Kiwanis club of carefree

March 31, 2010

| More

Puts learning first with generous grant for desert foothills library

DFLCAVE CREEK, Ariz., (March 24, 2010) -- The Desert Foothills Library in Cave Creek recently had the honor of accepting a generous grant from the Kiwanis Club of Carefree. The grant from the local chapter of the national service organization will be used for the incorporation of the early literacy program, Every Child Ready to Read, and for the expansion of the children’s area at the library.

The grant will allow the library to offer families, children and care givers current early literacy skills and strategies with hands-on materials. Additional children's area furniture purchases and expansion within the children’s environment will also take place because of the grant.

Each of the materials that will be purchased has been researched to reinforce the six pre-reading skills necessary to provide children with a strong foundation towards learning to read.  

Thanks to the Kiwanis’ grant, the children’s area at the library will acquire family friendly seating, interactive equipment and hands-on manipulatives for babies, toddlers and children. “The grant will allow us to create an inviting atmosphere that will promote the six pre-reading skills while exciting and encouraging children to want to come and visit their local library,” said Jaime Hansen, children’s librarian at the facility.

The six early literacy skills are narrative skills, print motivation, vocabulary, phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and print awareness. 

Currently the children’s story times have been designated by age (“Little Ones” birth-24 months, “Talkers” ages 2-3, and “Preschool” ages 4-5) in order for the storyteller to adequately meet the children’s developmental needs.  With grant funding, the children’s environment can now expand to promote the six skills at each age designation.

“The Desert Foothills Library can now offer parents and caregivers the Every Child Ready to Read program through multiple avenues, which in essence will affect school success and readiness of our local community’s youth,” said Hansen.

Hansen added that the Kiwanis Club of Carefree, established in 1973, has offered support to the non-profit, privately funded library since the club’s inception.

“Thanks to the Kiwanis Club of Carefree we can successfully reach out to our youth through our collection, programming and environment,” said Hansen.