FY23 Jump Start Kindergarten Requests are open Aug 1, 2022 – July 31, 2023
Overview: Sharing early literacy practices, such as Every Child Ready to Read’s five early literacy practices (“Sing, Talk, Read, Write, Play”), Jump Start Kindergarten is an outreach activity that connects library staff with parents/caregivers of young children about to enter Kindergarten and emphasizes daily activities that will help children learn to read. Primarily designed for public library staff to conduct outreach activities in their local public elementary schools during Kindergarten Registration events, this program also helps parents/caregivers understand all the resources public libraries can provide to assist with school readiness and connects them with these resources through library card sign-up/promotion.
Program Delivery Changes! Is your community’s school or school district no longer offering a face-to-face Kindergarten Registration event? Is your local school still not allowing outside visitors to attend their in-person events? While this program was designed for in-person Kindergarten events and that remains the best practice for this activity, Jump Start K can still help you reach out to upcoming Kindergartners and make sure these families know how to sign-up for a library card and access early literacy library programs. Public libraries may request Jump Start K materials from ICfL at any time during the year when your library is conducting outreach services for this targeted group of children (ages 4-5) and their caregivers. This could be for a local daycare’s family night, a Head Start’s monthly family literacy night, a curbside event at the library or the school, or another community event targeting this audience. Public library staff are also encouraged to work closely with your local elementary school library staff to coordinate the dissemination of the Jump Start Kindergarten materials at the school’s registration event or family literacy night. Not sure if your outreach idea is a good fit for the Jump Start program? Contact Kristina Taylor at ICfL to discuss.
Resources: This year, we have brought back the two-pocket “Get a Jumpstart on Reading @ Your Library” folders. Due to COVID complications over the past several years, there will be no change in book titles this year. This year’s book choices are: The King of Kindergarten, by Derrick Barnes (English) and Nuestro Autobus, by Suzanne Bloom (English-Spanish bilingual). We also still have copies of DJ’s Busy Day for the younger siblings of your Kindergartners (you can request copies of these too – up to 50% of the number of Kinders you anticipate serving). All of this may be requested in the program request form below.
Learn more about the Idaho Commission for Libraries’ (ICfL) Jump Start Kindergarten program below:
- What’s the purpose? See Program Objectives
- Who can apply? See Program Eligibility
- How does it work? See Program Details & Requirements and Program Timeline
- What materials are provided? See Program Resources
- What schools are already being served? See weekly upload of Registration List
See which libraries have already registered, which schools they are serving, and the resource amounts you requested last year by viewing the following registration lists:
Questions? Contact Kristina Taylor
This program is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.