Bitty Book Club

Bitty Book Club, a program for caregivers and their children between the ages of 2-5, is a collaboration between the Family Resource Center, Progressive Beginnings, and the Mead Public Library in Sheboygan, WI.  The monthly family engagement program brings Parent Educators, Physical Therapists, Librarians, and families together to encourage a child’s motor, language, and social development.

Bitty Book Club is run similarly to a storytime, in that it features a book, music, and developmentally appropriate activities that support school readiness skills with a focus on relationship building.  What makes it unique, is that each family is given a copy of the same book, which is read together as a group.  There is also a stronger focus on socialization and free play than a traditional storytime program, as the read aloud is only a small portion of the time spent together. Additionally, trained Parent Educators and Physical Therapists are present to point out child development milestones to watch for, and answer any questions that parents have. 

The program runs for 1 hour, twice monthly, on a Tuesday morning and afternoon.  The first 15 minutes of the program are an opportunity for children and their caregivers to get comfortable in the space while listening to music and sharing toys like magnatiles, magnet letters, a balance beam, and a variety of table top activities that encourage matching and/or sorting.   Next, a Parent Educator or Librarian reads the story aloud, prompting choral reading moments, movement, or encouraging caregivers to point out details in illustrations.  The idea is to model the way a book can be extended by reading more than just the words on the page.  The book may be followed up with a related finger play, rhyme, or song.  During the last 30 minutes of the program, families are invited to explore additional activities that are inspired by the book- which could range from a movement path, sensory bins, process art activities, or a selection of carefully curated toys and manipulatives.

The Family Resource Center and Progressive Beginnings provide several staff members who plan activities, bring toys, manipulatives, and craft supplies.  The Library provides the space, purchases copies of the book, and supplements any craft materials that may be needed.  Staff from all organizations collaborate on book selections that can both be used to support developmental milestones, the interest of participants (as collected through surveys), and are available within budget.  All organizations involved help with marketing the program.  An average total of 4 staff members facilitate the program, with a growing average of 40 people in attendance per session.  Pre-registration for families is not required, and books are available on a first come, first served basis.    

The program continues to attract new families each month.  Caregivers are learning new ways to read books with their children. “This program is a great way for me to learn how to do more than just read the book with my child.” said one participant.  Caregivers shared that because of this program, they plan to do things like singing songs with books, asking questions about the illustrations, and replicate some of the fine motor activities from the sessions.  For staff, it is an opportunity to build community, collaborate with and learn from other professionals, and to cross promote services of all organizations involved.  

If you have questions about Bitty Book Club you can reach out to: Alison Loewen, Librarian, Mead Public Library alison.loewen@meadpl.org ; Darlyn Summers, Parent Educator, Family Resource Center dsummers@frc-sc.org; Jessica Oakland, PT DPT, Progressive Beginnings jessicapt@progbeg.com