Whether it’s blended learning, fully remote, learning pod, or childcare, early learning is more of a mixed bag than ever. About 90 percent of preschool classrooms closed in March. Many tried remote learning this spring, but challenges were legion. A National Institute for Early Education survey of families found that two-thirds of early learning programs didn’t support weekly reading, and few offered math, science, art, music, and physical activities. Young children learn through hands-on, interactive play and socialization. Can high-quality early learning be delivered via screen? How can libraries support this “new normal”?

When we polled librarians on plans to support early learning, Kary Henry, school outreach coordinator at Deerfield (IL) Public Library, shared strategies that ­others also use. She’s been meeting with preschool directors, who “acknowledged that I will likely not be allowed back in their buildings for my story times,” she says. They want her to keep hosting Zoom story times for their schools or families. Henry also has grab-and-go activity kits, remote STEM activities, and virtual in-service teacher training.

Advice for all librarians: Just as important as what you present is how you share it. Here are some strategies to use in virtual class visits and programs to ensure you reach young children in meaningful ways.

• Make it tangible and sensory. In a virtual world, it is important things are tangible and engage the senses. Model using props, and encourage families to use what’s at hand. A dish towel is a story time scarf, and a pasta box is a shaker. After reading aloud, help kids make connections from what’s in the book to what’s at home. Model how grown-ups can use household items for sensory play. Smell a few safe spice jars, taste-test different types of apples, and add shaving cream to the bathtub. Engage a group with a drumming circle; families can use wooden spoons or markers to tap out simple beats and rhythms.

• Serve and return. Back-and-forth interactions create key connections in young brains. On your preferred video-chat platform, you can encourage families to label accounts with their child’s name so you can address kids directly. Try to notice and name what children are looking at if they are not looking at the screen. You can say: “Shay, I noticed that you are looking at the red truck! Let’s all look at the red truck together!”

• Ask open-ended questions. Channel your inner Mister Rogers and ask questions, pause, and wait for a response. Toddlers usually take a moment to answer and are building strong brain connections as they ponder.

• Model play strategies. In the virtual version of Brooklyn Public Library’s Brainy Babies program for children 0–3, every session ends with show-and-tell. Babies and toddlers show off a favorite toy, costume, or activity. Demonstrate how to let children lead, what they might do, and how you can narrate their play to encourage language development.

Finally, remember to support parents and ­caregivers. The University of Oregon’s “Rapid Assessment of ­Pandemic ­Impact on Development Early Childhood Household Survey Project” finds that “as rates of infection climb, so do caregiver reports of emotional distress.” With the possibility of a fall/winter surge, the need for ­support for families will only increase.

While we can’t fill every basic need, we can continue to offer families access to timely information. Parents are concerned about more screen time for young children. As media mentors, we can provide guidance on quality and age-appropriate media. The Brainy Babies team also creates a weekly newsletter with information about local family support programs, including food pantries.

One of the greatest challenges of this time is the difficulty of planning ahead, since we don’t know what the early learning landscape will look like this school year. As library professionals, we are uniquely equipped for this moment, quickly adapting to community needs, learning as we go, and using our resources in innovative ways.