Richmond Public Library strives to provide quality storytimes that stimulate children’s minds, promote brain development, and give children the tools they need to succeed in school.

We use an overall brain development curriculum called The Basics that uses 5 simple principles:

• Maximize Love, Manage Stress
• Talk, Sing, and Point
• Count, Group, and Compare
• Explore Through Movement and Play
• Read and Discuss Stories

These principles can be used at any age but studies show that the younger children are when they start learning the principles, the more prepared they are to start school. These basics will instill in your child a love of learning to last a lifetime.

You can learn more about The Basics at https://thebasics.org

School Readiness

Children are remarkable. Even before birth, the foundations for language, literacy, health, well-being and the ability to form positive relationships are being built.

Babies are born full of potential and the best opportunity to help them achieve life-long success is in the first years of life when more than 1 million new connections are formed each second. Because this trajectory to success begins well before school does, parents are children’s first and most important teachers.

The Richmond Public Library is free, trusted, and a welcoming hub of resources for families and children. We want to help nurture children’s early literacy skills and support families in preparing them for promising futures.

The time to start preparing your child for school is now and we can help!