Early Literacy (Ages 0-5)
& Caregivers
Early literacy activities revolve around five main concepts: reading, singing, talking, playing, and writing with your child. Early literacy activities help your child develop skills that they will use to become successful readers.
We have books, storytimes, activity kits, and library staff to help you learn and explore early literacy concepts with your child!
Storytime
Storytime is the foundation of our early literacy programming. We offer a variety of weekly and monthly storytimes for babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and families.
Schedule is subject to change. Please check our online calendar in case of closures or other changes. We do not offer storytimes in December, May, and August, but we have other youth and family programs during these months.
- Baby and Toddler Storytime (ages 0-2):
This storytime is for children up to 2 years old. We do a lot of repetition to build strong pathways in young brains while moving and utilizing our bodies and senses through singing, playing, and reading. Baby and Toddler Storytime takes place on the Front Lawn of the Main Library on Monday at 10:30 a.m.
- Storytime at Bob Lucas (all ages):
Bring the whole family to enjoy stories, songs, and rhymes for all ages! Storytime at Bob Lucas takes place at the Bob Lucas Memorial Library on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. - Pajama Storytime (all ages):
This storytime is for children of all ages. Get comfy and come to the library for an evening session of your favorite songs, books, and rhymes! Pajama Storytime takes place in the Children’s Room at the Main Library on the second Monday of the month at 6:00 p.m. - Preschool Storytime (ages 3-5):
This storytime is for children ages three to five years old. We work on developing basic preschool skills (like identifying colors, numbers, and letters) through songs, rhymes, and books! Preschool Storytime takes place on the Front Lawn of the Main Library on Thursday 10:30 a.m.
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
1000 Books Before Kindergarten is a year-round, self-paced early literacy initiative at the Altadena Library District. The program is exactly what it sounds like—families are challenged to read 1000 books together before their young child begins kindergarten. Shared reading is the single most important part of building a strong early literacy foundation, and 1000 Books Before Kindergarten is here to inspire you, build a community of readers, and provide support and information as you raise a reader.
Register by stopping by the Children’s Desk at the Main Library or the Bob Lucas Memorial Branch, or by visiting Beanstack, our online reading tracking platform.
When you sign up, each family gets a kit packed with tracking logs (if you prefer to keep track on paper), a useful guidebook, and other resources to help you on your reading journey!
Early Literacy Library Kits
Find a variety of early literacy kits at our libraries that promote reading, playing, singing, talking, and writing.
Early Equity Kits are available in a variety of themes that inspire and empower children to make a difference in their community, and learn about other cultures and traditions.
Literacy Kits are great for beginning readers who want to focus on a specific aspect of reading, such as sight words, vowels, letter sounds, and more.
LovEvery Kits include developmentally appropriate early learning toys and activities for specific age levels. We will eventually have 18 total, and each is kit is specific to a certain age level, from babies to five-year-olds.
Read with Me Kits are available in a variety of themes that focus on early literacy skills including counting, colors and shapes, and alphabet. These kits are available in English, Spanish, and French!
Music Exploration Kits encourage children to sing and play and are fun for the entire family!
Puppet Kits are great for babies and toddlers to learn stories and rhymes while developing fine motor skills.
Resources for Caregivers
211LA: Find health and human services in your community. Free and confidential and available 24/7
Young and Healthy Pasadena: Connecting children to free medical, dental, and mental health care services. Assists parents with insurance enrollment and navigation.
Childcare Alliance Los Angeles: Find childcare and other family support services.
First 5 California: Resources, tips, and information for children ages 0 – 5 years old.
Reading Rockets: Resources and fun activities for early readers and their parents
Colorin Colorado: Sister page to reading rockets. Resources and fun activities for bilingual and English learner families.
Growing Together PASadena
The Altadena Library District is proud to be a hub site for Growing Together PASadena! This initiative, coordinated by the Pasadena Office of the Young Child, is a network of parents and caregivers, service providers, and early childhood advocates that fosters development of children ages 0-5 and supports families with tools and resources to thrive. Each of the sites in our network serve as locations for families with children ages zero to five to access services and the support they need to flourish, with a specific focus on school readiness.
Services at each site include:
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Welcoming space for children ages 0-5 and their families
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Individualized resources and referrals
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Parenting support and learning opportunities for children ages 0-5