'Build A Reader' program at Tulsa libraries turns storytime into a foundation for learning

BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — At 4 years old, Bodi Sayre already knows what he likes about books: the pictures.

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Nearly every week, he brings that enthusiasm to Build A Reader Storytime at the Tulsa City-County Library’s Broken Arrow branch. It mixes songs, movement and play with stories to begin building the foundations for reading.

For Bodi’s father, Kaden, the weekly trip is about more than keeping an energetic preschooler entertained. It is a chance to give his son an early connection to reading Kaden says he did not have growing up.

“Something that I struggled with as a kid” was not reading much or becoming interested in books, Kaden said. He believes that has hindered him somewhat as an adult.

For Bodi, he said, the family wants to instill “how important it is to read and be able to understand what you’re reading.”

That parent-child connection is at the heart of Build A Reader, Tulsa City-County Library’s early-literacy program offered each week at all branch locations and through the Reading Roadshow bookmobile.

The program follows the research-based Every Child Ready to Read approach, weaving five practices—talking, singing, reading, writing and playing—into storytime.

Each activity is designed to build skills children need before they begin reading on their own.

• Conversation strengthens oral language
• Songs slow words down so children can hear individual sounds and learn new vocabulary
• Reading together develops comprehension and a love of books
• Rriting helps children connect printed letters with spoken words
• Play gives them a natural way to put thoughts into words and describe what they are doing

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Broken Arrow youth librarian Steven Hulford has led storytimes for at least 15 years.

He told 2 News Oklahoma the goal is to help children get ready to read while making the library feel familiar. That comfort can matter later, whether a child is choosing a first book with sight words or a family is looking for a book that helps explain a difficult topic such as why do I feel sad if a friend moves away?

The program is also meant to teach the adults in the room. Library officials say parents and caregivers are a child’s first and best teachers, and the techniques modeled during storytime can be repeated at home.

In a spring 2026 survey of participating parents and caregivers:

• 99% said they learned something they could share with their children.
• 96% percent felt more confident helping their children learn,
• 96% intended to spend more time interacting with their children
• 97% said they were more aware of library resources and services.

The reach is broad. In 2025, Tulsa City-County Library reported 37,242 adults, caregivers and children ages 0 to 4 attended 1,479 Build A Reader storytimes.

For Bodi, those larger goals arrive in a simple form: time with his dad, a lively room and pages full of pictures. For Kaden, each story is helping build the confidence and comprehension he wants his son to carry into school and adulthood.

Build A Reader Storytime is held at 10:30 a.m. Mondays at the Broken Arrow Library, 300 W. Broadway Ave. Other Tulsa City-County Library locations offer storytimes on different days.

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