Get children excited about reading during National Literacy Month
September is National Literacy Month. What does this mean in the public library world? Everything. Literacy is not only the ability to read and write; it is also the ability of a person to use those skills to comprehend ideas and use them in everyday life. Providing literacy support in all forms to the community is the main focus of public libraries.
Libraries support literacy by encouraging and enabling users to learn and expand their horizons. Literacy begins in the early ages with infants and toddlers learning the alphabet and progresses through the years with the improvement of reading skills and learning to use technology.
Encourage your children's reading habits. Libraries offer a variety of board books and picture books for small children. As their reading skills improve, they can explore the selection of easy reader books. Libraries have a range of books for children to get them excited about reading and learning. You can find books on the child's interests such as animals, space, fairy tales or history.
A home in which the family members read also encourages young children. Storytime and reading together prepares them for reading on their own by developing word-speech recognition and gets them excited for the time when they can do it on their own. We've all seen a toddler pick up a book and "read" it aloud. We as parents, educators and librarians need to promote this behavior. We love to see children excited about reading and learning.
What programs does Beaufort County Library have to offer young children?
Well, one example is Wee Read. The Wee Read program is funded by a grant from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, which is a tax-exempt organization that raises money to help improve the communities they serve. This program is for children 0-3 years old, along with their adult caregivers. There are stories, music and activities that encourage reading skills as well as entertain.
Another is the Lapsits program. This is designed for children up to 12 months old and is intended for parents and babies alike. It gets them used to coming to the library and provides interaction with other babies. There are stories, songs and activities that the parents can use to interact with their children and help develop brain function.
The Bluffton library has a Bookworm Storytime for ages 3-5 that includes stories, songs and crafts. The Hilton Head Island library offers a Preschool Storytime for ages 4-5. The Beaufort branch has Toddler Time for ages 2-3 with finger plays, stories and songs.
The library not only carries books but provides an outlet for digital literacy as well. Exposing children to digital media at a young age prepares them for using computers and other technology in school and life. The Beaufort County Library has computers that provide an educational resource for young children in the form of games and learning activities. Not only do these computers assist with becoming comfortable with computer skills, the games provide a fun way to learn. The Beaufort County Library's webpage has interactive games and activities for kids of all ages as well.
The more comfortable a child is with technology, the more they will use it. And that doesn't go just for computers. This also means other electronics such as tablets, MP3 players and cellphones. Websites such as www.pclibrary.org/mousing/mousercise.htm and www.gcflearnfree.org/computers teach basic computer skills. Computer classes, books and one-on-one help can expand and encourage computer literacy and use.
Be sure to check the library's website as well as branch newsletters to see what upcoming activities you and your child can participate in.
Meghan Kilgore is a reference librarian at St. Helena Island library.
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This story was originally published September 6, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Get children excited about reading during National Literacy Month."