In Part I of this series, we explained that story times for children are based on the six early literacy skills, building blocks that kids need to make learning to read and write much easier. We also wrote about the social and physical developmental reasons to attend story time.
In this part, we would like to share our commitment to multiculturalism, and making story time fun and relevant for all of the families of Seattle, a city of incredible diversity. We look for books with multicultural and diverse characters and settings. We also love books that have non-English words in them. Kids of all backgrounds love the idea that there are different words for the same thing, and if the librarian mispronounces a non-English word, kids take great delight in correcting her pronunciation! Sharing the words of their languages in a public setting gives kids a sense of pride. During her regular opening song, 
“Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes,” one children’s librarian suggested the group sing it next in Somali (which she had just recently learned). The Somali moms laughed, but when they started singing it, the look of delight on their faces and their children’s faces was priceless!
Many of the children we see are from homes where the parents are non-native English speakers. This is a big consideration when planning story times, and when talking with the parents outside of story time. One thing we always emphasize is that English is not the only answer when it comes to early literacy. Reading, singing, asking questions and telling stories in a family’s native language are just as valuable — and maybe even more so. In fact, brain research shows that parents who speak in their home language to their children use a richer vocabulary, and, therefore, the children form a deeper vocabulary. This rich vocabulary forms extensive pathways in the brain. Once those pathways exist, the child will actually learn additional languages more quickly than if the parents had spoken less-comfortable English. [Source: Patton O. Tabors. One Child, Two Languages. Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes, 1997.] Remember, early literacy is not about learning English (though it can help!), but about learning how words are put together, the structure of a story (a beginning, middle and end) and enjoying it. In addition, it teaches kids that their language and culture are valuable, creates a bond between parent and child, gives them pride in themselves and prepares them for school.
If you haven’t been to a story time in a while (or ever!), we invite you to visit. There are story times at almost every branch of The Seattle Public Library, and you’ll find a story time for any day of the week, mornings, afternoons or evenings. We have story times for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and the whole family, and some branches have story times in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, and Vietnamese. Please come and see how we are promoting literacy in the lives of children (and have fun while you’re at it!).
~ Lupine, NewHolly Branch and Shannon, Central Library
Leave a Comment