Library's Mother Goose Time gets tots ready to read

By Cherry Sokoloski
Fossil Creek Current

It was a good day when Jennifer Zachman, the children's librarian at the Fort Collins Harmony Library, learned that what she had been doing for fun with young children also helps their brain development and reading readiness.

Zachman is in charge of Mother Goose Time, a program geared to children less than 2 years of age. Every Monday morning, moms and dads and their little ones gather for a half-hour of fun with animal sounds, songs, nursery rhymes and stories. They also play with puzzles, do movement games and watch puppets at work.

This fun time teaches parents lots of activities they can use at home, and it gets families into the habit of using the library. It also prepares the youngsters for future reading and learning.

"All this fun stuff really has benefits," Zachman noted.

Mother Goose Time is one of the programs that could be expanded once the new library district gets up and running. Currently, it is offered only at the Harmony Library, each Monday morning at 10:15 and 11:15.

"It's been wildly successful," said library director Brenda Carns, and available slots fill up quickly.

Zachman uses her storehouse of songs, stories and games both at the library and also at home with her 2-year-old daughter, Abigail. She's read the research about brain development, but she also knows firsthand that these activities help children learn.

One of Abigail's favorite books is "Piggies" by Don and Audrey Wood, a story about 10 little piggies who dance on a child's fingers and toes. By reading and rereading this story, Abigail has learned to look at the illustrations and tell the tale herself, developing both vocabulary and narrative skills that will be valuable later in reading.

It's important to use lots of repetition to make strong brain connections, Zachman noted. In other words, there's a reason children go for those favorite books time and time again. It's also good to introduce some variation.

Zachman recently showed parents at Mother Goose Time how they can use repetition with variation to help strengthen new connections in their children's brains. She sang "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" with a group of moms and toddlers, then the moms all read the words together. Finally, she asked the parents to use "spider" motions on their youngsters' arms while they sang the song again.

Research has identified six prereading skills that can be developed from birth onward. These include enjoying books, being able to tell stories, having a good vocabulary and knowing how to recognize different letters. Songs and rhymes are especially useful for learning new words.

Singing has many benefits that aren't immediately obvious. It reduces stress, helps a child's memory and increases endorphins, those feel-good chemicals in the brain. And, Zachman said, the child doesn't care whether the parent sings like Pavaratti or Pooh Bear.

Young children's brains are developing rapidly, Zachman emphasized, and every new experience creates new connections in the brain. A child exposed to many experiences has a better basis for future learning, since he or she can relate new information to those past experiences. Loving touch, like lap time, and a strong bond with parents are both important throughout this learning process.

The Fort Collins Public Library has many resources in addition to Mother Goose Time to help parents get their children ready to read. Library assistant Vicky Hays offers free trainings for parents, using the national "Every Child Ready to Read" curriculum. For a schedule, check the web site www.fcgov.com/library.

The library also has an easy-to-read brochure with reading readiness ideas. Parents are encouraged to talk to their children and to listen as the children try to communicate - even if the parent can't understand a word.

"It's not just the words, it's the relationship that's important," Zachman said.

Also available at the library are books and DVDs by Pamela Schiller, a national expert in early literacy. These include music CDs for children, her book "Creating Readers" and a DVD called "Start Smart! Building Brain Power in the Early Years."

The bottom line: Having fun with young children, whether it's playing games, reading stories or singing songs, is time well spent.

Each Mother Goose Time series runs for four consecutive weeks, and there's room for 14 parent-child pairs. To register for the next series, which begins Feb. 5, call 204-8404 or stop by the children's desk at the Harmony Library.