The COVID-19 pandemic has caused one of the greatest disruptions of the educational system in history. With summer learning loss already impacting students for the few months they are normally out of school, a year of remote learning has exacerbated these issues. One of the best ways to combat learning loss is to make intentional time for education outside of the classroom. Turning the Page strives to help parents with at-home learning by providing engaging and accessible resources to families. During the pandemic, public libraries have played a vital role in at-home learning by extending their reach beyond physical doors to provide an abundance of virtual resources to meet the needs of the community. At the start of 2021, TTP aimed to get our parents connected with their local public libraries and encourage them to take advantage of these great resources. Since January, TTP has successfully shared hundreds of library resources with parents through Mobile Meetings and content on our Digital Hub. With National Library Week coming up, (April 4-10, 2021), TTP wishes to celebrate our Public Libraries, in both D.C., Chicago, and across the country!
Engaging Virtual Resources
There seems to be no limit to the number of creative and engaging resources public libraries share with their communities. From virtual book clubs to digital homework help, the public libraries have found many ways to continue providing assistance to families remotely, beyond simply borrowing books. The D.C. Public Library offers an array of services for family members of all ages. Children can attend weekly Story Time programming that introduces young children to books, rhymes, music and other fun interactive activities. The Teen’s Corner shares blog posts and content created by teens, for teens. Adults can find tax assistance and a job board in the Adult Learning Department. Similarly, the Chicago Public Library offers an At-Home Library hub where families can chat with a librarian, get one on one meetings with teachers, and gain access to eBooks, movies, music, and more! TTP is proud to have connected families to all of these exciting resources.
I Wish, a Live Author Discussion
In celebration of National Library Week and National Poetry Month, Turning the Page will be collaborating with the D.C. Public Library for a live discussion with Daniel Handler (AKA Lemony Snicket, author of the A Series of Unfortunate Event Books) to discuss the book I Wish, a collection of 33 poems by Toon Tellegen. He will be sharing his reflections on the work, and highlighting creations by Takoma Park Education Campus’ fifth graders who created poems and drawings inspired by I Wish. Join us for the event on Tuesday April 6th at 1:30 PM EST by tuning in on Turning the Page’s Facebook.
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Want to support family engagement programming like the ones mentioned in this post? Consider a donation to Turning the Page!