Climb Aboard the Early Learning Express!
Children delight when they see the green and purple bookmobile pull up. They climb the stairs and enter into a magical world where the walls are filled with books. They love to hear Sueño read them stories, lead them in finger plays, and explore hands-on activities together. Children and providers then get to pick out books to borrow until the next time!
The Early Learning Express (ELE) serves young children and early childhood professionals at family child care homes and center based programs year round. During the summer months we partner with Hunger Free Vermont to offer our services to children and their families at free summer meal sites. Visits include:
- Story time program – Each group of children who board the bus are entertained by one of our librarian’s story times which often include finger puppets, shadow puppets, crankie boxes, felt board stories, guitar and ukulele songs, as well as the reading of at least two books.
- After story time, all children get the opportunity to check out a book for their classroom.
- Our bookmobile has resources for child care providers to use including professional journals and books, teaching materials, and curriculum resource kits.
- During the summer months we partner with the local library to bring the summer reading challenge to the youth on our route. These children also check out books for home reading.
Our bookmobile often makes appearances at annual community events as well, including Touch a Truck, Strolling of the Heifers, and The River Valley Kids’ Fair.
CURRENT SCHEDULE
Click HERE for the Fall 2017 Schedule: September 11-December 7, 2017
CURRENT ACTIVITIES: AUGUST 2017
August on the Early Learning Express is a celebration of garden bounty. Sueño will select from the following group of books to best match the needs and interests of individual groups.
A Closer Look by Mary McCarthy – This book asks young readers to open their eyes and imaginations to guess what we see on the page. The first image is up close and REALLY big, but as pages are turned, we zoom out and discover what one might find in a flower garden.
The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss – This classic title tells the story of a little boy who plants a carrot seed, and while everyone tells him it won’t come up, he believes it will. With proper care and tending, the boy reaps the rewards of his work.
A Fruit is a Suitcase for Seeds by Jean Richards – Readers learn about how the fruits we love to eat are actually designed to help plants move their seeds around.
Tops and Bottoms by Janet Stevens – Here’s a funny tale about a lazy bear and a clever rabbit who become business partners – bear provides the land while hare provides the labor to grow a vegetables. Before planting, hare asks bear if he would like to keep to tops or bottoms of the future crop. Hare plants crops that fill his pantry with food, but robs bear of any nutritional content, based on bear’s response.
We finish our story by singing Aiken Drum and creating a unique drawing of a man made up entirely of fruits and vegetables! Each group challenges Sueño’s drawing skills with suggestions like broccoli hair, pickle legs, watermelon arms and eggplant arms.
The Early Learning Express will take a break from visits until children have settled into the new school year. We look forward to starting up our new rounds on September 11th! See you then!
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