We encourage families to read to their children at least ten minutes a day; it will help preschoolers when they go to school be able to learn to read and write more readily.  For children who are in school it will build their language skills.  This page provides some resources and information to families to support their reading to their children.

Special Events

“Thank you for the books you guys brought.  People loved the books they received and I hope everyones happy reading the fun and interesting info!!!.”  Guadalupe a student at Dolores Gonzales Elementary School.

This is just one of the many thank you’s received from last year’s book drive. The Albuquerque Business Education Compact Read to Me Campaign is inviting you to participate in this year’s Read to Me Book Drive, February 15th through March 31st.   The book drive will benefit children in local elementary schools and preschools.  The goal of the book drive is to place books in the hands of children in need, prior to summer break to encourage the children to read.  Children will also receive with their book, information about the Summer Reading Program at their local library and a bookmarker.  This past year we collected and distributed over 24,000 books this year we hope to collect 30,000 books.  Help us put smiles children’s faces by donating new or gently used children’s books.

Donations can be taken to any Albuquerque area Borders, McDonald’s, Cold Stone Creamery, La Montanita Natural Foods Coop, Sunflower Market, and Whole Foods.

Borders will provide 10% off coupon to anyone purchasing a book and donating it to the Read to Me Book Drive. Click here to download coupon.

The Albuquerque Thunderbirds will celebrate Dr. Seus’s Birthday, by dedicating their March 2nd home game to the Read to Me Book Drive.  The game is at 3pm in Tingley Coliseum.  For every new or gently used children’s book donated at the March 2nd Thunderbird game you can receive a free ticket for a home game later in the season.  Attached is a flyer.

There are close to 50 area companies/employers sponsoring the drive at their business February 15-March 31st. The companies/groups include:

ABQ Ride Albq. Assoc. of Retired Educators Albuquerque Public School Foundation and Learning Systems Dept. Albuquerque Public School Teaching and Learning Systems Dept. Albuquerque Publishing Company Albuquerque-Santa Fe Federal Executive Board Albuquerque Thunderbirds Bernalillo County Blue Cross Blue Shield Borders Boy Scouts of America Burt & Nagel, CPA's, LLC Citi Cards A Child's Garden City of Albuquerque Cold Stone Creamery Dekker/Perich/Sabatini Department of Veterans Regional Office Don Chalmers DMJM & HN El Dorado High School Emcore Corp. General Mills Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce Indian Pueblo Cultural Center Intel Jackson Middle School Jr. National Honor Society Job Mentor Program

KNME Ready to Learn La Luz Early Childhood Center La Montanita Natural Foods Coop Laurelwood Neighborhood Association Lovelace Health Plan McDonald's Menaul School Meyners Company National Hispanic Cultural Center and Foundation New Mexico Design Center REDW, The Rogoff Firm Public Service Company of New Mexico Rodey Law Firm Sandia High School - Chemistry Club Sandia National Laboratories Federal Credit Union Sento Serendipity Day School Solomon Schechter Day School St Marks in the Valley Day School Sunflower Market Team Technologies Technology Ventures Corporation TriCorp Reference Laboratories University of New Mexico U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Alb. Area Office Wells Fargo Whole Foods Market

Books in English, Spanish, Vietnamese and bilingual books are welcomed.

Those wanting to participate by collecting books at your place of business may do so by downloading the attached PDF file and posting the flyer and promoting it among your employees. Contact us at 767-5849 to pick up the books collected.

Book Drive Poster
For more information contact Paula Delap-Padilla at (505)767-5849.

 

These lists are provided by the Rio Grande Valley Public Libraries.  Books are available through them.


• Picture Books for Toddlers
• Books Without Words
• ABC Books
• Counting Books
• Multicultural Books for Preschoolers
• Beginning to Read Books
• Modern Classics for Children
• Classics for Children
• First through Third Grade Books
• Beginning Chapter Books
• Fourth and Fifth Grade Books
• Science Fiction Books
• African American Culture and History
• Sixth Grade Through Eighth Grade Books
• New Mexico Statewide Battle of the Books, Reading List for 2002
• Land of Enchantment Book Award 2001-2002
• Newberry Medal Books
• Caldecott Medal Books

Click on the location name to view a map.
• Alamosa - 836-0684 - 6900 Gonzales Rd. SW (87121)
• Cherry Hills - 857-8321 - 6901 Barstow NE (87111)
• East Mountain - 281-8508 - Hwy. 337, next to Tijeras Post Office (87059)
• Erna Fergusson - 888-8100 - 3401-A Monroe St. NE * (87110)
  *Note: The Erna Fergusson branch library closed on August 11, 2001 for reconstruction and renovation.  It will reopen in Spring, 2003 on the existing site. Library service to the community is provided at a temporary location, located next to the McKinley Community Center at 3401-A Monroe St. NE.
• Ernie Pyle - 256-2065 - 900 Girard SE (87106)
• Juan Tabo - 291-6260 - 3407 Juan Tabo NE (87111)
• Lomas Tramway - 291-6295 - 908 Eastridge NE (87123)
• Los Griegos - 761-4020 - 1000 Griegos Rd. NW (87107)
• Main Library - 768-5140 - 501 Copper Ave. NW (87102)
• North Valley - 897-8823 - 7704 Second NW (87107)
• San Pedro - 256-2067 - 5600 Trumbull SE (87108)
• South Broadway - 764-1742 - 1025 Broadway SE (87102)
• South Valley - 877-5170 - 3904 Isleta Blvd. SW (87105)
• Special Collections - 848-1376 - 423 Central Ave. NE (87102)
• Taylor Ranch - 897-8816 - 5700 Bogart St. NW (87120)
• Westgate Heights - 833-6984 - 1300 Delgado SW (87121)
• Wyoming - 291-6262, Info: 291-6264 - 8205 Apache NE (87110)
• Rio Rancho Public Library - 891-5013 - 950 Pinetree Rd. SE (Rio Rancho, 87124)

Children Who Are Read To Learn To Read


• MAKE READING PART OF EVERYDAY.
  Read at bedtime or any other time that works for you.
• HAVE FUN.
  Children who love books learn to read. Books can be part of special time with your child.
• A FEW MINUTES IS OK.
  Young children can only sit for a few minutes for a story, but as they grown, they'll sit longer.
• TALK ABOUT THE PICTURES.
  You don't have to read the book to tell a story.
• LET YOUR CHILD TURN THE PAGES.
  Babies need board books and help to turn the pages, but your three-year-old can do it alone!
• SHOW YOUR CHILD THE COVER PAGE.
  Explain what the story is about.
• SHOW YOUR CHILD THE WORDS.
  Run your finger along the words as you read them.
• MAKE THE STORY COME ALIVE!
  Make up voices, use your body to tell the story.
• ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY.
  What's going to happen next? What's that?
• LET YOUR CHILD ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STORY.
• LET YOUR CHILD TELL THE STORY.
  Children as young as three can memorize a whole story.

YOU ARE HELPING YOUR CHILD BECOME A READER!

6 to 12 months
• Even infants love picture books.
• You can make story time part of your baby's routine, before bed or naps.
• You're teaching your baby that books feel good.
• Babies love rhymes and songs.

12 to 18 months
• When you ask, "What's that?" and name the pictures in a book, it teaches your baby that things have names.
• Once babies start to walk, trying to hold them on your lap can be a struggle. Some babies will want to be up and around during a story. That's OK.
• Offer stories each day, but let your child be in charge of how long you read.
• When children grab books, they are showing a healthy drive for independence. They're not being bad."

18 to 36 months
• If your toddler listens to a story for five minutes, that's a long time. Stories are a good way to help toddlers increase their attention spans.
• Sometimes you don't have to read what's actually written in the book. You can just talk about the pictures instead.
• Your toddler will want to pick the book, the time, and the person to do the reading. Let your toddler make choices within the limits of what's OK.
• Children learn by imitating. Do they even read to their teddy bears or to dolls?

3 years and up
• One way children learn to read is by hearing the same story over and over. It might be boring to you, but it isn't to them.
• Your child might want to tell you a story, and it may be a very different one from the one you thought you were reading! Each time s/he retells the story, s/he is practicing using language in a very important way.
• Play writing is the first step toward learning how to spell. Does s/he ever pretend to write or ask you to show her/his name?

• A Guide to Helping Your Baby or Preschooler Become a Reader, no. 1028-841, International Reading Association. $2.
• Haas, Monty and Laurie Joy. Read it Aloud!- A Parent's Guide to Sharing Books With Young Children, no. 9163-841, Reading Railroad Publishers, 2000, International Reading Association.
• Hearn, Betsy Gould. Choosing Books for Children: A Commonsense Guide. Rev. ed. Doubleday. 1990.
• International Reading Association has a series of brochures for families in Spanish and English (single copies are free) and may be downloaded from their website www.reading.org/publications/brochures. Brochures include:
  • Prepare Your Child for Reading Tests
  • Understanding Your Child's Learning Differences
  • Make the Reading Writing Connection: Tips for Parents and Young Learners
  • Get Ready to Read! Tips for Parents of Young Children
  • Explore the Playground of Books: Tips for Parents of Beginning Readers
  • Summer Reading Adventure! Tips for Parents of Young Readers
  • Making the Most of Television: Tips for Parents of Young Viewers
  • See the World on the Internet: Tips for Parents of Young Readers--and "Surfers"
  • Library Safari: Tips for Parents of Young Readers and Explorers
  You may also contact them at:
  International Reading Association
  800 Barksdale Road
  P.O. Box 8139
  Newark, Delaware 1914-8139
  Phone: (302) 731-1600
• Larrick, Nancy. Parent's Guide to Children's Reading. 5th ed. Westminster, 1982.
• National Research Council. Starting Out Right: A Guide to Promoting Children's Reading Success. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1999.
• Read to Me, a 13-minute video that introduces parents to importance of reading aloud to their children and instructs parents in making selections. Idaho Literacy Project. 1991. $29.95.
• Snow, Catherine E.; Burns, Susan; Griffin, Peg. Preventing Reading Difficulties in Young Children. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1998.
• Strickland, D. and Mandel Morrow, L., Emerging Literacy: Young Children Learn to Read and Write. International Reading Association, 1989.
• Trelease, Jim. Read-Aloud Handbook. 3rd. ed. Viking Penguin, 1989.

• Albuquerque Reads Albuquerque Reads is a partnership between the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and APS to improve literacy acquisition for kindergarten students in participating Title I schools. Volunteer tutors from the community are asked to dedicate 70 minutes one time per week for one-on-one reading, writing, and skills development tutoring, with the goal to not only help a child to learn to read, but also to instill a love of reading.
• American's Library Association, Born to Read: How to Raise a Reader
• America's Literacy Directory
  Has a listing of programs anywhere in the United States.
• Americorp: (505) 277-9523
  Americorp volunteers serve as tutors in a variety of community based literacy programs for more information contact, UNM Service Corp.
• Bernalillo County Parks and Recreation, Family Literacy Programs: (505) 452-1845
  Provides a tutoring program for children and families of Bernalillo County in order to raise students reading, writing and spelling skills. Students, elementary and middle school, work with tutors for two hours a week.
• Campfire Boys and Girls, Rocket Readers
  Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque Public Schools, United Way and Camp Fire Boys and Girls have partnered to begin a pilot literacy program. Literacy volunteers are trained to tutor first and second grade students, working one on one to improve reading and writing skills. The program has been effective in improving students reading and writing skills.
• Dial-A-Teacher Homework Help Line: Albuquerque, 343-4300; outside of Albuquerque, 1-800-947-8839
  Albuquerque Teacher's Federation has established a homework assistance program available to students across New Mexico. The program operates Monday through Thursday from 5:30pm-8:30pm during the traditional school year.
• First Book
  First Book is a national nonprofit organization with a single mission: to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books. The primary goal of First Book is to work with existing literacy programs to distribute new books to children who, for economic reasons, have little or no access to books.
• First Book (Albuquerque)
  First Book provides books for children involved in local literacy programs providing services to low income children. For programs to apply contact Dave Lorenzen at (505)-277-4087.
• International Reading Association
  International Reading Association has resources for families on reading including a series of brochures and suggested reading lists called Choices.
• Jim Trelease Home Page
• Kids Read
  This is a web site for kids to find out about favorite books, series, and authors. The site includes reviews, trivia games, word scrambles and contests.
• KNME TV, Ready to Learn
  KNME TV Ready to Learn program provides educational opportunities, which is an effort to prepare children, ages 2-12, to learn when they go to school. Quality children's programming is at the heart of this service, while programming breaks with educational messages, accompanying print materials and a variety of outreach services, including parent & provider workshops, reinforce the information offered on air.
• National Center for Family Literacy
  National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) is concerned with family literacy, an innovative approach to meeting the educational needs of both children and their parents. NCFL works to expand the learning opportunities for all families nationwide.
• Partnership for Reading
  The Partnership for Reading offers information about the effective teaching of reading for children, adolescents, and adults based on quality research.
• Reach Out and Read
  A National Organization that promotes literacy as a part of pediatric primary care so that children grow up with books and a love of reading. Have a local program at Children's Hospital of New Mexico. Contact: (505) 272-1707.
• Reading Is Fundamental
  National organization that promotes reading.
• Schwab Learning
  This site helps parents identify and manage their children's learning disabilities. A variety of topics are covered in detail, including AD/HD, LD in general, dyslexia, IEP, homework, reading, and writing.
• Tutorsforkids.org
  The Supplemental Educational Services Quality (SESQ) Center has launched a website to help parents of children attending public schools "in need of improvement" take advantage of new, free tutoring opportunities.
• United States Department of Education
• Zero to Three
  National web site with resources and information for parent on the first three years of a child's life.