The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with PCI Webinars to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar. Please do not register directly with PCI. Members who register directly with PCI are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Because we are working with an outside vendor, it is important that you cancel your registration in the event that you are unable to attend the live webinar.  A recording of the webinar will be available on the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website about a week after the live webinar.  If you have any issues registering or signing into the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website, please let us know.  Please do not contact PCI Webinars or Niche Academy directly about their live webinars or webinar recordings.

Description

Storytime isn’t just fun—it’s foundational. In this session, we’ll explore how to intentionally apply early literacy practices to storytime sessions in meaningful, engaging, and developmentally supportive ways. Learn how to align your book choices, songs, activities, and interactions with the five early literacy practices (talk, sing, read, write, play), and better understand the “why” behind what we do.

We'll explore how to share early literacy concepts with caregivers in ways that feel approachable and encouraging, making storytime a shared journey toward lifelong learning. Whether you’re refreshing your approach or looking to build more intentionality into your storytimes, this session will help connect the dots between storytime fun and meaningful impact. 

Learning Outcomes

What attendees will learn:

• Learn how to incorporate the five early literacy practices (talk, sing, read, write, play) into storytime planning and delivery
• Identify developmentally appropriate strategies to support language and literacy development in babies, toddlers, and preschoolers
• Gain tools to articulate the purpose of storytime and the value of early literacy to caregivers.

Presenter

Katie Clausen is the Early Literacy Services Manager at Gail Borden Public Library and a current PhD candidate in Information Studies at Dominican University. She holds an MLIS from Dominican University and an M.A. in Children’s Literature from Simmons College. Katie has shared her expertise at numerous conferences, and her articles have been featured in the Children & Libraries: The Journal of ALSC and Marvels and Tales. Her specialties include early literacy, children’s literature evaluation, and best storytime practices.

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