11-12-2008, 10:35 PM
I saw this article recently on my Waukegan google alert list. I would agree that they are startling statistics... I do look forward to visting this center with the kids. They are picking up Spanish like little sponges 
![[Image: elc.jpg]](http://a330.g.akamai.net/7/330/2540/20081112045530/www.schoollibraryjournal.com/articles/images/SLJ/20081111/elc.jpg)
Illinois Early Learning Center Targets Spanish Speakers
By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/11/2008 9:42:00 PM
The Waukegan Public Library in Illinois has opened an Early Learning Center (ELC) located adjacent to the childrenâs area at the libraryâs main downtown location. The cutting edge, 2,200 square foot facility features interactive, bilingual displays and programs.
The impetus for this effort came from a 2006 United Way survey that showed only 43 percent of Waukegan kindergarteners attended preschool and that 77 percent spoke Spanish as their primary language. Further, over half of the children surveyed had little or no exposure to books before entering public school.
âI was astounded by the percentages,â says Richard Lee, WPLâs executive director. âLooking at those deficiencies, we decided to set some measurable goals.â
With guidance from Waukegan School District 60, the library began planning an ELC dedicated to developing four preliteracy skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Developers based the design on the Illinois Early Learning Standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education, creating stations for science and math, pretend play, story times, arts and crafts, nature, music, and infant development.
ELC architects looked to the Kohl Childrenâs Museum in Glenview, IL, as a model. The venue offers items like costumes, bells, dough, and paint to promote creativity in addition to picture and board books, games, and puzzles to foster prereading skills. Signage appears in English and Spanish.
ELC will present Story Camps Monday through Thursday, some bilingual, each featuring stories, songs, and a learning activity such as rhyming. Recognizing the critical role of the parent as a childâs first teacher, ELC also will host Family Learning Time and caregiver workshops, with strategies for nurturing early literacy, based on the Every Child Ready To Read project.
Because the median income in Waukegan is so low, ELC is attempting to fund the project through public and private sources to avoid overburdening taxpayers. To date, the library has raised $150,000 of the $300,000 needed for the facility, primarily through grants, private donations, and fundraising events.
ELC also is pursuing partnerships with businesses interested in contributing dioramas or other materials for a series of rotating exhibits.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6613801.html?desc=topstory">http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/art ... c=topstory</a><!-- m -->
Illinois Early Learning Center Targets Spanish Speakers
By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 11/11/2008 9:42:00 PM
The Waukegan Public Library in Illinois has opened an Early Learning Center (ELC) located adjacent to the childrenâs area at the libraryâs main downtown location. The cutting edge, 2,200 square foot facility features interactive, bilingual displays and programs.
The impetus for this effort came from a 2006 United Way survey that showed only 43 percent of Waukegan kindergarteners attended preschool and that 77 percent spoke Spanish as their primary language. Further, over half of the children surveyed had little or no exposure to books before entering public school.
âI was astounded by the percentages,â says Richard Lee, WPLâs executive director. âLooking at those deficiencies, we decided to set some measurable goals.â
With guidance from Waukegan School District 60, the library began planning an ELC dedicated to developing four preliteracy skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Developers based the design on the Illinois Early Learning Standards set by the Illinois State Board of Education, creating stations for science and math, pretend play, story times, arts and crafts, nature, music, and infant development.
ELC architects looked to the Kohl Childrenâs Museum in Glenview, IL, as a model. The venue offers items like costumes, bells, dough, and paint to promote creativity in addition to picture and board books, games, and puzzles to foster prereading skills. Signage appears in English and Spanish.
ELC will present Story Camps Monday through Thursday, some bilingual, each featuring stories, songs, and a learning activity such as rhyming. Recognizing the critical role of the parent as a childâs first teacher, ELC also will host Family Learning Time and caregiver workshops, with strategies for nurturing early literacy, based on the Every Child Ready To Read project.
Because the median income in Waukegan is so low, ELC is attempting to fund the project through public and private sources to avoid overburdening taxpayers. To date, the library has raised $150,000 of the $300,000 needed for the facility, primarily through grants, private donations, and fundraising events.
ELC also is pursuing partnerships with businesses interested in contributing dioramas or other materials for a series of rotating exhibits.
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6613801.html?desc=topstory">http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/art ... c=topstory</a><!-- m -->