By Linda Galway
Freelance Writer

More than 40 years ago, the phrase “Reading is Fundamental” brought to light the importance of reading to young children as well as the importance of reading as the cornerstone building block for everyday activities.
Do you want to follow a recipe? Drive a car? Fill out an application? Balance a checkbook? Understand laws? Take advantage of a sale? If so, you must know how to read and, preferably, read well.
“It’s almost impossible to over-estimate the importance of reading to young children,” stated Lynn Lockwood, director of the Auburn Public Library. “Years of research have proven that investment in the education of children during their earliest years is perhaps the greatest investment we can make, both for that child and for the future of our community and our country. Children who engage in activities that promote emergent literacy do better in school and in life.”
Rick Speer, director of the Lewiston Public Library, noted, “Just 20 minutes a day reading aloud with young children strengthens relationships, encourages listening and language skills, promotes attention and curiosity, and establishes a strong reading foundation.” All of these benefits are essential for success in school as well as in life, he added.
“Sharing books can begin as soon as a child is born with reading nursery rhymes. Once a child can sit up, it’s fun to share pictures and begin to talk about what’s happening in a story, the sounds animals make, what is big and little, and so on,” Lockwood said. “It’s important to include conversation with the child as part of the reading process, and to have rituals like a quiet story before bed. Parents often find that reading with their child becomes one of their most important bonding times. Plus, it gives parents a chance to share their interests with their child and to educate their child about the world.”
“One-on-one reading provides the perfect environment to bond, connect, and communicate with each child in the family, certainly all positive effects of reading aloud to children,” Speer agreed. “It is often at the end of the day, when bedtime stories are read, that parents learn the most about what went on with their child during school and at play,” he said. “One-on-one reading is also the perfect informal teaching environment, one of the foremost positive effects of reading aloud to children. Hopefully, our children get daily story time at school, but a classroom situation isn’t always the (easiest) environment for children to get their questions answered.” Children are naturally curious and innate questioners, he pointed out.
“Simply reading with a child every day gives that child the best start on learning to read,” Lockwood said. “If all children heard stories every day, many more children would become good readers, and good readers tend to do well in school. Besides, those few minutes the adult and child take to share a story can be the happiest time of the day.”
Speer pointed to research from the Web site, www.childtrendsdatabank.org. “By the age of two, children who are read to regularly display greater language comprehension, larger vocabularies and higher cognitive skills than their peers,” he said. “Shared parent-child book reading during children’s preschool years leads to higher reading achievement in elementary school as well as greater enthusiasm for reading and learning. In addition, being read to aids in the (social and) emotional development of young children, giving them the skills to become independent readers and transition from infancy to toddlerhood.”
Public library programs help demonstrate to parents the best ways to nurture a child’s emerging love of learning, Lockwood related. “Our shelves are full of great adventures for parents and children to share.”

“You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be –
I had a Mother who read to me”
?Strickland Gillilan

The Auburn Public Library offers these insights to parents and programs for children as noted in the library’s Web site, www.auburn.lib.me.us.

Studies show that babies and toddlers are already building essential brain connections that, if not stimulated, will atrophy and fail. From the very beginning, young children need an abundance of interactive activity with other people (talking, singing, reading, playing) to achieve their fullest potential in life. The Children’s Department provides a full selection of materials, services and programs to help families give their youngest members, from birth through sixth grade, a great start toward achieving their dreams.

PRESCHOOL STORIES. Wednesdays, in the Maggie Trafton Program Room. Each Wednesday morning we offer our story program twice — at 9:30 and again at 10:30 — so families may choose the most convenient time to attend. All gather in the Children’s Room, and then the children ages 3-5 (and experienced listeners who are almost three) move to the program room while their grownups and siblings remain in the Children’s Room to chat, choose books and make friends. Wednesday morning story programs are designed for children who are comfortable being in a group without their parent. This program is for families; agencies and childcare groups may contact the library to schedule group visits at another time.
Also, the Preschool Stories programs this fall will feature occasional visits from Auburn community helpers, such as Police Chief Phil Crowell.

SPROUTS, a family lap-sit program. Saturdays, from 10:30-10:50 a.m., in the Children’s Room. Babies from birth through 36-months and their parents gather with Heather on the story quilt for a rollicking good time with nursery rhymes, songs, board books, finger plays and each other. Siblings are welcome to join us.

SATURDAY STORIES with Judy D’Amour at 9:30 a.m. in the Children’s Room. During the school year, Judy visits the third Saturday of each month, when children may join her in dramatizing favorite stories and creating a work of art to take home.

URBAN FIELD TRIP. Saturday, 10-11 a.m. — meet at the front desk. In collaboration with L-A College’s ongoing Spineless Wonders exhibit, Susan Hayward of Stanton Bird Club and Sharon Hawkes of APL lead participants on a trek around the Library in search of the invertebrates we live with every day. Best for kids ages eight and up. (Contact library for dates and times.)

BOOK CHAT with Laurie. Saturday from 1-1:45 p.m. in the Maggie Trafton Program Room. APL’s Laurie Pinkham welcomes middle grade readers to share and learn about what’s new and exciting in books especially for their age. Participants bring their favorite book suggestions to share while enjoying refreshments, games, and fun. Best for kids in grades three through six. (Contact library for dates and times.)

PARENT CHILD WORKSHOP SERIES. APL will be holding a Parent-Child Workshop Series for parents and their children ages 1-3. Our next session starts Tuesday, October 6 and will run for 4 weeks through Tuesday October 27. The sessions will be held in the Androscoggin Community Room and will run from 10:30-11:45 a.m.
The Parent-Child Workshop Series is designed to familiarize parents and their young children (12-36 months) with library and community services. The workshops will give parents the chance to spend time with their child while meeting other families with young children. Play, sing, create a craft and learn to have fun with your child. Community resource professionals will be on hand to discuss and answer questions about speech and hearing, nutrition, physical fitness and behavior. Space is limited and pre-registration is required.
For more information on these and upcoming programs or to register, please call Deb Cleveland in the Children’s Services Department at 333-6640 ext. 2004.

The Lewiston Public Library offers the following activities for children on a regular basis. All programs run throughout the year except for Read to a … Dog,? which takes the summer off:

STORYTIMES: Babytimes (ages 0 to 2-1/2), Fridays, 10 a.m.; Preschool Storytime (2-1/2 to 5), Tuesdays, 10 a.m; All Ages Storytimes, Mondays, 6:30 p.m. Storytimes are a great opportunity to enrich your little one with wonderful stories and lively songs. They are also an opportunity for parents to meet other parents and children in the area. Each storytime will last about a half-hour and is aimed at a specific age group. Siblings are always welcome, too. No preregistration is necessary.

READ TO A … DOG: (Wednesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., Saturdays at noon) Research has shown that when children read aloud to dogs their skills and confidence increase. The dog is an attentive and uncritical listener as the children explain the story and work through their own vocabulary and comprehension. Children tend to retain what they read longer because they read it out loud., and the chance to interact with a trained dog and the dog’s handler is fun and motivational! You must call ahead to reserve a 5 or 10 minute spot to read to the dog.

ART VAN: Thursdays, 4-5 p.m. (ages 6-13) This mobile art program brings the arts to children. Jamie Silvestri, program manager for the Art Van is an artist with 17 years experience. She provides hands on creative opportunities for self-expression, personal growth and fun. She uses art to help children explore and enrich their lives and make sense of the world around them. No pre-registration is necessary for this event.

MUSIC TOGETHER: (ages 0-5) A research-based music and movement program designed to support the musical development of babies, children and their caregivers. Singing, chanting moving to the beat, “jamming” with instruments and more. FMI, contact Caroline Coffin at 777-4932 or e-mail: [email protected]

KIDS COOKING CLUB: (ages 7-14) Lots to Gardens presents a series of cooking events including games, simple nutritional instruction and preparation of an easy snack. Participants need to sign up at the Children’s Desk. Class size is limited to 8 for this very popular program.

For more information, call the Children’s Desk at 513-3133 or e-mail [email protected].