Library’s Baby Brilliant program aims to develop literacy

By ALISON KEMP

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

LD MCDONALD’S farm gained two unlikely animals recently — alligators and crocodiles — but when it’s in the name of early literacy, being silly pays off.

John Yingling led a group of 12 toddlers and their parents and grandparents in song at the Boardman branch of the public library as part of the Baby Brilliant program that helps develop early literacy skills in children.

“Kids love it when you ham it up,” said Yingling, a juvenile librarian at Boardman library.

Yingling spent half an hour sharing stories about alligators and crocodiles. He read books, sang songs and told stories. He involved the children as much as possible, making hand motions for them, doing a finger-play and pointing to the words in the books he read.

The program

The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County created the Baby Brilliant program to teach early literacy skills to children and adults. The skills that the program teaches include letter knowledge, phonological awareness, print motivation, narrative skill, print awareness and vocabulary.

A recent session focused on narrative skills because of all the stories that were told. The different ways Yingling told stories to the group taught the children that they, too, can tell stories in many different ways.

He particularly likes the finger plays, which incorporate children counting with their fingers.

“It’s a painless learning experience for the kids,” Yingling said.

Parents’ reactions

Cyndi Martin, of Austintown, likes the program because of the exposure to books that it provides and because it gets her son, Matthew, 2, used to going to the library, which was echoed by other parents.

Laney Pinciaro, of Boardman, said, “It makes her excited about coming to the library,” of her daughter Gianna, 2.

Pinciaro also likes the one-on-one time she gets to spend with her daughter at the library.

The Baby Brilliant sessions, in addition to the early literacy skills they teach, also teach other skills. Pinciaro said Gianna gets to practice taking turns, sharing and checking out books, too.

Tracy Kinderdine, of Boardman, said her daughter Sarah, 3, asks to come to the sessions because of the crafts at the end of each session.

Regardless of which part of the program the children like best, all the activities are focused around literacy skills.

“I can’t overemphasize the importance of reading. It’s never too early to develop reading skills,” Yingling said.