Community Connections: January 2003 Newsletter

The Community Connections Communicator -- January 2003

In this Issue:

The theme of this month's issue is Early Literacy.

	Tip Sheet: Sharing Books with Babies and Toddlers
	Article: What is Early Literacy?
	Check out this article to learn more about the importance of early literacy and what you can do with your child to promote the development of early literacy skills.
	Spotlights of the Month: We need your help with this one! If you know of, or have experienced a local business or other community organization that is welcoming to children with special needs, please let us know so we can share that valuable information with other parents, educators, and caregivers! (Click here for more information on how to submit a recommendation for Spotlight of the Month.)
	Recommended Websites: http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/pksites.htm - Bookmark this website as a reference for tons of links to preschool literacy websites. Click here for more information.

Sharing Books with Babies and Toddlers

Is your baby really learning anything from that book? How do you make reading fun and educational at the same time? Click here to view some tips on reading with young children: http://www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/EarlyLiteracy.html

What is Early Literacy?

This article provides a basic definition of early literacy and its components. It also discusses the importance of early literacy on future development of reading and writing skills. Finally, the article presents several early literacy behaviors and activities you can do with your child to promote literacy skills. Click the following link to read more:
http://www.zerotothree.org/brainwonders/EarlyLiteracy.html

Spotlights of the Month!

If you know of or have experienced a local business or other community organization that is welcoming to children with special needs, please let us know so we can share that valuable information with other parents, educators, and caregivers! Click here to visit our website and recommend a business!

We currently offer training and technical consultation to businesses, churches, and other community organizations to help make them more welcoming to families and children with special needs. If you know of a business or other organization that would like to take advantage of these services, please e-mail us at: communityconnections@umd.edu
OR
If you know of a business that is already welcoming to children with special needs and their families and you would like to share this information with other families and professionals, please send us your name as well as the name and contact information for the business with a brief description of why you believe they are welcoming to families. If appropriate, we will post the business on our website and we may even feature it as a 'Spotlight if the Month'. E-mail your submissions to: communityconnections@umd.edu

Recommended Websites:

http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/pksites.htm
This website is chock-full of links to preschool literacy sites. The sites are designed for young children and have early literacy games and activities to target different ages and skills. The site also contains links to several electronic storybooks and some bilingual sites as well. Children can play games and listen to books from home, school, or the library! Be sure to bookmark this one because it contains enough links to keep children busy for hours!

*Questions or Suggestions about our newsletter? Have an idea you would like to submit? Please feel free to contact us at communityconnections@umd.edu

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Disclaimer
Unless otherwise noted, all referenced articles are available at no charge to you. Community Connections provides this for informational purposes only and cannot attest to the accuracy of information provided by linked sites. The opinions and views expressed at these web sites do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of Community Connections. Any personal information requested by any of the web sites will be governed by the privacy policy at the site, and any questions you have related to the sites' use of information should be directed there. The information contained in this newsletter is not intended to make any offer or commitment to purchase, subscribe to, provide or sell any service or product or to provide any recommendations on which readers should rely.

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