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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Children and their guardians listen to librarian Amanda Kollar during the Baby Brilliant event at the Poland library July 25.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Librarian Amanda Kollar read a book to the group gathered at the Baby Brilliant event at the Poland library July 25.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Mary Jonston played with her niece, Jacky Mathews, during the Baby Brilliant event at the Poland library July 25.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker .Children and their guardians sang along to songs and danced during the weekly Baby Brilliant event at the Poland library July 25.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Librarian Amanda Kollar sang along with the group gathered at the Poland library for the Baby Brilliant event on July 25.
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Neighbors | Jessica Harker.Rachel Predbon held her daughter, Eloise, who is nine months old, during the Baby Brilliant event July 25 at the Poland library.
By JESSICA HARKER
The Poland library hosted its weekly Baby Brilliant program on July 25.
The program, which takes place at multiple library branches, is aimed at promoting literacy in the youngest age group, 6-23 month-olds.
“There’s many different benefits for the kids. Its practicing early literary skills each week, and promoting that skill through rhymes and stories.“ said Amanda Kollar, assistant supervisor at the Poland branch.
Each week, participants show up with their infants at 10 a.m.
At the beginning of the event the librarian passes out sheets of paper outlining literacy goals for the day, tips for parents and the lyrics of any songs they plan to sing.
“Each week we try to give out a tip in which we give parents at least one idea of literacy activities,” Kollar said. “Most of them are working actively with their children on literacy anyway but we just like to highlight a few things.”
For the next half an hour children sing, dance and read books as a group along with their parent or guardian.
They play with other children around their age and begin to discover the meanings of sounds, Kollar said.
“Another important aspect of it is the socialization,” Kollar said.
She explained that after the event, children then spend time playing with toys while the parents and guardians look on.
This is good for younger children because it teaches them how to play and share, but, Kollar said, it is also good for the parents.
“It’s good for the adults getting to know other parents with children about the same age, and being able to get out and meet other people,” she said.
Baby Brilliant is offered at the Poland library every Wednesday from 10-10:30 a.m.