Learn Bilingual Storytime with Katie! New Online Course

Hi everyone!  I am really excited to share with you that "Bilingual Storytime at Your Biblioteca," a new course I am teaching through Library Juice Academy is now open for registration!  Through this course I teach participants to design bilingual and culturally inclusive storytime programs, even when they do not speak Spanish.  The course features video demonstrations of bilingual songs, rhymes and stories, but like the one that I shared in Flannel Friday: Owls! Lechuzas! Búhos! I love teaching this class, so I hope to see many of you there!  The description and registration information is below.  Please share!  Also, please don't hesitate to be in touch if you have any questions.

If you'd like to learn a little more about me and my experience as it pertains to serving Latinos and Spanish-speakers, feel free to visit the Connected Communities website, or read this interview from Library Juice Academy.

Bilingual Storytime at Your Biblioteca

Instructor: Katie Cunningham
Dates: April 1-28, 2013
Credits: 1.5 CEUs
Price: $175

Description: This 4-week, online course teaches participants how to present bilingual storytimes (English/Spanish) for various ages, regardless of their own language skills. Video demonstrations, articles, online resources and course discussions direct students as they learn how to successfully deliver the various elements of bilingual storytimes, either on their own or with a bilingual community partner. Participants will discover new books, rhymes, songs, plans and resources that they can immediately put to use in their bilingual storytime programs.

Learning Objectives:

• Students will learn how to select and use the following components in bilingual storytime: books, songs, rhymes, fingerplays, and stories for telling aloud.
• Students will experiment with incorporating bilingual materials into their existing storytime programs.
• Students will select books and other materials they can use to increase inclusion of Latino culture and the Spanish language in their English storytime programs.
• Students will develop strategies for working with bilingual community partners to present and market bilingual storytime.
• Students will gain an increased understanding of the early literacy and school readiness needs of Latino children.
• Students will articulate how bilingual storytime supports the early literacy and school readiness needs of Latino children, and identify online resources for sharing early literacy and school readiness information with Spanish-speaking parents.
• Students will each develop two bilingual storytime plans.