Why have Story Times?

Why do we do story times in libraries?

Brainstorm this with your colleagues. Use the headings below plus any more that you think of.

For children and young people

Story time brings so much! It helps in the development of:

• Listening skills
• Memory and concentration
• Visual skills
• Imagination and creativity
• Communication skills – talking about the books, joining in the stories, making up your own
• Social skills – sharing and relating with new people, adults and children
• Knowledge of the world around you
• Language skills – copying rhythms, speech patterns, voice expressions; getting to understand the link between words and objects or ideas
• And it is fun!

For parents, carers, teachers

• The enjoyment of sharing with, and watching, the children
• Learning, or remembering, rhymes and stories to share with their children
• Learning ways of telling them or singing them, maybe building up their own skills and confidence
• Finding out about new books and stories
  For library staff
• Building skills in reading and telling stories, singing rhymes
• Building skills in relating with children and their parents and carers
• Getting to know new rhymes and stories
• And enjoyment again!

For libraries

• Showing that the library is a welcoming and enjoyable place for children and their families
• Promoting the sheer fun and pleasure of reading
• Using the opportunity to show people all the other things which libraries do

For local and national initiatives

For example:

• Social inclusion
• Lifelong learning
• The National Curriculum and National Literacy Strategy
• Community cohesion
• Cultural activity

You will have many more reasons to add here.

Now that you are thinking about the impact you want to achieve through your story time sessions, check back with the Planning and Evaluation section on this site to help you plan how you will set up and run this activity.