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Are you looking for tips, techniques, and best practices for planning and producing online/virtual storytimes? Two recordings from webinars originally presented in summer 2020 are now available for free, anytime viewing via the Self-Paced Online Courses and Recorded Webinars page of the ORTR website! One is from the Ohio Library Council and the other is from WebJunction.

Find more self-paced learning opportunities for early childhood programming: ohreadytoread.org/recorded-webinars

COSI Connects provides engaging STEAM content daily through videos, documents, and hands-on science that students, teachers, and families can use at home. Content is tied directly to State of Ohio Learning Standards.

COSI Connects is for families and children anywhere in Ohio. It is free, and membership is not required. Activities are available for all age groups from early childhood through adults, and you may browse by age group to find just the early childhood activities.

A new early language and literacy website is available for families of emerging readers in Ohio! Through a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Education’s Office for Exceptional Children and the Ohio Coalition for the Education of Children with Disabilities, this website, Reading Tips for Families, will host reading definitions, activities, and resources to engage and educate families, while meeting requirements for disability accessibility and accessibility for non-English speakers.

Update: per 3/16/2020 email from OAEYC: Due to the Executive Order banning large gatherings announced by Governor DeWine in the state of Ohio, as well as OAEYC's dedication to the safety of our Exhibitors and Early Childhood Educators, the 2020 Ohio Early Childhood Conference has been canceled.
Original story follows.

Registration is now open for the Ohio Early Childhood Conference, April 23 - 25 at Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, sponsored by Ohio Association for the Education of Young Children (OAEYC).

The Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University recently announced a new podcast series focused on the importance of healthy brain development during a child’s early years.

The State Library of Ohio is pleased to announce the launch of the Day By Day Ohio Family Literacy Calendar website. Day By Day Ohio is a tool that families, caregivers, educators, and librarians can use at home, at the library, on the go, and in the classroom. With a perpetual calendar featuring songs, activities, book suggestions, and videos, Day By Day Ohio offers resources to further develop early literacy skills that help young children prepare for, and to do better in, school. Children enjoy fun, positive learning experiences like Day by Day Ohio that support school success and, ultimately, lifelong learning. Share Day By Day Ohio with families and community organizations: http://DayByDayOH.org.

Ohio's Early Learning and Development Standards (ELDS) describe key concepts and skills that young children develop during the birth-to-five-year period. They are used by early childhood educators to promote the understanding of early learning and development; provide a comprehensive set of early childhood educational expectations; and guide curriculum, assessment and instructional practices with young children.

See how your storytimes support the standards!  An Ohio Early Literacy Crosswalk (PDF) compares the ELDS standards directly to Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR) concepts in the Language and Literacy Development domain.

Washington County (OR) Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) and OregonASK has announced the free availability of Fostering Readers resources, designed to help you plan and implement fun research-based literacy programs for children in Kindergarten through third grade who are learning to read.

It's that time again - summer is winding down and school is starting up. Check out Kindergarten Readiness and Student Learning, a guide from Ohio Ready to Read for public librarians to learn about concepts in PreK-12 education and to assess, enhance, and promote library programs, collections, and relationships to support student learning.

The Lunch at the Library coalition has created a 14-page how-to guide, Linking Early Learning and Nutrition for Young Children, which helps libraries connect summer feeding programs with services and support for young children and their families. In partnership with Tandem Early Learning, Lunch at the Library also makes available a set of Conversation Starter tabletop tent cards to encourage serve-and-return interactions between caring adults and their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.