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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Aubrey Merrill, age 1, crawled on the ground during the Baby Brilliant event July 3 at the Austintown library.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Participants danced along with their care givers on July 3 at the Austintown library Baby Brilliant event.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Librarian Taylor Cowles sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star," during the Baby Brilliant event July 3 at the Austintown library.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Annalise and Jordan Kenyon danced around during the Baby Brilliant event July 3 at the Austintown library.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Kaeya Brown, Liam Beverly and Amaya Elliott all sat on the ground as the librarian read a book during the Baby Brilliant event July 3.
By JESSICA HARKER
One of the Austintown libraries most popular programs, Baby Brilliant, took place on July 3.
The program runs every week and is focused on developing literacy skills at a young age, according to Taylor Cowles, a youth services librarian at the Austintown branch.
“Working on just recognizing what words are, how pictures go with a story, how stories work, that kind of thing.” Cowles said.
Cowles said that to gain the literacy skills through the program, it has to be an ongoing process.
For this reason a lot of families bring their children back week after week.
“Once they hit the age limit of the baby story time they usually move up to the toddler one, or they will come to our got to move event,” Cowles said.
The program is designed for children 6-23 months-old.
During the program librarians will read a few books designed for young children to the babies and parents present.
Cowles read “All about me,” a book designed to help babies understand different body parts to the group.
Additionally, the groups will sing songs such as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” and “Wheels on the Bus.”
After 20 minutes of reading and singing, the children are encouraged to play with a big bin of toys and allowed to socialize with other children.
The attendees of the program are also encouraged to sign up for the Imagination Library, according to Cowles.
Imagination Library allows any child under the age of 5 to receive a free new book every month.
“It’s all free and run through a non-profit,” Cowles said, explaining that the library does not fund the program.
Baby Brilliant is scheduled every Tuesday from 10-11 a.m. and it is free to attend.