For children ages 3 ½ to 6 and their caregivers. Children and caregivers will learn pre-reading skills through stories, songs and rhymes to help prepare them for their Kindergarten Readiness Assessment in Literature Test (KRAL). Kindergarteners will continue to strengthen their skills. Skills include answering questions, repeating sentences, rhyming words and identifying sounds and letters.

Help a younger student entering grades 1-3 with their reading during this 5-week series! Do reading activities and coach them as they read to you. We meet each Monday, June 10-July 15 from 2-3p.m., with training on the first day. Teens must commit to 3 of the 5 weeks. An application must be given to the Youth Department to register. Registration ends May 30 or after we have 50 teens. (Grades 6-12)

Learn to mix, mash and scratch beats at the DJ center, while participants at the MC center are learning to write and perform rhymed couplets on a live microphone. This hands-on program combines music theory and literacy and ends with a wild performance. For Grades 6-12. Registration is required for this program and begins June 8.
Related Reading: DJ-ing by Matt Anniss

Street art has a contentious history: some see these public works of art as “interventions” into the fabric of a city, celebrating the reclamation of public spaces, while others see these unsanctioned works as vandalism. In this lecture, I will address prominent street artists, with a focus on the notorious British artist Banksy. We will explore the functions of and various approaches to understanding street art — critically thinking about whether it is an aesthetically driven activity or a method of raising awareness for social and/or political issues.

For children 0-24 months and their caregivers. Caregivers will learn songs, stories and rhymes to enhance personal reading time. These skills will help children build vocabulary, recognize objects, and build a foundation for reading and learning.