Bookmarks to encourage reading activities.

The State Library produces a series of bookmarks containing ideas for parents to use in the effort to get children to read. The four bookmarks target different age groups and needs.

Bookmarks are being updated, watch Show Me Express for notice of NEW bookmark availability.

Lifetime Connection to Literacy: A Collection of Literacy Resources for Public Libraries in Missouri .

The handbook was created through a series of meeting with librarians, who designed its structure and organization. Participants agreed the document should be a flexible set of resources rather than a treatise on literacy, so it has been designed as a toolkit rather than a textbook. Each section of the handbook addresses a specific age group.

Each section contains an introduction, activity notes, and reproducible information. While the activity notes offer ideas for literacy activities, the reproducible information can be copied and distributed in the library as needed. Missouri authors, librarians, and consultants wrote many of the activities.

• Literacy Manual Cover, Introduction, and Organizational Notes 
• Section 1 – Introductory Notes About Literacy in Libraries 
• Section 2 – Introducing Literacy: Serving Preschoolers and Their Families 
• Section 3 – Supporting Reading Instruction: Serving Early Elementary School Students 
• Section 4 – Supporting Independent Reading: Serving Upper Elementary School Students 
• Section 5 – Creating Lifelong Readers: Serving Young Adults With Literacy in Mind 
• Section 6 – Second Chances At Literacy: Serving Low-Literate Adults 
• Section 7 – Appendices: More Resources and General Handouts 

KET Video/Workbook Series

GED Connection and Workplace Essential Skills videos and workbooks are now available to Missouri libraries through a program from the Missouri State Library, in cooperation with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Public libraries qualifying for state aid, academic libraries, and high school libraries in Missouri are all eligible to receive the materials. We have a limited number of these adult education video series and will distribute them to libraries that can justify their use as part of the collection without accompanying programming.

GED Connection is a set of 20 DVDs with two 30 minute videos per disc and a set of accompanying workbooks designed for students reading at a 10th grade, or higher, level. The series provides skill-building and test-taking practice and helps students evaluate their readiness through pre-GED testing.

Workplace Essential Skills is a set of 13 DVDs with two 30 minute videos per disc and a set of accompanying workbooks designed to teach students about workplace readiness skills, including some basics of reading, math, communication, and problem solving in the workplace, plus resume preparation and job seeking skills.

Each library will receive three sets of DVDs and three sets of workbooks for the requested series.

Zero to Three materials

The State Library recently distributed reproducible handouts to all Missouri public libraries from Zero to Three, a national nonprofit organization focused on the healthy development of infants, toddlers, and families. The series of handouts, available in both English and Spanish, address child development over the first 36 months of life. The handouts were designed to help parents better understand the science of early development and how to apply the information in meaningful ways to nurture young children's development.

Additional copies of the handouts are available at www.zerotothree.org/healthyminds.

LIFT (Literacy Investment for Tomorrow)

LIFT (Literacy Investment for Tomorrow) is Missouri's literacy resource center. LIFT provides a wide range of technical assistance to local programs and serves 500 people per month with up-to-date literacy information from national, regional, and state sources. LIFT administers literacy related listservs, provides resources and training for literacy practitioners and providers, and produces an electronic newsletter. A toll free phone number, (800) 729-4443, provides access for both clients needing services and potential volunteers.