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Open House celebrates ‘Brilliant Babies’
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Librarian Kathe Orr (right) had her guests jumping and hopping during a story time on Nov. 16. Her activities were part of the Baby Brilliant Open House hosted at the library.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Librarian Orr appealed to many senses when she handed out a small square of bubble wrap for her Baby Brilliant guests. Grandma Carol Leone (back) and granddaughter Serena Robenolt (front) enjoyed the unique feel of the bubble wrap in their hands and listened to the distinctive pop of bubbles.
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Neighbors | Sarah Foor .Orr's Nov. 16 story time focused on the fun of having hands and feet. To make sure that her young guests knew body parts and where they go, Orr completed a person puzzle and the guests told her how arms, legs, and a torso fit together.
By SARAH FOOR
Guests at the Austintown library’s Baby Brilliant Open House on Nov. 16 were equipped with a wealth of tools to use at home with their young readers.
The event began with a story time hosted by librarian Kathe Orr, where she focused on the many interesting things that hands and feet can do.
With music, Orr invited parents and their babies to dance, stomp, and point their toes. The librarian reassembled a person puzzle, making sure that the young guests could identify their body parts and where they go.
Orr handed out small sheets of bubble wrap, telling the youngsters to focus on the fun sensation of popping the plastic bubbles.
“Today, we focused on the literary skill of discovering new words. I tried to introduce new words for actions that the babies and toddlers already know, so that we can increase their vocabulary. Studies have shown that children who have large vocabularies before school tend to do well when they do arrive,” explained Orr.
After the reading, Orr invited the open house guests to an activity area that showed parents and young readers tools for discovering print, sounds, stories, words, letters, and books through games and projects.
The event was also a chance for the library to introduce Baby Brilliant To-Go kits. For parents or caregivers who cannot attend the library’s Baby Brilliant programs or wants to work with their child at home, the kits offer a collection of developmentally appropriate books, music, and toys to help build literacy skills.
The kits circulate for 14 days and can be checked out for free with a library card.
“It’s a great way for parents to bring the lessons of Baby Brilliant home, and in a way that relates to the work we do here at the library,” Orr said.