Story Time...What's the Big Deal?

Next week we will begin a new series of Story time programs for kids ages 2-5. I spend approximately 40% of my time either prepping or presenting programs for kids. Why so much time? Let's look and see what the benefits are.

As a children's librarian I believe that reading is necessary for success as well as reaching one's potential. We teach young children to read because it is easier for them to develop this skill at an early age. The consequences of not being able to read are devastating. Did you know that 60% of all prisoners in the U.S. justice system are illiterate and that poor literacy skills have been linked to depression in children as young at age 10? So, what does that have to do with Story time? Programs at the library are designed to promote reading and the love of books. Great programs at the library bring people in and once they are in the building they are 75% more likely to use other services that the library offers.

Programs at the library, like Story time, promote a sense of community. Programs turn a solitary activity of reading into a group activity. It helps socialize children into the community and helps parents feel less isolated from other parents. We can show kids that reading is fun, we can form good reading habits and teach them how a library works. This sets them up to be successful library users in the future. Story time is not just about books but engages children in language and stories as well.  At the library, especially during Story time, we see the social effect of reading. Reading is a way to combat overexposure of media that often promotes violence, bad use of language and poor morals. Attending a program at the library can help a child develop a sense of structure and an awareness of rules and routine setting them up for success when they enter formal school environments.

You may ask the question, "Aren't teachers at school teaching kids how to read?" Well yes, they are teaching the mechanics of reading, but the reality is that most teachers cannot spend enough time with a child to engage them in literature.  It is the libraries' job to promote the love of reading and books.

There is still time to register your child for one of our Story time sessions. Classes available are Tuesdays at 10:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. and Wednesdays at 10:00 a.m. or 11:30 a.m. or you can attend one of our drop-in programs which we hold every Thursday at 10:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. You don't need a library card to attend any of our classes.  For more information about these and other programs at the library, call us at 435-723-5850 or visit our web page at www.bcpl.lib.ut.us

Michele Schumann
Children's Librarian

Utah Kids Ready to Read

Reading is essential to school success and learning to read begins long before the first day of class. From the time they are infants children learn language and other important skills that help them learn to read. Developing early literacy skills makes it easier for children to decode the letters on the written page and become good readers.

ALSC (Association of Library Services for Children) and PLA(Public Library Association) have teamed up to help develop the best practices in getting your child ready to learn to read. Visit their web site at http://www.everychildreadytoread.org/  They are not promoting teaching reading before children enter Kindergarten or putting pressure on pre-schoolers to read but they want parents to give children the tools that they will need to be ready to learn. Children who enter Kindergarten with pre-reading skills have a giant advantage. Did you know that if a child is not reading at grade level by the time they reach 3rd grade they may never catch up with their peers?

There are five simple activities that you can do to help them develop their early literacy skills. Talking, Singing, Reading, Writing and Playing.

Talking: Narrate your day, talk about what you are doing. Ask your child questions and listen to their responses, repeat what they say and add to their vocabulary by using new words.

Singing: Develops listening, rhyming skills, syllable emphasis and slows down language. Sing a new song or make up a song about what you are doing.

Reading: The single most important thing that you can do. Children that are read to 20 minutes a day will spend 1000 hours being read to by the time they reach age 6. They will have an average vocabulary of 20,000 words, those who are not read to on a regular basis have an average vocabulary of 3000 words.

Writing: Writing helps children understand that text is a code and that they must learn the letter names and sounds to decode the text. Any activity that develops fine motor skills is a pre-writing skill. Cutting with scissors, coloring, playing with Lego's all help develop the fine muscles needed to hold and use a pencil to write.

Playing: Children learn narrative skill as they play. Have you ever listened to them as the play "house" with another child? They talk about what they are going to do and how they are going to do it. This is symbolic thinking. Puzzles, games and other toys help kids learn problem solving, pattern recognition and cause and effect. Playing helps kids learn to think, imagine and express their thoughts.

Do you want your kids to be smarter? Follow the five simple steps listed here and they will be.
Michele, Children's Librarian