RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — Bilingual Storytime at Wake County Public Libraries offers children the chance to have fun, make connections, and enjoy stories and songs in English and Spanish.
On a Thursday morning, Green Road Community Library is filled with excitement. Toddlers sing, play, learn letters, and listen to a book. Each lesson is taught, a story read, and a song sung in both Spanish and English.
“They love it. I enjoy seeing them embrace the language,” said Maria Ramirez, a nanny. Ramirez was born in Mexico and came to the United States when she was 10. She says being bilingual has a lot of benefits. “Your brain just works differently, and as a nanny, I do that for the kids that I nanny for throughout my career, and they just have an advantage in life as they get older,” she added.
Christina Han, who leads the storytime, is trilingual, and grew up speaking Korean, Spanish, and English. “That experience shaped so much of who I am today; it gave me deep appreciation for different cultures,” she explained. “I know first-hand how powerful it is for kids to see their language and culture reflected in the world around them.”…