In spring 2024, the Multicounty Multitype Library Systems, supported by State Library Services, conducted a census of K-12 public and charter schools in Minnesota to learn about the status of school libraries. A total of 1,528 out of 1,777 eligible schools completed the census. The findings can help legislators, school staff, librarians, and…

School librarians support access to information and resources in the school library. In a time of misinformation and fake news, access to accurate and timely information is key. School librarians work to serve the needs of all students in every learning environment including alternative, remote, and face to face. At the same time, school…

Parents and caregivers are a child's first teachers. The Families Learning Across Boundaries (FamLAB) Project surveyed 407 library professionals, 1,550 parents, and 600 pre-K through grade 8 teachers in the United States about how they support 3-12-year-old children's learning in their communities. This two-page tipsheet provides some…

Since children develop the critical language and early reading skills necessary to enter kindergarten between birth and age five, reading aloud is one of the most influential steps librarians, teachers, parents, and caregivers can take to foster preschoolers' literacy skills. Early exposure to books heavily influences vocabulary knowledge, which…

The National Center on Accessible Educational Materials for Learning (National AEM Center) at CAST is a technical assistance (TA) center funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). The purpose of the Center is to improve educational and employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through…

Literacy and access to quality literacy instruction and resources is an issue of equity and an issue of social justice. Being literate represents the difference between inclusion in and exclusion from society. Examining how literacy experiences are being provided to children is critical to fulfilling this basic human right. This guide--written…

The "IDRA Newsletter" serves as a vehicle for communication with educators, school board members, decision-makers, parents, and the general public concerning the educational needs of all children across the United States. The focus of this issue is "Early Learning." Contents include: (1) Current Proposals for Texas' Investment…

You have young preschool children. You think ahead to when they will begin school, and wonder what you might do to make it easy for your children to learn to read. This article offers some hints for parents and caregivers about learning to read: (1) Reading can begin at birth; (2) When reading aloud to an infant, make the experience a warm, loving…

This article presents a case study of a five-year English-literacy project carried out in primary and middle schools in the Pacific island nation of Tonga from 2012 to 2017. It summarizes why and how the project was begun; the activities carried out by Peace Corps Volunteers and Tongan partners; its objectives; and the products, procedures, and…

Parents of children with autism face many challenges that arise from the practical, day-to-day issues of living with autism. The specific goals of this guide are to help parents: (1) find information about autism; (2) distinguish between research-based and non-research-based information; (3) become savvy consumers of information by giving them the…

Librarians should add this must-have resource to their library's collection to assist patrons in the tough task of applying and paying for college. Whether they are a high school student, already in college, a parent, or an adult returning to school, patrons can use this guide to: (1) Fill out forms for financial aid, loans, and scholarships; (2)…

The purpose of this review was to examine the literature on parent training for parents of children with autism. Families with a child diagnosed with autism often face a discrepancy between their need for services and the availability of services either because they live in geographically distant areas or because they are on a long wait list for…

Parents should evaluate the libraries in the schools their children attend, because education suffers when library services are minimal and information is outdated. The article lists several issues to which parents should pay close attention when evaluating their children's school libraries. (SM)

This book is a guide to providing library resources and services that support homeschooling. The first section contains an overview of the homeschooling movement, statistics that show a nationwide trend toward this form of education, and an examination of the motivations, philosophies and educational styles of homeschoolers. The second section…

In response to recent state and national reports on the status of public education in the United States, the Council on Library and Network Development (COLAND) of the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction issues this paper primarily to communicate the vital importance of school library media programs and the professionals who direct them in…