INFANT AND TODDLER ACTIVITIES IN MARYLAND PUBLIC ...

HARFORDCOUNTYPUBLICLIBRARYHOWARDCOUNTYLIBRARYKENT COUNTYPUBLICLIBRARYMONTGOMERYCOUNTYPUBLICLIBRARIESINFANT AND TODDLERsnack, and a prize, and are encouraged to read 30 books with their parents to be entered into a bigprize drawing. This is every week for the month of July. It also incorporates the HeadStartclassrooms. One session, for example, was a gym teacher who came in and did dances and songswith the kids. Another was the kids seeing a handbell choir perform and then getting to play thehandbells themselves.Diaper Gang and Hug-a-Bye Baby are two programs offered to babies and parents/caregiversstarting at birth. Hug-a-Bye Baby transitions to Babies Love Books at six months. DiaperGang continues to 23 months. All branches offer some programs for toddlers. The emphasis inthe programs for the youngest children is binding with the caregiver while becoming acclimatedto hearing language. Older children have an opportunity to hear stories and songs, do fingerplays, and interact with other children while adults learn about library resources. Many toddlerprograms also offer playgroups after the session. There are additional special programs that offercrafts along with stories. All branches also offer tours for day care, Headstart and pre-k groups.Open the Gift provides library services to home day care situations with regular programs forthe children and library resources and support for the caregivers that assist them in gettingneeding credits as well as offering tips for parents.I serve as the Library's representative on Infants & Toddlers Program's Interagency CoordinatingCouncil that meets quarterly.Also, a representative from Infants & Toddlers serves on the Howard County Early Childhood &Child Care Coalition, and is an active member of that committee's subcommittee that plans andpresents the annual Children's Discovery Fair, at our East Columbia Branch.This year, there was a full-day training "Celebrating Best Practices in Early ChildhoodEducation" for the staff of Howard County Public School Systems' staff of all Kindergarten(general education & special education) teachers, Prekindergarten (general education) teachers,Preschool (special education) teachers and Head Start teachers, a total of 400 staff. Our staffpresented 2 workshops (three 70-minute presentations) and had a resource table and door prizesat the conference. We registered 20 teachers for A+ Educator cards at the event.In March, 4 of our staff attended "Least Restrictive Environment Conference", sponsored byInfants and Toddlers.Kent County Public Library does not have any formal relationship with the Infant and Toddler'sProgram.Montgomery County Public Libraries has several program partnerships that target preschoolersand toddlers. We partner with the Judy Centers in Silver Spring and Gaithersburg to providechildren’s story-time programs for families that increase a child’s readiness for school and assistparents in learning and modeling literacy and social skills building activities. Additionally,library staff participate in Judy Center events such as Reading Night, the Judy Center EarlyChildhood Fair and field trips for prekindergarten and Head Start students to the library for storytime programs. Through our LSTA grant funded Parent Child Mother Goose Program, MCPLClaudia Sumlersumler@hcplonline.infoSusan MorrisEarly Childhood Education SpecialistHoward County Library6600 Cradlerock WayColumbia MD 21045410.313.7783410.313.7742 faxVera ShadeChildren's LibrarianMichele SellarsPublic Services AdministratorMichele.sellars@montgomerycounty.md.gov

INFANT AND TODDLERpartners with Montgomery County Health and Human Services (HHS) and Family ServicesAgency, Inc. to present story-time programs for children and families to learn pre-literacy skillsusing rhymes, songs and stories. We also have provided workshops for teachers and local childcare providers that focus on using Parent Child Mother Goose early literacy techniquesPRINCEGEORGE’SCOUNTYMEMORIALLIBRARYQUEEN ANNE’SCOUNTY FREELIBRARYSOMERSETCOUNTYLIBRARYST. MARY’SCOUNTYLIBRARYWe have two ongoing active programs at the Largo and Oxon Hill Branches. I don't have anypictures I can share. I also serve on the Child Resource Center Board with a staff member of theInfant and Toddler Program.We had Infants and Toddlers present a workshop here in spring 2008. That was the only time wehad worked together. About 10 parents attended and had a chance to ask questions about theirchild's development.Somerset County Library System does not have a separate infant and toddler program at thistime.St. Mary's County Library has a partnership program with our local Infants and ToddlersProgram. We call it "Wiggle-Giggle Storytime." Below is a description of the program:Wiggle-Giggle Storytime is a once-a-week, half-hour library storytime. Families participating inthe Infants and Toddlers program attend Wiggle-Giggle Storytime alongside their peers from thegeneral public. Children’s librarians lead the storytime, while staff from the Infants and ToddlersProgram sits with the children and help their young clients participate. A free-play sessionfollows the storytime, led by Infants and Toddlers staff.The stories and activities in Wiggle-Giggle Storytime are specially adapted to meet the shorterattention spans and other unique needs of the group, and each child is encouraged to participateto his or her own best ability. The Infants and Toddlers Staff provide planning guidance andsuggestions to the librarians to help ensure that the storytime activities are well matched to thechildren's needs.Families are recruited to join Wiggle-Giggle Storytime directly though the Infants and ToddlersProgram, and also through the Library's usual program calendar and publicity channels. All arewelcome, and there is usually about a 50-50 mix of children from the Infants and ToddlersProgram and the general public.Irene BriggsIrene.Briggs@pgcmls.infoJulie RanelliChildren's/YA LibrarianMary ZimmermannChildren's Librarian11767 Beechwood StPrincess Anne, MD 21853410.651.0852 x 5fax 410.651.1388mzimmermann@somelibrary.orgJanis CookerYouth Coordinator

INFANT AND TODDLERTALBOTCOUNTY FREELIBRARYWASHINGTONCOUNTY FREELIBRARYWICOMICOPUBLICLIBRARYWe don't work directly with Infants and Toddlers but have had children from their child findprogram come with pre-k classes to the library. Right now Early Headstart is bringing theirbabies, toddlers, and their moms to our First Step Storytime. They will be moving in July so I amnot sure if they will still be able to come. Our van visits them twice a month.- Books for Babies- We have a partnership between the Washington County Reading Council andthe Washington County Hospital where we purchase a board book to be given to each new babyborn at the hospital. Families also get a brochure listing library programs and a bookmark withsuggested reading for babies.- Infant Storytime- We started an Infant Storytime last September, open to babies’ ages 6-18months and their caregivers. The program is open to 12 families, due to space constraints. Wedo bouncing rhymes, fingerplays, read a big book, sing several songs with lots of movement, andthen at the end each caregiver gets a book to read with their baby. We also have shaker songs,which are a huge hit! Each session has an average attendance of approximately 6 babies. It's aslow but steady process to market the program. Two sessions are offered on Wednesdaymornings and we require pre-registration for the session (if space is available, families can signup mid-session). The sessions run for three months and then we take a break for a month.- Toddler Time- This storytime is for children ages 18-36 months and their caregivers. We havetwo sessions on Monday mornings, and each is open to 20 families. Often, demand is greaterthan available space. We read three books and sing three songs. The songs remain the same, andwe play with shakers for one. Again, the shakers are a huge hit. Each session has an averageattendance of approximately 15 toddlers. We require pre-registration for the session (if space isavailable, families can sign up mid-session). The sessions run for three months and then we takea break for a month.- We go out to local daycares and Head Starts for storytime programs. Most of these, however,would range up into pre-school aged children. We also have a pre-school storytime on Fridaymornings, no registration required. Average attendance is between 20 and 25 children. Weusually read 5 books, sing a few songs, and then sometimes have a flannelboard story or draw-astory.Many of our branches also offer Toddler Storytimes, and our Boonsboro Branch has started anInfant Storytime. We are currently looking into possibilities for a "My First Library Card."Wicomico Library is a member of the Birth to Four Network as is Infants and Toddlers. Here,we are able to share program information offering our Laptime, Time For Two's and Three toFive Story Times, as well as other special programs, to all Infants and Toddler families. We havemade our Children's Program Room available to Infants and Toddlers families for play group andwe encourage the use of all of our library resources, especially our Care and Teaching collection.We also refer customers to the Infants and Toddlers program.Rosemary Morrisrmorris@talb.lib.md.usAbigail AndrewsChildren's DepartmentWashington County Free Library100 South Potomac StreetHagerstown, Maryland 21740(301) 739-3250 ext. 132aandrews@washcolibrary.orgBarbara GrahamYouth Services Manager122 S. Division St.Salisbury, MD 21801bgraham@wicomico.org410-749-3612 ex.124

WORCESTERCOUNTYLIBRARYLIBRARY FORTHE BLINDANDPHYSICALLYHANDICAPPEDINFANT AND TODDLERWorcester County has many wonderful programs for Infants and toddlers. We offer Lap time forchildren ages 2 and under and their care givers that consist of finger plays, rhymes, stories andmovement. We have story times for 3-5 year olds with finger plays, games, rhymes, stories andcrafts, and this fall we are starting a new program for babies and toddlers called "Play TineBaby", which will consist of free play games and activities that help develop cognitive, physicaland social skills. Also, Worcester County also does extensive outreach to local day cares and preschools.A pre-K class from the Maryland School for the Blind came to LBPH for a Mother Goose on theLoose session. They are a part of the Infants & Toddlers programhttp://www.mdschblind.org/infant.htmI presented Mother Goose on the Loose to pre-K vision students at Rock View Elementary and atOlney Library in Montgomery County.http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/vision/earlychildhoodprograms.htmlWe hope that our library will be a destination for teachers or other professionals working withyoung children with disabilities. Please feel free to distribute our new kids’ website featuring ournew multisensory children’s area: www.lbph.lib.md.us/kidsDawn IngrassiaYouth Services ManagerDeborah MargolisChildren’s Librariandmargolis@lbph.lib.md.us