Join the Beyond the Book Club
Beyond the Book is a literacy program centered on developing readers in kindergarten through third grade. By highlighting vibrant stories on a seasonal basis that represent the wonders of children's literature, Beyond the Book aims to inspire children and families to discover the many resources the library offers.
Children in kindergarten through third grade across the District are invited to sign up for Beyond the Book. Your membership includes:
- A Beyond the Book Club membership card
- A monthly newsletter with tips and tricks for developing readers
- A free copy of the seasonal Featured Book and/or Activity Packet (While supplies last)
- Exclusive invites to author talks and other fun family events
- BONUS: Does your family have a library card? If not, caregivers can get a DC Public Library card when their child signs up for Beyond the Book!
To register, visit your neighborhood library, or use the online registration form then stop by your neighborhood library to pick up your membership card.
Sign Up For Beyond the Book
Summer 2024 | Ablaze with Color
About The Book
When you show determination for reaching your goals you can accomplish anything. Alma Thomas’ legacy is not only in the artistic works she created but her legacy is also how she overcame injustices and broke down barriers to share her art with the world. Known today as a formidable artist and activist, Thomas used the environment and space to incorporate dynamic colors into her artwork. Ablaze with Color follows Alma Thomas’ inspiring life and celebrates the life-changing power of art. Her story will show how there’s an artist inside of us all and that we can pull inspiration from everyday life. As a beloved educator, Alma Thomas spent her time teaching DC students in her own home how to overcome the barriers presented to African Americans.
Ablaze with Color is the first Beyond the Book’s first informational text. It’s very important that young readers learn how to use informational text to gather and analyze information abut various subjects. DC Public Library invites you to learn more about Alma Thomas’ life while finding your own inspiration and sources of creativity.
About the Activity Book
Go Beyond the Book to build on your experience of reading Ablaze With Color with fun learning activities! You will be inspired by young Alma’s passion and creativity as she illustrates how the power of art can break barriers, spread beauty and create lasting change. If you complete the activity book, please send a picture of your favorite activity to readingprograms@dc.gov or tag us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook using the hashtag #BeyondTheBookDC.
About Alma W. Thomas
Alma Thomas moved to the District in 1907. She became the first graduate of Howard University's Fine Arts Department in 1924. She later earned a master's degree in art education from Columbia University. After a long teaching career in D.C. Public Schools, Thomas focused on her painting career in retirement.
Known for using bright, expressive colors and abstract patterns, Thomas gained national recognition in the 1960s and 1970s. She was the first African American woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. In 2015, her painting "Resurrection" was selected for display in the White House, making her the first African American woman to achieve this distinction.
Supporting Your Developing Reader
What is a developing reader?
A Developing Reader is someone that is learning how to use foundational reading skills and their background knowledge to understand text. A developing reader is interested in books but can’t yet read them independently or may be able to read some words but require support to convey meaning from print. Developing readers tend to be between the ages of children 5-8 that are starting their educational journey.
Developing Readers enjoy a variety of books, both fiction and nonfiction. As they gain more foundational reading skills such as the mastery of phonics and word comprehension they increasingly read books with more complex text and vocabulary words. Most excitingly, is that developing readers begin to discover that reading happens everywhere.
How do children learn to read?
There are five key important categories that are important to be successful readers. These categories are not listed in a particular order.
Fluency
Fluent readers have mastered the multitasking skills of a reader’s ability to decode words and comprehend them at the same time. Fluent readers read smoothly and with expression. Read aloud to your child and listen to them read aloud. Discuss with them what a reader sounds like. Reading familiar text will help your child build their confidence as a reader and their fluency skills.
Reading Motivation
Make reading personal for your child. Children should love the things that they are reading. The more they enjoy the topic of books, the more they will want to read. Keep your child’s interest at the forefront of the reading process. Allow them to explore and pick books that appeal to their interests.
Comprehension
Comprehension is all about your child’s ability to understand what they are reading. It is the ability for the child to make connections with the story to their own life, make predictions, explain the story, and so much more. A developing reader’s comprehension skills can be strengthened by making observations about illustrations and discussions around the story’s plot. Repetition also makes a big difference, so make sure you reread stories and make observations about the illustrations. Have a conversation with your child about what they are reading.
Decoding
Words are made of letters and those letters make sounds. Combined sounds make words that possess meaning. Decoding is what happens when readers put sounds together to figure out words. Practice sounding out words with your child and practicing common sound patterns they often hear. As their decoding skills grow, they will learn more about how to sound out larger words and identify more complex sound patterns such as vowel sounds and consonant blends.
Background Knowledge
This is all about what a child knows before they open the book. What is in their immediate environment that gives them access to the information presented in the text? You can build upon your child’s knowledge by teaching them new vocabulary words and introducing them to new experiences.
Developing reader tips
Developing readers have to do a lot of work as readers. This is the beginning of their journey where they will start to read not only for enjoyment but also for performance. It is important to
keep it fun while encouraging them to learn new reading skills.
Start with what the child knows and likes. Read about things that are of interest or bring joy, like sports, the arts and other activities. Think about all of the things you’ve done to help your child to enjoy the practice of reading. Keep doing those things and elevate your practice by supporting their book selections, and discussing how reading relates to life activities and experiences.
- Pause when you are reading together and ask them questions about the story or think your thoughts out loud so they can see how you make meaning from the stories you read.
- If your child knows the alphabet song, start to sing the song with the letter sounds versus the letter names.
- Expand the alphabet song by finding names of things they love that match the sound or sound pattern. This can be done as you’re walking around your neighborhood.
When you are at the library, look for easy readers, speakerbooks, picture books and books of poetry. These are great kinds of books for your developing reader. Check out DC Public Library's recommended reads and resources for kids to find titles for readers of all levels!
About Beyond the Book
Beyond the Book is a literacy program centered on developing readers, children in kindergarten through third grade. By highlighting vibrant stories that represent the wonders of children's literature, Beyond the Book aims to inspire children and families to discover the many resources the library offers. DC Public Library is uniquely positioned in young readers' communities to spark their curiosity and encourage reading for fun as well as show caregivers how they are empowered to help their child grow into a confident reader. When children find the joy in reading in a supportive environment, they are better able to build the reading and learning skills they need to thrive.
This seasonal program builds on the Books from Birth program, an initiative with Imagination Library that mails a new book each month to children in DC from birth to age 5. Beyond the Book, generously funded by the DC Public Library Foundation, is a city-wide reading and learning club that engages Books from Birth graduates as well as developing readers across DC around a carefully selected title along with fun and educational learning activities that will deepen their understanding and enjoyment of the book as well as build their reading skills.
