Library introduces new learning kits and low-vision aids

As summer approaches, children look forward to extended play time, but many parents may prefer that their children still spend time learning even when school is out. For homeschooling parents, learning may be a year-round exercise.

To help make education sessions more interesting and enjoyable and less like schoolwork, the ELANCO Area Library has expanded the number of learning kits offered on loan. "These are great for summer learning, and they are also fun too," said Anna D'Agostino, director of the ELANCO Area Library, "so they won't necessarily be a chore for the kids."

The library first introduced five STEM-focused kits for children and three dementia-friendly kits for adults in 2023. In the near future, the library hopes to offer nearly 40 kits for children and two low-vision aids geared to adults. Some of the kits are ready to be checked out, while others are still in the process of being cataloged.

The kits were provided by grants from the Ressler Mill Foundation and the Anne Brossman Sweigart Foundation, which were awarded in 2023. "Both grants were for creating kits of this nature to support the homeschool community and tools for readers with low vision," said D'Agostino. During 2024, D'Agostino and Jen Watson, assistant director and youth services coordinator, chose and purchased items for the kits.

To determine which topics were among the best choices for learning kits, the pair looked at ELANCO School District standards; examined Science, Technology & Engineering, and Environmental Literacy & Sustainability Academic (STEELS) standards; and talked to local families, especially those that homeschool. "We used a lot of different resources," shared Watson. "We were trying to think about the needs in the community, and we used that information to put together a variety so the whole community could use them."

The new kits provide educational materials for prekindergarten through high school. A letter construction kit includes color-coded pieces that can be put together to create letters and words. "This is to teach basic literacy. It's hands-on work, so it helps a lot with retention," explained Watson. The assembly also helps children develop fine motor coordination, which has been identified as a need for children entering kindergarten. Other early learning kits include a story time tote based on "The Mitten" by Jan Brett. The kit includes the book, a mitten, and animals to put inside the mitten as the story is read.

Life science kits include life cycle kits. Watson noted that she expects these kits, which are available for a caterpillar, a chicken, and a frog, will be popular with families. "The kits come with books for background information, and I try to put a storybook in there as well," said Watson, who included "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" by Eric Carle in the caterpillar kit. "It comes with life cycle manipulatives, so it has all the stages of a caterpillar," she added. Watson also included a stuffed version of the Hungry Caterpillar that unzips and turns inside out to transform into a butterfly. "It's hands-on, not sitting down to do a worksheet," she said.

Dissection kits designed for use by high school students feature a model of a rat or a frog. "The organs are magnetic, and they come out," said Watson, demonstrating how easy the models are to take apart.

D'Agostino noted that a few miscellaneous kits include the Art of Argument kit based on logical fallacies and how to detect them. There are also a few historical kits based on the Simply Charlotte Mason homeschool curriculum. The Stuff They Left Behind Portfolios feature art, buildings, and artifacts. Several time periods and locations are included, such as the Middle Ages, modern times, ancient Greece, and ancient Egypt.

A number of new music kits, which will be available when they are cataloged, include color-coded percussion instruments such as handbells, resonator bells, and boomwackers - tubes that are pitched to the musical scale. "(The kits) include a staff, a vinyl replica of a keyboard, and color-coded song books," noted D'Agostino. "You learn a little bit about how to read music and play color-coded songs easily."

D'Agostino said that the low-vision aids are available to give persons dealing with that disability a chance to test-drive such devices. "We have two things for adults that are new and special," she stated. "This is a handheld magnifier available for checkout now, and there's also a video desktop magnifier that has to be cataloged, and then it will be available for checkout." She pointed out that while many aids exist tied to smartphones, these devices are set up for those who prefer less technologically advanced help.

Because of the popularity of kits, a waiting list has been developed, and readers are welcome to call the library at 717-354-0525 to check on the availability of a kit. More information about the library, which is located at 11 Chestnut Drive, New Holland, may be found at http://www.elancolibrary.org.