Who: For newborns through 5-year-olds and their families
When: 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Fair is drop-in event
Where: Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library, 3 Community Park Road
Cost: Free; check in at library front lobby
Information: broomfield.org/library; click on "Calendar"
With colorful shapes, lively games and plenty of story telling, the Early Literacy Fair aims to get young children ready to read.
The Saturday fair at Mamie Doud Eisenhower Public Library sets the stage for children up to age 5 to begin exploring reading and communication skills. Organizers hope to draw more than 350 parents and children to give families tools for sparking creative learning in children's early years. Children who learn through talking, singing and playing can lay the groundwork for developing knowledge about reading and writing before they really know how to read or write. That groundwork, called early literacy, is thought to be a key to children developing ideal reading, writing and social skills later in life, fair organizers said.
Now in its third year, the free drop-in fair gives parents and children the opportunity to share books and activities with parents and guardians to learn those skills, said organizer and children's librarian Sarah Johnson.
"Our hope is that families can leave with ideas for practicing early literacy through fun games and activities at home," she said.
Simple songs, games and activities using everyday materials all build pre-reading skills in children from birth to 5, she said.
Families can drop in any time during the fair to pick up a passport, which guides families through activity stations. Children can collect stamps for doing some of the activities with their parent or guardian, such as following road signs using toy cars, acting out scenes with puppets and creating patterns with colors and shapes.
The fair focuses on the early skills needed to learn how to read and write, but the activities also include tools to develop emotional literacy. Emotional literacy is the ability to identify and express emotions to better communicate with parents, adults and peers, said Linda Garlinghouse of Bal Swan Children's Center.
When children have more communication skills, it leads to better self-esteem and reduced behavioral problems that could affect learning later on, she said.
"The research shows that connecting social and emotional learning with literacy benefits a child immensely," Garlinghouse said.
Bal Swan staff will be part of the literacy fair to teach communication skills and identifying emotions. The center will give out free books for children and lead kids in a craft project. The children will make a Tucker Turtle, which reminds angry children to stop, take a deep breath and think of a solution instead of lashing out at others.
The literacy fair has an in-depth focus on early literacy, but the library also hosts similar classes and throughout the year. Bal Swan has conducted emotional literacy classes at the library in the past, and the children's library often offers sign language classes and story times for infants and toddlers.
Garlinghouse said classes from Bal Swan and the library are one resource, but parents and children can find the best learning methods simply by being together as a family.
"Being present with your child, learning different ideas and really just spending time around them is key," she said. "When you make it meaningful to them, that is when you really see the change."