Are you looking for new ways to help your child increase literacy skills and interest in reading? The New Westminster Public Library offers fun ways to enhance reading skills with interactive online resources that are available for free at www.nwpl.ca to New West residents with a library card. Use the following as another opportunity to talk, sing, read, write, and play with your child, as well as practice technological skills:
Tumblebooks brings stories to life with animated talking picture books such as Franklin, Scaredy Squirrel, and favourites written and read by Robert Munsch. Audiobooks, chapter books, videos, nonfiction, comics, math stories, and related games and puzzles appropriate for grades K-6 are also available. Older students will enjoy TumbleBookCloud, which offers ebooks, enhanced novels, graphic novels, videos and audio books.
Curl up with your favourite magazines exactly how they look in print on your device or computer by accessing Zinio. With over a dozen of the most popular and highly-rated children’s magazines to satisfy your child’s thirst for knowledge and creativity, such as Highlights, Babybug, and Chirp, you will not want to miss another issue.
If the book you want to borrow from the library is out, why not check if there is an ebook copy? In Library2Go, kids will find books by Lemony Snicket and Beverly Cleary and titles like Big Nate available for download. Freading also has comics such as Charlie Brown in addition to Sparknotes study guides for homework help.
Whether you prefer the latest technology or the traditional print book to share with the kids in your life, the library might have exactly what you seek to help improve reading skills. Ask a librarian how to access the above resources, get suggestions for great educational apps, or for help discovering your or your child’s next great read. No matter what you choose, what’s most important is that reading is an enjoyable experience for all.
- Jenny Zhang, New West Public Library
