Children's Library Services

ONLINE PROGRAM REGISTRATION

https://apls.beanstack.org/

Annual Summer Reading Programs

Summer Reading runs from the end of May through July 31

The following programs resume in-house in October & November and February & March!

Early Literacy Classes

LAPSITS: For infants through 24 months and caregiver Monday mornings in October & November and February & March - 10 to 10:20 a.m. in Decatur

Lots of action, music, short stories and bubbles!

2 & 3 YEAR OLD: Wednesday mornings in October & November and February & March - from 10 to 10:30 a.m. in Decatur. Stories, music and lots of action!

4 & 5 YEAR OLD: Wednesday afternoons in October & November and February & March - from 1 to 2 p.m. in Decatur Lots of stories, action and music followed by a craft!

Registration for the above programs begins every year on September 1!

PRESCHOOL STORYTIMES: Every Tuesday afternoon from 2:00 to 2:30 in Geneva Stories, music and lots of action!

Educating your child through discovery, curiosity, fun, and play!

DISCOVERY PACKS

A Discovery Pack is a backpack or bag containing a variety of theme-based material. Each bag includes both fiction and non-fiction books and a variety of material related to the Discovery Pack's theme. You check the entire Discovery Pack out, backpack or bag and it's contents, for three weeks. Three levels of Discovery Packs are available: Preschool (Pre-K), Primary (K-3) and Intermediate (Grade 3-6).

Some of the available themes are Fire Engines, Trucks, Monsters, Pirates, Ballet, Cowboys, Arts & Crafts, Rocks & Fossils, Pets, Robots, Magic, Mermaids, Horses, Princess and more!

Come check us out!

Services

The Adams Public Library System offers a full line of children's services including Early Literacy Classes for all ages; summer, fall and winter reading programs; and 1000 Books Before Kindergarten.

The Association for Library Service to Children currently lists the following as the key activities leading to language development and early literacy skills: talking, singing, reading, writing and playing. We address the core activities leading to early literacy proficiency.

Fine motor skills using blocks, LEGOS and a variety of puzzles
Imagination and storytelling through puppets, costumes and kitchen set
Recognizing letters: letter magnets, alphabet puzzles, the writing center with alphabet sheets
Book and page recognition with access to books from board books through chapter books, fiction and non-fiction
Theater puppets, costumes, alphabet magnets, crayons, puzzles, and other manipulatives that naturally provide children with the opportunities to incorporate talking, singling, reading, and writing into their PLAYING.

Every Child Ready to Read

Children’s Services provides the opportunity for you and your child to engage in those key activities which help your child get ready to read. We have costumes, a puppet theater and plush characters for imaginative play. Our writing center offers alphabet worksheets for letter recognition and a ready supply of paper and crayons; or use magnetic letters on our magnet board to spell words and write messages. Small motor skills are tested with our wide selection of puzzles, building blocks and DUPLOs. Talk and listen as your child prepares meals at our kitchen set. Sing songs and nursery rhymes and play music. And, of course, we have a wide collection of books within easy reach. Show your child that reading is fun by reading together often!

Early Literacy

Adams Public Library offers a wide range of Early Literacy classes which actively engage young children in language and literacy experiences which reach over 1000 Adams County children each year.

Lapsit for children birth to age 24 months is offered every Monday morning during the months of October, November, February, March, June and July.
2 & 3 year old Early Literacy classes and 4 & 5 year old Early Literacy classes are offered in October, November, February and March.
Story Express is offered at area preschools.
Early Literacy Computer access with activities that cover reading, math, and science.
Tumble Books

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

The concept is simple, the rewards are priceless. Read a book (any book) to your newborn, infant, and/or toddler. The goal is to have read 1,000 books (yes, you can repeat books) before your child starts kindergarten. Does it sound hard? Not really if you think about it. If you read just 1 book a night, you will have read about 365 books in a year. That is 730 books in two years and 1,095 books in three years. If you consider that most children start kindergarten at around 5 years of age, you have more time than you think (so get started).

The key is perseverance. Make it exciting. When your child reaches every milestone of 100 books, he/she will receive a small reward!

How to Participate

Register your child at the Adams Public Library in Decatur or Geneva to receive your 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten starting information and the journal pages to list your first 100 books!
Bring the completed journal pages to either Geneva or Decatur.
For each 100 books you read to your child and record, your child will receive a small prize!
Pick up your journal pages to list the next 100 books!
When you and your child complete the 1,000 book challenge your child will receive a free book and have his/her name and picture posted on the Reading Wall of Fame!!!!!

Keep a record of what you are reading on the journal pages we supply, in a spiral notebook, a journal, or by whatever method you want. The journal itself will make a great keepsake item for your child. If you are able, make sure to keep a record of “any” book that is being read to your child. This includes teachers and siblings.

This program has no end date except your child’s going to school, so don’t feel rushed – just enjoy your reading time together! Take every chance you have to read with your children, tell and talk about stories, say nursery rhymes, sing songs, and attend library programs. By reading just three stories a day, you and your child will have read over 1,000 books in one year. You will also have shared many special moments together along the way! This program is made possible in part by the United Way of Adams County.

Also available on - https://apls.beanstack.org/

Summer, Fall, and Winter Reading Program

The primary purpose of a summer reading program is to keep reading and vocabulary skills up over the summer weeks away from school. Research by the NEA and others has shown Summer Reading Programs to be remarkably successful, resulting in children being better prepared to start school in the fall.

Our goal is to make the program fun and rewarding. The Children’s Summer Reading Program is open to all children from birth through grade 6. Participants read library books on their level to receive incentives along the way. Those who complete the program receive a packet of coupons from area businesses and tickets for Fort Wayne's TinCaps. Our summer reading program runs from the end of May through the end of July every summer.

Studies show that those children who read in the summertime lose less of their skills and are better prepared to start school in the fall. The library’s summer reading program helps to encourage children to continue to read, thereby helping them to be successful in school.

Reading tips

The research is clear: children who are read to, and who read for pleasure, are significantly more successful in school than children who do not. Give your children a head start on success—teach them that reading is FUN! Read early and often. The early years are critical to developing a lifelong love of reading. It’s never too early to begin reading to your child! The tips below offer some fun ways you can help your child become a happy and confident reader. Try a new tip each week. See what works best for your child.

Read together every day - Read to your child every day. Make this a warm and loving time when the two of you can cuddle close.
Give everything a name - Build your child’s vocabulary by talking about interesting words and objects. For example, “Look at that airplane! Those are the wings of the plane. Why do you think they are called wing?”
Say how much you enjoy reading – Tell your child how much you enjoy reading with him/her. Talk about ‘story time’ as the favorite part of your day.
Read with fun in your voice – Read to your child with humor and expression. Use different voices. Ham it up and have fun!
Know when to stop – Put the book away for a while if your child loses interest or is having trouble paying attention.
Be interactive – Discuss what’s happening in the book, point out things on the page, and ask questions.
Read it again and again – Go ahead and read your child’s favorite book for the 100th time!
Talk about writing too – Mention to your child how we read from left to right and how words are separated by spaces.
Point out print everywhere – Talk about the written words you see in the world around you. Ask your child to find a new word on each outing.
If you have any concerns, have your child evaluated – See your pediatrician or teacher as soon as possible if you have any concerns about your child’s language development, hearing or sight.