Thanks to a Growing Readers Together (Buell Foundation) grant-funded program the Nederland Community Library is able to partner with other early childhood organizations and informal caregivers by providing no-cost materials, programs, and resources to the community. The Growing Readers Together program works with public library systems across the state to enhance the early literacy experiences of children under six.

In Colorado, a significant number of children aged five or younger (between 40% – 60%) are cared for by family members, friends, or neighbors (FFN) while their parents are at work. Yet, due to the personal nature of these arrangements, few FFN are included in the state’s efforts to increase the quality of childcare. If you offer any kind of childcare, we would love to connect with you and offer you some cute, fun, and effective ways to support early literacy. You can be a grandparent, friend, neighbor, nanny, or extended family member of any kind. If you take care of kids, or babysit in any capacity - we’re here for you!

As part of this funding we have developed a series of special Early Literacy Kits / Storytime to-go Kits that caregivers, parents, or teachers can check out. These bags each contain at least tree books, and other manipulatives appropriate for preschool, like a puppet, toy, or puzzle to enhance the learning process. So far, we have kits on themes like frogs, counting, ABCs, growing a garden, outer space, and telling the time.

Children come into the world ready to experiment and learn through play. When we give children more opportunities to use their natural skills they continue to be engaged and creative learners into and throughout their adult lives. These kits give caregivers an easy way to provide toys and materials in ways that the child can direct and control themselves. This allows for vital life skills to little ones, and they don’t even realize they’re learning. It’s just fun!

The end goal is to promote the wellbeing and resiliency of parents and caregivers, and to support children’s healthy development and learning through high quality, developmentally appropriate, and affordable learning experiences.

That’s not all being offered right now at the Nederland Community Library. We also have free, full-color, educational activity workbooks for any child entering pre-Kindergarten through third grade. Beat the summer learning slide and keep your children reading and learning with these fun workbooks. Stop by the library and pick one up today!

For more information email Youth Services Supervisor Jessie at Jansari@nedlib.org, call the library at 303-258-1101 or visit www.nedlib.org.