Role of Libraries

Librarians were asked to elaborate on how their preschool programs benefit
children’s interest in and ability to read. Although many responded that preschool
programs help to “interest/motivate/stimulate” children to read, others responded with
more elaborate answers that describe what takes place when children come to story hour.
“Children are encouraged to ‘read along’—i.e., fill in missing words
through repetition. This repetition provides associations with words and
pictures. The youngest ones associate stories with movement and visual
cues.”
“With the use of ‘big books,’ children can ‘climb’ onto stories—getting
close to the shapes of letters, words, and pictures.”
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The Role of Public Libraries in Children’s Literacy Development, Celano and Neuman p. 33