News

Read On! Storytime

September 10, 2019

We are excited to start another session of programming. Storytime classes resume each Wednesday at 10:30 AM and Teen Night is the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM. We also have classes and workshops for grown ups the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 PM. 

While none of our classes, events, or workshops is done for pure frivolity – we have specific goals and learning targets for just about every event we put on – our storytime classes are the least frivolous of all library programming. The primary purpose for storytime classes is to help young children learn the early literacy skills that will prepare them for school and get them ready to learn how to read. 

To do this, we focus on teaching six specific early literacy skills – print motivation (love of books and reading), print awareness (knowing how books work), letter knowledge (knowing that words are made up of letters), vocabulary (knowing and using lots of different words), phonological awareness (knowing that words are made of different sounds), and narrative skills (being able to retell stories). We also try to model how to teach these skills so that caregivers can continue teaching at home. 

The kids in your life are not going to be behind if they don’t make it to storytime each week. In fact, I can count on two hands the number of storytimes I was able to take my kids to. If you’re reading to your kids regularly, you’re probably teaching them all six of these skills without even knowing it. The key to teaching early literacy skills is simply to read to them as often as you can. While you read, ask your kids questions about the story, point to different letters, make up rhymes, talk about the words in the story, and above all else have fun.

If you’re not reading to your kids, it’s never too late to start.