Do you ever wonder how much your young toddler is truly absorbing from the story you read? Do you ever think that reading a short story to them doesn’t make an impact on their learning? The truth is it actually does. The younger you begin reading to a child, the more beneficial it is for their early language and literacy development. A child starts to learn language before their first year of life, and learning continues to build from there through the support of their family or caretakers (ASHA, 2022). One of the easiest things that a parent can do to promote early literacy and language development is to engage in storytime with their child. Language and literacy go hand-in-hand; with a strong language foundation, literacy skills can develop earlier and enhance school readiness.

Early literacy skills begin to develop between the ages of 3 to 5 years, which is known as the preschool period. Children develop three important literacy skills during this time: phonological awareness, print awareness, and alphabet knowledge (Pence & Justice, 2017). These three skills are heavily dependent on the child’s early language that they have developed during their first three years of life.  Early literacy skills are a predictor of later school performance for the child; the stronger their skills are when they begin school, the better for their overall development (Shahaeian et al., 2018). Reading to children at an early age can give them a head start in literacy and have a positive effect on their future academic achievements as well. 

Storytime has many benefits for children other than promoting early literacy and language development. It can help develop their concentration, social skills, communication skills, and encourages their imagination and creativity (Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center, 2022). Also, taking the time to read together can promote bonding between you and your child. It is never too early to start reading to your child, nor is it ever too late to begin! 

Storytime is offered at St. Joseph County Public Library locations. Designed for families with preschool children ages 3 to 5, Storytimes promote early literacy skills through books, rhymes and songs.

Mondays – 10:30 a.m.
German Branch

Tuesdays – 10:30 a.m.
Francis Branch
Tutt Branch

Wednesdays – 10:30 a.m.
Centre Branch
Francis Branch
Western Branch

Thursdays – 10:30 a.m.
Main Library
River Park Branch
Lakeville Branch (alternating)
North Liberty Branch (alternating)

References

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (2022). Reading and Writing (Literacy). American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. https://www.asha.org/public/speech/development/literacy/

Kids Kingdom Early Learning Center. (2022). Benefits of storytime for a child’s development. https://kidskingdom1.com/2022/03/benefits-of-storytime-for-a-childs-development/

Pence, K. & Justice, L. (2017). Language development from theory to practice. Pearson.

Shahaeian, A., Wang, C., Tucker-Drob, E., Geiger, V., Bus, A., & Harrison, L. (2018). Early shared reading, socioeconomic status, and children’s cognitive and school competencies: six years of longitudinal evidence. Sci Stud Read, 22(6), 485–502. doi:10.1080/10888438.2018.1482901.

Written by Brianna Knisley
Graduate Student in IUSB’s Speech-Language Pathology program
Expected graduation: May 2023