Early Literacy Center
Play, explore, and build literacy skills together.
Long before children learn to read on their own, they are building the skills that will help them become readers. The Early Literacy Center (ELC) on the second floor of the main library in Cheyenne creates opportunities for young children and the adults in their lives to learn together through books, conversation, movement, imagination, and play.
Five Ways to Build Early Literacy
The Early Literacy Center incorporates five simple practices from Every Child Ready to Read Initiative that families can use at the library and at home.
Talk
Conversations help children learn new words, express ideas, and make connections to the world around them.
Sing
Songs introduce children to rhyme, and the different sounds that make up words.
Read
Sharing books together builds vocabulary, knowledge, and familiarity with books while helping children develop a love of reading.
Write
Scribbling, drawing, and experimenting with letters help children understand that marks and symbols can communicate meaning.
Play
Through play, children use their imaginations, practice language, tell stories, solve problems, and make sense of their experiences.
Meet Elsie and Eddie
Keep an eye out for two familiar faces as you explore the second floor.
Elsie and Eddie are the Laramie County Library System’s early literacy mascots. These Wyoming mountain lions help children and their adults discover simple ways to make learning part of everyday play.
Their names have a little early literacy built into them, too:
E.L.S.I.E. — Emergent Literacy Starts with Interaction and Education
E.D.D.I.E. — Early Development through Directed Interaction and Education
Look for Elsie and Eddie throughout the Early Literacy Center and second floor. When you find them, you’ll find ideas for talking, singing, writing, and playing together.
Explore My Library Place
My Library Place is an interactive early literacy space on the second floor of the main library in Cheyenne, created especially for children from birth to age 5 and the adults who care for them.
Early Literacy Classes
Early literacy classes combine stories, songs, rhymes, movement, play, math, and time together to help young children build the skills that support reading, writing, and learning. Classes are designed for specific ages and developmental stages and incorporate the five early literacy practices.