Sight Words Support at Mildred L. Terry Public Library

Sight words comprise about 60% of the words a child commonly finds in daily reading. Fluent readers effortlessly read these words, but struggling readers must stop to search for context clues or to sound out many of these words. Mastery of sight words is critical to a child’s success as a reader and scholar.

According to the Get Georgia Reading website: “Georgia has struggled for years to improve our reading proficiency rate. The cost to our state is significant, and the cost to our children is incalculable. Our framework for action promotes third grade reading proficiency...”

The 'Sight Words Support' program at the Mildred L. Terry Public Library is a way to offer ‘language nutrition’ (in One-on-One sessions), to struggling readers, grades K- 3, by affording them additional exposure to a language-rich setting and a supportive adult.

Activities disguised as play, draw children into social and verbal exchanges that involve reading from high-frequency word lists, tracing and identifying letters, practicing sentence building and reading aloud. Fishing and matching games are used to reinforce skills that build reading fluency.

A recent exchange in a ‘Sight Words Support’ session with a 4-year-old boy revealed his joy with his session and his view of his library.

By Deborah Clark Mildred L. Terry Public Library

As staff and the boy celebrated his success at ‘fishing’ for, and successfully matching the word ‘at’, staff prompted his use of the word by asking, “Where are you?” To which he yelled, “AT THE BOOK HOUSE!” His mom explained that her son rejects saying ‘library.’ He prefers to visit “The Book House!”

The boy’s excitement and naming preference for his library, caused staff to resolve to keep his “BOOK HOUSE” a favorite house for him and all children - so that the ‘language nutrition’ sessions at the library will, like the nourishment at Grandma’s house, help to grow him and others into more fluent, proficient and confident readers!

Sight Words Support at MLTPL

Thursdays from 3-5pm

Call 706-243-2785 or email mlt@cvlga. org to make a 30-minute appointment.

For many parents, it is difficult to discuss the topic of suicide with their children. Kids may hear about a public figure or someone in the community passing away due to suicide, but some parents shy away from the topic out of fear that discussing it may cause their children to think about trying it. However, when kids are exposed to a suicide death, having an age-appropriate discussion with them about suicide may make it more likely they will have a discussion with you in the future, which could be life-saving. By bringing it up, parents are removing the stigma that surrounds the topic, they are able to dispel myths about suicide and it reaffirms to their kids that they are available to discuss it again if desired.

Have an age-appropriate discussion

Be careful to keep the discussion age-appropriate. Suicide is not a topic that preschoolers will understand since preschoolers do not understand the concept of the permanence of death. Instead, you can simplify the outcome by explaining that the person was sick and therefore died, which made everyone very sad.

For elementary grade school kids, consider the developmental level of your child when discussing suicide and let your child ask questions that guide the conversation. Use short, concise answers that provide the right amount of information for your child. Explain that the person who died was sick, not in their body but in their mind, and that they probably died from a mental health disease called depression which makes someone very sad most of the time. Discuss the concept that death is permanent and the person who died is not coming back. Also, help your child start to understand his feelings and put a label, such as angry or hopeless, on them.