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Symphonic Tales

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Symphonic Tales

Chattanooga Public Library, Tenn.

Education - Children & Adults | 2018

Innovation Synopsis

Symphonic Tales is a literacy and music program offered by the library in partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Department of Performing Arts that celebrates culture through reading, music performance, art and activities. Each program fuses a literacy theme with music performances, in order to bring stories to life.

Challenge/Opportunity

Exposure to varied methods of storytelling at an early age has been proven to positively impact a child’s pre-literacy skills. Coupling these practices with musical experiences and creative activities can further intensify these positive effects by engaging the child on multiple sensory levels. Bridging the “readiness to learn” gap among the preschool-age children of our community is at the heart of the mission of Symphonic Tales.


Key Elements of Innovation

Each of our programs offers child-friendly performances blending music with beloved works in children’s literature. We integrate multi-sensory activities with storytelling while focusing on themes that highlight cultural diversity. The programs are designed to provide an environment in which children of various skill levels and abilities are challenged to develop music and literacy skills. Although these programs appeal to a wide age range, our primary focus is on young children of early-literate ages.


Achieved Outcomes

These activities help develop attention spans and listening skills, sensitivity and response to musical stimuli, familiarity with musical instruments and concert repertoire and a general heightened interest and curiosity in the literary and musical arts. Through this program we help develop in children a lifelong love of reading and music. Pre and post surveys are given to teachers in Pre-K programs and child care centers each season and have received 100 percent positive feedback.