Baby storytimes are a unique joy! In addition to sharing the best board books on offer, these storytimes are where we first meet families and set their expectations for what library programs look like. So why do they so often look like the version of storytime that plagues libraries, where children sit in their caregiver’s lap and stare forward at library staff as they read? Obviously, some of this is a necessity of baby development. Babies aren’t ready to jump up on their feet like toddlers, but caregivers are ready to help babies move. By incorporating more movement, we support caregivers in working towards developmental milestones and learning what a more active and engaged storytime looks like.
Tag: child development
Whole Child Development Resources
While librarians might focus on literacy and literature, we should consider the whole child when developing and delivering our collections, services, and programs.
Child development knowledge: What do we know?
We know that children’s librarians develop and deliver services that encourage and support children’s overall development. How do we learn how to do this well? New research about child development knowledge in our field I just read an article called “Child development knowledge among new children’s librarians in US public libraries” that was published in the Journal of Education for Library and Information Science written by Jennifer Rice Sullivan. Sullivan reports on a survey of 61 children’s librarians with MLIS degrees completed within the past five years. Participants responded to a series of questions about perceived knowledge across these six domains of child development: Language Cognition Gross motor Fine motor Emotional Social Most respondents reported having moderate to high levels of knowledge about these domains. Next, Sullivan asked more specific questions about participants’ knowledge of these topics. Behavior management Early literacy skills Object permanence Attachment Separation anxiety Self-regulation Executive functions…