Summer 2021

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.

It’s never too early to begin building your child’s early literacy skills, and your local library is the perfect place to help you get started! We offer a variety of free resources designed not only to help your child build those crucial early literacy skills needed to help them read, but also to foster a lifelong love of reading and learning.

Our Children’s Department collections contain board books, picture books, and many other resources so that you and your little one will have countless stories to share. Not only is reading together an enjoyable activity, but it helps your child learn how books work, shows that pictures and words have meaning, and builds vocabulary.

Besides being a fun way to spend your library visit, storytimes and other programs for our young children are designed to build your child’s early literacy skills. The early literacy skill-building practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing form the foundation for many of our programs for young children.

Outside of our storytimes and collections, our reading programs, including 1000 Books Before Kindergarten, help make the habit of regularly reading together both fun and rewarding. The library also offers age-appropriate toys and many more opportunities for your child to learn, play, and explore.

The library is committed to providing resources and services that support the development of your child’s early literacy skills, so that when they enter school they’ll be ready to read and succeed. We hope you’ll make library visits a regular part of your child’s early years and beyond!

Talking, listening to books, and drawing are a child’s first steps toward literacy. These early experiences work to build a solid foundation for success in school. You are an important part of developing this early literacy. 

Talking with a child helps them learn about communicating with others. Children learn about language by listening to parents/caregivers talk and by joining in their conversations.

Singing develops language skills. It slows down language so children can hear the different sounds in words and puts words to a rhythm. The rhythm, rhyme, and fun in music help children learn new words and information.

Reading together develops vocabulary and comprehension. It nurtures a love for books and motivates children to want to learn about the world around them. Reading to a child can be a special routine that spans all ages and relationships.

Scribbling, drawing and coloring help children explore print. These skills are important pre-writing experiences.

Playing is one of the best ways for a child to learn. They learn the important language, life, and social skills through exploration and their imagination.

Check out these activities that promote early literacy. Organized by activities suggestions for talking, reading, and singing with your infant or toddler:

Talk, Read, and Sing Together Every Day!

Ideas for how to turn daily cleaning activities (bathtime, laundry, dishes) into fun literacy opportunities:

Let's Turn Wash Time into Talk Time

Ideas for fun indoor play activities that foster early literacy:

Indoor Activities GuideIndoor Activities Guide

It’s no secret that single motherhood is difficult. Anyone with children knows the day-to-day challenges of parenthood; parenthood without a partner only magnifies them especially in the pandemic. HOPE Network exists to confront those challenges. With help from HOPE Network, single mothers find connection, opportunity, and resources to build self-reliance.

HOPE Network For Single Mothers 

JOURNEYING TOGETHER

HOPE Network’s programs are designed to offer single mothers the support they need from their infant’s birth date to their graduation date. We do this through offering Cribs & Layettes, Scholarships and

$5 annual Membership:

·    Qualify for newborn support - including our crib program

·    Apply for our annual scholarships

·    Receive email updates, special offers, and resource mailings

·    Be a part of our online community