Illustration of various Idaho landscapes, including a city skyline, mountains, farmland, and a river with the text 2023 Idaho Family Reading Week: Art is All Around Us, November 6-12, 2023

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2023 Idaho Family Reading Week:
“Art is All Around Us”

November 6-12, 2023

This year’s Idaho Family Reading Week theme is all about art – “Art Is All Around Us” – and we’re mixing things up a bit this year with the resources ICfL will provide to libraries. To kick things off, immediately after you register, your library will receive a copy of TinkerLab’s Art Starts: 52 Projects for Open-Ended Exploration, to help you plan your activities. Next, instead of receiving 4-5 themed, hardcover, newer books for your library collection, we’re taking the “one-read” approach and providing the same art-focused book to each kid (up to 10,000): The Dot, by Peter Reynolds. (Note, there will be some art-themed chapter books, Van Gogh Deception, by Deron Hicks, for the older kids.) With The Dot and process art as the focus of this program, libraries are free to connect-the-dots to International Dot Day activities, a children’s artwalk in the library (or outside), partnering with your local arts commission/artists, you name it! The possibilities are endless and totally up to you and your library staff.  Scroll down to “2023 Program Resources” to view tons of ideas and resources gathered by ICfL so your library can offer great literacy-oriented Family Reading Week activities. Registration opens September 15th (see below).

Idaho libraries who do not register in time for one of the 100 spots may still offer a FRW event and use the following ICfL-developed material for free (find it on our FRW website):

  • Idaho Family Reading Week themed artwork: downloadable posters/flyers, Facebook/website banners, letterhead, proclamation and press release templates;
  • Google Choice Boards (3) full of related resources, educator guides, and lots of ideas for extension activities;
  • Idaho Digital E-Book Alliance (IDEA) e-book list created specifically for FRW;
  • Digital copies of both the give-away books, The Dot and Van Gogh Deception, are also available on IDEA
  • Recommended themed reading lists and parent handouts that support early literacy skills and are related to the “art” theme.

The primary objectives of the Idaho Family Reading Week program are:

  • To emphasize the importance of daily family/caregiver reading time and its support of early childhood literacy.
  • To connect families/caregivers of young children with the early literacy resources their local public and school libraries have available to help them prepare their child for school success.
  • To help every family/caregiver obtain a public library card and visit a public and/or school library

By applying for the Idaho Family Reading Week program, the library agrees to:

  • host at least 1 family reading/literacy event (via in-person, virtual,  curbside services, or a combination of these delivery methods) by November 30, 2023 (event does NOT have to be Nov 6-12 only; can be anytime in the month of November); NOTE: The primary literacy should NOT be the viewing of a movie with children. It can be part of the program offerings, but it should not be the core element.
  • promote library programming/resources and library cards/library access for all families/children;
  • connect with parents and caregivers about the many free resources your library can offer them in support of literacy;
  • submit a summary event report including numbers served, narrative responses and program/resource feedback by December 15, 2023 (You can preview the report questions below.)

Program Overview for 2023:

  • We have the capacity to serve 100 Idaho libraries. Public and school libraries may register for this program. School libraries are encouraged to partner with an applying public library and submit one registration form for a joint event. If the local public library cannot partner, the school library may apply on their own. We want to serve as many children/families as possible so we encourage community collaboration and discourage duplicate requests.
  • Program Registration: approx. September 15 – until filled  (based on a first-come, first served protocol; it will remain open until filled or until we reach the closing date)
  • Libraries that register will receive: One library copy of TinkerLab’s Art Starts: 52 Projects for Open-Ended Exploration book for program planning, copies of the “one-book” children’s book The Dot, art-themed bookmarks, and mini-sketch notebooks for participating FRW children, access to the themed artwork/graphics, marketing collateral, Google slides of activity ideas and educational links, and a recommended reading list/handout based on the FRW theme.
  • Libraries that are unable to register before we reach our maximum capacity of 100 libraries: You can still offer the program with the help of our free, downloadable marketing collateral, the book activity links and recommended reading lists, and the printable Student Achievement Journals. You may also consider if your event meets the requirements of the “Outreach for Underserved Children” program.

  • Aug 1 – Aug 31: Idaho FRW website updated with the new art, themed activities, handouts, and other resources. FRW registration form posted for preview before opening for submission.
  • Sept 8: Informational Session about this year’s FRW theme and resources. 11:00-11:30 via Zoom (recording will be posted to the webpage afterwards)
  • Sept 15: Idaho FRW Registration opens! (closes when registration hits 100 libraries)
  • Oct 1 – Oct 15: Requested books, kits, and resources mailed out to participating libraries. Libraries who do not register before we hit capacity can use all program art, activity templates and other resources listed on the FRW website without registering.
  • November: Idaho FRW events held – any day in November or during week of Nov 6-12 (the official week of FRW).  FRW coincides with the national Children’s Book Week organized by Every Child a Reader (check out their program resources as well).
  • December 15: Idaho FRW event summary reports due to ICfL for all participating libraries

Want to learn more about Idaho Family Reading 2023 and our “Art Is All Around Us” theme BEFORE registration opens?

Listen to an overview of this year’s FRW details in this recorded virtual info session

2023 Program Resources:

For our “Art Is All Around Us” theme, ICfL will provide each registered library (first 100) with the following books:

Process art guide for library program planning (100 copies available, one for each registered library)

Waiting for Mama book cover

The Dot, by Peter Reynolds (10,000 copies available) (rec. ages 4-9)

Van Gogh Deception, by Deron Hicks (500 copies available) (rec. ages 10-12)

Please see Google Slides (#1-#3) above for all resources, ideas, and activity links.

Each year, ICfL provides related literacy materials to registered FRW libraries. These materials for FRW participants can be requested when you register your library for FRW (more detail is provided on the Jotform).

Library staff, consider requesting and distributing these additional themed resources to your youth participants at one or more of you Family Reading Week 2023 events:

       1. The Dot, by Peter Reynolds – recommended for ages 4-9 

English – 10,000 copies available. Each library will make specific quantity requests on their FRW registration form. Limits will be recommended by library size.

Spanish – 500 copies available. Each library will make specific quantity requests on their FRW registration form. Limits will be recommended by library size.

    2. Van Gogh Deception, by Deron Hicks – recommended for ages 10-12

500 copies available. Each library will make specific quantity requests on their FRW registration form. Limits will be recommended by library size.

      3. Coloring Bookmarks (by Demco) – Limit 100 per library branch

      4. Art Journals – Blank, unlined mini-journals for doodling and more. 10,000 copies available. Limits will be recommended by library size.

     

Download and utilize themed “Art Is All Around Us” artwork designed by ICfL to promote your Idaho Family Reading Week event.  This artwork features images and concepts of art in the everyday scenes and spaces of Idaho. Each piece of FRW artwork comes in English & Spanish, various sizes, some with FRW dates already included, some without dates, and some Word doc posters/flyers that leaves a customizable section at the bottom for your library’s use.

FRW Art in English:

Print Materials

Digital Materials

FRW Art in Spanish:

Print Materials

Digital Materials

Public Announcement Info (COMING SOON!) 

  • Sample Idaho Family Reading Week 2023 Proclamation (to share with your local media, partners, local government)
  • Sample Idaho Family Reading Week 2023 Press Release (customizable for your library)

Five Early Literacy Skills handouts  – library can download/print themselves or order from ICfL via “Support Materials Order Form”:

Talking is Teaching handouts – a national literacy information campaign:

Fostering Readers website – “Helping you plan fun, research-based literacy activities for children in K-3rd grade”

Check out all the great resources and ideas at:  https://fosteringreaders.weebly.com 

Event planning tips and ideas for a successful Idaho Family Reading Week event:

Program Registration

(September 15th each year – check back in Fall 2024)

Summary Report

(Due by December 15th)

Idaho Family Reading Week Archives

Looking for great program ideas and activities?

Check out the Idaho Family Reading Week archives.

Questions? Contact Read To Me Project Coordinator, Kristina Taylor

Kristina Taylor

Kristina Taylor

Outreach & Community Engagement Consultant
Email / 208-639-4136
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