Storytimes build literacy skills and inspire imaginations in young readers. A new bilingual storytime at Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road, seeks to enhance cultural awareness by reading the same books in two languages.
Irina Gruver, children’s library associate at Martin Regional Library, will present the first bilingual storytime series in Russian and English. The storytime, for ages 5 and younger, will be held at the Martin Regional Library, 2601 S. Garnett Road, 10:30-11 a.m. Jan. 5 and 12. Storytimes in Russian and English will continue the first two Saturdays of each month.
As a teen, Gruver moved to the United States from Russia with her family. She quickly learned English by reading American versions of the same books she read as a child to learn her native language.
“With this new storytime, we will compare internationally-known fairytales, stories and folklore in both Russian and English,” said Gruver. “We will find the similarities in both languages, like reading the American ‘The Gingerbread Man’ and the Russian counterpart ‘Kolobok.’ It’s important to enrich a child’s life by exposing them to new cultures and languages.”
Tulsa City-County Library presents free storytimes at libraries and community centers throughout Tulsa County. The purpose of storytimes, in any language, is to introduce children to books and reading in a social atmosphere, and encourage early reading habits.
For more information on library storytimes, call the AskUs Hotline, 918-549-7323, or visit the library’s webpage, www.tulsalibrary.org.
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