I Love My Library! Blog Serices: KCLS Tell Me a Story; Fantastic Free Resource (and best kept secret on how to use it!)

Tell Me a Story is an ENORMOUS collection of finger plays and songs our librarians use in their story times (King County Library System). They began in 2008 and are adding new ones all the time.There are hundreds of great songs and finger plays, even in different languages. Many, but not all have videos you can watch to learn hand motions and movement. I don't know about you, but I ALWAYS want to see a video when I'm looking for a new finger play or song. Unfortunately, there is no way to tell by looking at the master list which have videos and which don't. So how do you find only the finger plays and songs that have videos?  

Read below for the best kept secret- how to find ALL the videos in one place!

Go to the Tell Me a Story Page ( here is the link http://tmas.kcls.org/  )
Don't forget to bookmark it! 

• In the categories list on the right, select "videos." This will now bring up a list of categories that are ALL videos!
• If you look at a video and want to go back to the list of videos only, be sure to hit your back button or you'll be taken back to the main categories page, not the videos. 
• If you want to find some of the archived videos, click on a year (archived years are at the bottom of the list). 
• Now, once again, select "videos" from the categories list. 

This may sound a bit complicated, but once you've done it it will make sense and you'll be on your way!

I was so excited when I discovered how to find only the videos, because for these songs you really want to see the movement and hand motions, or how a librarian used puppets and props. Of course if you're just looking for words, you can work from the general list. Some will have videos, and some won't. Our librarians keep working to add videos to all of the songs and finger plays. But until they are done, you now have a way to locate those wonderful how-to videos!

So try this out and let me know how you like it. Remember, it's FREE and anyone with an Internet connection can use it. 

 

Finger Plays are great for fine motor skills and vocabulary! 

Does your library offer something you want people to know about? Let me know and I'll help spread the word!

 

 

I Love My Library Blog Series: KCLS provides Lynda.com for free!

Welcome to my first post of  "I Love My Library!"

I am in libraries all the time, either doing shows, or checking out books for myself, or my five grandchildren. I am constantly amazed by two things. One: the new services both on and offline libraries are adding every day, and two: number of people I talk to who are totally unaware of the these incredible resources. So I am starting this series to share those resources with you because when you're really excited about something, you want everyone to know about it! And in this day and age when everyone is trying to juggle every minute and stretch every dollar, the library has endless ways to accomplish both. Most of these posts will be related to using the library with children, but I couldn't resist sharing this first one.

Lynda.com for free!

Lynda.com, if you don't know about it, is an amazing online video training service. So let's say you want to know how to use Word, or Windows 8, or Garageband. Or you want information on... how to find information! The scope of topics is relevant and extensive. You go to Lynda.com. and put in your search request. You will be presented with list of short video tutorials. And that's what makes this service so great. Pick a short tutorial you can easily digest (well-done and easy to follow), and what seemed like a monumental task (learning a new program) is broken into digestible bites that you can actually fit into your already-full day. You can view them on any device, so if you're stuck in a line somewhere, pull out your smartphone and learn something! It's brilliant, and effective. 

Lynda.com is a subscription service costing between $20-$35 a month- and well worth every penny if you use it.  At my library, KCLS, it's free as part of my library account!  Okay, so that's the catch. You have to be a King County Library cardholder. But there are many of you reading this, and you should know about it. Like many library resources, it can be hard to find. So here's how to access it:

Either click on the link or follow direction below (you'll have to enter your library card and  pin numbers) and don't forget to bookmark it!
http://ezproxy.kcls.org/login?url=http://iplogin.lynda.com

or follow these directions to get there: 

KCLS library card holders-
1. Go to KCLS.org
2 From homepage, click on "Learning and Research" page (gray box below homepage heading)
3. From drop-down menu, click on "premium data bases." 
4. Select "browse an alphabetical list", and select "L"
5. scroll down blue headings to "Lynda.com" and click on it. 
6. Now you'll have to put in your library cadrd number and pin
7. Ta-da! You now have free access to an amazing library of short professional video tutorials. 
8. Share with other KCLS library users you know!

Note: The library pays A LOT to provide this service for us, and if we don't use it, they will likley drop it. So DO share it with your friends!

Now I have to go. I'm going to finally learn how to use Photoshop Elements to create photos for my Sing With Our Kids Facebook page! 

Hitting the Reset Button (and adding family literacy page)

When I started my Sing With Our Kids website and this blog in September of 2012, I had two young grandchildren,  and lots of ideas for making sure they and every other child I can reach grows up with singing. Almost three years later,  I have four grandchildren, and another one due any day. The project has come a long way, to be sure, but ideas are like weeds ( I say that affectionately) . As soon as you try to implement one, there are ten more to take its place! So I've had to readjust my strategy. What started out as a one-year project is now, as my wise daughter predicted, a permanent part of my life. In April we added a family literacy page to the website. In 2012 I didn't even know there was such a thing as family literacy! When I was invited to deliver the keynote for the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy conference  this April, I did a lot of research and built specific resources on the topic. If you haven't seen it, take a look ./http://singwithourkids.com/family-literacy.htm I'm proud of this page because it draws attention to an important issue, and while the information and free printable books on this page are great for use with family literacy, they are a great resource for anyone working with young children.

Picture books that follow the traditional lyrics are a great way to help emergent or struggling learners by tapping into the way we learn; connecting something familiar to something new. In this case, children who already know the song can sing while looking at unfamiliar text and illustrations, and turning the pages. It give them a sense of "reading." You can find a collection of these published books, and download the mp3 file of me singing it simple and slowly, so it can be done with the the book. Visit the website for a list of other books like this. You can check out most from your local library.    http://singwithourkids.com/family-lit-published.htm

*Don't forget you can download the song onto your phone, for reading and singing on the go! 

DIY Music Class Diary Entry 1

DIY Music Class Diary

I met with the initial mom who expressed interest in hosting a music class, and we began planning. Here are the first  topics we identified to be decided before the first class begins:

Where to hold classes? Some options are:

• Rotate member's houses monthly
• Look into free public spaces, such as community rooms or public library
• A combination of places
• Same location every week
• Private homes, and library once a month

Assigning different "jobs" to members such as downloading or printing materials from website, checking out library materials, assembling music kits

Making sure there is a way to play recorded music in each location (CD player, mp3 player with speaker

Possible 0ne-time  fee to join ($5 or $10) , to be used to purchase materials such as scarves, parachute, instruments

Developing Guidelines for handling personal issues that may arise, such as behavior or lack of supervision

We subsequently advertised using free resources, and have five moms committed  to joining the first class. Average age of children is two.We have scheduled a parent meeting at a local Starbucks to discuss common goals, and specific issues listed above. Our first class is scheduled for March 7th.

Sing With Our kids DIY Music Classes

Welcome to Sing With Our Kids DIY Music Classes. 

In keeping with the Sing With Our Kids project goals of providing songs to sing, and opportunities to sing them, we are starting a network of DIY music classes for children under five. Our plan is to create a model for you to use as is, or modify to fit your needs. 

 DIY Classes:

• Are free, because you are holding them in your home or free public space
• Will offer information on everything from selecting a location, modifying for different ages, acquiring low cost or free instruments and other teaching aids such as scarves, parachute, singing books, and child development information, and handling potential behavior issues within the group
• Organized by friends, play groups, neighborhoods, communities
• Can use sample class plans you can follow or modify
• Free Access to class plans, songs, and other materials
• Sharing of stories experiences of other groups in the Network 
• Offer this blog as a way for you to contribute your experiences, ideas, and comments

It's your class, so if it a nice day, take it outside and add a picnic in the park!

Stay tuned as we build and document this part of the project!

DIY Music Class Diary Entry 1

DIY Music Class Diary

I met with the initial mom who expressed interest in hosting a music class, and we began planning. Here are the first  topics we identified to be decided before the first class begins:

Where to hold classes? Some options are:

• Rotate member's houses monthly
• Look into free public spaces, such as community rooms or public library
• A combination of places
• Same location every week
• Private homes, and library once a month

Assigning different "jobs" to members such as downloading or printing materials from website, checking out library materials, assembling music kits

Making sure there is a way to play recorded music in each location (CD player, mp3 player with speaker

Possible 0ne-time  fee to join ($5 or $10) , to be used to purchase materials such as scarves, parachute, instruments

Developing Guidelines for handling personal issues that may arise, such as behavior or lack of supervision

We subsequently advertised using free resources, and have five moms committed  to joining the first class. Average age of children is two.We have scheduled a parent meeting at a local Starbucks to discuss common goals, and specific issues listed above. Our first class is scheduled for March 7th.

Year Two; Full speed Ahead..sort of!

Sing With Our Kids

Post Number One of Year Number Two!

As I’m sitting here writing my first blog post in a while (after a busy summer concert tour I've set a schedule and am back on track), my six-month-old grandson sits next to me playing happily in his saucer. He coos and squeals with delight as he bounces and turns around, visiting each of the brightly-colored toys at his fingertips. To all appearances, he is totally happy and entertained. That is, until I say his name and join his cooing conversation. Instantly he turns to me. His face lights up in a big smile and now he is REALLY engaged and happy!  “You noticed me,” he says with every squirming learning piece of his body. He bounces extra hard and makes as much noise with his circle of toys as is possible. He is irresistible, and I see there is no work to be done here but document this magical moment in time. In this moment I am the richest and luckiest human on the planet, and my grandson clearly feels the same.  This is what we are designed to do - even to keep our species going.  I am lucky to share in the caring of my three young grandchildren, and as I move Sing With Our Kids into year two, we are doing it together. They are my North Star, helping me keep my priorities straight and always remember why I am on this mission. So I’ll sign off this first blog post of year number two of Sing With Our Kids. Right now I have some even more important work to do!

Stopping to Smell The Roses (or in this case, hear the song!)

Recently I was setting up for a story time as part of the Sing With Our Kids project, and  Margaret Martin, our wonderful librarian, turned on the CD player to welcome arriving parents and their little ones. The CD she often plays and played that day, was 1,2,3, Sing With Me, by Marylee Sunseri, my favorite singer and best friend.  http://www.maryleemusic.com/  .  I heard her sweet voice and was immediately and simultaneously flooded with comfort and memories. We have been singing together since we were thirteen (don't count, just trust me- that's a WHOLE lot of years!). Our singing took us back and forth from each other's houses (miles of walking barefoot), touring across the country more times than I can remember, to New York City where we recorded at Elektra Records, and even to Beijing where we made new friends by simply sharing our songs. The only time we lost track of each other for a few years, it turned out we had both begun singing and writing music for children! We celebrated our re-connection by recording the first children's CD for either of us, Goodnight, Sleep Tight.  The songs we chose for that recording were not really children's songs; they were sweet, beautiful, timeless songs we both loved; that had been part of our history. My children grew up listening to that recording, and for the last four years I have continued to hear it over the baby monitor as my grandchildren sleep. Who could ever have imagined? But now back to the library....

Each of us has a voice unique to us. And there is something so comforting about hearing someone you love sing to you. It has nothing to do with how "good" a singer you are. It's not about that..Our voices carry the love and comfort that come with familiarity,  to the babies and children we sing to. And that comfort lasts a lifetime-  a lifetime! I will always feel comforted when I hear Marylee's voice, and I know my children and their children will as well. When I heard Marylee's sweet familiar voice as I was setting up, I literally stopped what I was doing, and just soaked it in... and felt and remembered, and was grateful. It's so pure, and so simple; singing a song. And although this project is huge and complicated and challenging, it really does all come down to that; finding ways to make singing a part of all of our children's lives. So thank you, Marylee, for keeping me company on this sometimes daunting journey, and for reminding me of what it's all about. Thank you for all of the songs past, present, and future! 

For your amusement, you can read more about "Marylee and Nancy" here.http://nancymusic.com/MLandN.htm

and hear Marylee's wonderful music on her website,  http://www.maryleemusic.com/

Hear clips from Goodnight, Sleep Tight here http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/marylee7