This November your Library began offering brand new weekly storytimes! The structure and content of these programs are similar to what our regular storytime users know and love, but we’ve retooled them with a slightly different focus. They’re also offered on different days of the week.
The key difference between these new storytimes and past ones is a shifted emphasis on developmental levels rather than specific age brackets.
Assistant Director of Children’s Services Suzy Bomgardner says, “Our hope is to allow more flexibility for parents and kids by providing two different learning climates: a traditional one and a more movement/rhyme-based one.”
“Our storytimes will always remain educationally-curated, focused times that engage both the child and caretaker,” Suzy explains. “But moving forward we want to offer more flexibility and choice for caregivers, so they can determine which style of literacy learning best fits their little ones.”
Even with this new emphasis, the Library’s goals for storytimes remain the same as they always have. Our storytimes promote literacy, encourage quality bonding time, and strengthen kids’ cognitive and emotional development. They also heighten social skills and community engagement, enhance creativity and imagination, and our personal favorite—storytimes promote a lifelong love for reading!
The shifted focus to developmental levels grew out of several caregiver focus groups we held this fall. After gathering feedback about our children’s programming, we evaluated what we offered to ensure that it aligned with what our users need and want.
Suzy says, “This inclusive approach led us to reimagine storytimes that better serve our community’s diverse needs. It also helped us determine the best ways to use our resources. We’re excited to offer this new schedule, because we think it’s a great fit for our community’s growing and changing needs.”
Which storytime is best for your child? Explore the options below!
Babies & Books
Babies & Books meets every Wednesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. in the Library’s Jones Meeting Center. It is a lapsit storytime based on the early literacy components of the Every Child Ready to Read Initiative: talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing.
The program typically lasts 20-25 minutes and includes several songs, rhymes, accompanying books, and sensory activities. Afterwards, babies and their caregivers can enjoy brief social and open play time with other families.
This program is designed for our youngest not-yet-mobile little ones, generally ages birth-18 months. If you feel this format fits your child’s personality and needs, we encourage you to give it a try!
You don’t have to register ahead of time for Babies & Books. However, space is limited, so pick up a ticket at the Children’s Desk when you arrive.
Read & Romp
Read & Romp meets every Wednesday and Thursday at 10:30 a.m. in the Library’s Jones Meeting Center.
The program is designed for active preschoolers who may find it challenging to sit through longer stories. Read & Romp lasts 20-25 minutes and consists of several songs, rhymes, short stories, followed by a brief structured play time. Caregivers are encouraged to participate in the fun with their little ones.
Read & Romp is recommended for ages 19-36 months and their caregivers. If your child is older than that and you feel this format fits their personality and needs, we encourage you to give it a try!
You don’t have to register ahead of time for Read & Romp. However, space is limited, so pick up a ticket at the Children’s Desk when you arrive.
Little Listeners
Little Listeners meets every Wednesday and Thursday at 11 a.m. in the Library’s Storytime Room.
The program is a more traditional storytime geared toward older preschoolers who enjoy longer stories. It lasts 25-30 minutes and consists of books and music followed by a short craft time.
Little Listeners is recommended for ages 3-5 years and their caregivers. If your child is older or younger than that and you feel this format fits their personality and needs, we encourage you to give it a try!
You don’t have to register ahead of time for Little Listeners. However, space is limited, so pick up a ticket at the Children’s Desk when you arrive.
In addition to these new programs, we offer several other storytimes that meet bi-weekly and monthly. Call the Children’s Library at (423) 434-4458 for more information about any of our storytimes.
Visit our calendar of children’s events to find more upcoming opportunities for learning and fun. Follow Johnson City Public Library on Facebook and Instagram to receive updates about Library programs, collections, and services.
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