Swampscott library program encourages love of books

SWAMPSCOTT – In an age where 4-year-olds wield iPads as expertly as some parents do, Children?s Librarian Beth Coughlin is trying to preserve old-fashioned reading for little ones with the program 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten.The free program, at the Swampscott Public Library since Jan. 7, encourages parents to read to their children and get them to read independently by kindergarten. Each family who participates gets a reading log and book bag to color, and for each 100 books a child reads, they receive a sticker for their log and for a poster at the library. Coughlin said after only a week she has 24 children signed up for the program, with an average participant age of 2 years old.Coughlin said in addition to encouraging early literacy, she?d like to help sustain old-fashioned reading from a book. She said pushing your hands onto a screen isn?t the same as turning the pages back and forth from a picture book.?Little kids are comfortable with technology because they have it at day one,” said Coughlin of all the online reading gadgets and apps. “Today I think you need both. It preserves that love of books. Start them young and they begin to love books and hopefully it will continue.”Coughlin said studies show that not only does being able read to at a young age improve literacy, it expands vocabulary, language and even imagination. “The more you read, the better you do in school. And if you?re reading a lot, you become a better writer, too,” she said.Though 1,000 books may seem daunting, the program?s brochure shows that reading daily adds up quickly. One story a day for five years adds up to 1,825, but since the program encourages any length of book and repetition of the same books, a child could reach 1,000 in as a little as a few months. Three books read in a 15- to 20-minute period a day amounts to over 1,000 books a year.Currently the program has no end date, and Coughlin aims to keep it that way. “We don?t want them to read too fast, I?d rather they take their time and enjoy the book,” said Coughlin. “You don?t get any more reward for finishing it in two months than you get for finishing in a year.”Families can also come to the weekly storytime sessions in the children?s section of the library. Coughlin said she incorporates songs and clapping to encourage rhythm, and asks the children questions like “What do you think will happen?” to involve their creative and logical process. “It gets their juices flowing,” said Coughlin.Library Director Alyce Deveau said literacy programs aren?t typical in Swampscott because it isn?t a low-income community, but Coughlin said that the program was beneficial for the high immigrant population in town, especially the Russian community. Coughlin said because of the library?s proximity to the border of Lynn, they also serve many families from the city, as well as from Marblehead. The 1,000 Books to Kindergarten Program is open to everyone, regardless of town of residence.Kait Taylor can be reached at [email protected].