The Warren County Memorial Library has been awarded the “Let’s Get Creative Serving Our Community” grant from the North Carolina Library Association Youth Services section. This $500 grant will be used to implement a kindergarten transition program at the library.
The library identified a need for more early literacy programs to prepare preschool-age children to enter kindergarten ready to succeed. The grant funding will be used to purchase additional materials to help young children and their families with letter and number recognition, counting, colors and shapes, writing, and fine and gross motor skills.
The library plans to host pop-up play dates for parents and caregivers to attend and to get to know each other. These programs will include kindergarten transition activities for children to do together, as well as in a group setting, so children can learn to socialize with each other. Kindergarten transition activities will also be included in storytime programs at the library beginning this fall with Ky’el Owens.
“We are thrilled to have received this grant. This will positively contribute to children’s educational development,” said library assistant Ky’el Owens.
Along with the pop-up dates, the library hopes to bring the Ready Freddy™ initiative to Warren County. The Ready Freddy™ approach was developed by the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development. This program encourages early positive family engagement, helps pre-k children transition to kindergarten, and creates excitement for the first day of kindergarten.
The Warren County Memorial Library is located at 119 S. Front St. Warrenton, NC. For more information about the kindergarten transition program, visit www.wcmlibrary.org.