The Hazen Memorial Library is committed to making storytime enjoyable for your preschooler. Children learn best when they enjoy what they are doing. Storytime is open to preschool children aged 3 to 5.
We present fun and interactive storytimes that engage children and help them to love books and libraries. Our storytime program typically includes a combination of books, music, dance movements, puppets, action rhymes, fingerplays and a craft. The children are surrounded with stimulating speech and interesting topics, creating a language and literacy experience beneficial to children's development.
Parents are invited to observe their children's interest and excitement and enjoy together what the Children's Librarian presents. They are also encouraged to help their child when needed with the craft. See the library's online calendar for our Storytime schedule.
What parents can do!
It's never too early to read to your child. Recite the stories and rhymes you remember from your childhood; nursery rhymes, lullabies, poems and stories.
Children's brains are wired to learn language from birth. They are programmed to process language and THEY HEAR EVERYTHING! If an active toddler does not want to sit on your lap, read to him while he is engaged in another passive activity. Reading stories at bedtime or anytime, is a great way to form a reading habit to last a lifetime.
What is emergent literacy?
Emergent literacy is what children know about reading and writing before they can actually read or write. Young children's emergent literacy skills are the building blocks for later reading and writing. Children learn these skills before they start school, beginning in infancy. From birth throughout the preschool years, children develop knowledge of spoken language, the sounds that form words, letters, writing and books. This is the beginning of the abilities that children need to be able to learn to read and write in school.
Our library is filled with great books for the young library patron. Keep reading and sharing Fun books with your children. Rhyming books are important so that children learn to hear that words are made up of smaller parts. This helps them when they later try to sound out words to read. Once children are familiar with a story, let them tell you what happens. This improves their narrative skills, or the ability to retell events. Developing this early literacy helps later with reading comprehension, vocabulary, letter knowledge and phonological sensitivity, in addition to print motivation.
It is the responsibility of the library staff to communicate to parents/caregivers their key role with their children in early literacy development, including providing information and the tools to assist them. Use the books from the list (below) as a guide to select and share good picture books with your child.