November is Family Literacy month. We invite families and parents of all ages to engage with library resources to deepen family literacy.
Started in 1994, Family Literacy month fosters early childhood literacy by encouraging parents and caregivers to read to their children. Family Literacy Day is celebrated on November 1.
Early child literacy, especially listening to an adult read out loud, and identifying pictures has proven to be beneficial to child brain development.
Numerous studies have established that by age 3, a child’s brain has reached 80 percent of its adult volume. The brain develops most rapidly during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life. The ability to learn language skills is greatest before the age of six.
According to a recent study from the American Academy of Pediatrics, reading aloud to your child from birth helps build key language, literacy and social skills, which set a child up for success in school and beyond.
The Sioux Center Public Library works hard to promote early childhood literacy in our patrons throughout the year, but we wanted to take Family Literacy Month as a more concentrated effort to promote literacy in young families.
One program we offer: 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, is an easy to way to track reading with your family. Ask about it at the front desk. We also have programs for literacy in older children like 500 Books Before 5th Grade, and 100 Books before College. All of these reading challenges can be tracked in the Beanstack App.
Additionally you can check out a curated list book recommendations for building literacy before Kindergarten. These books can either be read out loud to a child, and are beginner friendly options for children learning to read independently.
Librarian On The Loose 