An open house and ribbon cutting will be held Wednesday, July 16, from 10:30-12:30, with a ribbon cutting scheduled at 12 noon, to celebrate the opening of the Early Literacy Activity Center in the E.M. Burger Foundation room upstairs at the library. This unique space is the result of a partnership between Central Missouri Community Action Head Start, the Moniteau County Library, and the E.M. Burger Foundation. These entities have been working together since January 2014 to create a very special learning center for the preschool children (birth to five-years) of our county.
Public libraries' mission to ensure the literacy of our nation's children is a mighty task. Early Literacy skills are important as knowledge of alphabet letters at entry into kindergarten is a strong predictor of reading ability in 10th grade. Across the nation, just under half of children between birth and five years are read to every day by their parents or other family members. By the age of two, children who are read to regularly display greater language comprehension, larger vocabularies, and higher cognitive skills than their peers. Therefore, it's never too early to start reading to children.
With the Head Start program focus on Early Literacy, a partnership with our library which would provide a space for the public to use was an easy decision.
CMCA Head Start supplied carpenters to remodel the space from its former life as a Distance Learning Center. They also, have equipped this room with beautiful furnishing and educational toys creating a special place for children to explore and learn as they play. "Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play, children learn how to learn". The space features a stage with costumes for "dramatic play" which is also used as a "Storytime Stage", a puppet theater supplied with puppets, a reading area stocked with books for babies and preschoolers and a child-sized couch and sofa, a farmer's market stall, and a science and art area.
For babies, soft toys are available in a large partitioned play space that has a mirror and age appropriate items for exploring. Moniteau County Head Start volunteers will sanitize toys on a regular basis; however, adults are encouraged to sanitize toys their children played with before leaving the space. The room is furnished with a double-width glider/rocker and loveseat perfect for snuggling or reading with children while in the space. We hope that parents will interact with their children to encourage creative play. As another layer of service, we are delighted to offer this innovative concept which provides this opportunity for the families of Moniteau County.
Families with small children and care providers may use this room as a drop-in play space. For larger groups, a reservation is suggested by calling the library 573-796-2642. A simple registration form is required initially, to use the space. A sign-in sheet will help both entities gather statistics to measure success of the project.