To the brave parent packing the diaper bag like you’re headed on a three-day trek across the Appalachian Trail. You’ve got wipes, snacks, a backup outfit, and possibly a kitchen sink. All for a 30-minute storytime.

I see you. Because not long ago, that was me.

Let me just say: I was terrified. I sat in the parking lot of the Francis Branch and let my anxieties rush in. I had visions of walking into a perfectly silent room, every child seated like a mini Zen master while mine tried to scale the librarian. I worried I’d be the only one who didn’t know the songs, or that my child would scream or be louder than the rest of the kids. But I was here, she was here, so I decided to give it a go.

I stepped out of my vehicle and started wrangling my daughter out of her car seat as she did her finest impression of a caffeinated octopus. And that’s when I noticed it: she had socks on… but no shoes.

I forgot her shoes.

How could I forget her shoes?

At that point, I seriously considered putting her right back in the car seat and driving off to try it some other time. But I noticed she wasn’t fazed by her lack of shoes, so I decided to forge ahead. We’d made it this far. And the library has carpet… right?

We walked into a room that was delightfully chaotic, like a tiny, joyful circus. My daughter immediately fell in love with the bubble machine. The librarian smiled and said “Welcome!” She didn’t say a word about my daughter’s bare feet. I decided to get ahead of any potential judgment and blurted out, “I forgot her shoes!” which earned some warm, well-intentioned chuckles. Other parents gave me the kind of look that said, Yeah. Been there.

Then we sang songs. We moved. We clapped. We listened to a story. My child wandered a bit (or… a lot), but no one batted an eye as I did my best to herd her. I even talked to another parent afterward who admitted it was her first time too.

And here’s what I learned: story time is so much more than listening to a story. It’s a time for our children to soak up language, discover rhythm, develop social skills, and more. Even when it feels chaotic, you’re helping build a foundational love for books and language. And by actively participating, you are modeling communication. Every time you sing along or whisper, “Look, it’s a duck!” you’re helping build their vocabulary and confidence.

So if you’re reading this ahead of your first babytime or storytime, here’s your sign. Do it. Show up. Sit in the back if you want. Come late. Leave early. But come.

By: Marenda Escobar

“People have learned and do learn without grades, so they may not be necessary. So then the question is, are they harmful?” – Dr. Susan Blum on The Higher Ed Spotlight Podcast

Dr. Susan Blum is a professor of Anthropology at Notre Dame who has, in the last 15-20 years, shifted her research to focus on education, higher education, and a movement called ungrading. She describes ungrading as a practice that shifts the focus from grading, evaluation, and metrics, to learning. Blum edited Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), which covers the experiences of fifteen educators who practice this new pedagogy. She believes the movement has taken off partly due to the book Ungrading, and the pandemic, which caused people to reevaluate whether conventional pedagogical practices help or hurt learning.

Blum’s work has led her to record several podcasts. When asked to record an episode for The Higher Ed Spotlight in April, Blum was in search of a studio that would provide high production value. Blum’s friend suggested checking out Studio 304 at the St. Joe County Public Library. Once she reached out, staff promptly helped her reserve a studio full of state-of-the-art equipment for free. Blum is a big advocate for public libraries, and calls the St. Joe County Public Library one of her favorite places. Reflecting on Main Library’s renovation, Blum recalls, “the new library is really magnificent. When I came to the opening, I was so excited, but I had no idea that there was also all of this really great stuff.”

Learn more:

• Check out Ungrading at the Library, or stream the audiobook on Hoopla.
• Watch the Library’s interview with Dr. Blum on social media, and share your thoughts on #ungrading with Dr. Blum on Twitter or Threads.
• Record your own podcast in Studio 304 at Main Library.

By: Brianna Knisley

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