Base library offers children services

  • Published
  • By Airman Daniel Brosam
  • 341st Missile Wing Public Affairs
MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. --  April is recognized as Month of the Military Child, honoring military youth for the important role they play in contributing to the strength of the military family. To help children learn and grow, the base offers reading programs covering various topics such as animals and weather.

Every Tuesday at 10 a.m., the base library hosts a story time event, reading weekly themed books to children ages two to six years old. After the stories, children can create crafts related to the theme of the book.

Linda "Dixie" Paronto, 341st Force Support Squadron base librarian, said the story time program is one service that is usually offered at other base libraries.

"It is good to read to children because they are able to learn new words and understand the language," said Paronto. "It's just all around beneficial to kids to be read to and to attend story time."

Paronto said anywhere from 10 to 40 children attend story time, depending on the theme.

Safiye Lopez is a military spouse and has an 18 month old daughter, Tuana. Lopez said she tries to bring her daughter to story time every week because reading helps solidify teaching her daughter four languages - German, Turkish, Spanish and English.

"I think it's important for me as a mother, that my daughter hears the stories and languages because she's growing up with four languages," said Lopez. "I believe the younger they are, the better it is for them to learn, grow and get into a routine."

Lopez added that she likes the way Paronto reads the stories and feels it is important for her daughter to watch the way the words are spoken with the movement of the mouth.

The library also offers Dial-A-Story, a three to five minute audio story that is read to children over the phone. The service is available 24/7 and is updated every Wednesday night. Children can call 731-4640 to hear the story.

Another service the library offers is the Reading Patch Club, where children read books of their choice and are able to win prizes.

"We have the Reading Patch Club which is for kids kindergarten to 12th grade," said Paronto. "They read the books, tell us about the book and get really nice patches to sew on to book bags, clothing or anything else."

Paronto said the Reading Patch Club helps with comprehension and retention because the readers have to remember the story and be able to explain it.

Additionally, there is a summer reading program for all ages. This year it is titled "Reading for the Win." Participants are able to receive prizes every week based on how long they read.

The library recently received two new computers that have early literacy programs for children up to the 5th grade.

"We've only had it for a few months and it's becoming quite popular," said Paronto. "It's a really useful program that teaches kids colors, letters, shapes, math, reading, science and a lot of other things."

Paronto said the educational goal is for children to read a minimum of 15 minutes a day.

For more information on library services, call 731-4638.