Early Literacy Storytimes @ Your Library: Partnering with Caregivers for Success

Research confirms that reading success starts with young children enjoying library storytimes! Preschoolers' earliest experiences with books and reading are important; parent/caregiver knowledge can build on those experiences, according to research from the National Institute of Child Health and Development, conducted with PLA and ALSC, the co-initiators of the "Every Child Ready to Read@Your Library" program. Author-experts Ghoting and Martin-Diaz combine this cutting edge early literacy research, which is the heart of the "Every Child Ready to Read" program, with practical implementation tips for busy children's librarians. Scripts and plans help librarians explain what adults can do to enhance children's print motivation, phonological awareness, vocabulary, narrative skills, print awareness, and letter knowledge. Proven, step-by-step methods address planning, promoting, and assessing this richly informative new kind of storytime. Children's librarians and early childhood experts can: integrate early literacy research and parental how-to into storytimes; help parents develop self-sufficiency in nurturing their children's early literacy skills; address the developmental needs of early talkers (newborn-2), talkers (age 2-3), and pre-readers (age 4-5); and use the tips, tools, promotional samples, and assessments to build on current programs. Storytime is the perfect time to offer guidance to parents so they can better prepare their children to be successful readers. Here's a proven way for adults to enhance children's reading readiness.