Nine Techniques that will Take Storytime From Good to Great
A live and engaging presentation of a book stirs imagination, builds community and brings people from all walks of life into your library. Storytime is, without question, worth doing.
However, many libraries struggle to make Storytime live up to its potential. We asked librarians from all over the world to weigh in on what they do to make Storytime a rewarding experience for everyone.
he list of nine tips and techniques are simple actions any library can take to improve Storytime.
We have made a printable poster anyone can download and post in your library. The guidelines on the poster are editable so you can adapt them to your community.
Here are nine easily applied tactics you can use today for a great Storytime.
1. Younger Children Sit Closest
Young children have short attention spans and they like to wiggle. They’re kids. It’s unreasonable to expect young children to sit quietly in rapt attention for more than 15 minutes.
Seat children, from the perspective of the presenter, youngest to oldest. If a young child experiences separation anxiety from a parent, invite the parent to sit and hold the child in the group.
2. Adults Included
Invite adults to sing, do hand motions, and engage with the presenter. Invite parents to model behavior for their children. Children will be more likely to engage, if they see multiple adults following the presenter.
It might take a few friendly invitations to break adults out of their shells. Keep trying.
If parents are holding conversations among themselves, invite them to take a few steps to away from the group. It’s OK to gently remind parents that the narrator is not a babysitter.
3. Phones Not Included
Very little will ruin the event faster than a group of parents standing in the back engrossed in their phones. Ask parents to put phones away for Storytime.
If a parent must take a call or respond to a text message, invite them to step away from the group.
4. Use a Microphone
If children cannot hear the narrator, they will not be engaged. If there are participants who are more than 15 feet from the narrator, they will have a hard time hearing—especially in a busy library environment.
You don’t need a big, expensive sound system. For $50, you can buy a wireless headset microphone and a Bluetooth speaker. Place the speaker near the back of the group to ensure that everyone, from front to back can hear without straining.
Having a little amplification will ensure that everyone from the front to the back of the group —or the narrator losing his or her voice. If you have not used a speaker in the past, you might be amazed at how much it helps keep everyone focused.
5. Incorporate Movement
Get up and dance! Find books that can easily incorporate movement. Standing up and moving will engage participants and help get the wiggles out.
If standing up and dancing is too much, try finger rhymes. teach a few words in American Sign Language or other actions that put hands in the air.
Movement will engage the children and make story time memorable for everyone. Many presenters find that movement allows them to read keep the attention of young children longer.
6. Pre-Show Routine
It’s a good idea for library staff, especially the presenter, to interact with children and families before story time begins. This way, parents and children are more comfortable, and presenters can better know the needs of the children sitting at the event.
7. Recognize Ability Levels
Children of different ages and ability levels need separate story times.
It’s a best practice to set up story times based on the type of book will be presented. If possible, post the title and information about the book days prior to the event. Useful information for a prospective participant is the page count, reading level and target age group.
Having information ahead of time will allow parents and caregivers can make and educated decision regarding whether-or-not a child can usefully participate in a story time.
8. Post and Remind
Success demands structure. It’s OK to make everyone involved with Storytime aware of how you define success and what you’re trying to accomplish. Post guidelines and remind everyone of guideline before you begin each Storytime event.
With everyone aware of the goals and guidelines, your rate of success will increase while the need for corrective measures will go down.
9. No Pressure for Parents
Many parents hesitate to put young children in a group because they just don’t know if the child will sit still and listen. Let parents know it’s OK if their child isn’t an angel. Story time is an opportunity for children to learn listening skills and how to work within a group dynamic.
Make sure parents know that it’s not the end of the world if a child is overly disruptive. Parents need to know that even if their child couldn’t make it through story time today, the can come back and try again, and again, and again. Preschool children need opportunities to learn.
Parents and caregivers need to know that the library is their friend and advocate.
Libraries put a lot of resources and effort into Storytime programs. In most cases, a few minor adjustments will make a world of difference with Storytime.
Links to storytime lists:
Storytime BIG books, books that are about 18 inches (45 cm).