Join the fun as we grow readers in the Story Garden during the fall Story Time season at the Cazenovia Public Library. Beginning on Tuesday, September 8^th, story time will be held every week day morning with staff members who have had specialized training in early literacy.

            Nursery rhymes bring joy to children of all ages and that’s what “Baby Story Time” with Betsy Kennedy is all about. Newborns to children 24 months old with their parents/caregivers are invited to join her on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10:15.

Betsy Nash is calling all children ages 2 and 3 and their parents/caregivers to the Story Garden for “Toddler Story Time” on Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:15. Children ages 3, 4, and 5 with their parents/caregivers are invited to join her for “Preschool Story Time” on Thursdays at 10:15 and on Fridays at 11:15.  Come on in and enjoy the fun that prepares children for school, both socially and academically, while giving parents the necessary background in child development that will help them guide their children towards becoming lifelong readers.

              Assisting children in the reading habit and making it a lifelong joy is best accomplished by bringing them to story time at an early age. Linda Leonard Lamme, formerly of Cazenovia and co-author of Raising Readers, confirms that “reading will come far easier to the child who has been immersed in printed literature from an early age.”

            Likewise, studies show that children who are read to at an early age and who use the library perform better in school and are more likely to continue to use the library as a source of lifelong learning.  Great gains can be made as parents include borrowing books and reading at home as part of the weekly story time experience. 

Now is the time to “grab” your infants, toddlers, and preschoolers and come to Story Time where fun abounds with books, nursery rhymes, finger plays, songs, and a wide range of educational toys, not to mention the opportunity for “Story Time” parents to form lasting friendships while enjoying adult socialization. Everyone’s doing it!

            For more information on “Story Time in the Story Garden,” call 655-9322 or visit www.midyork.org/cazenovia.