ELIZABETHTOWN — The Bladen County Public Library celebrated St. Patrick’s Day in style this year with a leprechaun-themed story time and plenty of green crafts and snacks for all attendees!
Children who attended were able to listen to a reading of “Pete the Cat: The Great Leprechaun Chase” by James Dean. Following story time, the kids made Lucky Leprechaun Finders, then had a lovely snack.
The Bladen County Public Library offers story times such as this one each month for children five and under. Although many residents may not be aware this event occurs, it is an amazing opportunity to help your child learn and grow.
Studies have proven that reading aloud to kids benefits their cognitive function. In such studies, brain scans of children listening to someone read aloud have demonstrated that hearing stories helps to strengthen the part of the brain that controls and processes visual imagery, story comprehension, and word meaning.
One study found that reading to kindergarten-aged children at least three times a week provides them with “significantly greater phonemic awareness than did children who were read to less often.” The 1985 landmark Becoming a Nation of Readers report concluded that “the single most important activity for building knowledge for their eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”
In addition to lending support with academic learning, reading and listening to someone read can also strengthen the social, emotional, and character development of young children. A study that was recently published states that reading to very young children can help decrease levels of aggression, hyperactivity, and attention difficulties. These behaviors, which young children tend to struggle with more, can be prevented by taking the time to read to young children while they are still learning how to concentrate, as well as regulate their emotions. When being read to, children must be quiet and still so they can pay attention to the story. The experience of doing so during story time will help them better do so at other appropriate times.
The lead author of the most recently mentioned study shared this insight with The New York Times: “When parents read with their children more … they learn to use words to describe feelings that are otherwise difficult and this enables them to better control their behavior when they have challenging feelings like anger or sadness.”
Learning to express their feelings young will be a tremendous help in navigating the world as they continue to go through life.
The Bladen County Public Library is providing resources for child residents that will set them up for future success. For more information on the library’s story time events, as well as the other events they have going on, please visit the Bladen County Library’s website or Facebook page.
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