Family Reading Education
San Mateo County Library staff offers literacy classes for parents on ways to promote early literacy experiences in the home. We offer a series of programs in English or Spanish that range from a complete early literacy curriculum to a one-time parent event. These programs are offered in collaboration with schools, preschools, parent clubs or other non-profit organizations that serve parents of young children. To schedule a presentation for a school or organization in your community, contact our Early Literacy Services Coordinator, Martina Tello at 650.312.5287 or tello@plsinfo.org |
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Book Bag Program
The Raising A Reader ™ Book Bag program is a take home early literacy program for children 0 to 5 which promotes book sharing between parents and their children. Working through early childhood professionals, this program is designed to ensure that children fall in love with reading at an early age so they not only have the skills necessary to enter school ready to learn, but become lifelong readers as well. |
| Bags filled with high quality preschool books are rotated out of over 450 day care centers and home visiting programs, serving almost 9,000 children and families annually throughout San Mateo County with impressive results. Funded by the Peninsula Community Foundation, Raising A Reader ™ was started by the San Mateo County Library in 1999 in collaboration with other early childhood professionals. Raising A Reader ™ is now offered nationwide through the Raising A Reader National Headquarters. |
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| For information about the Library’s role in the Raising A Reader® Book Bag Program in San Mateo County, contact Martina Tello at 650.572.READ or tello@plsinfo.org. For information about starting Raising A Reader program, please contact Raising A Reader National Headquarters at 650.854 5566 or 866-BOOKBAG. |
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Community Reading Van
To reach high-risk families, the San Mateo County Library takes library services via our Community Reading Van to community organizations and venues that serve this population, such as Women, Infants and Children (WIC), Ravenswood School District, and community fairs and events. Program staff tells stories on location, register clients for library cards, and check-out books on-site. Because having easy access is so important for developing early literacy behaviors in children, our program staff also distribute free children’s books. |
| A part of our Community Reading Van outreach also includes working with pediatric health clinics to administer Reach Out and Read ™. a national organization that promotes early literacy by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud in pediatric exam rooms across the nation. Our Community Reading Van also offers a “Books for Babies” program with the San Mateo County Health Department, WIC, and various parenting and birth classes, giving new parents a book appropriate for a baby, information about why it is important to share books with babies in English and Spanish and a coupon for a free baby t-shirt if they visit their library. This program has, started with a grant from San Mateo County First 5, has had impressive results For more information about the Community Reading Van’s efforts in San Mateo County, contact Pamela Bilz at 650.312.5263 or bilz@plsinfo.org |
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| San Mateo County Library’s early literacy outreach efforts have received county-wide recognition and many community awards. These programs are making a difference in our community and raising readers. Please consider donating gently used books or fund or volunteering your time to help us keep these programs available in our communities. For more information on any of these programs, please contact Jeanine Asche, Youth, Family and Literacy Services Manager, 650.312.5312 or asche@plsinfo.org. |
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