Read

Reading helps children learn new words, learn how language works, and learn about the world. Children who know a lot of words and enjoy listening to books become better readers. 

Programs At Your Library:

1000 Books Before Kindergarten

A free program encouraging all parents and caregivers to read daily to their children, ensuring a solid foundation for when their child reaches kindergarten. Sign up at any Siouxland Libraries branch or online by visiting READsquared. 

Read with your child EVERY SINGLE DAY. If you read three books a day, you’ll reach 1,000 books in less than a year! Your child will receive a free book after completing the program. 

Events at Your Library: 

Baby Storytime

Get to know other families while helping your baby develop listening and language skills with songs, stories, and playtime. For ages 9 to 15 months and their caregivers. 

Toddler Storytime

Nurture a love of books through music, movement, and activities, while developing language, motor, and social skills. For ages 15 months - 3 years and their caregivers. 

Preschool Storytime

Encourage a love of reading and develop your preschooler’s early learning through stories, rhymes, songs, and movement activities. For ages 3 to 5. 

Ready, Set, Kindergarten

Starting Kindergarten is a significant transition in your child’s life. In this free six-week program, we will go over the six readiness skills that will help your child feel confident on their first day.

Family Storytime

Stimulate early learning with books, rhymes, music, and movement at this drop-in program. For ages newborn to 5 years and their caregivers. 

Virtual Storytimes

Siouxland Libraries’ YouTube channel has stories, songs, and activities made by your favorite storytellers. Enjoy storytimes from home! 

Services at Your Library: 

Stories to Go

These themed kits include everything needed for storytime at home: books, puppets, DVDs, and an activity guide.

WonderBooks and Vox Books

These are children’s picture books with a ready-to-play audiobook already inside. It’s never been more fun to read along!

Concept Books

These books help prepare your child for Kindergarten by using stories to teach counting, shapes, letters, and colors.

Learning to Count

Learning Colors

Learning Letters

Learning Shapes

BookFlix

A digital literacy resource that pairs animated stories with a nonfiction book to introduce early learners to the delights of reading while sparking curiosity. 

Learning At Home:

• Read with expression. Don’t be afraid to be silly! When you enjoy sharing books together, your child will learn that reading is fun.
• Know when to stop. If your child loses interest or has troubles paying attention, put the book away for a while. Reading is meant to be an enjoyable experience!
• Read it again and again and AGAIN! Rereading favorite books strengthens brain connections and helps your child build language to get ready to read.
• Read words everywhere – on street signs, in the grocery store, on the side of a bus. Reading words all around shows your child that words are important and fun to read!
• Be a reader yourself. You are your child’s first and best teacher.