The Hudson Area Library’s Kids First Initiative (KFI) announced Thursday a new early literacy effort, “Storytime on the Go.” The Kids First Initiative seeks to connect with parents and caregivers of infants in toddlers in Hudson, Stockport, and Greenport in order to foster early literacy skills. KFI also aims to provide parents and caregivers with important techniques in reading, talking, and bonding with their young children with books, stories, and songs. By bringing the Hudson Area Library’s resources for young children to locations throughout our community, KFI seeks to provide unique and ample opportunities for parents to expose their infants and toddlers to books and language.
“Reading books and sharing stories with infants and toddlers is essential for childrens’ intellectual development and future success in school. It is never too early to read to your child,” said Hudson Area Library Youth Services Coordinator Jaclyn Bruntfield.
According to “United for Libraries,” a division of the American Library Association, “Early literacy (reading and writing) does not mean early reading instruction or teaching babies to read; it is the natural development of skills through the enjoyment of books, the importance of positive interactions between babies and parents, and the critical role of literacy-rich experiences. Literacy development begins at birth and is closely linked to a baby’s earliest experiences with books and stories. Babies learn language through social literacy experiences – parents interacting with them using books. These experiences also serve to associate books with parental affection, attention, and approval.”
The first “Storytime on the Go” will be at Camphill Solaris at 360 Warren St., Hudson, from 1:00-4:00PM on March 15, 2014. The event is free and open to the public and geared toward children ages 0-3, their parents and caregivers, and older siblings. Storytime on the Go is made possible with early literacy grant support from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
The Kids First Initiative – By putting kids first, we nurture lifelong learners.