Educational/Literacy Impact | Page 15

Library's Storytime Programs Help Families Explore Children's Material

Parents or caregivers and their children can experience and explore children’s books, rhymes, songs, and imagination activities by attending storytime programs presented at public libraries.

Reference:

Storytime Model for Large Groups: Implications for Early Literacy.

Libraries have helped many generations of children develop reading skills.

Vocabulary and comprehension, the unconstrained skills, are the foundational skills that children need to become proficient readers. These skills also determine whether children will become proficient learners. As children progress through school, they increasingly use vocabulary and comprehension skills to understand complex texts in all subjects. In other words, they use reading to learn. Libraries have helped many generations of children develop unconstrained reading skills.

Reference:

Every child ready to read @ your library

Libraries have Opportunity to Provide Early Literacy and Learning Experiences

Because they serve children for years before they begin school, public libraries have many opportunities to provide early literacy and learning experiences.

Reference:

Every child ready to read @ your library

Libraries have been working with families for years

Libraries have been working with families for years within and outside of libraries, providing access to print, motivating young children to read, and making connections with schools.

Reference:

Public Libraries--Community Organizations Making Outreach Efforts to Help Young Children Succeed in School

Public librarians were providing early literacy opportunities to young children

This study investigated how 26 Maryland public librarians were providing early literacy opportunities to young children and their families through their outreach services… All librarians knew the importance of forming home, school, and community partnerships and were working collaboratively among these spheres to help children succeed in school

Reference:

Public Libraries--Community Organizations Making Outreach Efforts to Help Young Children Succeed in School

Libraries Support Families and Family Friendly Literacy

Schools and community organizations, such as libraries, can serve to support families, as well as provide direct literacy experiences to children and youth that complement family practices (Epstein & Sanders).

Reference:

Public Libraries--Community Organizations Making Outreach Efforts to Help Young Children Succeed in School

Four elements generate excitement about the public library

Four elements seemed to generate excitement about the public library: the ability to check out many titles at one time, the ability to choose what to read, the availability of family programs, and the fact that all of the above came at no cost.

Reference:

Libraries, churches, and schools: The literate lives of mothers and children in a homeless shelter

Every child ready to read @ your library

Library Facilitate Parent-Child Bonds

For this family, the library facilitated parent-child bonds. The mother also saw it as a safe place for developing a love for books. She was acting as the one with knowledge who was supporting her child’s literacy growth.

Reference:

Libraries, churches, and schools: The literate lives of mothers and children in a homeless shelter

Library Attendance Shows Expectations for Children as Readers

Library attendance served as a springboard for parents to communicate messages about the expectations that they had for their children as readers.

Reference:

Libraries, churches, and schools: The literate lives of mothers and children in a homeless shelter

Libraries Provide Place for Parents to Actively Participate in their Children's Literacy Development

The free-flowing nature of the library also allowed for parents to actively participate in their children’s reading. Noting the lack of literacy programs available for children at the shelter and in the community, one mother talked about the public library as being the place she could take her children to support their literacy development.

Reference:

Libraries, churches, and schools: The literate lives of mothers and children in a homeless shelter