Fostering a Love for Reading with Family to Family’s Tiny Turners
By Donnette Nailor, Family to Family Leadership Team Member
At The Grove at Keith Creek, Family to Family’s Tiny Turners program is bringing stories to life for young children, fostering early literacy and a love of reading in a way that’s as fun as it is impactful. Every week, kids up to age five gather at the Community Center to sing, play, and dive into stories that spark their imaginations and build essential skills. From marching around an alphabet rug to crafting characters from their favorite books, Tiny Turners transforms storytime into an experience these young readers can’t wait to be part of.
Each session begins with songs to get the children moving. Favorites include marching around the alphabet rug while singing the ABC song and “shaking their sillies out” to get ready for storytime. Books are thoughtfully chosen to match the children’s interests, the season, and lesson themes, making each gathering a memorable experience.
Highlights of Our Storytime Activities:
- Interactive Stories and Crafts: “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider” allowed children to sing, move like spiders, and make spider crafts to take home. “Sounds on the Farm” encouraged them to follow along with the story, with young Calvin proudly noting, “I can read some of the words, too!”
- Learning through Play: After reading There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed the ABCs, the children used Play-Doh and cookie cutters to create alphabet letters, together with slightly older kids spelling their names unassisted. Each child took home a copy of the book and Play-Doh, giving young Jaiden the opportunity to practice his name and other words at home.
The children’s excitement has grown weekly. Ramiah eagerly puts on her shoes to head to the Community Center, while Brielle and Damarious often share stories from their time with Tiny Turners. Parents appreciate that their kids are learning and happy and always bring home a book to share. We’d love to see more parents join us for storytime!
This program’s success wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of United Way, which provides quality books for reading and to take home. We’re also thankful for the training and resources from the Rockford Public Library, whose Storytime Kit enhances every gathering.
Seeing new faces each week and watching the children’s excitement is contagious. Tiny Turners is truly helping young children at The Grove at Keith Creek catch the reading bug, building a foundation for lifelong learning and a love for books.