Public libraries are strong advocates of increasing literacy for all ages. Besides the lending of books and other materials, they strive to help develop literacy skills, especially for young children and their families, through the programs that they offer. Throughout the year there are many program options available at your local library. Here in Albert County, the Hillsborough Public Library proudly serves our community and patrons from outside of Hillsborough through to Alma and we will be offering many literacy programs in 2018.
Starting in January, we will be offering Babies in the library which is a program that is offered for parents/guardians and children 0–18 months. The four weeks of sessions are designed for parents to engage and interact with their child, as well as other parents and children from the community. Each 30-minute session has a variety of activities from reciting and singing rhymes, hand/finger play and walkabouts. It is a great time for parents to learn some new activities that they can do anytime with their child and that can be adapted as their child grows. During the session there is also a time for Baby meets Book, where a book will be read aloud or where parents can choose a book to read to their child. All New Brunswick Public Libraries have a varied selection of board books which are designed specifically for babies and toddlers. The first Babies in the Library Session begins in January 2018 with more sessions expected in the spring.
The Every Child Ready to Read program has been developed to help parents incorporate five elements that help prepare children to read (talking, reading, writing, singing and playing) into their everyday lives. Children begin to develop language and other skills that they will need to read in infancy and continue to master the skills as they grow. As parents are their children’s first teachers, there is never a time that is too early or too late to help develop children’s literacy and pre-reading skills. The library will be offering workshops on Every Child Ready to Read beginning in February 2018. Parents/guardians are invited to attend with their children to participate during these sessions.
Next Step, Kindergarten! is a program that was developed by the Albert-Westmorland-Kent Library Region and has been implemented in all 15 of our libraries. The program is five weeks of sessions (one per week) that cover a variety of topics, such as letters, numbers, shapes and colours. Each week the program consists of a story time, followed by literacy building activities set up in stations. Parents accompany their children and help them work through the activities. During the sessions, items from the Welcome to KindergartenTM bags are used to give parents examples of simple activities they can do with the items at home with their children. (The bags are provided by the Learning Partnership and given to all incoming kindergarten students through the school districts.) It is a fun and interactive way for children and parents to work on their kindergarten readiness skills together. This program will be offered at the Hillsborough Public Library in late May 2018.
Visit the New Brunswick Public Library Service’s website to learn more about our libraries and online resources that are available to children and families. For information about the specific programs that are being offered at the Hillsborough Public Library in 2018, please contact the library by telephone at 734-3722.
By Victoria Stroud, Hillsborough Public Library
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