Talk Together

5 Practices of Early Literacy

Narrate events and ideas in your everyday life. This helps your child learn new vocabulary and to use words they know.

  • Ages 0-1: Talk to your baby all the time, even if they can’t respond quite yet. Narrate your day. The more words your baby hears, the larger their vocabulary will grow.
  • Ages 1-2: Encourage repetitive play. Your baby may want to spend 30 minutes moving blocks from one bin to another. They are learning about concepts like gravity and motion - encourage them to repeat these simple tasks over and over.
  • Ages 2-3: Introduce new vocabulary while you play. Narrate what you are doing. Use the big words and the small words—as many words as you can.
  • Ages 3-5: Encourage your preschooler to tell you a story. Try retelling a familiar book, what you did today, or make up a story together. This helps to build a skill called sequencing.

Let's Have a Story with Lyn Ford

Feb 21st | 10:00am - 10:30am
Become immersed in the "trickster critters" stories of Affrilachian oral tradition shared with humor, history, and audience participation!

Urban Strings Columbus: Youth Orchestra

Feb 7th | 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Listen to music from popular African American composers and arrangers, performed by Youth String Ensembles!

Glow-in-the-Dark Family Yoga (Ages 4-11)

Feb 1st | 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Stretch, meditate, and find a hobby for your mind and body with glow sticks! Presented by Balanced Child. Ages 4-7 must have supervision!

Straw Rockets: Black History in Space

Feb 1st - Feb 28th | All day
Learn about Black pioneers of space history and make a straw rocket. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 & BLAST OFF!

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Unlock your child’s potential with tips, storytime alerts, book recommendations & more from your library. Already receive emails from us? Update your preferences. 
Unlock your child’s potential with tips, storytime alerts, book recommendations & more from your library. Already receive emails from us? Update your preferences. 

Reading Challenge

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

Unlock your child's potential with this reading challenge. For ages 0-5.

Kids love to cook.

Talk about recipes and have fun writing and/or drawing your own recipes together.

Tell me a story.

Ask you child to tell you a story. Why? This helps develop imagination and vocabulary.

Help others!

Throughout the day, look for ways your child can help others. This develops social and emotional learning and expands vocabulary.

Share your childhood joy.

Tell stories about some of the favorite things you used to do as a child.

Imagination LibraryImagination Library

Fill your home library with books that will inspire a love of reading. Made possible by the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library. 
Fill your home library with books that will inspire a love of reading. Made possible by the Ohio Governor's Imagination Library. 

Kristen C.

When she’s not working with kids here at the library, you might find her on the bike trail or baking up a sweet treat.

Ashleigh M.

Ashleigh loves to see people grow and become their best selves here at the library.

Annamarie C

Annamarie loves all things Disney! When she's not planning her next storytime, she's likely traveling or volunteering at the Columbus Zoo.

Katie R.

Katie knows all of the tricks to start your baby on the path to lifelong reading.
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