Early Learning (Ages 0-5)

If you're stuck at home...

On Thursdays Dolly Parton reads a book from the Imagination Library! If you haven't done so already, register your child under 5 to receive a FREE book a month in the mail!
Storyline Online lets you stream videos of celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Over 50 books available.
Story Time from Space features real astronauts from around the world reading children's books from International Space Station. Not every book is suitable for preschoolers, so preview first!
You can find games, videos, and even coloring pages for kids to complete online at Sesame Street! Parents may also wish to check out the Sesame Street in Communities page for great ideas on all kinds of subjects.
You can find games, videos, and even currently airing programs on the PBS Kids website. Content available for a variety of ages, so some may be for school-age children. 

Early Learning Services at Your Library

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Friends of Lake County Library sponsor the Imagination Library in Lake County. This free book-gifting program mails one book per month to kids
age 0-5 registered for the program. Click here and enter your address to register.
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Preschool Storytimes
Fun, engaging storytimes for preschoolers of all ages are presented regularly by library staff and volunteers. Join us for Facebook Live Story Times every Friday at 10:30 AM.

​Baby Bags
We welcome your baby to the community with a bag with a board book, information about early learning, and a coupon for a second book at the library. You should receive a bag from from Public Health either when you get your birth certificate or as part of your Well Baby visits in Christmas Valley.

Early Learning Baby Showers
During the first year of your baby's life, we'd love to shower the little one with books and gifts from your community. Look for publicity in the paper or an invitation to magically arrive at your door.

Books, Music, and More
Our collection has a wealth of books, preschool music CD's, and educational DVDs you can check out with your library card. 
Research has shown that engaging your child frequently in the five early literacy practices above from birth will help her or him develop the skills they need to be ready to read in kindergarten. Fortunately, these skills are easy!

Talking

Talking with children is one of the best ways to help them learn language. Talk with your child from birth in your native language. 

Singing

Songs are a natural way for developing children to to learn about language. Songs break words into smaller parts that are easier to learn and understand.

Reading

Reading together teaches children to associate books and reading with pleasure and comfort as well as developing their knowledge about books.

Writing

Helping develop your young child's motor skills through finger-plays, scribbling, and such gets him or her ready to write.

Playing

Playing helps children learn to think symbolically, that your hand can represent horses or kittens or a banana or anything else. Symbolic thinking is an important skill for learning the symbols (words) that make up language.