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October, 2021 | Quarter 1

Ready Readers is a quarterly publication of Menomonee Falls Collective Impact, a collaboration of community government, healthcare, and non-profit organizations that leverage local resources to better coordinate and expand services to improve the well being of residents in the Village of Menomonee Falls.


Exposure to reading at a young age is crucial for long-term success in school and beyond. With the growing number of young children in Menomonee Falls, the Menomonee Falls Collective Impact Early Literacy Team seeks to provide families with resources to support literacy and language development.

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Your local library is a place for all children to explore, learn, and play. To ensure that your child makes positive associations with library visits from a young age, we want to highlight some sensory-friendly resources available for your family to use. 


To help prepare your child for a visit to the library, we encourage you to read our social story “This is My Library” together. This story is intended to help children become visually familiar with the building so that they can feel more comfortable during their visit. 


While visiting the library, your family is welcome to take a break in our new multi-purpose Quiet Room. This room functions as both a sensory room and a family space. In addition to providing a private area for changing diapers and feeding, this calm space is available to help children decompress and relax. 


The library also has sensory bags available for use by children 3 years and up. Each clear backpack contains a variety of sensory tools (including noise-cancelling headphones, weighted lap pads, and fidgets) that can be used either during your library visit or from home. 


We hope to bring back sensory-friendly programming in 2022. Check our calendar for the most up-to-date information on library programs. 

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Boost your babies brain development and pick up a free Brain Bag at the Menomonee Falls Library.


Brain Bags are filled with literacy resources to help support your infant's brain development! Created by the Menomonee Falls Collective Impact Early Literacy Committee, Brain Bags offer great tools for children ages birth to three years old.

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Grocery shopping, laundry, dishes, running errands! Being a caregiver is busy! So how do I fit in reading, playing, singing, and talking with the child I am caring for?


  • Traveling in the Car: Going to and from the grocery store, daycare, or running errands is a time to talk or sing with your child. Notice and talk about things you see outside the car (colors, animals, trees/flowers, weather). Sing favorite songs (it's ok to sing the same favorite song over and over again). Singing helps children learn about rhythm and rhyme. Notice stores, fast food, and traffic signs (stop signs, red/yellow/green lights). Recognizing these signs in the world around them is an early reading skill called environmental print.
  • Going to the Grocery Store: Notice and talk about things in the grocery store (different kinds of foods, colors, flavors). If your child is not yet talking, you may feel silly talking to them when they are unable to respond. Don’t feel silly! Children learn about language and literacy from hearing and watching their adult caregivers talk about the world around them.
  • Doing Household Chores: Talk about what you are doing. Use words or songs to describe your actions (example- Let’s wash the dishes. First, I fill the sink with water. Then,...). Tell stories while you are doing household chores. These stories can be old favorite fairy tales, your own made up stories, different versions of a favorite storybook or even stories from your day. 
  • Going for a Walk/Run: Talk with your child about the world around you when you are out and about or exercising. Tell stories or sing songs. 
  • Out and About: Pack 1 or 2 Books in the Diaper Bag or the Car- Reading isn’t just reserved for bedtime or quiet time on the couch. Listening to someone read is a great way to break up long waits, redirect a child’s attention, or to transition a child from one activity to another (leaving the park, end of playtime). Pack favorite books (the ones you have read over and over and over again) in the car. Toddlers and young children can practice “reading” or telling you about their favorite stories. 


Building and fostering literacy in young children does not require huge amounts of effort or time. It does not require fancy materials or complicated activities. Build a routine and make the most out of the small moments in your day.



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Teachers are part of one of the largest professions in the country, with more than 3.1 million teachers across the United States. In the Educator Academy at MFHS, their goal is to reach those who have future aspirations in the area of education. Although teachers are what people first think of when they hear the word educators, there are so many more aspects to what a career in education can mean. The Menomonee Falls High School Educator Academy was developed to help promote careers in education and encourage students to explore the different paths a degree in education can lead them. Who better than to ask aspiring teachers what their favorite children’s books are. Below is a list of 10 books that made some of their lists:


  1. Frog and Toad
  2. Biscuit
  3. There’s a Wocket in my Pocket
  4. Corduroy
  5. The Mixed Up Chameleon
  6. When You Give a Mouse a Cookie
  7. Ladybug Girl
  8. Angelina Ballerina
  9. Little Pea
  10. The Rainbow Fish



COMMUNITY RESOURCE SPOTLIGHT

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Did you know that there's a link between access to healthy food and developing strong literacy skills. Research has shown that kids with higher levels of food insecurity can have lower levels of literacy than those with access to nutritious food.The Menomonee Falls Food Pantry is a community resource aiming to increase access to food for families.


Since 1983, the Falls Area Food Pantry is a full-service food pantry completely run by community volunteers. The Pantry’s mission is to gather and distribute nutritious food to those with acute or chronic need who live in the greater Menomonee Falls area. It also strives to raise awareness of hunger in our community and provides volunteer opportunities for community members to serve one another. Located at N85 W15382 Menomonee River Pkwy in Menomonee Falls, the pantry is open for service on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 – 2 on and 5 – 7 pm.

 

The Falls Area Food Pantry serves over 600 households annually. This is made possible thanks to many volunteers as well as generous contributions of food and money from across the community. Non-perishable food donations can be dropped off 24/7 by simply leaving the donation on the carts inside the unlocked foyer. Food drives are also a significant way to help the pantry by collecting nutritious food to help us improve the health and well-being of our clients and the community. A list of priorities items is updated on the website weekly.

 

Registered clients are eligible to receive food twice a month. Registration is a relatively quick and easy process. Clients need to present two forms of ID showing residence in one of the following communities: Colgate, Germantown, Hubertus, Butler, Lannon, Menomonee Falls, Richfield, and Brookfield. Additionally, families with children attending school in the Menomonee Falls School District are also eligible during the current school year with proof of enrollment.

 

More information about the pantry can be found at www.fallsfoodpantry.org

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