Supporting Hand Strength in Tots

Image by Mari Kanezaki from Pixabay

In a recent ALSC blog post, Maria Trivisonno broke down why it's so important to tots develop hand strength in early childhood. It's all about their future writing. And librariaes can help!

Maria writes: "In my Family Engagement work in tandem with a school psychologist and occupational therapist, I have learned the importance of pre-writing skills in kindergarten readiness…and that many children today have fallen behind in this stage of development.  We worry about the “dangers” of screens concerning attention span and other developmental stages…but scrolling with touch screens is really hampering hand development, a vital part of writing. What can we do to help children develop the physical skills needed for writing?"

To read her very practical and doable suggestions, please stop here. [Write On! The Importance of Hand Strength in Early Writing. Trivisonno, Maria. ALSC blog. January 7, 2024.]

Virtual Variety: Passive Programs (Part 2)

Lindy Liedl from the Rice Lake Public Library returns with her monthly column on all things virtual to help you connect with your patrons!

Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay 

Passive programs on your social media are a great way to engage patrons and keep people excited for your next post. These could be shared on whichever social media platform your patrons respond to the most. I mostly share them on our Discord server for teens to keep it active while they’re busy during the summer. (Check my previous post about Discord for libraries!)

For this time, our passive virtual program is Writing Prompts.

You might be surprised how many writers come out of the woodwork when they’re encouraged. Writing prompts can be shared as image posts, a sentence, or a beginning paragraph. If you’re not a writer yourself, like me, some good prompt sources are Pinterest, or doing a Google search for “writing prompt image”, or this handy blog: https://promptuarium.wordpress.com/category/writing-prompt/

First, it might be worth considering whether your patrons need some incentive to respond to prompts. You could offer to repost their writing on your socials, or to display them on wall space in your library–This worked really well for National Poetry Month. We then had a Community Poetry Wall for visitors to view, and all ages got into it!

Instagram writing prompts: Since Instagram stories don’t really allow for long responses, I would share writing prompts as a post and ask patrons to comment. You could invite them to message you instead if they’d rather be anonymous.

Facebook writing prompts: A weekly/monthly post would work well on Facebook too. Invite patrons to respond in the comments, or message you. You could reshare responses once a month too.

Discord writing prompts: Share a prompt image or sentence to a writing channel, and teens can post their responses right there. 

You might have to specify guidelines for the content patrons share if you want them to keep things PG. My teens asked if it was okay to share writing containing swear words, and we decided on using Discord’s censoring feature to block out certain words unless the reader is comfortable viewing them. Other platforms don’t have this tool, so you could state right away that you’d prefer not to receive writing containing profanity, gore, etc. But don’t let this scare you! People are generally respectful knowing that they’re posting to a library space.

Be sure to encourage each person who posts or messages you their writing since it’s a pretty vulnerable thing! Afterall, what’s the point in sharing their writing if they’re going to be ignored? For good measure, I like to point out specific things I like about what our teens share. This gets them even more confident to share again. If you’re really lucky, these passive posts could connect fellow writers and get them chatting together which could develop into a group! But even if not, it’s a really fun way to engage your community online, and to see some hidden talent.

Say Hello to our New Blogger Kim Niesing!

Kim Niesing, YSS member and Monarch Library System's Youth Services Consultant and Database Management Librarian, is joining the Youth Services Shout-out blog writing team!

Kim has already been providing great content for the blog over the past few months. She shared her weekly email that she sends to her system's youth librarians with us and we passed it on.  Her generosity has resulted in many wonderful links and shared information being published in the YSS blog. I recently asked her if she would like to share content weekly on the blog by becoming one of our writers and she said yes!

Kim will be taking over the weekly Wednesday posts for us. Thanks Kim and a big welcome to the team! 

Watch for her first post on Wed, Dec 1 and on the following Wednesdays.

Supporting Young Writers at the Library

With NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month traditionally focused on November) right around the corner, you may be planning some fun writing sessions with kids and teens.

In a recent ALSC blog post, Chelsea Roos shares some creative writing ideas to try with kids. She writes: "I love to put on creative writing programs at the library. Kids are natural storytellers, but as they grow up and move through the school system, many of them come to believe that writing is all about having correct spelling and grammar. But a library program can focus on the fun side of writing, throw away the so-called “rules” of writing, and help young writers bring back their creative spark." 

Check out her ideas here.

What's Up at the Blog?

Image by Mediamodifier from Pixabay 

You are!

Our blog, started in December 2007, has over 2000 posts since it's beginning!

Who is doing all this posting? Well, lots of WI YSS members and friends of YSS have pitched in. Many have taken turns over the past thirteen years to provide content that informs, enlightens and helps WI youth staffers keep up-to-date and in-the-know.

Currently, we have 2-3 contributors who are each responsible for content for one day weekly or more often if the spirit or circumstances (like COVID-19) suggest additional content.

Here's where you come in.

We are looking for a couple more people to volunteer to help us provide content for one day a week. Content can be links to resources; news about events or upcoming CE; opinions about any aspect of children's or teen services; programming or collection development ideas; diversity and inclusion; parenting tips; or any of 100 different pieces of info you'd like to share with colleagues around the state (and sometimes around the country) that you run across in your work. You can even recruit other colleagues to help you write/locate content as well for your four posts monthly so we can include even more voices on the blog.

If 4 posts month seems like a lot, you can also just volunteer for one post monthly (like our Throw-It Thursday column). Many voices make strong content!

It's super fun and super simple. If you'd like to volunteer to help out, we'd love to have you on the blog team for as little or a long as you want. Just email lochwouters@gmail.com for more info or to volunteer.

With over half a million views of the posts (our blog averages between 50-100 views daily) since it's inception thirteen years ago, it's a great place to shine out on behalf of the Youth Services Section and great youth services in our state.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Book Women - A Podcast Sharing Indigenous Stories

Three Canadian librarians are giving a voice to marginalized groups through the power of podcasting!  Book Women podcast encourages other Indigenous peoples to write, edit, and publish their own stories, while also highlighting lesser-known aspects of Canadian history.

“It’s about Indigenous ideas of publishing and libraries and how we tell stories in different ways,” Lar-Son said. “But, it branches out from books in so many ways. A lot of our guests come from different backgrounds. Students, published authors, even a burlesque performer.”

"We have a large pool of really talented people that we know in our circles and we should lift them up. There are many different ways people can tell stories, we just need to hear about how they got into what it is that they do and why they do it,” Laroque said.

She also noted how important it is to have representation in the field.

“We don’t see ourselves in the process. We don’t see ourselves as content creators, because we’re not necessarily featured as such. There’s aren’t a lot of examples for us to lead. If we can pull back the curtain on how Book Women makes things, it really demystifies things."

Read the whole article HERE.  

Subscribe to the podcast via the Apple Store, Anchor, Spotify, Stitcher, or whatever platform you use to listen to and/or subscribe to podcasts.

Guest Post: Summer Writing

Author: Sue Abrahamson, Children's Librarian, Waupaca Area Public Library

We all know the impact of the summer slide as it pertains to reading. Statistics show that math and writing suffer, too. In Waupaca, we are helping kids keep their writing skills sharp by offering a Secret Pen Pal Program. Not knowing what to expect we are blown away by the 160 children participating.

They sign up to be a secret pen pal. We give them a Library P. O. Box # and the number of a Library P. O. Box to write to. (Non-letter-writers are encouraged to draw pictures.)  We ask that they commit to sending their secret pen pal at least 3 letters over two months.

Staff has written postcards to all the kids from their vacations to add to the mail.  We did need to make a few phone calls to remind some families of their commitment. (Usually they were out of town.)  We will have a reveal party later this month so kids can find out who their Secret Pen Pal was this summer.

Parents have been excited to see their kids interested in writing and reading the letters.  They have asked us to continue it again next summer.  Email me at sabraham@mail.owls.lib.wi.us if you have questions or need more information.

Flash Fiction 50 Word Story Challenge for Teens

Looking for a teen program that isn't a craft or a game? Have teens interested in writing? Want something that appeals to any gender? Try a Flash Fiction 50 Word Story Challenge.

Preparing for the program:

• Create a 5x10 table in a document as a 50 word template and print multiple copies (more than you think you'll need).
• Choose a wide variety of images for visual prompts and/or find or make some written prompts and print some for each table you'll have set-up.
• Offer pens, pencils, and erasers. 
• Offer snacks if you so choose or are able to offer them.

Guidelines for writers:

• Exactly 50 words - no more, no less.
• Titles don't count against the 50 words.
• Prose, not poetry (but you can be flexible on this).
• Choose your own subject or choose a story prompt.
• Stories must follow a story format with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

This was the quietest teen library program EVER! All the teens were furiously writing and hardly availed themselves of the snacks. They did drink plenty of cold water as it was a hot and humid day. After 45 minutes, most of them had finished writing; many had used three or more 50 word templates. At this point, we stopped writing and discussed how the format had affected the writing process, shared our stories, had some snacks, and talked about upcoming programs.

Developmentally Appropriate Art Exploration

Art begets writing and writing and reading go hand-in-hand. When children first learn to hold a crayon or a marker, they are taking some of their first steps towards writing. Zero to Three provides a useful overview of the stages in children's artistic development and how these skills promote writing readiness. Just as with other aspects of child development, the ages given are a range and children may reach different stages at different times. Every child follows their own timetable. This information can be helpful in creating process oriented art activities in the library as a program or as a storytime craft experience. View the Learning to Write and Draw article here.

Finished watercolor doodle art project. Photo credit: Sarah Cournoyer

Intent on exploring the art experience. Photo credit: Sarah Cournoyer

More art resources:

Dresser Public Library has an Artsy Smartsy arts-based early literacy program that Tiffany Meyer shared about during the UnStorytime Programming for Preschoolers session at the Wisconsin Library Association's 2014 Conference. View the session slides here.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children has a great article on How Process Art Experiences Support Preschoolers explaining the characteristics of process-oriented art vs. product-oriented art in a bullet-point list including tips, ideas, and further resources.

The Artful Parent has many ideas that translate well into a library setting.

The Write Stuff--Figment

There is an article in this month's edition of School Library Journal about Figment, the free writing platform that allows people to share their writing with others.  There are plenty of ways for teens to interact with this site:  author chats (with luminaries like Ellen Hopkins), posting their own writing, entering contests, commenting on others' work.  Kids who love to write (you know a few, I'm sure) would be very interested in this site--joining a community of writers

In the article, there are suggestions for ways to use the site with a teen group--you might want to launch their own Figment Group (which the librarian can do), which allow teens to share writing with a more select group (each other).  To ensure that all students feel like their work is being read and critiqued, you can assign them to read one another's work--so everyone (even the shy folks) get to receive some comments.  You can post your own writing prompts, lead kids to contests and author chats, and much more.

I think this sounds so fun!  Is anyone using it?  It would be cool to introduce to a homeschooling group, potentially, or a teen advisory group, or just the few kids you know who are always carrying a notebook and jotting things down!

Cheerios New Author Contest

If you are an unpublished author, the Cheerios� New Author Contest is waiting to hear from you. Grand prize winners will receive $5000 and a chance for publication. Two First Runner-up prizes of $1000 each will also be awarded. Their stories will be published at www.SpoonfulsofStories.com.

You must be a legal United States resident, 18 years old and older and living in the United States to enter the contest.

Contest rules require that the story be no more than 500 words in length and geared to children ages 3-8 years. The story can be written in English or Spanish. Official contest rules can be found at http://www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com/rules/. All entries must be received by July 15, 2010. An entry form can be found at http://www.spoonfulsofstoriescontest.com/.

The 2008 contest winner was Lori Degman who wrote 1 Zany Zoo. Her book was published and is available in specially-marked boxes of Cheerios. Laurie Isop won the 2009 Grand Prize. Her book, How Do You Hug a Porcupine? is being published by Simon & Schuster and will be available in Cheerios boxes in 2011. It can be read at www.SpoonfulsofStories.com.

Winners of the 2010 contest will be notified in October. Contest results will be posted on the Internet at www.spoonfulsofstories.com in March, 2011.

PBS Kids Go! Writers Contest

From Wisconsin Public Television...

Children have a wonderful ability to use their imagination in play, in school, and with their peers. One of the ways we can nurture their unique talents is by encouraging them to write and illustrate their own stories.Wisconsin Public Television is pleased to announce the 2010 PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest. Through this program, WPT hopes to provide an opportunity for kids to share their stories with guidance and encouragement from their librarians and reading specialists.

The PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest is a national-local contest designed to promote the advancement of children’s reading skills through hands-on, active learning. The contest encourages children in grades K-3 in communities across the country to celebrate the power of creating stories and illustrations by submitting their own original pieces. It extends the powerful tradition and annual success of the 15-year national “Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest.” In the 2009 contest, a WPT participant was a national winner. Her story can be seen at www.wpt.org/kids.

The kickoff for the contest is Wednesday, January 27th and the final date for submissions is Friday, March 26th. We are asking for your help to get your library involved in the contest. You can help broaden our reach of the contest to your patrons by displaying and distributing posters and entry forms at your library. In addition, we invite you to consider organizing a writing event for interested children and their parents. WPT is happy to provide materials for your library to hold an event as well as promotions materials for the contest. Starting in January wpt.org/kids will have helpful story writing resources for facilitators and children. In addition, a new PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest web site at pbskids.org/read will launch in early 2010. WPT will be giving a $50 stipend towards the cost of running the contest in your library.

Please join us in the PBS KIDS GO! Writers Contest and encourage your kids to write and illustrate their own stories. Thank you and we look forward to reading the work of your children! If you are interested in participating in this years contest, please send an email with your library name, address, and contact information to kids@wpt.org by January 30th. If you have any questions please feel free to contact Lynne Blinkenberg, Kristina Stadler or Jenna Schapiro at 608-265-5035 or email kids@wpt.org.