A Great Reading Tool For Everyone: Family Literacy Kits

Every parent wants to see their child succeed in school. It's an ingrained desire of every parent and yet, they never trust their own instincts. Regardless of what library I've worked at, be the an academic, public or high school library, parents seek advice on how to motivate their child to read. That's like saying, "how can I get my child to eat their vegetables?" There is no "right" way to motivate a child to read. Just as there is no "right" way to get children to love carrots or peas. Sometimes it is just a mix of the right book at the right time. In other words, keeping trying but have patience. There is one "tool" that is different and most of the time effective.

A creative approach to enticing children to read is a Family Literacy bag. What is a Family literacy bag? These bags are designed to encourage family reading nights. This literacy tool can be purchased as a set (www.schoolspeciality.com) or put together with a little creative imagination, time and money. A successful and creative literacy kit has a colorful bag to hold the following items: a content sheet, books, parent tip sheet, interactive activities and a parent/child response form. Each kit has a theme that parent and child will explore together. An example of a literacy theme kit is the zoo. Select titles that fit the theme, like Goodnight Gorilla, Dear Zoo, or I Am Pangoo the Penguin. Along with the books (Some literacy kits be as simple as one book) add a tip sheet to aid parents in asking their children questions about the book, suggested activities, plush toy that compliments the story, a content sheet to identify each item in the bag, and a comment form for parent and child to fill out and return to the library. This form is optional, however for the library it can provide a valuable tool in deciding on new literacy bags theme.

Providing family literacy kits is a positive reinforcement in motivating families not only to read together but to see the library as a place for a safe, inexpensive family night out activity. Of course, family programming accomplishes the same objective, however this is an affordable way for the library to support family literacy one step further. Additionally, librarians will find that the library-family connection is strengthen. Regardless of the social, economic, cultural background of the family, these kits allow the parents to feel comfortable in approaching the librarian with questions and concerns about helping their children with reading. With the literacy kits in hand, parents now feel they have the library as a partner in helping them help their children.

With that said, there is nothing that can replace the valuable moments that a parent shares with their child when reading together. It sparks conversations, it helps children relate to the world around them and most importantly it can help a child become confident in their ability to learn new things and to read on their own. Literacy kits can demonstrate to a child how reading can open the doors to new ideas, activities and other wonderful possibilities.

Children Need Great Beginnings

It seems to me that great beginnings often have one thing in common, great stories. For example, the founding of our country is wrapped up in a great story. It has all the ingredients of an action packed thriller. Rebellion against a tyrant. Men and women who never gave up the fight even when it seemed that they were losing the battle. Leaders who inspired their men and became legends for generations to come. Who couldn't love a story that has a powerful beginning? Which got me to thinking that every child should have a great beginning which centers around their own great story.

March is the month of the young child and in the county where I live and work there is an annual community breakfast where professionals and community leaders are invited to learn how different agencies are helping young children, from birth to five years, to get a "Great Start" in education. It is in these crucial first five years that a child's mind absorbs the world around them and influences how they will develop. According to the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child, "Early Experiences determine whether a child's developing brain architecture provides a strong or weak foundation for all future learning, behavior and health." This speaks volumes on the need for parents to rely on libraries to help them give their child a rich opportunity to learn and grow.

Family Literacy programs should be an important part of every public library's services. These programs provide new parents with tools to introduce reading as a healthy habit for growing minds. As a librarian, I can not count the number of times I have been asked by new parents "How old should my baby be when I start to read to them?" My response is always the same, "From day one." A baby is never too young to hear a great story. Libraries are the perfect solutions to providing a wealth of books, movies and music without the additional strain on the family's budget. Besides that, libraries provide the space where children can explore, experiment and examine the world around them. The books children read today will shape them into the citizens of tomorrow. The stories that touch their hearts will create passionate leaders of our community who go out to make a difference. This is not an exaggeration. it has been proven in studies that children from low income families tend to do poorly in school. Is this because poor families have children with low IQ? Not at all. It simply means that the resources in urban areas are not readily available to children as they are in wealthier suburbs. (This is why it boils my blood to see that urban public libraries are closing their doors due to lack of funding. That is a story for another day.) Reaching out to young families early on not only establishes a relationship between the library and the community but it also provides the foundation for a strong, prosperous community.

Which brings me back to my original point. Children need to have a great beginning in order to be able to share their own great story. They are so eager to learn and to grow that to deprive them of the opportunity to have a great beginning is criminal. it does not take much to help a child discover their world. Especially these days where there are so many different avenue to pursue to stimulate learning in a child. It can be as simple as a wooden spoon which allows or as complex as a computer game which teaches shapes and colors. My personal favorite are board books. They are perfect for reading and chewing! During this month of the Young Child, make a commitment to do something to help a young child with their great beginning. How? It's as easy as picking up a book and sharing it with your favorite little one. If you need help in deciding what book to read, go to your library and ask the children's librarian for suggestions. As a matter of fact, you may even want to bring your favorite youngster with you to enjoy a story time together. You never know this could be the start of something big!