April 4, 2020

Hundreds of free, instructor-led courses on a variety of subjects are available to patrons of the Marathon County Public Library! New classes start April 15! If, as you read this, you are one of the many folks currently at home due to precautions over the COVID-19 pandemic, you're probably looking for options for keeping yourself occupied and keeping your brain active. Through the Wisconsin Valley Library Service consortium, MCPL patrons have access to hundreds of online courses with Gale Courses. These are instructor-led, six-week classes on subjects ranging from business and finance to computer programming and law to writing and photography. In 2019, I gave the screenwriting course a try because, why...

Technology Learning Online Resources Education

November 6, 2019

Dinosaurs have taken over the Early Literacy Center (ELC) at MCPL Wausau! Follow the T-Rex footprints in the children's area and begin to explore the magnet wall, flannel board, volcano, activity play mat, puppet stand, and more. Pretending to play is an important part of your child’s development. Let your child’s imagination run wild as they explore the dinosaur world play mat with the realistic dinosaur action figures. Your child can also put on a show with dino puppets and create their own story from beginning to end! Imagine how the world looked back when dinosaurs roamed the earth by arranging the dinosaurs within the volcanic scene on the felt board! Playing with felt characters builds hands...

Children Early Literacy Learning

September 11, 2019

Autumn has arrived at the Early Literacy Center (ELC) in the children’s area of MCPL Wausau, complete with crisp apples, colorful leaves and plump pumpkins! Visit us and enjoy fun, interactive autumn harvest learning with the young child(ren) in your life. Together at the felt board you can put apples, leaves, and acorns on the tree; compare the shapes and colors of leaves and make a pattern. Recognizing patterns and creating patterns help your child pay attention to details.The ability to notice simple patterns in colors or shapes prepares children to find patterns in letters and words when they’re learning to read. Try on an apron and pretend to sell fruits and veggies in the harvest market area....

Children Early Literacy Learning Books

June 8, 2019

This summer, blast off with your child in the Marathon County Public Library's Early Literacy Center (ELC)! Throughout the summer months, you can help your child build his or her pre-reading skills in a fun, interactive outer spaced-themed environment!  Early literacy is what children know about reading and writing before learning how to read and write. Early literacy skills include background knowledge (how the world works), vocabulary, phonological awareness (knowing the smaller sounds in words), letter knowledge, narrative skills (telling a story), and print awareness (knowing that print has meaning and how a book works). In the months of June and July, visit MCPL Wausau for a space-themed...

Children Library Early Literacy Learning

January 8, 2019

Under the sea is an exciting place to be, so bring your young children to MCPL Wausau to experience the ocean-themed activities and books in the Early Literacy Center (ELC) during the months of January and February!  Some of the activities we have available include puzzles for learning colors and matching animal shapes, a fish felt board featuring the Dr. Seuss book One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish (you can read the book together, too) and felt ocean animals paired with their names. Our magnetic boards have ocean animals and words kids learn together, too.  And, of course, there are a few nets, fish bowls with toy fish and other animals to play catch-and-release with! A fun...

Library Children Early Literacy Learning

April 12, 2018

Spring is here and, in spite of the great weather, the season also brings with it the time for AP testing. Sudents have spent their entire school year focused on improving their skills and learning content, trying to get a 4 or a 5, which equals college credits for them. But sometimes you need a little boost to get that elusive high score, and the library is here to help! Our collection development specialist and young adult librarian have gotten together and created a list of all the AP study materials available at the Marathon County Public Library's Wausau Headquarters. Students can visit the library here in Wausau to pick up materials or can request them to be sent to another one of our branch libraries...

Books Teens Learning

October 20, 2016

It’s mid-October and the school year is well underway, with teachers handing out homework to reinforce the skills they teach their students in the classroom. Reading homework is just as important as homework in any other class and is a skill used time and time again throughout a person’s life. Most adults have likely been reading so long that it’s hard to remember what it was like to struggle through a sentence. Carolyn Wilhelm at the website Cult of Pedagogy has some great tips for parents when it comes to reading homework. Reading homework often requires a parent to listen to a child as he or she reads aloud. For older children, reading homework may consist of reading for a number of set minutes each day...

Reading Recommendations Education Learning Parents Children