Growing Terrific Talkers: Lessons Learned from Programming a Community Read for Babies
I loved seeing this feature in Public Libraries Magazine by Jennifer Kozelou, Branch Manager at Kenosha Public Library (WI), all about their incredible Terrific Talkers community read—an initiative designed to support families of infants and toddlers through connection, learning, and play.
Jennifer and her colleague Tessa Fox-Pawlaczyk dreamed up the idea of a community read for babies—a first-of-its-kind model designed to help caregivers build early communication skills from birth, while celebrating how libraries can serve as lifelines for families with very young children.
I was so honored to be part of this project! My “My First Learn-to-Talk” books were chosen as the featured titles for their Terrific Talkers series, and I joined the library community for a set of author visits and workshops focused on responsive communication, language-rich routines, and connection through play.
Excerpt:
“Eventually, our ‘baby big read’ turned into a surprisingly doable four-week community read for parents, caregivers, and their children, culminating in an author visit from Stephanie Cohen.
We offered sixteen intergenerational programs—storytimes, developmental screenings, music, art, and mealtime workshops—each one focused on building communication skills through connection and play.
Children were immediately drawn to the My First Learn-to-Talk books, imitating the faces in the photos even before their caregivers began to read. Parents shared that they noticed real improvements in their children’s speech after participating in the Terrific Talkers programs.”
Full article:
📘 Thank you to Jennifer, Tessa, and the entire Kenosha Public Library team for creating such an inspiring model for supporting families and celebrating early communication in our communities!
