Only 17 percent of fourth-graders in Philadelphia were proficient in reading, according to the latest round of test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The best way to improve childhood literacy is to start early with kids; reading together with toddlers boosts language skills and builds good reading habits, according to developmental learning experts.
In Lower Moyamensing, the benefits — and fun — of fostering young readers is on display at the Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. Library.
Once each month, the Donatucci librarians host families from the neighborhood for Read Baby Read: Baby and Toddler Storytime, a program that is funded by the William Penn Foundation. Sunita Balajia, the children’s librarian there, provided more information about the importance of early childhood literacy for both children and their mothers while participating in a brief Q&A.
The following interview has been lightly edited for grammar and style.
How many families come to storytime?
Depends on the week, but we have built our numbers up greatly. Yesterday, we hit a record of 54 attendees (including a daycare that visited with 13 toddlers), but generally I would say 30 families come in regularly, though not every week.
Who are the families and where do they come from?
Mostly families in the neighborhood, but also from the greater South Philadelphia area and we even have a couple of families that have moved away, but return for Storytime here when they can. Families find out about Storytime from our website, our social media page, parent groups on Facebook, word-of-mouth, from me talking to people in the neighborhood, and when they see our signage outside when they pass the library. We hand out flyers as well.
What is the average age of the kids who attend?
Between 3 months and 5 years old.
What year did family storytime begin?
I started the Storytime at Donatucci Branch in October 2019. Since 2021, we have been doing Read Baby Read Storytime, which is grant funded by the William Penn Foundation.
What inspired family storytime?
Before I started at this branch, there was no children’s librarian for nearly two years, so there was a deep need for area families with young children for programming like Storytime.
Why is family Storytime important to the neighborhood?
To create community, not just among the children, but the caregivers as well. The caregivers provide support to each other when they struggle with balancing parenting with work, etc. Also, I include literacy tips and guided lessons to help children associate literacy with joy.
The following photos were taken while attending the program on an early afternoon in March.
Please email any questions or concerns about these stories to: [email protected].
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