Mrs. Carnahan keeps many, many books about parenting issues and child development in her room.  You should also consider our various health encyclopedias and books on families in the 306.8 section of the reference room. 

New!! Child Development students now have their own section devoted to reading development.  Click here.

Be sure to check out EBSCO MAS Ultra for full-text articles from magazines and journals.  Check the Health Source box as well as the MAS Ultra box if your topic is health-related.

Issues & Controversies will have information on controversial topics of parenting.

Top of the list of directories is the Librarians' Index to the Internet for links to family-related sites.

Google is a great metasearch engine, but have you tried  Teoma or Ixquick?  Ixquick rates your sites, and both will suggest links that can tweak your search and save you time.  Kartoo is a search engine for those who think outside the box.  Very different.  Very effective for you creative types!

Other suggested sites:

Early Childhood Educators' and Family Web Corner is rich with a wide-variety of information and links to sites and resources.  The information on this site is put together by the Texas Education Network.

If your topic deals with any health-related issues, don't miss the Department of  Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site for EXCELLENT information.

Baby Place includes lots of information on pregancy, childbirth, and infants. Click on the Resources link.

iVillage.com has many, many valuable links, but be prepared for heavy advertising and LOTS of pop-ups.

Parenting doesn't stop when the children turn 12, so if your topic deals with adolescents, be sure to look into the following:

Healthy Schools Healthy Youth! is the CDCs adolescent and school health offering.

Adolescent Health is maintained by the American Medical Association.  Links to all aspects of teen health.

For information dealing with all aspects of adolescent health, be sure to visit MedlinePlus Teen Health.


New!! Child Development Issues

Online Sources for Reading Development

Carol Hurst is an author, a researcher, and an advocate for reading to children.  Her site and her books will provide a wealth of information for you.  Be sure to browse the whole site (Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site), but you won't want to miss her Recommended Titles for Reading Aloud pages. 

Deanna Bickta is a reading specialist from Pennsylvania who has put together a wonderful site for those who want to help children enjoy and get the most from their reading.  Scroll to the bottom of her home page, The Bookworm, and click on links to
How to Choose a Book,  Booklists,  and Stages of Reading Development.

No online browsing for booklists and award winners is complete without a trip to the American Library Association website.  The Book/Media Awards page not only lists award winners since the first award, but it offers a brief history of the award and a description of the book or media that won.

On the PBS Parents site you will find wonderful ideas and projects to develop a child's reading and writing skills by talking, reading, and writing together every day. The Reading and Language pages will be especially useful for reading development projects.

RBHS Print Sources for Reading Development

How to Get Your Child to Love Reading: For Ravenous and Reluctant Readers Alike by Esme Raji Codell is a treasure chest of reading ideas and booklists for the littlest baby to teenagers. You will want to browse this book for ideas before going to the elementary school to read aloud.

Another resource for those who will "teaching" books at the elementary school is Using Caldecotts Across the Curriculum: Reading and Writing Mini-Lessons, Math and Science Spin-offs, Unique Art Activities, and More by Joan Novelli.

Be sure to check out The Read Aloud Handbook (in ANY edition) by Jim Trelease.  However, the book has been completely revised and updated for the 2006-2007 edition.  Trelease does his homework and cites his sources when he sets out to prove that reading aloud to children is one of the best things we can do for their education and success in life.

Our collection of children's literature for you to study and use for your projects and research continues to grow.  Check out the Children's Literature section in the library.

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