Week of the Young Child: Leerhoff gets to be just one of the kids as children’s librarian

This is the 50th Anniversary of the Week of the Young Child, April 10-16, an annual celebration sponsored by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the world’s largest early childhood education association, along with the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children and other state associations. The purpose of the Week of the Young Child is to focus public attention on the needs of young children and their families and to recognize the early childhood programs and services that meet those needs.

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

Stacey Leerhoff, children’s librarian at the Charles City Public Library, said that the five most important words when it comes to early childhood education are “read, write, play, sing and talk.”

“All these things are pre-cursors to kids becoming better readers,” Leerhoff said. “Talking about colors and shapes, singing silly songs to help them realize the sound and the flow of words — it all helps them become readers.”

Leerhoff has been the children’s director at the Charles City Library for a little over two years, as she started in March of 2019.

She was hired nearly 20 years ago at the Clarksville Library as a part-time assistant. She then took a position three years later at the Waverly Public Library, and it was there that she realized this was what she wanted to do.

“Where has this been all by life?” Leerhoff said she asked herself. “Why did I not know I wanted to do this?”

Leerhoff likes the job because, essentially, she gets to be one of the kids, more so than a teacher or parent does.

“Especially in early childhood education, the children learn through play, through singing, through art activities,” Leerhoff said. “All these things are in schools, but they have to be balanced with all the other things they have to do in schools.”

At any given moment, a group of kids might find Leerhoff dressed in a funny costume, leading them through a silly song, talking to them through a hand-puppet, or getting down on their level on the floor, helping them with toys and games. She said her favorite thing about the job are those interactions with the kids.

“The kids just get to come here, have access to resources they wouldn’t otherwise have access to,” Leerhoff said. “They can get new experiences that they might not get at home, or in school.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a rude interruption to the library’s schedule, and Leerhoff said it’s been really hard to adjust. She would rather have the kids there.

Nevertheless, Leerhoff has programs planned for the summer. She said most of the events will be outside, when possible. There will still be performers appearing, although many have been pushed back to later in the summer, when hopefully the pandemic threat is less severe.

Already this spring, the library has hosted a Dr. Seuss party, and Leerhoff is planning a program in the near future about planting flower boxes on the library grounds. She has also been allowed to visit Immaculate Conception Elementary throughout the school year.

“I take them crates of books and read them stories, and that’s been a real plus, to get more books into kids’ hands,” she said.

Another program that Leerhoff advocates is the library’s “1000 books before kindergarten” program. Parents and children are encouraged to read every day and write down every book they read. They can earn prizes, which increase in value with every 100 books.

The books can be anything from picture books to rhyming children’s stories. Leerhoff said that it isn’t the book itself that’s important, it’s the act of reading.

“If they become good readers early in life, that will help them learn better, excel at school and in life and become lifelong learners,” Leerhoff said.

She said that occasions when people express their appreciation for what they do at the library makes the work worthwhile.

“When parents speak up and thank us for what we do, that makes all the difference,” she said.

Leerhoff said that she’s always willing to try new things, and appreciates feedback and suggestions.

“People don’t always realize that they can ask for things,” Leerhoff said. “Don’t be afraid to ask, I will do what I can to make it happen.”

Leerhoff and her husband, Alan, have three children — Emily, 21, Carter, 19, and Casey, 15.