From the day of their birth, babies are developing skills that they will need to be successful in school and in life. The more words a child hears by age two the larger his vocabulary will grow. The single most important way for children to develop the knowledge they need to become successful readers is for you to read aloud to them often, beginning when they are babies.
The Crown Point Community Library offers a story time program designed specifically for our youngest patrons -- “Book Babies”. Designed for babies from birth to age three, this program offers ideas of how to read to your baby, what to read and what to expect in the first year to help you give your baby a “book baby beginning.” All children participate with a parent or adult caregiver. The story time lasts approximately twenty minutes and includes age appropriate stories, finger rhymes and songs.
Beginning in March, the Friends of the Crown Point Library partnered with the St. Clare Health Clinic’s Prenatal Assistance Program by sponsoring an early literacy initiative to help educate expectant and new mothers about the importance of reading to their new baby. The Crown Point Gamma Theta Chapter of Tri Kappa also presented the Friends group with a $250 donation to be applied to the initiative, said Donna Hill, Treasurer for the Friends.
Mothers will receive a library bag of goodies at their post-partum visit which includes a board book, a $5 coupon to the Friends Ongoing Book Sale, information on how to raise a book baby, suggested reading lists on what to read to your baby and parenting, and a library card application.
On March 10, Corinne Sons, Robert Cavarreubias and three month old Robbie made their first visit to the Crown Point Library to accept the first “Book Baby Beginnings” bag presented by Hill.