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Richland Library Main

DIY Storytime: Back to School: A Global Journey

Curated storytimes that families can share at home with an ebook (Back to School: A Global Journey), songs and poems ( Yo Te Amo and There's a Dog in School) and activities (DIY School Accessories: Homework Caddy, Pompom Bookmark and Paper Bag Book Cover).
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The Power of Protest for Families

Inspire your future leaders with these stories of people who made a difference. Discover how these activists found their voice, fought for their rights and used the power of protest to create change. You can also take action with our DIY Storytime: Get Up, Stand Up.
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Richland Library Main

iRead: Nikki Grimes

Born and raised in New York City, Nikki Grimes has earned several accolades for her writing and poetry. She writes so that children will see themselves in literature.
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Read All About It: Nikki Grimes

Born and raised in New York City, Nikki Grimes has earned several accolades for her writing and poetry. Ms. Grimes has said that reading and writing helped her get through her darkest times as a child. Helping children process grief through stories is a significant part of her writing. She wants children to see themselves in literature.
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Back to School... at Home: The Book List

It is time to set up space for your school year. Starting at home? Check out these great titles that will inspire you to create a space that is fun and functional for you and your children. Study, explore, create, and make the grade!
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Read All About It: Immigrant and Refugee Stories in Picture Books

Children and families immigrate or flee their country because of war, hunger, or the dream of something greater. However, life in their new home isn't always easy, and everyone isn't always welcoming. Read these stories to find out how they figure it out, make friends, and how they embrace their new life while holding firm to who they are.
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If You Like Wings of Fire, then try...

For fans craving adventure, talking animals and dragons (of course), check out one of these new middle grade fantasies today. Looking for even more good books? Check out our personalized recommendations or call us at 803-799-9084.
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Read All About It: Tom Feelings

Tom Feelings made his mark as one of the most important and influential artists and illustrators in all of children’s literature. He was dedicated to drawing black people, and especially children, so they would see themselves as beautiful and proud.
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Richland Library Main

iRead: Tom Feelings

Tom Feelings made his mark as one of the most important and influential artists and illustrators in all of children’s literature. He was dedicated to drawing black people, and especially children, so they would see themselves as beautiful and proud.
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All the Water in the World: Children's Books about Water

Raindrops, rivers, oceans, ice. Water, in all its different forms, is all around us. While some of us are lucky to have reliable access to water, for many others, the search for clean water is a daily struggle. Dive into some of these books to help your children understand the power of water, the importance of keeping our waterways clean and the global issues of water scarcity and conservation.
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Richland Library Blythewood

Create Your Own Bubbles + Wand

You can buy commercial bubble solution and plastic wands, or you can make your own for a day filled with both learning and fun.
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Richland Library Main

iRead: Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedimma Nkemdili "Nnedi" Okorafor's body of work includes short stories, comics, and books for a variety of ages. She has won multiple awards--everything from a World Fantasy Award (2011) to a Nebula and Hugo Award (2016). Most recently, she was recognized by the Eisner Awards for her comic, LaGuardia (2020). Ms. Okorafor continues to make her mark in the world of young adult and adult literature drawing on her African roots to imagine a truly brave new world.
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Read All About It: LGBTQIA+ Picture Books

Read the rainbow and discover these LGBTQIA+ picture books that show us love is love and that we are truly free to be you and me. Looking for more good books? Get personalized reading recommendation lists  from children's literature experts.
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Richland Library Main

Painting on the Patio

Watch artist Keith Tolen's painting process as he creates a unique portrait. Then head outside and try out some plein air painting for yourself.
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Richland Library Main

DIY Musical Instruments

Create a musical ensemble using everyday materials you can find around your house and yard.
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Richland Library Main

iRead: 50 Years with Frog and Toad

iRead features the best ebooks, eaudiobooks and print books for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff. Arnold Lobel’s Frog and Toad celebrate fifty years of friendship this summer and honestly, their loving relationship couldn’t be timelier, as we all search for deepening our friendships and relationships during this time of isolation and social distancing.
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Read All About It: Friendships Inspired by Frog & Toad

In this new world of social distancing and self-isolation, we’re all finding out how important it is to have good friends. We hope you enjoy these charming stories of friendships, inspired by Frog and Toad. Fans of Frog and Toad may want to check out our DIY Storytime: Frog and Toads Are Friends.
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Richland Library Main

DIY Storytime: Frog and Toad Are Friends

Curated storytimes that families can share at home with an ebook (Frog and Toad Are Friends), songs and poems ( Jambo; Hello, Friends; and I Am a Little Toad) and activities (Search and Find Jar).
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Read All About It: Patricia McKissack

In her lifetime, Patricia McKissack authored and co-authored more than 100 books for children and teens. When asked, “Why do you write?” Ms. McKissack said, “I write because there is a need to have books for, by, and about the African American experience and how we helped to develop this country." Ms. McKissack crafted her stories with grace and truth and she leaves behind a legacy of award-winning books.
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Richland Library Main

iRead: Patricia McKissack

In her lifetime, Patricia McKissack authored and co-authored more than 100 books about black people for black children and teens. Ms. McKissack crafted her stories with grace and truth and she leaves behind a legacy of award-winning books.
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Richland Library Blythewood

Don't Lose Your Marbles

A few simple materials and an imagination are all you need to join the growing sport of competitive marbles!
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Richland Library Ballentine

Create Your Own Fairy House

What do you get when you combine a scavenger hunt, engineering skills, and imagination? A do-it-yourself fairy house, of course!
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Online

Make Your Own Frog 🐸

Make your own frog in celebration of all the different creatures we get to hear and see during the summer months.
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Richland Library Main

iRead: Black History is America's History

iRead features the best ebooks, eaudiobooks and print books for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff. Black history is America's history and it's a history that each American should know.
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Richland Library Ballentine

Create Your Own Jump Rope

Jumping rope is an iconic summer activity. It is great exercise and has a long and award-winning history in South Carolina. Follow along with this tutorial to learn how to make your own jump rope out of plastic bags and help save the environment at the same time!
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Richland Library Main

iRead: Holding Tight to Family

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff. Celebrate family with Lil Alan, the Gaither sisters and the Watsons by sharing their stories, their connection and their love.
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Richland Library Main

DIY Storytime: Get Up, Stand Up

Curated storytimes that families can share at home with an ebook (Get Up, Stand Up), songs and poems ( Funga Alafia; Warrior; and I Love You Too) and activities (Making Space: Speak Up; Chalk Your Walk; and Yard Signs).
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Richland Library Main

Adventures with Kids: Knee Deep in the Garden

Flowers—even weeds—tell an important story about the climate and ecosystem of an area. These simple activities require very little preparation, but they pack a big learning punch.
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Let's Talk Race for Children & Families

Share these #OwnVoices picture books and middle grade novels together and begin the practice of having regular and honest family conversations about race. Embrace Race offers 10 Tips for Teaching and Talking to Kids About Race that will help you get started.
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Richland Library Main

iRead: Let's Talk Race for Children & Families

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff. When it comes to children, adults have the opportunity, through literature and stories, to help children form attitudes which support equity and inclusion, so we have not only an opportunity, but an obligation, to share books reflecting the black experience and written by black authors, with children.
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Richland Library Main

Create Your Own Track Record

Take your Summer Learning Challenge to a whole new level this year by creating your own track record from right where you are.
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In the Garden with Children: Stories and Activities

Columbia's plants and flowers are bursting with color and life, so it's the perfect time to enjoy a good garden story or activity. Want more eaudiobook or ebook recommendations? Call Richland Library Main (803) 799-9084, One of our staff members would be happy to create recommendations just for you.
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Richland Library Main

DIY Storytime: Tiny T Rex and the Impossible Hug

Curated storytimes that families can share at home with an ebook (Tiny T. Rex and the Impossible Hug), songs (Open Them, Shut Them; Bounce, Tickle, Hug; and I Have a Little Heart) and activities (Mail a Hug; Whose Hug? Game; and Me Too Game).
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Richland Library Main

Sensory Dough Learning Activities

Using sensory dough to promote learning and play at home is easier than you might think. And you probably already have everything you need to get started.
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Richland Library Main

Create Your Own Sensory Dough

Making sensory dough at home is much easier than you might think, and you probably already have everything you need waiting in your pantry.
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Read All About It: STEAM Picture Books

Full STEAM ahead! Picture books about sciene, engineering, art, and math from Richland library's digital collection. To start reading or listening today, all you need is your Richland Library card, a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi access. If you don't have a Richland Library card, apply online and start accessing all of our online resources immediately.
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Read All About It: Engineering Stories & Facts

Give yourself a firm foundation by reading or listening to these books featuring stories and facts about architecture and engineering. To start reading or listening today, all you need is your Richland Library card, a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi access. If you don't have a Richland Library card, apply online and start accessing all of our online resources immediately.
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Read All About It: Technology Stories & Facts

Take off with technology by reading these stories, learning new facts and getting hands-on with your own gizmos and machines. To start reading or listening today, all you need is your Richland Library card, a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi access. If you don't have a Richland Library card, apply online and start accessing all of our online resources immediately.
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Read All About It: Math Stories, Concepts & Activities

Multiply your skills with these stories, concept and activity books that add up to a lot of math fun. To start reading or listening today, all you need is your Richland Library card, a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi access. If you don't have a Richland Library card, apply online and start accessing all of our online resources immediately.
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Read All About It: Science Facts & Activities

Discover awesome science facts and activities about astronomy, exploding ants, the human body and more by reading (or listening to) these great books! To start reading or listening today, all you need is your Richland Library card, a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi access. If you don't have a Richland Library card, apply online and start accessing all of our online resources immediately.
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Read All About It: Science Stories

Get inspired by reading (or listening to) these great books about space, nature, electricity, time travel and more! To start reading or listening today, all you need is your Richland Library card, a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi access. If you don't have a Richland Library card, apply online and start accessing all of our online resources immediately.
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Read All About It: Celebrating Moms

Whether it's Mama or Mommy, your mom or someone who is like a mother to you, these wonderful family read alouds and listens will help you celebrate the person who helps you feel safe, gives you courage and makes you feel loved. To start reading or listening today, all you need is your Richland Library card, a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi access.
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Richland Library Main

iRead: The Ramona Quimby Audio Collection

iRead features the best ebooks and eaudiobooks for children and teens curated by the Children's Room and Teen Center staff. Check out a great audio collection recommended by the Johanssons (Isla and Emily) as one of their favorite family listens.
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Richland Library Main

All Around Town: 7 Days of Family-friendly Activities

With a little help from our friends around town, here are some daily suggestions for family-friendly activities—both digital and non—from some of our favorite places that just might get you out of your current rut.
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Richland Library Ballentine

Crafty How-To: Canvas and Thread Wall Art

Learn how to make piece of art for your wall! This craft is suitable for anyone who can safely hold a needle and use a ruler!
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Richland Library Ballentine

Common Backyard Birds

Learn about our most common backyard birds and how to identify the uncommon ones
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Richland Library Main

Managing Children’s Emotions 

Eight things you can do today to help your entire family understand, process and cope with this new, temporary normal.
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Listen to an Odyssey Award Winner!

Looking for a great audiobook that you can download to your phone, computer, or tablet? Richland Library's got you covered! The Odyssey Awards and Honors are given annually to high quality audiobooks for children and teens - learn more here. Check out the titles below on Overdrive and Hoopla.
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In the News: eBooks for Children & Teens

Check out these great ebooks and audiobooks recently featured on WIS News 10 and curated by our Children's Room and Teen Center team. Want more eaudiobook or ebook recommendations? Call Richland Library Main (803) 799-9084 from 9 am-4 pm Monday-Friday or Ask-a-Librarian. One of our staff members would be happy to create recommendations just for you.
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Family Storytime: eAudiobook Edition

Sometimes reading together with your school age children can seem impossible--especially right now. If you're working from home and homeschooling, adding one more to-do to your list may elicit a big "NO." eAudiobooks are a great way to connect with stories as a family. Whether it's listening together while you cook dinner, clean up the living room or during creative/quiet time, downloading one of these eaudiobooks and listening is easy. All you need is your Richland Library card, a laptop or mobile device and Wi-Fi access.
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Richland Library Main

How to Do a Storytime

Four easy steps to help you keep reading, singing, playing and talking every day.
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Richland Library Main

Your Daily Dose of Children's Authors & Illustrators

From readings to art clubs to book-based activities, we've compiled a list of some of our favorite authors and illustrators who are going digital to help you and your family join in on the fun.
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Crafty Kids

March is National Craft Month and what better way to celebrate than trying out new craft with your child? From books about people following their creative dreams to beautiful and informative how-to books, the library is a great place to start when picking a new hobby or just looking for a great story. We have books and stories for all ages and skill levels and can help you find the right book to ignite your child's creative spark!
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Women's History Month: Books for Young Readers

Looking to expand a young reader's knowledge of brave women? Check out this selection of board books, picture books, and short biographies that are sure to spark conversations about the women and girls (real and fictional) who inspire us all to dream big. Want more books? Ask your librarian for their recommendations or call the Children's Room at Richland Library Main (803.929.3434). We can send books to your closest Richland Library location.
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Mermaids!

If your little one has dreams of swimming alongside merfolk. Dive into these titles about mermaids. A little magic goes a long way when you read to your child every day! Want more books? Ask your librarian for their recommendations or call the Children's Room at Richland Library Main (803.929.3434). We can send books to your closest Richland Library location.
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Fairies!

Flutter your wings and fly along with this list of books guaranteed to bring a little magic your way.
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Celebrate St. Patrick's Day

When I was a child my mother always dyed my applesauce green on St. Patrick's Day. It tasted great alongside clover-shaped sandwiches! Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in your own way with help from this list of stories, recipes, crafts, and more. Want more books? Ask your librarian for their recommendations or call the Children's Room at Richland Library Main (803.929.3434). We can send books to your closest Richland Library location.
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The Best Multicultural Children's Books of 2019

The following books were all named in the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children's Literature's Best Multicultural Children's Books of 2019. This list offers a variety of picture books, novels, and nonfiction for children and teens.
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Party Games!

Enjoy this collection of video games, each aimed at supporting a crowd!
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Fight with Your Friends!

Beat up your friends in this assortment of Fighting Game titles!
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Contemplative Picture Books

These picture books feature introspective characters and themes, allowing young and developing readers to explore not only their thoughts, but the world around them. These range from simple poems on top of beautiful photographs and illustrations, to wordless expressions of art and narrative.
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Children's Books for Adults

These works might have been written with children in mind, but there's something for everyone in these classics.
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Award-Winning Animation

Animation isn't just for kids! This wide assortment of animated works are aimed at all sorts of audiences, with all sorts of themes as well. Enjoy 25 award-winning animated films from across the past two decades.
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Classic Children's Books

Classic books are a part of our society's literary heritage. For good or for ill, they have shaped the world we live in and inform our present while opening windows into our past. Classic books add a rich layer to a child's reading experience and can give teachable moments in the context of a story. Classic titles are also a great choice for advanced readers who are ready for longer books and more complex language. Choose one of these titles to read together or independently.
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Homeschooling Winter Holidays

The holiday season is full of teachable moments. Plan a unit study around a winter holiday and keep the school days going while you decorate, bake, and get your holiday jingle on! From making homemade gifts to learning about other cultures, there are no limits to holiday learning.
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Toys, toys, and more toys!

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” – Fred Rogers Explore titles about making toys, the importance of play, and great picture books that show the magic of simple playthings.
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Talking with Children About Dementia

Books are one of the best ways to open the door on a topic and start a conversation with your children about tough issues like a dementia diagnosis. While there are many books out there, below are some of our staff's recommendations to help get the conversation started for your family. For more on dementia, visit RichlandLibrary.com/Access.
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Pumpkin Spice for Kids

Make your little one a pumpkin spice steamer to sip alongside these reads just right for pumpkin time. Pumpkin Spice Steamer for Littles Warm a cup of your favorite milk (soy, dairy, coconut, or almond), add a teaspoon of pumpkin spice syrup or a sprinkle of cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and a splash of vanilla flavoring. Make sure the milk is not too hot and serve it up with a good book!
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Richland Library St. Andrews

Ask a Flower: Herbs

Come here for the answers to all your herb questions!
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Homeschooling Writing

Teaching your child how to write a report? Helping your student create a haiku? Crafting lessons in grammar and handwriting? Teaching writing can be fun and fascinating using the books and resources available for free at your library.
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Homeschooling Physics

Ready to build a pulley? Want to play around with simple machines? Interested in making a simple battery? Studying physics is the perfect excuse to get creative with light, motion, electricity, and much more. Engineer your physics lessons for free at your library.
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Homeschooling Chemistry

What is an acid? What is a base? Why do you need baking soda in your cookie recipe? Play around with chemistry with this list of books that are guaranteed to stir up your curiosity. Get a positive reaction from your students when you create chemistry lessons for free at your library.
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Homeschooling Earth Science and Astronomy

Create a map of the stars, observe the phases of the moon, start a rock collection, or build a model volcano. There is nothing like hands-on experiments for making learning fun and unforgettable. Dig into rocks, minerals, and the night sky for free at your library.
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Homeschooling Biology

Explore cells, take a trip through the human body, classify animals, and grow food in the backyard - all in the name of science! Biology has never been so much fun. Create hands-on unit studies for free at your library!
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Homeschooling Reading

Whether you are homeschooling your beginning reader or supplementing her instruction at home, this carefully curated collection of titles is based on structured literacy. These multisensory materials provide evidence-based lessons that sequentially build the skills you need to become a reader. Learn about the Orton-Gillingham approach to reading for free at your library!
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Homeschooling Mathematics

Would you like to create a graph? Measure the swing set? Master your multiplication tables? Explore math with these great reads and resources. You can count on your library to have what it takes to get your student on the right track. The Education Studio at Richland Library Main also has math materials for in-library use. Stop in and teach your lessons with our beautiful, wooden Stern Math materials.
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Homeschooling: Medieval History

Studying the Middle Ages? Ready to host a medieval feast? Construct a trebuchet or create a family coat of arms? Build hands-on lessons complete with knights and castles for free at your library.
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Homeschooling Early American History

Studying explorers? Looking for books about Jamestown? Draw a map, sew a costume, or try a colonial recipe. From early colonial days to westward expansion, revolutionize your year with these great books! Homeschooling history is fun and free with resources from your library!
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Homeschooling World History of the Modern Age

Studying the Industrial Revolution? Looking for books about World War II? Make a diorama, try a recipe from the Great Depression, and read about famous people that shaped the modern world. Create lessons about everything from Abraham Lincoln to the Cold War for free at your library.