On any given day, the Youth Services section of the Tompkins County Library is full of kids of all ages, some with parents carrying them and others exploring on their own.

Some of the younger library goers are even sitting down and listening to a book being read to them by a mom, dad or guardian.  All of them are experiencing what reading and places like the library have to offer.

According to the National Education Association, twenty-six percent of children who were read to three to four times within the last week were able to recognize all of the letters in the alphabet compared to the fourteen percent who were not read to.  

With this in mind, the Tompkins County Library created a program called “The Reader Is In” which allows volunteers to come in and roll a cart full of books around offering to read to the children there.  

There is no limit on who can volunteer.  High schoolers, college students and retired community members come together to read to the various kids sitting in the youth section.

Youth services librarian, Kate DeVoe is just one of the librarians who sees the impact of “The Reader Is In” on a regular basis.

“We’re always touched by the number of people and organizations who come in and work with us and kids,” said DeVoe.  “It’s just for the goodness of the program.”

DeVoe and other librarians see how reading to children at a very young age can have a lasting effect on them.  Programs in the Youth Services section of the library start as early as infants with “Baby Storytime.”

“The Reader Is In” allows all children to get involved with reading, no matter what age.  It also allows the parents to sit back and witness the impact that reading has on kids from a different view.

Even reading to kids after they have learned to read on their own can foster a stronger love of reading and help them in their education.  According to a study done by Scholastic in 2015, 41 percent of frequent readers ages six to ten were also read to at home.

Teen services librarian, Regina DeMauro sees the impact in kids even older.  Middle school and high school kids experience the effects both in their schooling and in their life.

“It’s a challenge to get teenagers anywhere by the time they’re 16, they can drive, they have after school jobs…but if they have that lifelong tradition of coming,  they’re going to continue,” said DeMauro.

DeMauro also pointed out that increased reading skills are not the only impacts of reading to children.  Programs such as “The Reader Is In” inspire the older kids to give back and create events for younger kids that might inspire them as much as they were when they were young.

“We do have teens come in and do the readers is in program and do other volunteer work with kids,” said DeMauro.

DeMauro and DeVoe also noted that the impacts can be felt even in adulthood. This is what brings Mark Silver and his son David to the library on a regular basis.

“I love reading, I love books, you know? I always got my head in a book and reading with kids, it’s a way to share adventures with them,” said Silver. “It’s a way to bring out the values you want them to get. It’s a way to spend time with them.”

Both DeVoe and DeMauro talked about how reading to children can have a great effect on them as they grow and also help the parent or volunteer doing the reading.  It allows reading to become a group activity that is fun for the kids while helping them learn.

Programs such as “The Reader Is In” help foster a love of reading and learning that continues with them as they grow.