\u200b\u200bChase Nelson started kindergarten with a bigger vocabulary and more self-confidence thanks to the Tuesdays he spent at the library with his mom.<\/p>\n
Andrea Nelson credits a weekly storytime and other early literacy activities at the Colorado River Indian Tribes and Parker libraries with helping her shy son socialize with other children while building prereading skills.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt first he was nervous to participate, but he started opening up more,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cEvery time we went he would get a book to take home.\u201d<\/p>\n
The family also took home additional tasks to help build vocabulary. The early literacy activities are funded by the First Things First Colorado River Indian Tribes Region to support families by connecting parents of young kids to programs and activities that promote healthy development and school readiness.<\/p>\n
The strategy is meant to capitalize on the rapid brain development happening in the first five years. Birth to five is also the time when things like self-esteem and confidence start to take root, making storytime the perfect place to learn how to make new friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2018s a good opportunity for kids to be around their peers and come out of their comfort zone by singing and participating,\u201d Nelson said.<\/p>\n
While Chase attended storytime, Librarian Daris Laffoon provided his baby sister a book to read while lying on her stomach to build muscle tone in a technique informally known as \u201ctummy time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nelson said that now that her daughter is getting older, Chase is having fun introducing his sister to his favorite books. \u201cWe\u2019ve read all the books, now he\u2019s going back and reading them with her,\u201d she said.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"