“There’s nothing for young children to do in Springfield,” is a common lament from parents. The next time you’re looking for a fun activity to share with your child, look no further than one of these local reading programs.
Barnes & Noble
3111 S. Veterans Pkwy., 217-546-9440
Barnes & Noble has story times on Wednesday and Saturday mornings beginning at 11 a.m. Each one has a different theme. “A lot of people don’t know about them,” said bookseller Emily King, who added they are free and geared for children age two to four.
“The kids enjoy being read to,” said King, who enjoys getting to know the children. She always has an activity that goes along with the story to connect fun with reading.
Charlotte and Milly Jackson love coming to story time. Both girls love to read. Charlotte’s favorite books are the Fancy Nancy books by Jane O’Connor and Milly’s favorite book is In My Heart by Jo Witek.
“This is a great way to support literacy with kids,” said Holly Van Lyssel, community business development manager. Her job is to connect books with the community.
The store has a free Kids’ Club reading program for children age 12 and younger and a summer reading program for children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The summer reading program begins at the end of May and runs through mid-September and participants earn free books.
“It’s a great way to get kids reading,” said Van Lyssel, who loves seeing the love of reading in a child’s eyes. “It’s magical.”
Henson Robinson Zoo
1100 E. Lake Dr., 217-585-1821
One of the zoo’s most popular programs is Zoo Tots. “We wanted something that would reach preschoolers,” said Emily McEvoy, education curator.
The program is geared for children age two to five and begins the week of Feb. 10. Each class includes stories, animal visitors, crafts, games and more. Cost is $8 per class for one adult and one child for park district residents or zoo members and $10.50 per class for non-residents and non-members. Preregistration is required and class size is limited to 10 children and 10 adults.
Each class has an animal theme. Activities focus on the animal they’re learning about and preschool skills. “Kids this age loving having books read to them,” said McEvoy.
This is a great experience for children and adults and involves active hands-on learning. Everyone has fun and takes away basic information about animals and their ecosystem. “The more senses that are involved, the more memorable,” said McEvoy. “It sticks with them.”
McEvoy is also working on developing a pilot program, Wild About Reading, which is geared for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes. The 45-minute program combines a story with an activity. Teachers can select from 12 themes. The cost is $60 within city limits. Preregistration is required.
McEvoy loves sharing her knowledge about animals with others. “It’s rewarding to see peoples’ faces light up,” she said.
Illinois State Museum
502 S. Spring St., 217-782-7386
Story Time at the Museum is geared for children age three through five. “The museum was looking for more programming for this age group,” said Elizabeth Bazan, public programs coordinator. The free program is held the second Monday of every month beginning at 10 a.m.
Each month features a different theme. Bazan selects a nonfiction and fiction book to go with the theme and local songwriter Amy Benton writes songs to accompany the books. “What sets us apart is our ability to pull in artifacts from our collection,” said Bazan.
“We have a pretty loyal following,” added Bazan, who gets a lot of people who are looking for something different to do. Museums are a great community resource and aren’t just for learning. They’re enjoyable places to go as well.
The museum is known for its quality educational programs. “It’s a great way to get a younger audience in here,” said Bazan, who hopes the museum is fostering lifelong learners. Children this age soak everything in so the earlier they begin learning the more ready they are for school. “It’s great to see their eyes light up,” she said. “It’s a moment every educator lives for to see the little light bulb turn on.”
“Story Time has been a great addition,” continued Bazan, who said she gets a lot of satisfaction getting to spend time with the kids.
Lincoln Library
326 S. Seventh St., 217-753-4900
The downtown library plans to bring back its Monday and Saturday story times starting in February. It has only been offering Thursday morning story time, which starts at 10:30 a.m.
Baby lap sit for ages 0 to 18 months will return Monday, March 2, at 11 a.m. and Saturday morning story time will return Saturday, Feb. 14, at 11 a.m. All three will run through April before taking a hiatus and returning in June. Programs are free and include stories and activities.
“It’s good for kids,” said Phyllis Barnard, the manager of the youth services department. “We want kids to get used to reading and listening to stories. It gets them interested in stories and coming to the library.”
Among the favorite children’s books are I’m Not Scared by Jonathan Allen, the Dinosaur Books by Jane Yolen and Mark Teague, the Dr. Seuss books by Theodor Seuss Geisel and the Maisy books by Lucy Cousins.
The summer reading program kicks off May 30 and runs through July 25. This year’s theme is “Read to the Rhythm.” Special guests include storyteller Mike Anderson, the Music Factory, St. Louis-based Mad Science, magician Richard Landry and the DePriest Puppets. Kids can sign up throughout the summer and don’t need a library card.
“The library is a great asset,” said Barnard.
Illinois State Library
300 S. Second St., 217-785-5600,
The Illinois State Library offers several statewide and nationwide reading programs.
Letters About Literature
This nationwide program promotes reading and writing for students in grades 4-12. Last year, Illinois ranked first for the most entries for the seventh year in a row. Bonnie Matheis, the coordinator for the Illinois Center for the Book, said several years ago a Springfield student, Abigail Rockford, placed first.
Students choose a book and write a letter to the author about how the book changed their life. “Students make a connection with the book,” said Matheis, who said older students often write about heavy subjects like suicide, cutting and bullying. “It helps them see they’re not the only one suffering,” she said. “It helps them to see others writing about this.”
The Secretary of State’s office supports the program. “No other Secretary of State’s office is actively involved,” said Matheis. Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White was an educator for 33 years. “We’re lucky,” she said. “It’s such a great program.”
The program dovetails with the common core standards for language arts and reading. The idea behind it is to get students reading.
Read for a Lifetime
This statewide program began in 1991 under Lt. Gov. Bob Kustra and in 1997 the Secretary of State’s office took it over. At the time, it was the only reading program targeting high school students.
“There is a new reading list every year,” said Matheis. Students must read four titles from the list during the school year. Consideration is made for students with special needs and who are blind so that everyone can participate. This year Springfield High School is participating in the program.
Studies show that students tend to lose interest in reading for pleasure in high school. The primary goal of the program is to promote the enjoyment of reading by encouraging students to read both classic and contemporary literature and rewarding them for their effort. Hopefully, this will encourage a love of books and reading that will last a lifetime.
“Librarians know what kids are reading,” said Matheis. Last year, the top five selections were The Perks of Being a Wallflower, The List, Every Day, Enders Game and Tiger Lily.
Family Reading Night
This statewide program started in 1992 under former Secretary of State George Ryan. The idea behind it is to encourage families to turn off the television and read together. “Families that read together, grow together,” said Matheis. Reading to your child at a young age instills a love of reading in a child. The Illinois Reading Council’s Illinois Reads ends on Family Reading Night, which is the third Thursday in November.
Matheis said kids look forward to Family Reading Night. The Illinois Center for the Book has partnered with the Illinois Reading Council for the past two years. This year’s theme is Camp Out With A Good Book. Matheis has seen an increase in numbers with the Illinois Reading Council’s support.
Communities get together and plan events. “People can do what they want,” said Matheis, who will work with communities to plan programs. The idea is to make reading fun. The Illinois Center for the Book provides posters and bookmarks to participating organizations.
Last year, 11 Springfield schools participated.
Illinois Reads
This statewide program is designed to get people reading and to promote Illinois authors. There are different reading levels from birth to adult. “Illinois has a rich literary heritage,” said Matheis. The idea behind the program is to encourage everyone to read Illinois authors.
The book selection committee draws up a list of Illinois authors. Different authors are highlighted each year. Matheis said authors love to donate their time to the project and often visit schools and libraries or do Skype visits. “It’s fun,” she said.
Roberta Codemo of Springfield is a frequent contributor to Illinois Times. She shares an apartment with her two-year-old cat, Coal, and is the proud aunt of three nieces, one nephew and twin great-nieces.
This article appears in Capital City Parent January 2015.
