Your Library Connection

A Simple Step to Help a Child Succeed
July '05 Your Library Connection

As a new Mom, I have become more interested in how to give my child the foundation needed for later success.  I’ve always heard “research shows that children who are read to at an early age are better readers.”  Is it true?  Could just sitting down with my 6-month old daughter and reading to her each day help her with reading and talking as she gets older and give her some of the most important skills she needs to start school? 

Yes, research does confirm this.  Payne, Whitehurst, & Angell’s study published in the Early Childhood Research Quarterly in 1994 found “a significant correlation between reported age of onset of shared reading and language scores at four years of age.”  So, the earlier you start reading to a child, the better his or her language skills at age four.  According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), “reading aloud with children is an essential component to language development and is one of the most important activities for preparing them to succeed as readers.” 

What can you do as the parent or caretaker of a young child?  Start at the library!  Check out board books, picture books, and simple non-fiction books.  Even if you have a large library at home, bringing in other materials will supplement your choices and keep your reading time exciting.  Let your child play with the puppets at the library and make up stories with him or her.  Sign up for the summer reading program which encourages a child to read (or be read to) every day.  The program is over this summer, but join us next summer when the theme is Paws, Claws, Scales, and Tales!  The library offers story times during the school year…take advantage of these.  Vonnie, the “story time lady”, does a great job picking out interesting stories and offering other opportunities like actions, finger plays, and crafts to go with those stories.

The positive cycle started by making reading an enjoyable, everyday experience will help in countless ways as the child gets older.  Take the time to read and talk to your child.  If you can make the interactions fun, then chances are you will continue and your child will benefit.  Talking and reading to your children are necessary to the development of early literacy skills, or the skills needed to become readers.  Reading is the basis for much further learning, so it will be easier to acquire other knowledge and information if reading isn’t a problem.  So, now you’ve heard it again…research does show that reading to young children is very, very important.  I think Christie Vilsack’s theme of Iowa Stories 2000 sums it up nicely, “Please read to a child; it may be the best part of your day.”

Library Tidbits:

Find out more about any of the items below by going to www.indylibrary.org or calling 334-2470.  

• The Independence Public Library is putting on their second annual Storytelling Festival Fundraiser!  This time it will be bigger and better with a Medieval Faire!  It will be August 7^th at the River Walk Park from 4-7 pm. 
• Riverside Cinema will present the next movie on August 11^th at 8:30 pm at the River Walk Park Band Pavilion.
• Read A Proud Past…A Progressive Future articles in the BJ by building committee publicity chair Bob Hill for information and updates on the building project!

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