We Want You….. At Story Time!

To many people, story time and libraries go hand-in-hand. But surprisingly many parents don’t know about the story time program we have here at the library. Not only is story time a free form of entertainment for parents looking for activities for their children but it has numerous cognitive benefits as well. It brings parents and children together and shows a commitment to our community with regards to early literacy and child development.

Early literacy refers to what children know about reading and writing before they actually learn to read and write. It is not the teaching of reading but instead involves the building of a foundation for reading so when children are taught to read, they will be ready. Studies in early literacy and child development show that reading out loud to your children is beneficial to their reading skills way before they are able to read.

Although expectations vary, there is a general agreement that children need six skills before they can learn to read: Print motivation, Vocabulary, Print awareness, Letter knowledge, Narrative skills and Phonological awareness. The following are just some of the advantages of how participating in story time can help build that foundation.

Your children get experience in listening to another adult, learning how to pay attention to someone who is not their normal caregiver and how to sit quietly, which leads to print awareness, recognizing print and understanding how books work. They will also have the opportunity to become engaged in a story and to see how other children react. This allows them to identify feelings and behaviors in a non-threatening way, part of the narrative skill. At the library we may select authors and titles that your child may not be familiar with, which opens them up to new vocabulary, different cultural backgrounds and narrative styles. Letter knowledge and phonological awareness is the ability to recognize letters and sounds that together make up words. Print motivation, another skill, refers to making reading a fun activity through story-telling which helps to develop the idea that reading is a pleasure and not a chore.

There are also benefits for the parents who bring their children to story time: It’s free and requires little planning (who doesn’t want that!), you will learn new songs, nursery rhymes, finger plays, crafting ideas and it’s a great way to meet other families in our community. We want to make the library a special place for you and your children and hope that story time can be an event that fosters a lifelong love for the library.

A love for reading and books is one of the most precious gifts parents can give their children. Story time plays an important role in introducing children to the magic of books. It is never too late to start; studies suggest that we should begin reading books to our children when they are very small, even before they can walk and talk. We have a great selection of children’s books to enjoy with bright pictures and simple text. Books that are lyrical, such as Dr. Seuss books and nursery rhymes that introduce them to the rhythm of words.

Our regular story time is on Thursdays at 10 a.m., we share stories, songs and a craft or activity. Occasionally we have special programs that are advertised but the easiest way to find out about our weekly story time adventures is to go to our website at glasgowlibrary.org, like us on Facebook at Glasgow City-County Library or you can always call us at 228-2731. Hope to see you at the library!