May 10, 2023 Buzzword Five SENSES Family Night Join Buzzword as we visit the Greater Hazelwood Family Center for an evening of family fun and activities featuring science, art, music and early literacy! During this event, children ages birth to five and their caregivers will have the opportunity to come together and explore elements of our newest BUZZ Box, featuring our latest Buzzword: SENSES. Together, we will explore our five SENSES through interactive activity stations, each focusing on one of the SENSES: sight, hearing, smell, taste, or touch. Each family will also get to take a BUZZ Box home with them! Dinner will be provided. Registration prior to the event is strongly encouraged. When: Wednesday, June 14 | 5 – 6:30 p.m. Where: Greater Hazelwood Family Center (inside), 5006 Second Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15207 Register Here For more information or questions on the event, contact Buzzword directly at buzzword@tryingtogether.org. Come check out what all the BUZZ is about, and explore new words with us! Share the flyer with your networks. Buzzword is made possible by PNC Grow Up Great® and The Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
May 3, 2023 2023 Book Access Programs in Allegheny County (This article was updated on May 3, 2023 to reflect the latest book access events through May 2023). Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program that mails free books to young children, announced that the program ended in the City of Pittsburgh due to a lack of funds. The free program would send one book per month in the mail to enrolled children ages five and under. Pittsburgh families and children received their last book in April 2023. Available Allegheny County Book Access Resources Although the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program will no longer be available to City of Pittsburgh families and caregivers, there are plenty of local resources to make books accessible to young children: Sign up for a Library Card Signing up for Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh or Allegheny County Library Association cards work all throughout the county. Bookworm Global Programs can work with Bookworm Global to host books drives and/or receive books. Reading Ready Pittsburgh Birthday Book Gifting program allows participating sites to gift each child in their childcare program an age appropriate book on their birthday. Reading Ready Pittsburgh builds, fills, and maintains 11 little giveaway libraries in the Mon Valley. All families are invited to take books from the little giveaway libraries to add to their home collection and read with their children regularly. Reading Is Fundamental Pittsburgh The Books for Keeps program features fun, educational Reading Celebrations that combine story times, motivational literacy activities, and the opportunity to select a book to take home and keep. Little Free Library Map Get free books at The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center. Find other Little Free Libraries located near other Family Centers in the Allegheny County Family Center Network. Free Store Wilkinsburg / 15104 Free Store Visit either Free Store for your opportunity to search through donated books in stock. 2023 Best Books for Babies List, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh CLP has released their latest Best Books for Babies List. This list is meant to encourage parents and other caregivers to read to babies right from the start—because learning begins at birth. Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s Summer Reading Program: Sunday, 6/11 through Sunday 8/06 Children, teens and adults can track their reading to earn chances to win prizes. Children and teens can visit any Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh location and select a free book to keep, while supplies last. Visit carnegielibrary.org/summer for more information. National Book Access Resources National Education Association (NEA) Need help finding books to put into the hands of readers? Check out these resources and book distribution programs that bring print and online books to qualifying schools and students. Book Access Events in May Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, 616 North Highland Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA. 15206 Saturday, 5/13 | 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books is a free event in East Liberty that celebrates the city’s rich literary community and love of reading. Alongside numerous other community organizations and programs, Buzzword will be present and providing free books to early readers (ages 0-5). Braddock Literacy Day Clara Davis Friendship Plaza, 451 Braddock Avenue, Braddock, PA. 15104 (across the street from 15104 Free Store) Saturday, 5/20 | 1 -3 p.m. Enjoy crafts, popcorn, raffles, and free books during this Reading Ready Pittsburgh event.
January 31, 2023 Buzz, Buzz, Buzz at The Hub! – SHARE BUZZ Box Series Join Buzzword for a series of family fun events at The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center in March! The focus of these events is to give children from birth to age five, and their caregivers, the opportunity to explore elements of our newest BUZZ Box, featuring our latest Buzzword: SHARE. Together, we will SHARE stories of our friends, families, communities, and cultures through art, dance, singing, science, and reading. Each family will also get to take a BUZZ Box home with them! Dinner will be provided. Registration prior to the event is strongly encouraged. Register: March 15, 2023 For more information or questions on the event, contact Buzzword directly at buzzword@tryingtogether.org. Come check out what all the buzz is about, and explore new words with us! Buzzword is made possible by PNC Grow Up Great® and The Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz at The Hub! – SHARE BUZZ Box Series Join Buzzword for a series of family fun events at The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center in March! The focus of these events is to give children from birth to age five, and their caregivers, the opportunity to explore elements of our newest BUZZ Box, featuring our latest Buzzword: SHARE. Together, we will SHARE stories of our friends, families, communities, and cultures through art, dance, singing, science, and reading. Each family will also get to take a BUZZ Box home with them! Dinner will be provided. Registration prior to the event is strongly encouraged. Register: March 15, 2023 For more information or questions on the event, contact Buzzword directly at buzzword@tryingtogether.org. Come check out what all the buzz is about, and explore new words with us! Buzzword is made possible by PNC Grow Up Great® and The Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
Buzz, Buzz, Buzz at The Hub! – SHARE BUZZ Box Series Join Buzzword for a series of family fun events at The Homewood Early Learning Hub & Family Center in March! The focus of these events is to give children from birth to age five, and their caregivers, the opportunity to explore elements of our newest BUZZ Box, featuring our latest Buzzword: SHARE. Together, we will SHARE stories of our friends, families, communities, and cultures through art, dance, singing, science, and reading. Each family will also get to take a BUZZ Box home with them! Dinner will be provided. Registration prior to the event is strongly encouraged. Register: March 15, 2023 For more information or questions on the event, contact Buzzword directly at buzzword@tryingtogether.org. Come check out what all the buzz is about, and explore new words with us! Buzzword is made possible by PNC Grow Up Great® and The Allegheny County Department of Human Services.
October 5, 2022 October is Dyslexia Awareness Month Dyslexia Awareness Month in October aims to support those with this learning difficulty. Dyslexia is not a disorder of any kind; but it is a learning impairment that causes problems with writing, reading, and spelling. About The intelligence of dyslexic people is unaffected. This misunderstanding of the condition leads to stigmas, which Dyslexia Awareness Month aims to eradicate. The International Dyslexia Association defines dyslexia as the following: “Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction. Secondary consequences may include problems in reading comprehension and reduced reading experience that can impede growth of vocabulary and background knowledge.” Resources In support of Dyslexia Awareness Month, Trying Together, as well as our Buzzword program, have provided resources on dyslexia, and other learning impairments: “Dyslexia” Isn’t a Dirty Word: Let’s End the Stigma and Get Students the Training They Need (Pittsburgh Business Journals) How to Teach Kids With Dyslexia to Read (Child Mind Institute) Understanding Dyslexia (Child Mind Institute) International Dyslexia Association Fact Sheets (International Dyslexia Association) Free Early Literacy Materials for PA Early Learning Programs (Trying Together) Buzzword List of children’s books surrounding dyslexia: Aaron Slater, Illustrator by Andrea Beaty Brilliant Bea by Shaina Rudolph A Walk in the Words by Hudson Talbott Back to Front and Upside Down! by Claire Alexander Just Ask! by Sonia Sotomayor You can also check out the latest video from Buzzword regarding a great, amazing read for children called “Aaron Slater, Illustrator” by Andrea Beaty.
February 25, 2022 March is National Reading Month March is National Reading Month. The month kicks off with National Read Across America Day on March 2, where children, teachers, parents/caregivers, and community members around the nation come together to read books and celebrate the joy of reading. About National Reading Month The National Education Association (NEA) has been leading the Read Across America initiative since 1998. Read Across America Day calls upon everyone to read and engage with children to make reading a more fun and interactive experience. Libraries, schools, book clubs, and communities organize events to celebrate and promote reading. Reading Activity Ideas Review the NEA’s recommended book titles on the Read Across America calendar. Choose from ideas for sharing books and all kinds of ways to celebrate with stories in classrooms. Join Literacy Pittsburgh on March 2 for virtual story times throughout the day on Facebook Live to celebrate Read Across America Day. View the full schedule. Join Reading Is Fundamental on March 2 starting at 9 a.m. (and available on demand until March 31, 2022) for their celebration webcast “Reading Inspires!” A downloadable viewing kit includes an activity for each of the three read-aloud books that will be featured during the event. Attend one of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s events throughout the region for children and adults. Visit their events page for details. Donate a book to the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania’s book drive. You and your family can help put exciting and diverse books into the hands of young readers and promote literacy in our region. This year’s books have been hand-selected to focus on social diversity, including but not limited to various ethnicities, classes, genders, physical abilities/qualities, race, and work statuses. Fill out this form to register and receive the list of books they are accepting.
