Though I trained and initially worked as a secondary-school teacher, I have always loved to work with under fives. In 2003, I had the fantastic opportunity to join Sure Start Acton’s team as a community librarian.
I've learned a tremendous amount over the now six years I've been doing this role. Check back in a little while when I hope to have some recommended lists of books which I find work well for reading with this age-group, and especially for use in multi-lingual settings.
More about Sure Start...

In the beginning I did a lot of outreach work - attending baby clinics and drop-in health clinics, to promote the library and encourage parents to bring their children.
I set up a Family Book Group and many of the people I’d reached out to attended - so much so that I had to start up two more groups. Parents and children aged 0 to 4 come for one hour of activities.
Numbers grew so much, we also set up a Baby Club, for children under one.

During each Family Book Club session we have art & crafts, puzzles and free play. Because the children are so young, it’s not appropriate to do a formal storytelling. Instead I do some one-to-one stories and parents read to individual or small groups of children.

Then we tidy up and sit in a circle for songs and nursery rhymes. This all helps develop social skills and the skills needed to learn at school - listening, turn taking, waiting, concentrating and so on.
Of course rhymes and songs are wonderful for developing speech and language skills - as well as working together. And it's all fun!