Story
Place (https://www.storyplace.org/front ) is an interactive website for
young children specifically pre-school and their families who have enjoyed
attending story times, checking out materials, and participating in various
activities in an actual library setting. Story place came about with the
intentions to provide children with the virtual experience of going to the
library and participating in activities a library has to offer at its physical
locations. Story place was first created
in 2000. It has been newly redesigned to provide children’s stories and
activities available to access with a desktop computer or mobile devices. Today,
literacy information for parents and caregivers can also be found on this
website. Story Place is an extension of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Library
locations.
Story Place is designed with three
main tabs at the top: Preschool Activity Library, Book Hive, and Storytime
Calendar which makes navigating the site much easier. By clicking on the
Preschool Activity Library tab, you will be taken to the “library” in which
books and activities are organized by theme or activity. For example, there are
categories based on animals, babies, bath time, colors, shapes, music, trains,
etc. Within each category, you will find an online story, online activity,
videos, and a reading list. Some and not all, offer a take home activity.
Story place also includes a calendar
which lists all the upcoming story time programs with details of time and
location along with a brief summary of the story time session and what toddler
and babies will gain from attending. The downside to this, is that only
individuals residing in parts of North Carolina are able to attend the upcoming
sessions. Regardless of the program’s physical locations, the online resource
is what is most valuable for parents who are not able to physically go to a
library for whatever reasons or for parents around the world. The online
resource can also be useful for daycare, preschool, and kindergarten teachers to
use in the classroom setting for whole group or individual learning or it can
also be used to reinforce learned skills.
Story Place is very simple and easy
to navigate, being very toddler friendly. Tabs are minimal so that browsing is
not too busy and overwhelming. The website is designed with vibrant colors,
many visual cues, and kid friendly images. Icons and wordings are big enough
for children to see clearly and click on easily whether a mouse or a finger is
being used to click on words and images. The overall design of the website is
done appropriately in a way that if a toddler was to use this, they would be
interested and motivated to explore the literacy resources. A challenge that
users may encounter is the stalling and buffering of online videos, activities,
and story due to limited wireless internet especially if a mobile device is
being used. Story Place is an excellent
literacy resource as it was created to promote and support early literacy, the
key to success.
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