Storytime Plan
This storytime plan is intended for a children’s services department based on an actual branch library in Oakland, California. The branch is one of sixteen in the Oakland Public Library system, and like many OPL branches, it is open five days a week (closed on Sundays and Mondays). Located in a thriving residential-commercial neighborhood near Lake Merritt, the library is adjacent to a small playground that is popular with young children and their families and caregivers.
The branch is housed in an historic building built in 1949. It comprises 3,800 square feet and holds 35,000 books, compact disks, videos, DVDs, audio books, audiocassettes, and magazines and newspapers (Oakland Public Library, 2016) The circulation and reference desk is located near the center of the open floor plan, with long tables and computers for patron use to one side and the children’s area on the other. While the children’s area is not separated from the main room by walls, it does have kid-friendly lounge furnishings, tables and chairs, and computers on low desks devoted to use by children. The entrance to the library’s meeting room, where all storytimes are held, is located in the children’s area.
Demographics
The city of Oakland has an estimated population of 390,724, with persons under age 18 making up 21.3 percent of the population, and persons under age 5 making up 6.7 percent of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The city’s ethnic background is reported as 34.5 percent white, 28 percent African American, 25.4 percent Hispanic or Latino, and 16.8 percent Asian (with some residents reporting more than one ethnicity). More than 27 percent of residents were not born in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The neighborhood served by the branch library has seen steady revitalization over the last decade, thanks to an influx of young residents and a $200 million rehabilitation of Lake Merritt (Kane, 2014).
Storytimes
The branch has three regularly scheduled story times. Each storytime takes place once a week (see Table 1). Toddler Storytime is for children 18 months to 3 years old, and includes songs, active rhymes, and stories, with playtime after the program. It is held on Wednesday mornings at 10:10 a.m. (the branch opens at 10:00 a.m.). Baby Bounce is intended for parents and caregivers with babies aged birth to 18 months, and features songs, rhymes, and play. It is scheduled following Toddler Storytime, on Wednesday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Family Storytime has stories, songs and rhymes for all ages, with playtime after the program. It takes place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings, and draws a large crowd each week as families combine their trip to the library with a visit the nearby farmer’s market and playground.
While Peck (2014, Chapter 5) suggests lapsit/baby storytimes might be best scheduled first thing in the morning with toddler storytimes immediately following, the flipped toddler storytime/baby storytime scheduling seems to work well at the branch, as evidenced by the robust attendance at all programs. Many babies around 1 year old and younger still have two naptimes—the first nap occurring sometime in the late morning and the second in the afternoon—with the most active time being the middle of the day. Many toddlers take one nap in the afternoon, and are most engaged and full of energy in the morning. The way the branch has scheduled their storytimes may indeed work well for many families’ nap times, and the fact that the two storytimes occur back-to-back means parents and caregivers of children of different-aged children can still participate in both programs on the same day.
Advance registration is not required for any of the storytimes, but attendance is limited to the capacity of the room, and the library staff encourages participants to arrive early to ensure a spot. The library has little opportunity to address the challenge of capacity, however, as its open floor plan and limited square footage leave no other choice besides the meeting room for programs.
Recommendations
The branch’s programs for children, especially toddler and family storytimes, have seen a surge in attendance in step with the area's recent population increase. In order to enrich the branch’s programs for families, I would propose adding another family story time to Tuesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. (the library stays open until 8 p.m. that night). This may help relieve some of the pressure on the standing-room-only Saturday morning family storytime, while also accommodating the schedules of the neighborhood’s many working parents and being early enough to not conflict with younger children’s bedtimes (see Table 2).
Table 1. Current Storytime Schedule
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
CLOSED 10:10 a.m.: Toddler Storytime 10:30 a.m.: Family Storytime CLOSED
11:00 a.m. Baby Bounce
Table 2. Proposed Storytime Schedule
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
CLOSED 5:30 p.m.: Family Storytime 10:10 a.m.: Toddler Storytime 10:30 a.m.: Family Storytime CLOSED
11:00 a.m. Baby Bounce
The branch is housed in an historic building built in 1949. It comprises 3,800 square feet and holds 35,000 books, compact disks, videos, DVDs, audio books, audiocassettes, and magazines and newspapers (Oakland Public Library, 2016) The circulation and reference desk is located near the center of the open floor plan, with long tables and computers for patron use to one side and the children’s area on the other. While the children’s area is not separated from the main room by walls, it does have kid-friendly lounge furnishings, tables and chairs, and computers on low desks devoted to use by children. The entrance to the library’s meeting room, where all storytimes are held, is located in the children’s area.
Demographics
The city of Oakland has an estimated population of 390,724, with persons under age 18 making up 21.3 percent of the population, and persons under age 5 making up 6.7 percent of the population (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The city’s ethnic background is reported as 34.5 percent white, 28 percent African American, 25.4 percent Hispanic or Latino, and 16.8 percent Asian (with some residents reporting more than one ethnicity). More than 27 percent of residents were not born in the United States (U.S. Census Bureau, 2010). The neighborhood served by the branch library has seen steady revitalization over the last decade, thanks to an influx of young residents and a $200 million rehabilitation of Lake Merritt (Kane, 2014).
Storytimes
The branch has three regularly scheduled story times. Each storytime takes place once a week (see Table 1). Toddler Storytime is for children 18 months to 3 years old, and includes songs, active rhymes, and stories, with playtime after the program. It is held on Wednesday mornings at 10:10 a.m. (the branch opens at 10:00 a.m.). Baby Bounce is intended for parents and caregivers with babies aged birth to 18 months, and features songs, rhymes, and play. It is scheduled following Toddler Storytime, on Wednesday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Family Storytime has stories, songs and rhymes for all ages, with playtime after the program. It takes place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday mornings, and draws a large crowd each week as families combine their trip to the library with a visit the nearby farmer’s market and playground.
While Peck (2014, Chapter 5) suggests lapsit/baby storytimes might be best scheduled first thing in the morning with toddler storytimes immediately following, the flipped toddler storytime/baby storytime scheduling seems to work well at the branch, as evidenced by the robust attendance at all programs. Many babies around 1 year old and younger still have two naptimes—the first nap occurring sometime in the late morning and the second in the afternoon—with the most active time being the middle of the day. Many toddlers take one nap in the afternoon, and are most engaged and full of energy in the morning. The way the branch has scheduled their storytimes may indeed work well for many families’ nap times, and the fact that the two storytimes occur back-to-back means parents and caregivers of children of different-aged children can still participate in both programs on the same day.
Advance registration is not required for any of the storytimes, but attendance is limited to the capacity of the room, and the library staff encourages participants to arrive early to ensure a spot. The library has little opportunity to address the challenge of capacity, however, as its open floor plan and limited square footage leave no other choice besides the meeting room for programs.
Recommendations
The branch’s programs for children, especially toddler and family storytimes, have seen a surge in attendance in step with the area's recent population increase. In order to enrich the branch’s programs for families, I would propose adding another family story time to Tuesday evenings at 5:30 p.m. (the library stays open until 8 p.m. that night). This may help relieve some of the pressure on the standing-room-only Saturday morning family storytime, while also accommodating the schedules of the neighborhood’s many working parents and being early enough to not conflict with younger children’s bedtimes (see Table 2).
Table 1. Current Storytime Schedule
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
CLOSED 10:10 a.m.: Toddler Storytime 10:30 a.m.: Family Storytime CLOSED
11:00 a.m. Baby Bounce
Table 2. Proposed Storytime Schedule
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
CLOSED 5:30 p.m.: Family Storytime 10:10 a.m.: Toddler Storytime 10:30 a.m.: Family Storytime CLOSED
11:00 a.m. Baby Bounce
Sample Storytimes
Conclusion
"Storytime is one of the most rewarding aspects of children's services in a library" (Peck, 2014, p.67).
Research shows that early literacy begins in infancy, long before children learn to even hold a book (FACE, 2016). Parents are the first and most important teachers in their children’s lives, so library storytimes serve the dual purposes of engaging children and giving parents and caretakers the tools they need to help their children grow as learners and readers. By inspiring and encouraging parents to participate with their children in the literacy-boosting practices of talking, singing, reading, writing, and playing (Every Child Ready to Read, 2016), we empower them to cultivate a lifelong love of reading.
Through engaging readings of age-appropriate books; the performance of songs, finger plays, and puppet shows; interactive stories using flannel boards and other props; simple games; arts and crafts activities where developmentally appropriate; and parent talking points and handouts (Peck, 2014), library storytimes connect the dots between literacy behaviors and the early literacy skills outlined by the American Library Association’s Every Child Ready to Read initiative (Ghoting, 2011). Every storytime, no matter what the age of the children in the audience, should explain early literacy skills, demonstrate why they are important building blocks for learning, and teach parents and caregivers specific ways that they can support the development of these skills (Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, 2015). For example:
In putting together the storytime programs for this plan, I discovered a wealth of informative and inspiring resources online, including videos of book readings and song performances, lists of rhymes and finger plays, printable templates for felt board stories and stick puppets and ideas for craft activities. I was also inspired by visits to some excellent storyime programs at public libraries in Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda, California, as well as a local preschool and elementary school library.
The process of planning storytime programming should be intentional and research-based but also creative and rewarding. The most successful storytimes balance child and parent education with a sense of wonder and fun. Some parents feel self-conscious reading children’s books or singing aloud (especially if English is not their native language), but storytime performers can assuage their anxiety by continually demonstrating that perfection is unnecessary and that young children appreciate and will even learn from silliness above almost all else.
Storytimes are also a chance to show parents that literacy development isn’t just about activities like drilling flash cards or struggling to get a busy toddler to sit still for a story. Books are just the beginning. From music and movement to pretend play and arts and crafts, to everyday activities like going to the grocery store or cleaning up at home, opportunities for learning are all around.
Through engaging readings of age-appropriate books; the performance of songs, finger plays, and puppet shows; interactive stories using flannel boards and other props; simple games; arts and crafts activities where developmentally appropriate; and parent talking points and handouts (Peck, 2014), library storytimes connect the dots between literacy behaviors and the early literacy skills outlined by the American Library Association’s Every Child Ready to Read initiative (Ghoting, 2011). Every storytime, no matter what the age of the children in the audience, should explain early literacy skills, demonstrate why they are important building blocks for learning, and teach parents and caregivers specific ways that they can support the development of these skills (Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, 2015). For example:
- Print Motivation: Being interested in books and reading
When children have positive feelings toward reading, they will be more willing to engage in the work of learning to read. Caretakers can foster an enjoyment of reading by coming to the library, borrowing books to take home, reading with their children, and letting their children see them enjoying their own reading. - Print Awareness: Noticing letters and words and understanding how to hold a book, turn pages, and read left to right
When children understand how books work, they can being to decode the words they find within the pages. To support the development of these skills, parents can let children hold books and turn pages during story time, use their fingers to follow along with words on the page, and point out words in everyday life, such as on signs and packaging. - Phonological Awareness: Hearing the sounds of letters and words
When children understand the sounds that put words together, they will be able to “sound out” unfamiliar words when they begin to read. Parents can support this skill by incorporating songs, rhymes, silly sounds and tongue twisters into everyday play. - Letter Knowledge: Understanding that words are made up of individual letters
To introduce children to the concept of letters, parents can talk about shapes, play I Spy games, read ABC books, and call attention to letters and shapes on signs and drawings. - Vocabulary: Knowing lots of words
The larger a child’s vocabulary as they learn to read, the easier it may be for them to make sense of new the new words they encounter on the page. Parents can boost a child’s vocabulary by speaking in their native language, talking to and with children throughout the day, and explaining the meaning of new words that come up during reading. - Narrative Skills: Describing events, telling stories, and making predictions
When children can describe what they see in a book, answer questions about a character or situation, or retell a story, they are building understanding and comprehension skills. To help foster these skills, parents can point our details of illustrations, ask open-ended questions about stories, ask children to guess what happens next, or even talk in detail about their day or surroundings.
In putting together the storytime programs for this plan, I discovered a wealth of informative and inspiring resources online, including videos of book readings and song performances, lists of rhymes and finger plays, printable templates for felt board stories and stick puppets and ideas for craft activities. I was also inspired by visits to some excellent storyime programs at public libraries in Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda, California, as well as a local preschool and elementary school library.
The process of planning storytime programming should be intentional and research-based but also creative and rewarding. The most successful storytimes balance child and parent education with a sense of wonder and fun. Some parents feel self-conscious reading children’s books or singing aloud (especially if English is not their native language), but storytime performers can assuage their anxiety by continually demonstrating that perfection is unnecessary and that young children appreciate and will even learn from silliness above almost all else.
Storytimes are also a chance to show parents that literacy development isn’t just about activities like drilling flash cards or struggling to get a busy toddler to sit still for a story. Books are just the beginning. From music and movement to pretend play and arts and crafts, to everyday activities like going to the grocery store or cleaning up at home, opportunities for learning are all around.
References
Adler, V. & Nakata, H. (2009). All of baby nose to toes. New York: Penguin.
Barrett, J. & Barrett, R. (1998). Animals should definitely not wear clothing. New York: Atheneum Books.
Bornstein, R. (1976). Little gorilla. New York: MacMillan Books.
Carle, E. (1981). The very hungry caterpillar. New York: Philomel Books.
Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (2015). Six early literacy skills. Retrieved from http://www.clel.org/#!about3/cgn5
Every Child Ready to Read (2016). Building on success: every child ready to read 2nd edition. Retrieved from http://www.everychildreadytoread.org/project-history%09/building-success-every-child-ready-read-2nd-edition
Family and Community Engagement Research Compendium [FACE] (2016). Early literacy. Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/face/pdf/research-compendium/early-literacy.pdf
Fleming, C. & Smith, M. (2004). This is the baby. Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux.
Fox, M. and Dyer, J. (1997). Time for bed. New York: Harcourt.
Garcia, E. (2013). Toot toot beep beep. New York: Boxer Books.
Ghoting, S. (2011). Every child ready to read at your library 2nd edition, thoughts from Saroj Ghoting. Retrieved from http://www.earlylit.net/ecrtr/
Kane, W. (2014, September 13). Oakland’s Lake Merritt drawing new residents, pushing up rents. Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-s-Lake-Merritt-drawing-new-residents-5752202.php
Litwin, E. & Dean, J. (2010). Pete the Cat: I love my white shoes. New York: Harper Collins.
McQuinn, A. & Hearson, R. (2014). Leo loves baby time. Watertown, Massachusetts: Charlesbridge.
Oakland Public Library (2016). Lakeview Branch. Retrieved from http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/lakeview-branch
Peck, P. (2014). Crash course in children’s services. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.
Raffi (2004). Everything grows. Boston: Rounder Books.
Reidy, J. & Timmers, L. (2015). All through my town. New York: Bloomsbury.
Rey, M. & Rey, H.A. (1998). Curious George’s dream. Boston: Houghton Miflin.
Suen, A. & Katz, K. (2008). Subway. New York: Viking Books.
United States Census Bureau. (2010). Quick facts: Oakland, California. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/0653000,00
Willems, M. (2007). I am invited to a party! New York: Hyperion.
Willems, M. (2003). Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus! New York: Hyperion.
Barrett, J. & Barrett, R. (1998). Animals should definitely not wear clothing. New York: Atheneum Books.
Bornstein, R. (1976). Little gorilla. New York: MacMillan Books.
Carle, E. (1981). The very hungry caterpillar. New York: Philomel Books.
Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy (2015). Six early literacy skills. Retrieved from http://www.clel.org/#!about3/cgn5
Every Child Ready to Read (2016). Building on success: every child ready to read 2nd edition. Retrieved from http://www.everychildreadytoread.org/project-history%09/building-success-every-child-ready-read-2nd-edition
Family and Community Engagement Research Compendium [FACE] (2016). Early literacy. Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/face/pdf/research-compendium/early-literacy.pdf
Fleming, C. & Smith, M. (2004). This is the baby. Ferrar, Strauss & Giroux.
Fox, M. and Dyer, J. (1997). Time for bed. New York: Harcourt.
Garcia, E. (2013). Toot toot beep beep. New York: Boxer Books.
Ghoting, S. (2011). Every child ready to read at your library 2nd edition, thoughts from Saroj Ghoting. Retrieved from http://www.earlylit.net/ecrtr/
Kane, W. (2014, September 13). Oakland’s Lake Merritt drawing new residents, pushing up rents. Retrieved from http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Oakland-s-Lake-Merritt-drawing-new-residents-5752202.php
Litwin, E. & Dean, J. (2010). Pete the Cat: I love my white shoes. New York: Harper Collins.
McQuinn, A. & Hearson, R. (2014). Leo loves baby time. Watertown, Massachusetts: Charlesbridge.
Oakland Public Library (2016). Lakeview Branch. Retrieved from http://www.oaklandlibrary.org/locations/lakeview-branch
Peck, P. (2014). Crash course in children’s services. Santa Barbara: Libraries Unlimited.
Raffi (2004). Everything grows. Boston: Rounder Books.
Reidy, J. & Timmers, L. (2015). All through my town. New York: Bloomsbury.
Rey, M. & Rey, H.A. (1998). Curious George’s dream. Boston: Houghton Miflin.
Suen, A. & Katz, K. (2008). Subway. New York: Viking Books.
United States Census Bureau. (2010). Quick facts: Oakland, California. Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/0653000,00
Willems, M. (2007). I am invited to a party! New York: Hyperion.
Willems, M. (2003). Don’t let the pigeon drive the bus! New York: Hyperion.