Read, Set, Read! Prepping Kids for Literacy

READY, SET, READ!

Prepping Kids For Literacy

Written By Abby Weingarten

Holistically Literacy may have been a little lagging during the pandemic, as kids switched from turning pages to watching screens. But young students are getting back in touch with their bookworm sides for the 2022-2023 schoolyear, and local library experts are leading the charge.

Ellie Newell, the youth services department head at Bozeman Public Library, said building a “literacy toolkit” is a key component to ensuring student success when it comes to reading this fall—in and out of the classroom.

“We know that face-to-face time between small children and adults is essential for building kids’ early literacy toolkit,” Newell said. “For some families, the pandemic meant more time together building young brains. For other families, the pandemic brought incredible childcare and nancial challenges and a lack of access to educational resources.”

So, how did those disparate shifts a ect youth literacy in the long run?

“We won’t know the full impact of this catastrophe’s impact on children’s literacy for years,” Newell said, “but that it will likely widen the achievement gap between privileged and disadvantaged children.”

Luckily, the public school system o ers a plethora of free resources for all children, and the public library system complements those o erings.

“In our school system, teachers are seeing literacy challenges up close in a way that we don’t at the public library—repeatedly working with individual readers as they build literacy skills over time,” Newell said.

When students are not in school, however, they can turn to the libraries for everything from research assistance to exciting extracurricular activities. The latter, which are typically centered around literacy, help students experience the fun of reading and learning.

“The most important way for kids to prepare for school is to play. When children play, they tell stories, they explore physics and the natural world, and they practice language and emotions within the safety of play,” Newell said. “Immersing yourself in stories—whether you’re reading a book, being read to by a loved one, or telling stories yourself—is the best way to become a strong reader.”

And library leaders like Newell are always ready to nurture young readers—guiding them to the books that will enrich and transform their lives.

“The best book for any reader is the book they love to read,” Newell said. “If you have yet to nd a book that swallows you whole and utterly enchants you, ask your friends, teachers and librarians for suggestions.”

Learn at your Library all year long!

Fun new activities for kids and teens each month.

September:

Ages 5-11: Write and illustrate a postcard for Scooter, the Montana Science Center's axolotl—a gilled amphibian. Teens: Get crafty at our Bad Movie/Maker Night.

bozemanlibrary.org/events/kids