For a Tuesday afternoon, the Children’s Room in the Durango Public Library was hopping.
Literally.
A full house of about 18 kiddos, aged 9 months to almost 3, sat, slept and jumped around during Baby Storytime. The program has been going on for years, as far back as when the library was on East Second Avenue.
The storytime was quick: about 15 or 20 minutes. But in that time, the children were led through multiple songs – in English and Spanish; they were taught weather terms in sign language; were read stories; had an impromptu dance party; and finished off the session with music and a chance to play with toys and hang out.
Playing and keeping the atmosphere light is the point of early literacy, say library staff members.
Tim Spishock, one of the storytime hosts, has worked at the library for almost four years and has been doing Baby Storytime for a little more than a year.
“It’s the highlight of my week,” he says. “I love it because we do a lot of songs and games, which help with sound recognition and things like that. We do a lot of repetition, we do a lot of sign language because babies are great with seeing things in their hands and that’s what they’re learning first – moving their hands. It’s a great way to teach language.”
Spishock says learning sounds is the earliest part of eventually learning to read, and by offering more than one type of sound and motion (Spanish, sign language), children are exposed to various avenues of learning.
“This is really the first step in literacy; it’s learning those sounds, those concepts we teach through sign language as well as through Spanish,” he says. “We try to put a little of a few different ways of communicating in there because you never know where baby’s going to pick up their first bit of language.”
And it seems to be working. The roomful of children were engaged, even as they walked around or sat quietly.
Olivia Olsen was at Baby Storytime for the first time with her two children, Lex, 18 months, and Celeste, 3.
“She really loves books,” Olsen says. “She’s starting to get more into books. We want to meet other babies and just get them more into books.”
Colleen Galvin, assistant director of the library, says that early literacy isn’t as formal as it may sound.
“Literacy is not teaching your child to read; it’s getting your child ready to read with all the skills that they need,” Galvin says. “Singing, playing, all of these things that look like they’re just fun, it’s building their brains, which are sponges, to get ready, so when kindergarten comes around and somebody puts a pencil in their hand, they have the skills already.”
So what can parents with little ones do to encourage learning?
“My tip is that there’s never a wrong way to read, so find a book you love, give your child five minutes of a lap-sit to read through a book,” Galvin says. “If the child starts getting squirmy, that’s fine – you’ve had five minutes of great together time reading.”
Galvin says that when it comes to getting your little one on the track to early literacy, there are tons of everyday opportunities to get some work in that don’t involve books or libraries. There are plenty of lessons to be had during the course of an ordinary day.
“There’s no such thing as ‘homework’ for your little one,” she says. “When you’re at the grocery store, talking to your child, ‘Hey, look at what the ingredients of this are.’ Even if it’s a little baby and you feel like a goofball – all that discussion is going into your child’s brain and it’s helping them get ready to read and giving them lots of vocabulary that you’re not even realizing that you’re giving them.”
And perhaps one of the biggest lessons you can give your little pre-reader is showing him or her that reading is fun.
“It’s really easy. If you enjoy reading, model good behavior,” Galvin says. “Pick up a book and read, and show your little ones how important it is to read.”
Your enjoyment will carry over to your little one, she says.
And, parents – especially you rookies – don’t be afraid of making a mistake.
“There’s no such thing as a right way to do it,” Galvin says. “If you are with your little one, they’re happy, and that helps promote learning.”
katie@durangoherald.com
If you go
What: Baby Storytime
When: 2 p.m. Tuesdays.
Where: Children’s Section, Durango Public Library, 1900 East Third Ave.
More information: Visit
www.durangopubliclibrary.org/screens/storytimes.html
.
Online resources
Durango Public Library offers these online resources for early learning at
http://bit.ly/2l8SXV4
:
Tumblebooks: Online collection of animated, talking picture books. A library card is required for access.
Story Blocks: A collection of 30- to 60-second videos of songs, rhymes and fingerplays appropriate for early childhood. This is a project of the Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy and Rocky Mountain PBS.
