[photo credit: Pasadena Public Library]
When Brenda brings her daughter Penny to the library each week, she’s giving her toddler a head start that research shows could affect her academic success for years to come.
“My entire childhood was spent at the library,” Brenda said. “Penny absolutely loves when my husband and I read to her and my heart is so happy to start her library journey.”
That journey includes Read! Build! Play!, a free Wednesday morning session at San Rafael Branch Library that pairs classic storytime with self-guided play designed to develop early literacy skills. The program runs from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“Read! Build! Play! is the Pasadena Public Library’s latest offering in its longstanding commitment to early childhood learning,” according to Pasadena Now. “Designed for toddlers and their caregivers, the free program pairs classic storytime with an interactive play session, aiming to nurture not only early literacy but also creativity, motor skills and emotional expression.”
The program uses the Pasadena Public Library’s five-practice early literacy framework based on the American Library Association’s “Every Child Ready to Read” initiative: talking, singing, reading, writing and playing.
Research shows that play helps children think symbolically, so they understand that spoken and written words stand for real objects and experiences. Studies suggest that building toys help children develop motor skills, hand-eye coordination, spatial reasoning and language skills. Research shows evidence that complex block-play is linked with higher mathematical achievement.
The timing carries particular urgency in California, where 47 percent of students statewide were deemed proficient in English language arts as of the 2023-24 school year. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1454 in October, focusing on phonics-based instruction known as “the science of reading.”
Read! Build! Play! will run on Wednesday, Oct. 29, from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. San Rafael Branch Library, 1240 Nithsdale Road, Pasadena. For more information, call (626) 744-7270 or visit https://www.cityofpasadena.net/library/branches/san-rafael-branch/?trumbaEmbed=view%3Devent%26eventid%3D188110007. Admission: Free.