It’s been two years since several local groups gathered to discuss the effectiveness of various literacy efforts in Ames and Story County.

The members of that group helped bring a national nonprofit organization called Baby TALK (Teaching Activities for Learning and Knowledge) to Ames.

The founder and executive director of Baby TALK, Claudia Quigg, will speak at 7 p.m. Monday at the Ames Public Library. The organization assists parents of young children by providing language experiences during the first three years of life. It also recruits and trains volunteers to visit new parents and explain to them the importance of reading to babies.

“Birth to three years old is a critical time for development,” said Carol Elbert, youth services coordinator at the Ames Public Library.

Carol Phillips, director of the Ames Child Lab, said reading to babies as early as possible is important.

“Research shows that from birth to age three babies are like sponges soaking up the sights and sounds in their environment,” Phillips said.

Reading to babies, or even exposing them to classical music, initiates early brain activity. These new and repeated experiences establish a strong foundation for future learning and comprehension.

“Repetition is critically important during this period,” Phillips said. “It helps establish the connections between neurons in the brain.

“Infants and young children who hear stories read to them experience the joy of shared time. Their language development is aided and their understanding of themselves, others and the world around them is enhanced.”

Baby TALK focuses on more than nurturing relationships between parents and their children.

“It also focuses on the importance of a language-rich environment,” Elbert said.

Offering an educational program that gives parents an opportunity to have a profound impact on the development of babies was needed, said Dawn Hayslett, member of the focus group.

“Reading to children is one of the best predictors of success in school,” said Hayslett, assistant library director for the city of Ames.

“Twenty minutes a day can make all the difference in a child’s life.”