Children

Story Time Classes are a good way to introduce children to the library. At story times, our librarians and other specially trained staff present stories, songs, and games in the library’s Little Theater. Story Time Classes teach social skills, listening comprehension and early literacy skills or the foundations of reading through letters, numbers, and vocabulary.

Although each story time is presented by a different storyteller, a common plan is shared throughout. During the 30-45 minute class, 3-4 stories are shared. Songs, fingerplays, such as the Itsy Bitsy Spider, and counting exercises are spaced around the stories. The use of puppets, musical instruments and flannel boards are often incorporated into story time. The children’s department offers six-week classes, four times a year.

Check out the event calendar for the most up-to-date story time dates and times!

Classes

• Infant (Birth – 24 months)
  Don’t wait until your kids can read to introduce them to the library! Come to a story time geared for the youngest members of the family where we’ll share little stories, songs, finger plays, and more!
• Toddler (2 – 3 1/2 years old)
  Toddlers and their caregivers are invited to the library to share stories, songs, music, and motion together at these fun, interactive story times!
• Preschool (3 1/2 – 5 years old)
  Calling all preschoolers to a fun and active story time filled with stories, songs, movement, and more!
• Family (Geared toward 2 – 5 years old)
  This story time is filled with fun stories and exciting songs geared toward children ages 2 – 5, but the whole family is welcome (a perfect option for a story time that siblings can share)!
• Parachute (2 – 3 1/2 years old)
  Toddlers and parents are invited to the library to share stories, music, and parachute fun at a story time geared toward a more active toddler!
• Yoga (2 – 5 years old)
  Stretch your mind and body at this fun story time that incorporates yoga and stories together. Please bring children in loose clothes and bring a yoga mat or bath towel for your child to stretch on.
• Sensory-Friendly (Variety of Ages)
  This story time is specifically designed for children with disabilities and their families.
• Pajama (Geared toward 2 – 5 years old)
  The whole family is invited to pajama story time on Tuesday evenings at 7:00pm. Our middle school group will help with a story time filled with books, songs, dancing, and more!
• Special Events (Geared toward 2 – 5 years old)
  We also offer a number of special story time classes throughout the year.  In the past some of the story times have included Christmas, Hanukkah, Earth Day, and Fire Safety Week.
• Traveling
  The library visits child care centers and preschools in the Upper Merion area throughout the school year!

What is a Family Place Library?
The first three years of a child’s life lay the foundation for learning. Get the tools and resources you need to give your child the best possible start. A Family Place Library is a center for early childhood information, parent education, emergent literacy, socialization and family support. Family Place builds on the knowledge that good health, early learning, parent involvement and supportive communities play a critical role in young children’s growth and development.

Key Features of a Family Place Library:
Each Family Place Library features the following core elements:

• A bright, colorful and welcoming space for young children and their parents.
• A collection of books, toys, videos, music and other materials for babies, toddlers, parents and service providers
• Access to resources that emphasize emergent literacy, reading readiness and parent education.
• Developmentally appropriate programming, such as baby and toddler story times for younger children and their parents.
• Outreach to new and underserved populations.
• Family Place is a multi-week parent/child workshop featuring local professionals, such as nutritionists, speech and language therapists and child development experts, who serve as resources for parents.

Parent/Child Workshops
The core program at each Family Place Library, this multi-week series brings together toddlers (ages one to three) and parents in an informal, interactive setting with professionals from local agencies to support the role of parents as first teachers, facilitate early intervention, and teach strategies to promote healthy child development and literacy.

Parent/Child Workshops run for multi-week series during the year.  Check the Upper Merion Township Library’s Event Calendar for more information.

Why Read 1,000 Books?
Parents can help even very young children learn the five early literacy skills which reading research has determined children must know before they can learn to read. These essential skills needed for school success are:

• Phonological Awareness – is being able to hear and play with the smaller sounds in words
• Vocabulary – is knowing the name of things and concepts
• Print Convention – is noticing print, knowing how to handle a book, and knowing how to follow the words on a page
• Background Knowledge – is prior knowledge, things our child has learned
• Letter Knowledge – is knowing letters are different from each other, knowing their names and sounds, and recognizing letters everywhere

How Does It Work?

• Any child from birth to the day they enter Kindergarten is eligible.
• Sign up for the program by visiting the Children’s Department or online through our Events Calendar. You can sign up at any time, by selecting the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” event listed on the first of the month.
• Make sure to stop by the library to pick up your first reading log or print the .pdf file from our website.
• Use your reading logs to record 100 books at a time.
• Come back every time you have completed 100 books to receive a stamp for every 50 books you share together, a small prize at the 100 book mark, and your next 100 books log.
• When you have finished 1,000 books your child will be able to select a new picture book to add to the collection. The book will include a bookplate with the child’s name on it. Your child will be the first one to check out their honor book and will be invited to a graduation party in August of that year.

What Books Count?

• Books read at Story Time if you attend
• Books may be read more than once and recorded
• Books from home or the library – even other libraries
• Books on CD as long as they listen to the whole story
• A book read by any family member, teacher, etc. as long as they listen to the whole story
• Books read on an iPad or e-reader

How Long Does It Take To Reach 1,000 Books?

• 1 book per day x 3 years = 1,095 books
• 10 books per week x 2 years = 1,040 books
• 3 books per day x 1 year = 1,095 books

1,000 Book Log
For every title you read to your child, mark off one star! Print out 10 of these reading logs to create your entire packet, or stop by the library for your folder (with logs already printed!)

READING BUDDIES is a program to assist young readers by pairing them with older students for weekly reading practice at the library.

BIG BUDDIES are good students in grades 5th – 12th who love books and want to volunteer to help read one-on-one with a Little Buddy for 30 minutes weekly at the library. Great leadership, service and mentoring experience for teens!

LITTLE BUDDIES are young readers in Kindergarten – 2nd grade who are paired with a Big Buddy to practice their reading skills and gain confidence. Read for 30 minutes weekly and have fun working on pronunciation and comprehension skills.

If you’re interested in participating, you can print this form at home, fill it out and drop it off in the Children’s Department or stop by the library and pick up a form to fill out in the library.

What is Junior Friends?
Students in 5th – 8th grades who are interested in community service projects can join the Junior Friends of the Library.

The Junior Friends:

• assist Township Librarians in the Children’s Department
• participate in the Enchanted Library and the Spring Play
• perform in special library programs, such as pajama story times
• run book sales to raise money
• participate in Reading Buddy program
• write book reviews
• have fun!

Volunteers may pick and choose to help with one or all of these tasks. This is a great group for students to join who are interested in fulfilling community service requirements in a fun and meaningful way.

If you would like to join the Junior Friends of the Library, please stop in the Children’s Department to sign up.   If you have any questions, please call the library at (610) 265-4806.

Do you dream of becoming a writer? Here is your chance to get published! Enter Upper Merion Township Library’s 44th Annual Write & Illustrate Your Own Book Contest! All entries are due by 9pm on Wednesday, January 23.

Make sure to follow all contest rules.

Summer Reading
The 2018  Summer Reading Lists provided by the Upper Merion School District. These titles are suggested, not required. We suggest that you place a hold on any titles that interest you as there are limited copies available and placing a hold is the easiest way to get a copy!

• Kindergarten & 1st Grade
• 2nd Grade
• 3rd Grade
• 4th Grade
• 5th-8th Grades
• 9th-12th Grades

STEM
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math titles for ages 4-6 – everything from picture book biographies of famous scientists to DIY experiments and picture books explaining basic science concepts!

Book Discussion Sets
Check out the children’s book discussion sets we have available to check out for teachers, book clubs, families and more.