‘Bedtime Bonanza’ launches library’s Every Child Ready to Read initiative

Bring the kids in their PJs for a “Bedtime Bonanza” as the Randolph County Public Library kicks off Every Child Ready to Read®,  its new early childhood literacy initiative for the whole family.

Bedtime Bonanza is free and will be offered at five locations in the library system. It will include a storytime, an age-appropriate craft and refreshments.

Parents/caregivers, children age 0-5 and older siblings are invited to any of the sessions as follows:

· Asheboro, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 14;

· Archdale, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 30;

· Randleman, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 4;

· Seagrove, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 11

· Ramseur/Franklinville, 6-7 p.m. Tuesday, June 18 at Ramseur.

During each event, librarians will provide parents/caregivers with tips about how incorporate five key activities — talking, singing, reading, writing, playing — as they read and interact with their children. Employing these techniques has been shown to build pre-literacy skills that help ensure children will be ready learn to read when they begin school.

Every Child activities for parents/caregivers and children will be ongoing, and the techniques will be part of library storytimes for babies, toddlers and preschoolers.

Every Child Ready to Read®, developed by the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Services to Children, is based on research about language, early literacy skills and how children learn. The techniques give parents and caregivers simple but powerful ways to help kids develop the language and other skills they need to learn to read.

The Randolph County Public Library  ‘Every Child’ initiative is supported by grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the federal Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

Library locations can be found at www.randolphlibrary.org, or call 318-6800. For more information about Bedtime Bonanza and Every Child Ready to Read, call 318-6830