The Alaska Developmental Profile (ADP) is the best tool the State of Alaska has for assessing kindergarten readiness. This interactive session will explain that the ADP results matter to libraries because the latest results show incoming kindergarteners are struggling the most in the language and literacy domain – in particular, phonological awareness, print awareness, and alphabet awareness.
These three early literacy skills are essential for learning to read. Can Alaska’s librarians help arrest these alarming trends? The answer is YES. We will discuss what early literacy is and how it relates to kindergarten readiness—beginning at birth. We will also discuss early childhood practices that develop those precarious phonological, print, and alphabet awareness skills, and how we can use these practices in the library and at home.
Finally, we will share how the Imagination Library and the Ready to Read Resource Center are libraries’ vital partners in early literacy in their communities.