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Every Child Ready to Read

You can help your child succeed at reading long before they are ever ready to sound out words on their own.

Here are some important practices you probably already do when you read a book or otherwise interact with your child:

Every Child Ready to Read Practices Logo: TalkingEvery Child Read to Read Practices Logo: SingingEvery Child Read to Read Practices Logo: ReadingEvery Child Read to Read Practices Logo: WritingEvery Child Read to Read Practices Logo: Playing

Click each to learn more! 

When you practice these things with your child, you are teaching them six important skills:

Print Awareness:
Noticing print everywhere
Phonological Awareness:
Knowing sounds
Narrative Skills:
Knowing how stories work
Letter Knowledge:
Naming letters and their sounds
Vocabulary:
Knowing lots of words
Print Motivation:
Enjoying books


What's the easiest way to start?

• Go to Mother Goose on the Loose (storytime for babies!)

• Sign up for 1000 Books Before Kindergarten and win a free book and other prizes!

• Sign up for Imagination Library and receive a free book in the mail every month!

• Watch Lakeshore Public Media's Building Blocks for a great look at why early literacy and learning - just what we practice with our programs here at LCPL - are so important for babies and children!

This Month's Featured Reads!

LCPL staff have selected these books because kids love them and they help build important pre-reading skills. Check them out today!

Want more hand-picked kids' books? You can request a surprise bag of kids' books for curbside pickup! 

book cover Title:
Dino-Birthday by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by Barry Gott

Skills:
• Phonological Awareness
• Print Awareness

Practices:
• Talking
• Playing

Extend the book by making a party hat!

Book Cover Title:
Hats Off for the Fourth of July! by Harriet Ziefert, illustrated by Gustaf Miller

Skills:
• Background Knowledge
• Vocabulary

Practices:
• Writing
• Talking

Extend the book with your own watercolor paints!
Preschool Events
Tue, Jul 22, 10:15am - 11:00am
St. John - Large Meeting Room
This event is full

Tue, Jul 22, 10:30am - 11:30am
Merrillville - Children's Programming Room

Tue, Jul 22, 10:30am - 11:00am
Dyer-Schererville - Children's Programming Room
This event is full

Tue, Jul 22, 10:30am - 11:30am
Hobart - Large Meeting Room

Tue, Jul 22, 10:30am - 11:00am
Highland - Children's Programming Room
This event is full

Tue, Jul 22, 10:30am - 11:15am
Munster - Large Meeting Room
This event is full

Tue, Jul 22, 11:30am - 12:00pm
Cedar Lake - Children's Programming Room

Tue, Jul 22, 11:30am - 11:50am
Griffith-Calumet Twp - Children's Programming Room
This event is full

Wed, Jul 23, 10:30am - 11:00am
Merrillville - Children's Programming Room

Wed, Jul 23, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Highland - Meeting Room A
This event is full

Thu, Jul 24, 10:15am - 11:00am
St. John - Large Meeting Room

Thu, Jul 24, 11:15am - 12:00pm
St. John - Children's Program Room

Thu, Jul 24, 2:00pm - 2:45pm
Munster - Children's Program Room
This event is full

Fri, Jul 25, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Hobart - Children's Area

Cancelled
Sat, Jul 26, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Lake Station-New Chicago

Mon, Jul 28, 1:00pm - 1:40pm
Griffith-Calumet Twp - Children's Programming Room
This event is full

Cancelled
Mon, Jul 28, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Lake Station-New Chicago

Tue, Jul 29, 10:00am - 11:30am
Munster - Large Meeting Room

Tue, Jul 29, 10:15am - 11:00am
St. John - Large Meeting Room

Tue, Jul 29, 10:30am - 11:15am
Highland - Children's Programming Room
This event is full

Tue, Jul 29, 10:30am - 11:00am
Dyer-Schererville - Children's Programming Room
This event is full

Thu, Jul 31, 10:00am - 5:00pm
St. John - Large Meeting Room

Thu, Jul 31, 10:30am - 11:30am
Highland - Children's Programming Room
This event is full

Sat, Aug 09, 9:00am - 9:30am
Woodland Park - 1215 E 45th Ave

Family Events
Wed, Jul 23, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Merrillville - Children's Programming Room

Wed, Jul 23, 1:00pm - 2:30pm
Munster Branch Library - Large Meeting Room
This event is full

Wed, Jul 23, 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Highland - Meeting Room A
This event is full

Fri, Jul 25, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Munster - Large Meeting Room

Fri, Jul 25, 1:00pm - 3:00pm
Griffith-Calumet Twp - Meeting Room

Cancelled
Fri, Jul 25, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Lake Station-New Chicago

Fri, Jul 25, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Merrillville - Children's Programming Room

Fri, Jul 25, 2:00pm - 3:45pm
Highland - Meeting Room A

Fri, Jul 25, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Hobart - Large Meeting Room
This event is full

Cancelled
Sat, Jul 26, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Lake Station-New Chicago

Mon, Jul 28, 1:30pm - 3:15pm
Cedar Lake - Meeting Room A

Cancelled
Mon, Jul 28, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Lake Station-New Chicago

Wed, Jul 30, 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Merrillville - Children's Programming Room
Please contact the library to register for this event.

Thu, Jul 31, 10:00am - 5:00pm
St. John - Large Meeting Room

Thu, Jul 31, 11:00am - 12:00pm
Dyer-Schererville Branch Library - East Parking Lot

Cancelled
Thu, Jul 31, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Lake Station-New Chicago

Fri, Aug 01, 9:00am - 5:00pm
Dyer-Schererville - Children's Programming Room

Fri, Aug 01, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
Merrillville - Children's Programming Room

Thu, Aug 07, 4:00pm - 7:00pm
New venue Merrillville - Meeting Room A

Fri, Aug 08, 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Merrillville - Meeting Room A

Sat, Aug 09, 9:00am - 9:30am
Woodland Park - 1215 E 45th Ave

Sat, Aug 09, 9:30am - 4:00pm
Merrillville - Meeting Room A

Sat, Aug 09, 11:00am - 2:00pm
Highland - Children's Programming Room,Meeting Room A

Sat, Aug 16, 2:30pm - 4:00pm
Griffith-Calumet Twp - Meeting Room