Our friends at the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (ID AEYC) received funds from the Idaho Preschool Development Grant (see January 9, 2020 issue of The Scoop) to reach more families with the Ready! for Kindergarten™ program, and they are passing along a special opportunity for Idaho public libraries.
If you are a small/rural library whose community has limited preschool options, you can apply to host an online version of the Ready! program this fall. Grant funds will provide books and program materials for up to 30 families at no cost, and ID AEYC will train a library staff person (or volunteer, teacher, community partner) of your choice to facilitate the workshop series for your library.
Normally the workshop materials cost $300 – $500 per family, with the additional cost for a Ready!™ facilitator, so this opportunity is very generous!
Ready!™ workshops are based on child development milestones in language and literacy, math and reasoning, and social-emotional functions. They have proven to be a very effective way to teach parents how to be their child’s first and best teacher, and help them prepare their children for school. The curriculum is somewhat scripted, which will give your library facilitator a road map to follow; however, some experience in facilitating workshops is preferable. Library staff experienced in facilitating Every Child Ready to Read or Idaho Child Care Reads workshops, or even enhanced storytimes with parent asides, should be able to facilitate the Ready!™ workshops with ease. Libraries may also choose to designate a teacher or other facilitator with workshop experience to conduct the workshops.
Ready!™ curriculum is available in English and Spanish. All workshops will be facilitated through Zoom (assistance provided by ID AEYC if library does not have a Zoom account).
The grant will fund approximately ten Idaho libraries serving up to 30 families each (or a few more libraries if family numbers are lower than 30). Priority will be given to small and/or rural libraries, and communities in which there is limited access to quality preschool programs or a high level of poverty or need. Applications will be reviewed by ID AEYC staff.
Apply by July 20, 2020
Questions about the logistics of this opportunity or the Ready!™ curriculum/materials should be directed to:
Hailey Michalk, Ready!™ for Kindergarten Program Director
208-345-1090
hmichalk@idahoaeyc.org
If you’re not sure if your library has the capacity to host the workshops, or if you have questions such as your patrons’ ability to access the Zoom sessions, etc., feel free to contact me and we can chat!
