Every Child Ready to Read early literacy program (version 1) to suit needs of their librarys communities and stakeholders. The result was a program called 6 by 6: Ready to Read, which showcased the six skills kids should have experienced by their sixth birthday in order to become successful readers.

Kasey Laine Riley, former communications manager for Johnson County Library, describes the relationship of public libraries and early literacy education this way: The public library plays a unique and special role in the community. The public library is uniquely equipped with staff who are truly committed to literacy for the good of the entire community. The development of an easy access program such as 6 by 6 enables library staff to communicate a clear path to early literacyand lifelong learningthrough the six skills a child can develop by the age of six.

The program was so successful and popular that it caught the eye of the state librarian. In 2011, Joanne Budler, state librarian of Kansas, decided to adopt 6 by 6: Ready to Read as the premier early literacy initiative for the states public libraries. Recognizing the importance of early literacy to school and lifelong achievement, she approached Johnson County Library staff to request their permission and assistance in making the 6 by 6 program available to all Kansas public libraries.

Later that year, State Library staff convened a 6 by 6 launch committee composed of library staff members from across the state. These committee members were trained in 6 by 6 methodologies by Johnson County Library staff, and subsequently trained other library staff members at sessions held throughout the state.

To support the launch, the State Library used federal Institute of Museum and Library Services funds to print 6 by 6 informational materials for libraries to distribute to patrons. (Details about these materials can be found in .)

In 2012, State Library staff made a successful grant request to the Kansas Childrens Cabinet and Trust Fund and was awarded $312,479 to support the implementation of 6 by 6 in Kansas libraries. The grant funded the following actions:

the creation and circulation of early literacy activity kits to the states public libraries

an evaluation of how well 6 by 6 works in early childhood education settings conducted by the University of Kansas

the hiring of the State Librarys early childhood/lifelong learning coordinator (Anna Foote)

A second year of funding from the Childrens Cabinet in the amount of $269,611 ensured that libraries early literacy work continued and expanded.

(Youll find more details of the states implementation of 6 by 6 in .)

The Johnson County Library heralded the sixth anniversary of 6 by 6 in 2015 with a multimonth celebration and a renewed focus on caregiver awareness. Activity spaces were enhanced at four neighborhood libraries, and special birthday artwork was featured heavily on the librarys website and print materials. 6 by 6 has become a cornerstone of youth services at Johnson County Library.