Resource Links

100 Picture Books That Everyone Should Know. Take a look at these "world-class" books from one of America's world-class libraries - the New York Public Library.

Brain Development: Neuroscience for Kids. The brain grows at an amazing rate during development. At times during brain development, 250,000 neurons are added every minute!! At birth, almost all the neurons that the brain will ever have are present. However, the brain continues to grow for a few years after birth. By the age of 2 years old, the brain is about 80% of the adult size.

Center for Early Literacy Learning (CELL). This Web promotes the adoption and sustained use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices by early childhood intervention practitioners, parents, and other caregivers of young children, birth to five years of age, with identified disabilities, developmental delays, and those at-risk for poor outcomes.

Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University. A collection of picture book abstracts searchable by topics, concepts, and skills for building content area reading across all academic subjects. The collection contains abstracts of over 5800 picture books for children, preschool to grade three. Search over 1244 keywords (topics, concepts, and skills) to locate books with storylines adaptable to your curriculum or program. The Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University is also a useful collection for English Language Learners and adult literacy programs.

Database of Award Winning Children's Literature. The purpose of this database is to create a tailored reading list of quality children's literature or to find out if a book has won one of the indexed awards.

Early Literacy Tips: Project Enlightenment. It is never too early to start reading with your child. Even young infants can benefit from exposure to books and reading. Parents and teachers are essential partners in any child’s development of reading, writing, and language skills which can lead to school success.

Early Literacy Resources: American Academy of PediatricsMany community and national resources are available to support early literacy activities and provide additional information to help you better serve children's early literacy promotion efforts.

Reading Books to Babies. An infant won't understand everything you're doing or why. But reading aloud to your baby is a wonderful shared activity you can continue for years to come — and it's important for your baby's brain.

Saroj Ghoting's Five Practices: Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play. A national trainer on early literacy for library staff, Ghoting presents at workshops conferences. She is co-author of books on early literacy published by the American Library Association.

What We Know About Early Literacy. United for Libraries, a Division of American Library Association.