March 4, 2025 Public Source: Tutoring Program Makes Reading Fun to Bridge Literacy Gap An initiative of the Learning Disabilities Association of Pennsylvania (LDA) is incorporating everything from movement to sandboxes and balls to make reading fun and, in the process, bridge the literacy gap for low-income students, Public Source wrote in a recent report. Learn More The LDA’s reading intervention initiative is divided into two programs: Early literacy tutoring, which offers group learning for children who need help reading between kindergarten and second grade One-on-one reading intervention for students of any age State and city statistics show that the LDA initiative is needed. Pennsylvania fourth graders who were kindergarteners at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic scored lower in reading than fourth graders in 2019, Public Source reported. And third-grade reading proficiency is at 46.2% – which is 1.6% lower than last year – in Pittsburgh Public Schools’ largest school district. A Multi-sensory Approach LDA’s reading programs use a multi-sensory approach that incorporates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses to aid reading, Public Source reported. Students in Taylor Erickson’s class at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Hill District branch take part in “sky-writing.” They are encouraged to stand up, wiggle their bodies, and use their arms like pencils to trace letters. For more information on the LDA initiative, which provides free tutoring for both reading programs, read Public Source’s story.
February 3, 2025 The Buzzword Is USEFUL As part of its programming, Buzzword distributes its signature “BUZZ Boxes” to local families to help excite children from birth to age five as well as their caregivers about new words that are all around them. These family engagement kits come complete with a high-quality children’s book and enriching activities that support early literacy skills and development. This month’s Buzzword is USEFUL, which means to be used for a practical purpose. Buzzword’s USEFUL Activity Book will give children – ages birth to five – and their caregivers the opportunity to connect through science, art, music, and early literacy activities. Caregivers are encouraged to read through Lou by Breanna Carzoo with their child. Then, they should go through the different activities and ideas together, taking time to explain the meaning of the words and connecting them to their child’s real-life experiences. Buzzword has also provided a USEFUL book list of recommendations from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for further reading. View the USEFUL Activity Book and book recommendations. More Information Want to learn more on how to get involved with Buzzword? Ask your local Allegheny County Family Center about the program, or email buzzword@tryingtogether.org.
January 30, 2025 Pittsburgh Offers Black History Month Activities for Children While activities for adults to celebrate Black History Month can include everything from commemorative to cultural events, there are also a wide variety of activities for children that incorporate play, arts, and learning. Events The Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh will offer its second annual Black History Month Art Crawl from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 1. Contemporary artists will be stationed throughout the museum’s first floor who will create live portraits and artworks honoring Pittsburgh’s Black heroes. This year’s featured subjects will include Pittsburgh’s Freedom Corner, Kuntu Repertory Theater Founder Dr. Vernell Lillie, baseball player Josh Gibson (of the Homestead Grays and Pittsburgh Crawfords), civil rights activist and performer Lena Horne, and many others. The Carnegie Science Center will host several Black History Month-themed events, including a Story Time Under the Stars during which children can learn about Black STEM professionals while listening to science-themed stories under a starry sky. Pittsburgh Arts & Lectures will host “Words & Pictures” featuring author Kelly Starling Lyons. Her latest book celebrates the 120th anniversary of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the Black National Anthem, and how it inspired five generations of a family. The talk will begin at 6 p.m. on Thursday, January 30 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Main branch in Oakland. The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Knoxville branch will host Kids Club: Taking Flight – African Americans in Aviation for children in kindergarten through fifth grade on Wednesday, February 5. The event will focus on three history makers: Bessie Coleman, David E. Harris, and Guion Bluford, all three of whom played a significant role in aviation and aerospace history. The Carnegie Library has also put together a list of Teen Books for Black History Month 2025. The list includes everything from nonfiction to novels that fit in with the Black History Month theme. The Westmoreland Museum of American Art, located on Main Street in Greensburg, will host a Black History Month Celebration on Sunday, February 9. The event will include art-making activities and performances honoring the month’s theme.
January 6, 2025 Immigrant Services and Connections Adds New Office Hours Location in Pittsburgh Immigrant Services and Connections (ISAC) has added a new ISAC Office hours location in the Pittsburgh region. Learn More In collaboration with its community partner, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, an ISAC Navigator is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursdays at the downtown library, located at 612 Smithfield St. The Navigator is fluent in Dari, Pashto, and English, and will have access to telephonic interpretation to assist any immigrant resident of Allegheny County, regardless of their first language. ISAC Office Hours do not require appointments and all locations are drop-in sites. Individuals and families can receive assistance, referrals, and education/cultural orientation on a wide variety of topics and issues. Common activities at Office Hours include: Assistance with reading and sorting mail Ask public benefits questions Start utility services and apply for utility financial assistance programs Fill out housing applications Schedule medical appointments and learn to fill prescriptions Sign up for English classes Connect with a food pantry Connect with legal, employment, and other services Learn to write checks or make online bill payments Communicate with children’s teachers, family landlords, and others While complex or crisis situations cannot adequately be addressed at Office Hours, Navigators will access or refer individuals or families to ISAC Service Coordination. A complete list of ISAC Office Hours is available online.
January 3, 2025 Squonking in the Library Part 2 This workshop offered by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh enables children to explore science and art. Learn More Squonk’s Lindsay Herring and Mia Taylor will lead the workshop, which is aimed at children between the ages of 6 and 13. In the workshop, participants will use Rube Goldberg Machines and learn how to harness the flow of energy, using everyday objects to create quirky, complex contraptions with chain reactions. The event will run from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, January 25 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburg’s Hazelwood branch, located at 5006 Second Avenue. For more information, visit the library’s website.
January 2, 2025 Carnegie Library: Little Artists The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh will hold an event to help children learn and grow through art at its Lawrenceville branch in January. Learn More Little Artists is a sensory experience for young children and their caregivers. It will enable them to explore colors, shapes, textures, and materials. The program encourages open experimentation and self-expression and focuses on the process of creation, rather than the finished product. Children and their caregivers are advised to dress accordingly, as the class could get messy. It is aimed at children from birth to age five and their caregivers. The event will run from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Friday, January 24 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Lawrenceville, located at 279 Fisk Street.
December 11, 2024 The Buzzword is DIRECTION As part of its programming, Buzzword distributes its signature “BUZZ Boxes” to local families to help excite children from birth to age five as well as their caregivers about new words that are all around them. These family engagement kits come complete with a high-quality children’s book and enriching activities that support early literacy skills and development. This month’s Buzzword is DIRECTION, which means the path along which someone or something moves. Buzzword’s DIRECTION Activity Book will give children – ages birth to five – and their caregivers the opportunity to connect through science, art, music, and early literacy activities. Caregivers are encouraged to read through Tap! Tap! Tap! by Hervet Tullet with their child. Then, they should go through the different activities and ideas together, taking time to explain the meaning of the words and connecting them to their child’s real-life experiences. Buzzword has also provided a DIRECTION book list of recommendations from the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh for further reading. View the DIRECTION Activity Book and book recommendations. More Information Want to learn more on how to get involved with Buzzword? Ask your local Allegheny County Family Center about the program, or email buzzword@tryingtogether.org.
October 2, 2024 Carnegie Library Announces Science Programs for Children The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh is launching Super Science programs for children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Learn More Super Science programs not only teach children about science, but also show them how to actively explore, experiment, and discover answers to questions, from how fossils form to how geological forces shape mountains. The programs pair books with hands-on STEM activities that promote scientific inquiry while igniting wonder about the world of science. Some of the topics covered in Super Science programs include: Animal Features and Adaptations Bugs Physics Paleontology Geology Human Anatomy The complete lineup of the Carnegie Library’s Super Science programs is available on its website.
September 24, 2024 Carnegie Library Celebrates Banned Books Week The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh has provided a list of resources and titles to celebrate this year’s Banned Books Week. Learn More Banned Books Week runs this year from Sept. 22 to 28. This year’s theme is “Freed Between the Lines.” The library cites various forms of censorship that the week aims to combat – outright banning of books, restricting access to certain works, or relocating a book’s place on the library’s shelves. By highlighting books that have been censored, the library is aiming to raise awareness on the way censorship impacts communities. The library’s efforts include displays of banned titles or providing access to information and resources that are difficult to find. Among the library’s resources is Safeguarding Your Right to Read, which describes how the Carnegie Library protects the integrity of the library and readers’ access to books and information. The library has also created a Banned Books Week Bingo card that includes such suggestions as sharing a banned book suggestion on social media, reading a banned book to your child, or reading the library’s bill of rights. The library’s website also includes lists of banned books for: Children Teens Adults For more information on Banned Books Week, visit the Carnegie Library’s website.
September 9, 2024 Carnegie Library Presents Jane Addams Peace Award Author Dr. Michael Genhart The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Jane Addams Peace Association will host author Dr. Michael Genhart for an event in October. Learn More Genhart is the author of “Spanish is the Language of My Family,” a finalist title for the 2024 Jane Addams Peace Association book award. The author will discuss his picture book about a young boy preparing for his school’s Spanish language spelling bee while learning the stories of his relatives who faced adversity for speaking Spanish. The event is recommended for grades K-5 and their caregivers. It will take place on Oct. 17 from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Carnegie Library’s Hill District branch, located at 2177 Centre Ave. in Pittsburgh.
