Library Storytime

S has always loved story time--even when he was too little to really sit through it, he loved to go.  The Story time Lady at our local library was wonderfully patient with him and never got mad when he would dance around or talk or come up to point at the pictures.  We worked on library manners and over time, he got it down and is now the model Story time attendee.

We don't really do story time during the school year--the evening family session is smack dab in the middle of dinner/bath/story/bedtime routines and we try not to mess those routines up.  Occasionally my Mom would drop by and take him (he can handle having his routine disrupted to a certain extent) but we typically reserve story time for the summers when we can go during the day.  I must admit, part of that reluctance to go in the evening has been B's reaction to story time.

He HATED it.  Asking him to sit in the circle was torture to him--he screamed and cried and would then run around screeching and disrupting the entire group.  We tried several times and B's story time always ended with us leaving the group after just a few minutes to read quietly in another part of the library.  He did fine in the one-on-one setting but could not handle the group.  We would join back in for the crafts but B didn't like the feel of the supplies, whether it was paint or construction paper or whatever.  S would use his craft supplies to make something instead :p  Between B's screaming and his unwillingness to participate, we stopped going with him.  I would take S and he would join the circle and then I would go do something elsewhere in the library with B.

When B started playgroup with Early Intervention, we pretty much had the same response--as soon as you asked him to get in the circle, the screaming would start.  They sorta expect it there, though, so week after week, I or one of the ladies would hold a screaming B and try to get him to take an interest and participate in circle time.  He never did.

However, his year of preschool did what EI could not--he will sit quietly in group circle time!  It was part of his daily routine at school and while they did have days where he reverted back to old behaviors, he is fairly cooperative now.  On Wednesday when we went to the Summer Reading Program, B was quiet and listened.   YAY!!!!!  So far only S is signed up but I may just need to sign B up for his age group and keep his circle time skills up to date ;-)

Before we could leave, we had to do puzzles :p  You can't have a library trip without puzzles!

Fun times at the library

Summer Reading

One of the (many) things I love about S's school is their summer reading program.  The kids are asked to pick out several books that interest them--the teachers make sure the books are at the appropriate reading levels, usually a few books that are "easy" for the kids to read, a few that are the next level up, and usually at least one "challenging" book.  Because the kids chose them, they are usually invested in reading them.  Each kid is giving a nice little bag to carry their books in and after each one is read several times, you fill out a postcard to send to the school about the book.

S's last day of school was Friday and he has already read one of the books to me a couple times and filled out his postcard and mailed it off.  The summer is getting off to a quick start ;)  We pick a new book out today and will get to work on the next postcard :)

Another bonus to the school's program is that it also counts toward his page/book count for the library's summer program.  We need to head into our local branch this week and get him signed up.  In previous years he hasn't really participated but his reading has improved and he has actually started enjoying reading.  He still prefers to be read to because he likes the books and stories above his reading level more but he is more willing to read the simpler books for practice than he was even just a few months ago.  I think it has become habit now because has had to read every night for school.