Lapsits for Babies

This Thursday (December 6) is our last Lapsit for the year. That is for 2007. Next year we are going to start offering the lapsits twice a month, the first and third Thursdays of the month. Lapsits are different than storytimes because babies (ages 0-24 months) do not always have long attention spans. That doesn't mean we aren't using our 'Early Literacy Skill Building' techniques. We want children to start learning the joy of books but with the intimacy of holding the child in your lap and introducing board books. We especially want parents and caregivers to talk to their child, use rhymes, and nonsense words that rhyme, songs and chants. All of this helps a child's brain develop.

Play is another important part of the lapsit. Our rhymes, songs, chants, and bounces take up only a small part of our program. The rest of the time is for parents to play with their child with our toys, board books, puppets, and rolling balls. It is also a time for adults to enjoy meeting other parents and perhaps making new friends.

Books for babies are important. Even though they may want to 'eat' the book, they listen to the adult voice as you are reading to them. They start to learn that you turn page after page and that there is a beginning and an end to a book. Babies love to look at babies. Many board books use photos of babies. These are so much fun to have around. You should always have a good Mother Goose book in your home library. This is a good parent reference and will be used over and over again.

My favorite Mother Goose books are Sylvia Long's Mother Goose, Here Comes Mother Goose (illustrated by Rosemary Wells), and Nina Crew's The Neighborhood Mother Goose. There is a new Mother Goose illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon called Mother Goose Numbers on the Loose that I also recommend.

Come to the library for our lapsits. Sign up for December 6 or call for our dates in 2008!
Joyce Laiosa