Counting Down to Kindergarten: A Complete Guide to Creating a School Readiness Program for Your Community by R. Lynn Baker.
Chicago, IL: ALA Editions. 978-0-8389-1333-8.
The public library is in the perfect position as a community resource to help bridge the gap between preschool and kindergarten; however, starting from scratch can feel daunting. In this guide, Baker combines her background in early childhood education with her experience as a youth services programming specialist to present a school readiness program that can be tailored for any public library. Based on the successful framework of her tried and tested original program, this book offers everything that a public library needs in order to get started, including
- A six-week schedule of detailed lesson plans which combine the best practices of the Every Child Ready to Read® (ECRR) Second Edition (talking, singing, reading, writing, playing) with nationally identified school readiness skills
- A six-month family calendar with activities to help parents engage their children in activities that foster early literacy and school readiness skills at home
- Tips for maintaining a collaborative relationship with early childhood stakeholders and policymakers to help maintain a program that fits the school readiness needs of the local community
- Specific examples of successful school readiness programs and partnerships from public library systems across the country
(book description)
