Fun and Educational

For many children, an interest in books starts early. Deer Valley Unified School District’s Big Kid Books Club encourages parents and children to read and share books together.

The program, which includes Anthem schools, was designed for pre-kindergarten children ages 3 to 5 years old who have not yet entered kindergarten. It started during the 2018-19 school year.

This year, the number of families in the program has grown from around 400 at the beginning of the year to nearly 1,000 this spring.

Monica Allread, director of communications and community engagement for Deer Valley Unified School District, says the book club was designed to promote literacy in young children before they start school.

“We wanted to connect with our families with pre-k kids. It was a priority of our superintendent that those families have information about preparing their kids for school, and we help cultivate a love of learning and a love of reading,” Allread says. Fun and Educational Big Kids Book Club gets children inspired to read By Laura Latzko The book program started after district officials saw a need in the community. There were similar programs out there, but they didn’t quite fit or weren’t cost effective. The school district has been committed for years to making reading fun for kids. Part of this effort has been giving out books at Valley events.

Although the book club program was designed for children in the Deer Valley Unified School District, it is open to interested families in Maricopa County.

Four times a year, parents in the program are sent books.

Some parents sign up their children early, and the families receive the books once the children are 3 years old. There are usually 50 to 100 families on the waiting list.

Allread says her team looks for books at the pre-k reading level that will appeal to children.

“We want it to be bright. We want it to be airy, and we want it to be few words so that it keeps children’s attention at a young age,” Allread says.

Families receive books such as Mercer

In the Big Kids Book Club, families receive books such as Frank Remkiewicz’s “Gus Grows a Plant.” (Photo courtesy Scholastic)

Mayer’s “Snowball Soup,” a book in the “My First I Can Read” series, or Frank Remkiewicz’s “Gus Grows a Plant.”

Books are sent until the children go to kindergarten. The last books sent to the families are meant to get young people prepared for and excited about starting school.

Along with the books, parents receive bookmarks, stickers or activity sheets and crayons, which help children to develop their writing skills or hand-eye coordination.

Allread says teachers have responded positively to the program because of how it encourages not only reading but parent and child engagement.

“I know the preschool teachers have been really excited about it because they like the idea of every child getting their own book. It’s putting books in the homes, encouraging the parents to read to their kids at a young age,” Allread says.

To find out more information on the book club or sign up, go to dvusd.org/bookclub.