The Preschool Power Play program at the West Jordan library helps with early learning focus. The library has embraced the talk, sing, read, write, play initiative for building early literacy skills. “These are the important things that kids experience when they are little, it is how they learn. This is kids’ work, this is what they are supposed to be doing at this age, is playing,”  West Jordan Library Branch Manager Vern Waters said.  

In addition to exposing children to words in both written and verbal form, the program helps with eye-hand coordination. “A lot of the ‘play’ that kids do are things you wouldn’t think about that are very important for their development. It has a reading aspect to it,” Youth Services Librarian Paula Burgon said. 

When parents take their children to the library for Preschool Power Play, they get exposed to other resources at the library and make friends with other parents. “It is a nice time for them to be able to speak to another adult,” Burgon said. 

Play helps kids express themselves. The program will help them when they get to school with reading and communicating with other children. “A child’s play is the work,” Burgon said. The majority of the growth in a child’s brain develops fast at the young preschool age. The program “gets them exposed to what a classroom situation is like,” Waters said. “It is fascinating to watch the kids who will build the towers with the blocks, and the other kids are into knocking things down.” 

The program has been going for 8 to 10 years. “It has been a lot of fun watching children grow and learn,” Burgon said. 

“It is fascinating to watch the children interact and see how the parents can come in and react with other people’s kids,” Waters said. 

A lot of times they have music playing, it is a good way to calm the kids and get them interested in what they can play with. “It is great to watch the parents teach their child to interact with other children and get their children to ask what the child’s name is, or if they want to be their friend,” Burgon said. 

Some of the toys can be helpful for grownups to learn from as well as the children. Grownups need to play too. It is important for play to start as children and carry on into adulthood. Play will stimulate cognitive development and encourage children to use their senses and explore their surroundings. It helps their minds to create different ideas and concepts. Play helps with their development to expand their vocabulary and skills. It will help with their gross and fine motor skills and will help them build relationships and cooperate with others. Children can play and explore at their own pace. Preschool Power Play is a great developmental help for preschoolers. There are also a lot of activities at the West Jordan Library for all ages of children and adults.  λ