โToo earlyโ has no place in the formula when it comes to gauging the right time to begin nurturing childrenโs interest in reading. While introducing her daughter Aria to the wonder of words, Renee O’Brien found out how quickly that awareness and appreciation of books and language can be ignited.
OโBrien had heard about the Toledo Lucas County Public Libraryโs Ready to Read program and decided not long after the birth of her first child to get some advice on preparing Aria to be a lifelong reader.
โI wanted to make sure she has the tools she needs in life to be a good reader, and a good learner,โ OโBrien said. โSo I went to the library, talked to the people there and got the information on what to do. I found out that even at a very young age, it is important to read to her and let her hear a variety of words.โ
Ready to Read stresses how critical the years before kindergarten are for the development of childrenโs reading ability, and how the language and word skills a child is exposed to during that time period will play a significant role in how successful that child will be in school, and in life. The program promotes five activities that parents can do with their children to greatly improve their success: talking, singing, reading, writing and playing.
Ready to Read encourages parents and childcare providers to frequently talk with children in order to help them learn new words and to stimulate brain development. Singing improves a childโs capability to understand sounds within words, while reading together helps children become skilled readers. Parents are also urged to write out words to give children an understanding of letters and how they form sounds. Time for play is likewise important, as this is one of the main ways that children learn about the world.
OโBrien and her husband Kevin started introducing Aria to books when she was just four months old, and followed a plan that included frequently talking, singing and reading to her while she was in her high chair.
โAt first, she paid no attention to us,โ OโBrien said, โbut they encouraged us to keep doing it.โ
Then, somewhat magically and whimsically, Ariaโs eyes lit up and the pathway for the 17-month-old to become a lifelong reader was wide open.
โNow, over the past three months she has been so interested in books,โ OโBrien said. โHer doctor is very impressed with her development. She brings us the books and says: โread, read.โ She loves the books with pictures and words like ball and banana and gets excited when we read to her.โ
Since its inception in April 2014, the Ready to Read program has provided more than 4,000 parents and childcare providers with free kits and training. In 2017, the program reached more than 6,000 parents and children. 600 families received in-depth training and a free preschool or kindergarten resource kit while another 800 received tools and tips such as the Busy Book and Kindergarten Skill Rings.
Planting the Seed to Read
Statistics show that when they enter kindergarten, nearly two-thirds of area students do not have the fundamental skills needed to learn how to read and write. With $2 million in support from donors, the Libraryโs โPlanting a Seed to Readโ campaign was developed to address this deficiency. It is part of the Libraryโs overall Early Literacy Campaign which has the ambitious goal of improving the essential literacy skills of every child in the community.
โWe know that in Lucas County, a lot of children are not arriving at school ready to learn and read, and thatโs a big concern,โ said Nancy Eames, youth services coordinator at the Library.
โOne of the ways we address that is to show parents how to teach their children so those children are ready to read when they start school. Most kids wonโt start reading until they are five or six, but they need a good foundation in place well before that age.โ
She added that with locations in every corner of the community, the Library is able to offer support to families and get children started on building a foundation in reading.
โParents are childrenโs first teachers, so their role is very important,โ Eames said. โWe want them talking to their children, which helps build vocabulary. Engaging in conversations that expand their world knowledge is also very valuable. Children can gain a lot when parents sing to them, since singing slows down the words and lets the child hear the syllables.โ
Eames said that parents should continually expand on what they are saying so children hear a wide variety of words. When they start to read, children will more easily recognize words they have heard before.
โWhat we all need to do is put down our devices, and help kids build vocabulary,โ Eames said. โVocabulary is a skill we build throughout our entire lives, and the earlier we start, the more successful we will be.โ
Intensive Storytimes Make Learning Fun
The Libraryโs โIntensive Storytimesโ program is on the same mission โ to increase childrenโs interest in books and reading, while strengthening their pre-literacy skills. Intensive Storytimes were first introduced in the fall of 2013 to eight Toledo Public Schools (TPS) Kindergarten classes and today, now serves about 40 TPS Kindergarten classes and 600 to 700 students annually.
The program also introduces students to their neighborhood Library, through the work of childrenโs librarians who visit the schools to present traditional storytime elements, such as reading books aloud, teaching rhyming words and singing with the children. These are facets of the dialogic reading technique which has been shown to hasten the development of early literacy aptitude, including oral language skills.
A Teacher Approved Approach
Fadia Olrich has been teaching Kindergarten for eight years, and she said her Riverside Elementary students are very excited when Childrenโs Librarian Maria Royuela-Tomas makes her regular visits to the classroom. Olrich said the librarians in the program work with teachers and develop themes for each week, often linking them to topics covered during the rest of the school day.
โMaria always has props or puppet shows or something that ties into the story and keeps the kids engaged the whole time,โ Olrich said. โShe focuses on vocabulary and character identification and my kids are always eager to participate โ their hands are in the air to ask or answer questions.โ
Olrich said the Intensive StoryTimes program is critically important for her students, many of whom have not been introduced to books before attending Kindergarten.
โA lot of my students arenโt even exposed to reading before they arrive here. Some had no idea what a library is, and they canโt believe itโs a place where you can go and get books,โ she said. โSo this program is very beneficial.โ
Jim Funk, manager of institutional and community initiatives at the Library, said the goal of the Intensive StoryTimes program and the overall early literacy efforts is to have children properly prepared to learn.
โAt first, we only worked with adults on improving literacy, but we realized working with children is the key to a better life for them, and for society,โ he said. โThe task is daunting, since so many of the children come to school not sufficiently prepared to read, but we aspire to do anything we can to help.โ
The response to those efforts has been overwhelmingly positive.
All of the TPS teachers surveyed concluded that Intensive StoryTimes exposed their students to experiences that increased their pre-literacy skills. The teachers were also unanimous in their opinion that Intensive StoryTimes amplified the interest in reading in their classrooms, and helped the students build reading skills. The teachers all wanted Intensive StoryTimes to return to their classrooms.
โThatโs very gratifying, because there are many different types of intervention underway, but the fact that teachers want our program back every year is a real testimony to its effectiveness,โ Funk said.
Get In on the Early Literacy Action
Parents and childcare providers who have more questions or would like to request a free training may call 419.259.5253 or email readytoread@toledolibrary.org.
To support the Libraryโs Early Literacy Campaign, contact the Library Legacy Foundation at 419.259.5123 or email kathy.selking@toledolibrary.org.
