This is not an ordinary storytime. The children do not sit in straight rows of enforced silence with wandering eyes of boredom. Rainbows and flowers coverthe floor, and vibrant posters hang on the wall. The children ask questions and make comments about the narrative and illustrations. One should encourage listeners to be active and make connections with what is being read.
Personal connections help stabilize learning.
The library's South Branch has held storytime since it opened in January 1998. During zoo week, all the books involved animals. If you force them to read things they're not interested in, they won't learn to love to read. In a world where television often replaces tree climbing and Nintendo supplants a good book, the parents at storytime seem to feel good about the time their childred spend there. They love it.