Taking Toddlers and Preschoolers to the Library
If your children grow up going to the library from the moment they're born, it will seem as natural a part of life as eating or sleeping. They won't be able to imagine life without a library, and this will encourage them to be readers. Of course, this is presuming the library trips are fun and not stressful.
Keeping it non-stressful means teaching children to behave reasonably well. You don't want to spend the entire trip scolding them. Of course, no child is perfect, and you can't expect that, but you do have to be respectful of the other library patrons, who may be studying. At home, practice using "indoor voices," handling books properly, sitting quietly for a little while, playing appropriately, and sharing.
Library Safety and Etiquette
Keep your children with you all the time. LIbraries seem safe, but anyone can go into them. They are always your responsibility. Take your children to the children's room and help them choose a quiet book or two. Then take them with you to the adult section while you choose your own books. They can read while you search, but they will need to move from aisle to aisle with you. Teach them how to sit quietly at the edge of the aisle and to notice when someone wants to look at that section. They should be prepared to move when that happens.
Once you've chosen your books, return to the children's room for some quiet, enjoyable time. Some libraries have toys your child can play with while you read--just don't get so caught up in your book you forget to watch the children. Otherwise, read quietly to them or let them read alone.
When your child is old enough, introduce him to the librarians. Help him become comfortable asking for help or recommendations, so your child grows up liking librarians.
Help your child learn basic library skills--not taking too many books at once, treating books and materials respectfully, speaking quietly, returning books wherever your library wants them returned, and sharing with other children. Teach him how to treat and keep track of what he borrows.
Join the library activities
Participate in age-appropriate activities in the library, including story time and summer reading programs. These can teach some of the skills your child might have gotten at a traditional preschool, including learning to obey and learn from other adults, working as a group, and socializing with both children and adults.
Make library trips a special ocassion. Speak of them with excitement and make a fuss over how much fun you had. This is an important step in raising readers.
Need more than an article can give you? Try this book.
Raising Readers: Helping Your Child to Literacy [Paperback] Steven Bialostok
