Accessible Story Times in 3 Easy Steps

Since joining ALA in 2022, I have fully immersed myself in the world of programming for children with disabilities, from attending ALA Annual sessions to completing virtual toolkits about this topic. However, it is not as easy to find resources and connections as you may think. To aid other public librarians who may be interested in this topic, I compiled a list of three tips to make story time programming just a bit more inclusive! It is my hope that with simple actionable steps, library staff will be able to include all kiddos in their programs without needing to completely revamp their programming models. While the tips listed below are specifically for story time aged kiddos, they can also be applied to a variety of programs and across age ranges.

Top 3 Tips to Make Your Story Times More Accessible

1. Structure, Structure, Structure
   • When programming for the public, it is possible (actually, LIKELY) that you may have a neurodiverse audience without even knowing. One simple way to accommodate this array of learners is to have a structured story time program. For me, this means using the same format for story time each week. It may seem redundant to you to always read a book right after you sing your hello song. However, it will help those repeat visitors and kiddos who thrive in structured environments know what to expect. In my experience, it often excites all of the kids to be able to know what the next activity is. It is also beneficial to review the schedule of events at the beginning of story time each week. This can go hand-in-hand with reviewing program rules and expectations as well.
2. Visual Supports
   • Many librarians already use visual supports without realizing it. Do you happen to sing Old McDonald and use a dog puppet when you sing about the dog? That’s a visual support! Do you have a felt board where you line up five little ducks? Do you take away one during each verse of Five Little Ducks? That’s also a visual support! One additional step that I take to include visuals for kids and their families is to have a visual schedule. I do this simply with a visual of what we are doing and the word next to it. I then line these up on my felt board, and take them away after we complete every activity. If you’re feeling up to it, you could also print this visual schedule for families to hold during story times. It could help some kids to have the schedule closer to them, rather than further away.
3. Repetition
   • The final recommendation to create more inclusive story time programming is to add in lots of repetition. This could involve repeating the same songs each week, bringing back previously used repetitive books, or singing song with repetition. As librarians, we know this practice helps with early literacy and language development. It is also a great practice to use for kids with neurodivergence. Similar to the previously mentioned tip, the use of repetition allows for children to be able to predict what might happen next, and follow along with something familiar. When using these predictable patterns, more children are encouraged to be engaged in the program!

While this list is just a starting point for those looking to create more inclusive story time programming at their libraries, it is certainly not the only way to learn more about inclusion. If you are interested in learning more, I recommend checking out the Autism-Ready Libraries Toolkit from the iSchool at the University of Washington. This toolkit dives deeper into creating inclusive spaces and programs for autistic children at libraries, but can be applicable to a wider array of neurodiverse children.

Annaliese Melvin (she/they) is a children’s librarian at a neighborhood library in Washington, D.C. Originally from Pennsylvania, she moved to the DC-area in 2020 to become a special education teacher after graduating from Arcadia University. In 2023, she graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a degree in Library and Information Science and transitioned into the library field. She is passionate about equity, inclusion, reading, and Philadelphia sports. 

Please note that as a guest post, the views expressed here do not represent the official position of ALA or ALSC.If you are interested in submitting a guest post, you can learn more here and fill out our Guest Blogging Interest Form.

This post addresses ALSC Core Competencies 1.6, 1.7, 3.1, 3.2, and 5.4.

The post Accessible Story Times in 3 Easy Steps appeared first on ALSC Blog.

 Since joining ALA in 2022, I have fully immersed myself in the world of programming for children with disabilities, from attending ALA Annual sessions to completing virtual toolkits about this topic. However, it is not as easy to find resources and connections as you may think. To aid other public librarians who may be interested in this topic, I compiled a list of three tips to make story time programming just a bit more inclusive! It is my hope that with simple actionable steps, library staff will be able to include all kiddos in their programs without needing to completely revamp their programming models. While the tips listed below are specifically for story time aged kiddos, they can also be applied to a variety of programs and across age ranges. Top 3 Tips to Make Your Story Times More Accessible While this list is just a starting point for those…
The post Accessible Story Times in 3 Easy Steps appeared first on ALSC Blog.  Read More

ALSC Blog