The Road to
In their first few years, children learn at a faster pace than at any other time in their lives. With that in mind, we have designed our programs to help give them the tools they will need to be successful in school. Our storytimes will:
- Encourage language and vocabulary development through songs, fingerplays
and other activities
- Provide an entertaining environment in which to begin learning important listening
and social skills
- Introduce you and your child to a selection of books appropriate to his or her developmental level
- Provide an opportunity for older children to practice independence
- Encourage children to become lifelong readers.
- Introduce children and their families to the library and its services
Preparing for the Journey
Here's what you can do to make storytime a pleasurable experience for you and your child:
- Arrive on time. Allow your child to settle into the room before storytime begins. If you arrive late, please be sure you wait until we're between stories before entering the room.
- Pick up a nametag. The Children's Desk has nametags to enhance interaction between the librarian and your child.
- Visit the rest room and finish snacks. Snack time, drinks of water and trips to the rest room should take place prior to each session.
- Mute any cell phones or beepers.
- Become a part of the fun. Sing along with your child and help with fingerplays and other activities. Please save your visiting with other adults until after storytime.
And remember... Sitting through an entire storytime is a skill that comes at different times for different children. If your child is restless or unhappy, please be considerate of others and take him or her out of the room. It's okay if your child doesn't want to sit and listen. Try again next week!
Choosing the Right Path
Our storytimes are designed for specific age groups and contain content unique to their developmental needs. If you have questions regarding your child's needs, feel free to speak to one of the children's librarians. No registration is required for these programs.
Visit our Storytimes page for our current program schedule.
Visit our Books and Beyond page for suggestion on titles to read.
Six Skills Your Child Needs to Learn to Read: Starting from Birth
Return to First Five Years page.