Thanks to the creativity and initiative of Preschool Teacher Rachel Emary, our youngest learners and their families are benefiting from new take-home Preschool Literacy Kits.
Funded through a Classroom Grant, this project fosters stronger home–school connections while promoting early literacy and developmental skills. Each kit pairs classic children’s literature (already owned by the district) with engaging, hands-on activities that support foundational skills such as phonological awareness, vocabulary development, and print awareness. Parent guidance materials are also included to help families create meaningful and enriching literacy experiences at home.
“Our goal is to empower families to become active participants in their child’s educational journey,” Rachel shared. “These hands-on activities give families the opportunity to support children’s language and literacy development at home while strengthening the connection between school and family.”
The program supports approximately 140–150 students and families annually, including preschool classrooms, walk-in/itinerant students, and Early Intervention families. The grant funded supplementary manipulatives and storage bags, resulting in 36 literacy kits that families can check out, return, and reuse throughout the year.
The resources have been available for parent check-out during the second semester and have been very well received.
“We know that early literacy development is crucial for future academic success,” Rachel added. “By providing quality books and interactive materials, we’re helping create literacy-rich environments beyond the classroom. We are grateful to the BPS Foundation for funding this grant. These literacy kits are already making a meaningful impact on building strong school/home partnerships and supporting students as they develop essential literacy skills."
