Are you a new parent or soon-to-be parent? Do you have questions about what activities support your baby’s language and literacy development? Have you been looking for opportunities for you and your baby to bond? Read, Baby, Read, our program for babies, toddlers, and their families, is here for you this spring with Parent Circle!  

Parent Circle is a series of gatherings that provide support and enrichment to any caregiver with a child ages birth to 2 years, focused on language and literacy development. 

For Spring 2019, Parent Circle will take place on select days throughout March and April. Each session will have a topic that focuses on different aspects of language, literacy, and development. Every session will provide attendees with take-away literacy tips. We will begin and end each session with a fun activity you can repeat at home that will help your baby learn! Then, we’ll dive into the week’s topic. Expectant mothers and siblings are welcome. 

Parent Circle will culminate in a Parent Café at the last spring session. We invite parents to share parenting challenges, wisdom, and resilience. We will reflect on our experiences and parents will have time to bond with other families. At Parent Café, there will be lunch or refreshments and childcare is available with advance notice, so an RSVP is strongly recommended.

This spring, Read, Baby, Read programs are at Richmond Library and Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library. Even if these locations aren’t your neighborhood libraries, we welcome parents from across the city to attend Parent Circle. And don't forget to check our Calendar of Events for more information on Parent Circle and Read, Baby, Read programs. 

Parent Circle at Richmond Library will take place select Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. Topics include: 

• March 9:  Language and Literacy Development
• March 23: Developmental Milestones and Early Intervention
• April 6:  Intro to Positive Discipline
• April 20: Parent Café. Lunch served and childcare available. This session is from 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. *RSVP strongly recommended, spaces limited. RSVP to Cinthia Marcano at 610-751-1311 or Ashley Mendoza at 267-507-1343.
   

Parent Circle at Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library will take place select Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. Topics include:  

• March 20: Language and Literacy for Infants and Toddlers
• April 3: Developmental Milestones for Babies and Toddlers
• April 10: Make a Literacy Toy for Your Baby 
• April 24:  Parent Café facilitated by Turning Points for Children. This session is from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Come share your parenting wisdom, challenges, and resilience! *Please RSVP by calling Katie Tan 267-279-4480. Childcare available with advance notice. 

Read, Baby, Read is a series of fun program for babies, toddlers, and their families using new library spaces and materials to help develop language and literacy. All programs are for children ages birth through 24 months and their caregivers. Expecting parents and siblings are welcome at all programs. For more information email taitb@freelibrary.org.

Read, Baby, Read is made possible by a generous grant from the William Penn Foundation.