Bookmobile News

When we started giving away books to people throughout Sonoma County, some said it was a quaint idea. They said that books were a dying artifact of the pre-digital age, and that kids wouldn’t be interested. We’re glad we didn’t listen! Because it turned out that not only do children still love to read books printed on real paper, but they love to be read to by their family members. And it’s a good thing, because these activities turn out to be crucially important in the development of language centers in young brains.

Community Foundation of Sonoma County, in partnership with the Cradle to Career coalition, is at the front in supporting our local families’ early reading habits. One of their simplest yet most important programs is iREAD, the promotion of reading in the home to young children. The Free Bookmobile is delighted to have earned renewal of grant funding to continue our work in supplying the books these families will need, especially low-income, rural, and otherwise access-challenged families, as well as education and encouragement. We had a great first year on the job and look forward to expanding our reach in 2018, serving 0 – 5 year-olds throughout the region, including dedicated visits to AVANCE Parenting Classes and Pasitos playgroups for young families who are primarily Spanish-speaking.

Reading to a child in your life is one of the most important things you can do to help them enter kindergarten ready to learn and succeed in school!

As a parent or family member you can:

• READ TO YOUR CHILD EVERY DAY.  Just fifteen minutes a day makes a huge difference in your child’s language development, and helps them be ready to learn in school.
• READ FROM DAY ONE.  The first eight months of a baby’s life is a peak period for language development.
• READ IN ANY LANGUAGE–Or use the book to tell a story in your home language.
• READ EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE, from street signs to cereal boxes.
• NARRATE YOUR DAY: Talk with your child while you’re doing activities together.
• ANYONE CAN READ TO CHILDREN: Older siblings, aunts and uncles, grandparents.