Programs at Perry Memorial Library will be slowing down next week as Christmas approaches, and things were going to be “up in the air” – literally – today at 4 p.m., when the StoryUp! Aerial Theater of Durham comes to town for a performance.
It’s something new for 2023, said Youth Services Director Melody Peters, and that’s just the start for new programs and events for the New Year at the library.
“We’ve got some new things coming,” Peters said on Tuesday’s segment of The Local Skinny! with WIZS co-host Bill Harris. “We’re really excited about that.”
In addition to resuming regular programs like the Mother Goose story time on Thursday mornings, the library will host a community read-aloud on Monday nights beginning in January.
Peters said she hears patrons, including teachers, parents and grandparents, voice concerns about young people’s waning reading habits.
“Either they aren’t reading for enjoyment or pleasure, or they’re not reading at the appropriate level,” Peters said. “I want to get people reading together – listening to each other read,” she added. The idea is to build young readers’ confidence and fluency.
We use different hemispheres of our brains for listening and for reading, Peters said. When you read aloud, there’s more information exchanged across both hemispheres which builds literacy and reading fluency.
The idea is for Peters to read one chapter of a chapter book to the group for the first 15 minutes of each hour-long session. Then the group will divide randomly to tables and they’ll take turns reading to the group. There will be volunteers on hand to help less confident readers if they need it.
“I want to hear people reading for 45 minutes,” Peters said. “I want to make it a positive things (and) don’t want anyone to feel bad about their reading ability,” she said. “This is a new approach – we’ll see how it goes.”
Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ for a complete listing of events and programs.
The library will be closed Dec. 23-26 for Christmas, as well as Dec. 31 and Jan. 1.
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