Little Learners: Getting Ready for PreK at the Library

Many, if not all, public library systems provide story time for their preschool-aged patrons. These story times focus on early literacy skills to help get children ready to read. We often market these programs as helping to prepare children for preschool. This is because we know that early exposure to singing, talking, and reading sets children up to become successful readers. However, there is even more that the library can offer in terms of school readiness programs. 

Last summer, I attended a session hosted by DC Public Schools that provided families with an overview of what the typical preschool day would look like for their children. I learned about what content would be covered, the length of the day, and the structure of the program. I then combined my new knowledge of DCPS’s preschool program with my own experiences as a preschool teacher to bring a preschool readiness program to my library. At the end of the summer, I introduced a multi-part series called “Little Learners” for ages 3-5. 

What was it?

Little Learners was run over four days for 1.5 hours each day at the end of August. Each program consisted of a circle time, where we reviewed a schedule, calendar, and said hello. We then transitioned into a whole-group read-aloud. Then, children and their families participated in a whole-group craft themed around the read-aloud. As participants began to finish their crafts, a block of centers was introduced. There were typically 3-4 centers available for families to work through at their own pace. These were themed around the book of the day. These centers consisted of sensory, math, and other learning activities. After about 20 minutes of centers, families were invited to clean up as a group, and then everyone came back together for a goodbye circle. 

Why this program?

Little Learners was something that I developed after hearing from many families about their nerves in getting their children ready for school. They were nervous that their children would not know what school really was, or why they were there, if they had never done something like that before. As someone who previously worked as a preschool teacher, I felt as though I was in a unique position to be able to show kids what school is like. The program was created with the following purposes:

• Show children what a typical school day might look like
• Teach children what the expectations of them at school are
• Provide families with a real-life experience to refer back to as they discussed “going to school” at home

Patron Response and Feedback

This program was extremely successful at my branch. Many of the patrons who attended still discuss last summer’s program with me a year later. I also had families inquiring about the program for this summer back in January! Because of the previous year’s success, I am able to host this program again and get even more children ready for preschool.

If you are interested in hosting this program at your library or finding out more about what went into planning Little Learners, feel free to check out my planning spreadsheet, where I list out activities and timing for each of the four days of programming. 

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This post addresses ALSC Core Competencies 1.4, 1.5, 3.1, 3.2, and 3.6.

Annaliese Melvin (she/they) is a children’s librarian at a neighborhood library in Washington, D.C. Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved to the DC-area in 2020 to become a special education teacher after graduating with her bachelor’s from Arcadia University. In 2023, she graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a master’s degree in Library and Information Science and transitioned into the library field. Annaliese currently works to bring more inclusive programming to DC Public Libraries for children of all ages. She is passionate about equity, inclusion, reading, and Philadelphia sports.