Families with babies and preschoolers are invited to join the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program at Swanton Public Library. The “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program is a nationwide challenge that encourages parents and caregivers to regularly read aloud to their children.
By reading just one book a night (even if it’s the same book over and over!), families can reach the 1,000-book goal in three years and provide their children essential early literacy skills. Research shows that the most reliable predictor of school success is being read to during early childhood. Reading to children from an early age can help close the vocabulary gap and prepare children to enter kindergarten with the skills they need to succeed. Most importantly, sharing books with children promotes a lifelong love of books and reading.
Beginning September 8, the “1,000 Books Before Kindergarten” program is available to all families with children between the ages of birth and five years. Families will read in 100-book segments, with prizes and incentives after every 100 books read. Registration is open. This program is free of charge.
On Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons, Swanton Public Library offers the opportunity for your baby, toddler, or preschooler to have fun and learn at the same time through weekly classes held at the library. The first six-week session begins Tuesday, September 8 and continues through Wednesday, October 14. This session children can share books, crafts, and activities about school and preschool with the theme “SCHOOL DAZE.” Registration is not required for these programs.
Program times and days are as follows:
•Once Upon a Story, for ages 3 to 5, meets on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 am in the children’s program room.
•Tales for Tots, for babies and toddlers ages 6 months through 2 years old with an attending adult, meets on Tuesday mornings at 10:30 am in the library community room.
•Once Upon a Story, for ages 1 to 5 (2 and under with attending adult), meets on Wednesday afternoons at 4:00 pm in the children’s program room.
Calling all middle schoolers and high schoolers! The first meeting of Swanton Public Library’s Board of Library Teens (BOLT) will be on Wednesday, September 16, at 4:45 pm. Anyone interested in joining this group is invited to attend. Attendees can show up anytime between 4:45 pm and 5:30 pm.
BOLT (Board of Library Teens) is an advisory board of students in grades 6 through 12. Members meet regularly one day a month with a youth services librarian. At meetings they discuss books, help plan programs for their peers, provide input on library issues related to teens, assist in selecting teen-related materials, and promote the library to teens. Free snacks are also included. If you’re interested in participating but cannot attend this meeting, please let us know!
Come to the Swanton Public Library from 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm on Wednesday, September 23, for an afternoon all about anime and otakudom! Join us to eat snacks (Japanese and otherwise), watch two or three episodes of an anime (or two) chosen by the attendees, and play Japanese dance videos and other geeky videos if requested. Participants are welcome to come in cosplay. No registration required. FREE!
On Saturday, September 26 from 10:30 am to 11:15 am, come celebrate being down on the farm at the library! Hear fun farm stories from around the world, play silly farm games, make your own farm animal craft, and try farm snacks!
To register for any of these programs or to find more information, please visit the library, call 419-826-2760, or go online to http://www.swantonpubliclibrary.org. The Swanton Library is located at 305 Chestnut Street in Swanton.
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