Story telling is the oldest form of narrative enquiry. Learning to be literate is the most pressing need for communities who are new to this form. The Libraries in Schools (LiS) program aims to bring these two strong pedagogic practices together to strengthen learning, literacy and the human experience.
Studies have shown that children who read show marked improvement in academic performance. Reading has strong links to language development, spelling and creativity. Bridging the non-literate and literate worlds is best mediated through the pedagogy of storytelling and story reading. Creativity and artistic ability is also strengthened through visual stimulation that comes from good picture/ illustrated books.
The Libraries in Schools program (LiS) provides grade appropriate reading resources to children who are first generation school goers and uses the story telling method to develop thinking and literacy skills.
The library program – grade wise includes
- Exposure to carefully selected, graded, wide variety of age appropriate books
- Browsing and learning about books – skills for emergent and early literacy
- Read aloud time – an essential exercise that brings the story alive for children growing in literacy and literature
- Extension activity – a literacy – creative activity that links and reinforces the book
- Borrowing and Lending – taking books home for read at home time to ensure that reading is a continuous activity and linked to parents
