How young can you introduce a child to reading? “You start as soon as they’re born with picture books and board books,” explained Andrea Gordon of the Burlington Public Library. “And a lot of mothers will read out loud to their unborn child, so it’s never too early.”
To get your child started on the “love for reading journey” at the library, parents can come in and register their child for a library card as soon as the child has a name and register them into programs.
“We start formal programming at three of our locations with Baby Rhyme Time for four- month-old children and their parent/caregiver,” Gordon added.
It’s a structured program, with rhymes and songs and rhythms, to introduce books in a group setting. These programs progress through to Story Times for three-to five-year olds and then on to Family Story Times.
Not only is learning to read fun but it helps a child’s development. Early age studies have shown that reading is one of the best ways to develop the neural pathways that will lead them to success later in life and in school.
“The sequencing and logical progression of stories helps children with Math, language and speech development,” Gordon said. “Children understand far more then they can vocalize.”
Reading also opens the child to new worlds and places they’ve never been before, whether to the Moon, to the future or to the past. “It helps them build an understanding of other cultures, other children, other ways of life and other family lifestyles,” Gordon said. “It’s also a great way to bond with your child, which helps them to feel secure and loved.”
Reading is a cheap pleasure, the library is free to join, and even in a computer-driven society, you still have to learn to read.
The Burlington Public Library encourages reading through Summer Reading Programs, Book Clubs for Kids and a Battle of the Books Program.
“The most important way to foster a love of reading is for parents to be a role model,” Gordon added. “A child can see that reading is as important a way to spend time as is watching that football game or checking e-mail.”
For more information about the Burlington Public Library and its programs, visit
www.bpl.on.ca and click on “Kids”.
