Nearly 30 Read Aloud Delaware volunteers gathered April 29 at the Georgetown Public Library for a professional development workshop, meeting in person for the first time in almost three years.
“We are so happy not only to have our volunteers returning to classrooms across the county, but also to be able to bring everyone together to exchange information and ideas,” said Stacy Penaranda, Read Aloud Delaware Sussex County director.
Funding for the event was provided by a grant from Sussex County Council.
Read Aloud Delaware is a children’s literacy program whose mission is to ensure that each preschool child in Delaware is regularly read to one on one. Volunteers are currently reading in childcare centers and preschools.
Lewes Public Library’s Jennifer Noonan, children’s librarian and program coordinator, kicked off the workshop with news on the latest reading trends and outstanding books for preschoolers. “Great stories inspire great engagement,” said Noonan. She explained that adult mentors and role models can make a difference for at-risk students.
Books for 3- and 4-year-olds can cover a variety of topics, including values and character, issues like fear and safety, nursery rhymes, heroes, diversity and humor.
The pandemic also has emerged as a theme in children’s books, including “Outside, Inside” by LeUyen Pham and “Keeping the City Going” by Brian Floca.
Diversity is another timely topic for children’s books. Noonan talked about “mirror books” and “window books.’
“Every kid should be able to see themselves in a book. That is a mirror book. And every kid should be able to see into someone else’s experience that is different than theirs. That is a window book,” said Noonan.
Following Noonan’s presentation, volunteers were introduced to the Stop Read Go program via a Zoom presentation from its founder, Johanna Rodionova, who started the early literacy program after successfully teaching her 2-year-old son to read.
Beginning with making reading aloud to him every day a priority, Rodionova gradually introduced the sounds of individual letters. Eventually he was able to connect sounds to make words.
In addition to pointing to each word as she read it, Rodionova also made use of written labels on objects around the house to encourage her son’s sight recognition of words. She stressed the importance of making words tangible and meaningful to young children.
Among other products, Rodionova has developed a children’s eating utensil set with the knife, fork and spoon labeled. The Stop Read Go company donated utensil sets to Read Aloud Delaware’s LENA Start program, which helps parents and caregivers measure, improve and make the most of their verbal connections with young children up to 3 years of age.
Rodionova’s philosophy on teaching reading relies on imitation and replication. She said, “If a child learns to speak by age 5, why can’t a child learn to read in the same way?”
For more information on Read Aloud Delaware, including the LENA Start program, go to readalouddelaware.org or contact the Sussex County office at 302-856-2527.
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