Queen Anne’s County Free Library announces that early literacy centers are now available at both the Centreville and Kent Island Branches. Each early literacy activity center contains fun, high-quality educational materials designed for parents and caregivers to use with toddlers and preschool children while they visit the library. The centers, provided by the Eastern Shore Regional Library through a grant from the Arthur W. Perdue Foundation, are designed to foster early literacy and school readiness skills. Research shows that success in school begins at birth and that the ages of birth to five are critical learning years.
“These centers are a natural extension of the library’s services to families,” explains Rachael Stein of the Eastern Shore Regional Library. “Making sure that children start school ready to learn is one of our key objectives. Along with our books and library programs, early literacy activities provide valuable experiences that set children on the path to become enthusiastic lifelong learners.”
Each activity center contains nine activity bins, each with suggestions for creative play and parent-child dialogue. Toys include blocks, seek and find alphabet bags, plush and plastic animals, household items, and other manipulatives to encourage open-ended, constructive and dramatic play.
“Play is vital for early learning. It is not ‘recess’ or a ‘timeout’ from learning, rather it IS the way young children learn,” writes Sue McCleaf Nespeca of the Association for Library Service for Children, a division of the American Library Association. “Through play, young children learn about their world. With this knowledge, they can understand books and stories once they begin to read.”
The activity centers complement other early learning tools available at the libraries, such as puzzles, coloring, and AWE Early Literacy computer stations for ages 2-10. Earlier in the year, the library also introduced magnetic learning boards featuring letters, numbers, shapes, gears, and dress-up dolls.
The early literacy centers are available for use during normal library hours. To learn more, please contact the Centreville Library at (410) 758-0980 or the Kent Island Branch at (410) 643-8161.
Pictured is AJ Monzeglio of Chester