Helping Children Develop As
Readers
Maria O’Sullivan
Dlr Libraries
libraries.dlrcoco.ie/
@mariamernagh
@DLR_Libraries
Supporting Children
Why????
• Strong evidence linking reading for pleasure and educational
attainment.
• Health benefits: “reading for pleasure can result in increased
empathy, improved relationships with others, reductions in
the symptoms of depression and dementia, and improved
wellbeing”
• Social Benefits: can improve our sense of connectedness to
the wider community. Reading increases our understanding of
our own identity, improves empathy and gives us an insight
into the world view of others.
readingagency.org.uk
Supporting Children
How????
Examples from around the country.
Baby Book Clubs: dlr Libraries
Simple effective way of introducing
children (and their parents) to early
reading and the joy of books.
Time to Read: Mayo Co Libraries
Collaboration with Business in the Community.
12 volunteers from the Co Council.
20 weeks reading with 12 children.
More than 120 books issued to the
school.
Supporting Children. How????
Examples from around the country
Tip Sheets Fingal Libraries
• Fingal Libraries have created a number of leaflets
and tip-sheets for parents and carers on subjects
such as reading to your children, helping your
child to read, how to choose books for children
and recommended reads.
• Birth – 18months: http://bit.ly/2gBVGse
• Tip Sheets 1 - 3 yrs: http://bit.ly/2rZwbGu
• Tip Sheets 2.5 - 6 yrs: http://bit.ly/2r1r6bv
Supporting Children. How????
Examples from around the country
Reader in Residence. Dublin City Libraries
This programme aims to help children from the
local schools and youth facilities to become
recreational readers and to encourage them to visit
their local libraries to avail of the services on offer
to them.
2 strands: Primary, Second level and youth facilities
To date, between the two strands of the project,
Readers have engaged with more than 600 children
since the beginning of the year.
Supporting Children. How????
Examples from around the country
Using videos
Reading with your Baby via Fingal Libraries
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtGT0GDN5c&t=61s
Ready2Read via South Dublin Libraries
https://www.southdublinlibraries.ie/ongoingliteracy-support-and-activities-county-librarytallaght
Supporting Children. How????
Examples from around the country
Clare Library Service: working with HSE West
Offering presentations bi-monthly at a mother and baby
welfare clinic on choosing books for babies and
promoting reading in the home from the earliest years
right through the life of the child to becoming a teenager.
A power point presentation, exploration of the library
website, supply library promotional material and keep
young mums updated on the latest library developments.
Also provide a selection of suitable books for the littlest
hands to hold on our demonstration days.
Supporting Children. How????
Examples from around the country
Tipperary Library Service Bedtime Storytime Bag
A pilot with 3 preschools in Tipp in collaboration
with the Tipperary County Childcare Committee.
The objective is simple. Create a fun and easy way
for families to have access to a constant variety of
books, making books and reading fun and
interesting.
The programme is popular and is increasing interest
in books and reading amongst the children
Use Social Media to target Adults
• 79% of internet users
log onto Facebook
• 88% of 18 -29 year olds
use Facebook
• 84% of 30 – 49 year olds
use Facebook
https://sproutsocial.com/insights/new-socialmedia-demographics/#facebook
Link reading events with hobbies
Some examples from South Dublin Libraries.
Reading the Game
Linking in with FAI and Leinster Rugby via Sports
Development Officers and authors Tom Palmer
and Ger Siggins.
Fairy Tales and Trails
Using fairy trails in local parks and linking in with
Irish Fairy door Company
Don’t forget about the books!
• Our ebook and audio books are brilliant.
• Keep stock relevant and as new as your
budget will allow. Sometime less is more!
• Nothing beats good promotion of the stock
• Use booklists, displays, social media.
• Mix and match; change the layout.
• At least one expert on staff if possible!
Some techie stuff
Symbaloo to create webmixes of subjects that
you are low on stock on; eg Irish History
http://www.symbaloo.com/home/mix/historywebmix3
QuiverVision 3D augmented reality colouring
app. http://www.quivervision.com/
GetKahoot create, share and play learning
games. https://getkahoot.com/
We can do that!
And always have.
Storytime: always a constant in
libraries. Try to include songs
and craft if possible. Children
don’t care if you can’t sing.
Art and Craft: use up supplies of
cardboard boxes, old wallpaper
and lots of imagination.
We can do that!
Lego: lots of public libraries using Lego in so
many different ways. Remember it’s ok to just
let the children play and create using nothing
but their imaginations.
And Finally……..
Your biggest asset is your colleagues.
Collaborate and collude with them to ensure
that children are reading and enjoying the
library.
We must ensure we raise a generation of library
users. For lots of very good reasons!
Padlet
If we are going to collaborate, let’s start now.
Add your ideas to the Padlet now online.
https://padlet.com/mariaaosullivan/libraryideas
Simply type this into your browser and click on the
board to add an idea or an existing project. Use
weblinks, documents, images, whatever you want.
libraries.dlrcoco.ie/
@mariamernagh
@DLR_Libraries