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.
Winter Reading Challenge
Dec 1st - Feb 28th | All day
Online Event
Challenge yourself to a winter of reading for a chance to earn prizes, December 1, 2024 - February 28, 2024.
Urban Strings Columbus: Youth Orchestra
Feb 9th | 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Listen to music from popular African American composers and arrangers, performed by Youth String Ensembles. About Urban StringsUrban…
Turtle & Rabbit Tales with Lyn Ford
Feb 15th | 10:00am - 10:45am
Become immersed in the “trickster critters” stories of Affrilachian oral tradition shared with humor and history. Performed by Lyn Ford.
Visit with BalletMet (Ages 2-7)
Dec 7th | 10:00am - 10:30am
Learn about ballerinas & their training with a dance instructor from BalletMet. Stay for a chance to win 2 tickets to the Nutcracker!
Reading Challenge
1,000 Books Before Kindergarten
Unlock your child's potential with this reading challenge. For ages 0-5.
Suggested Websites
Share your childhood joy.
Tell stories about some of the favorite things you used to do as a child.
Concerned about your child’s speech development?
Get free advice from experts with Columbus Speech and Hearing.
Start a conversation at dinner time.
Dinner time is a great place to start a conversation with your kids. The Family Dinner Project has some fun suggestions.
Pick up a wordless picture book.
Encourage your child to become the storyteller with wordless picture books.
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.