Birth to Six > Programs for parents > Classes and events

Classes and Events

Special events

Every year we sponsor a special early literacy event. This allows us to share the importance of language and literacy development with a large audience of parents and caregivers through fun, child-centered activities.

Raising A Reader® Family Day!

Each winter we host an event at several community libraries for children 0-5 and their families to celebrate reading together. Activities include music, a puppet show, face painting, crafts, and a gift book to take home.

Head Start Day at the Library

Once a year, classrooms from Portland Public School's Head Start close their doors and encourage all staff and enrolled children and their families to hop on Head Start's buses for a trip to their closest library. Holgate, North Portland, Gregory Heights, Woodstock, Belmont, St. Johns, and Hollywood libraries provide a personalized and enthusiastic storytime for the children, assist them in selecting books, and issue new library cards for the staff, children and their parents who need them. Additionally, Head Start and library staff provide information to parents about the library while Head Start volunteers support children's browsing. Inspiring Head Start parents to view the library as another valuable resource to help prepare their children for entering school is an important goal for Multnomah County Library. We are happy to have this opportunity to connect Head Start parents and children with all the wonderful resources of our library.

Classes

Language and literacy are the building blocks of learning for young children! Parents and caregivers are the child's first teachers and the home is the first setting for early learning. Parents can take advantage of daily activities and routines to encourage and enrich their child's language and literacy development.

Leap Into Language and Literacy - a free two-hour workshop for parents of children from newborn to age five.

Learn how to nurture a love for books and encourage early literacy in your young child through fun language activities.

Workshops are offered at various parent programs, agencies and elementary schools. Call 503-988-5543 to get more information or register.