County Library Launches 'Kindergarten Gear-Up' program

EAST SAN DIEGO COUNTY -- Statistics that say almost 40 percent of 3- to 5-year-olds in San Diego County are not enrolled in preschool. So when the California State Library offered a one-year-long grant, the San Diego County Library developed the Kindergarten Gear-Up program as a logical extension of what it’s already doing to help children prepare for school.

The free program is geared toward children between the ages of 4 and 5, but younger siblings can come along, too.

Youth Services Librarian Jodi dela Pena and other library staff members lead the ten-class course at the Lemon Grove and Alpine County Libraries. While dela Pena's worked closely with kindergarten teachers over the years on ways the library can prepare kids for school, this program’s classes are structured in a strategic building block way. One activity teaches stepping stones for the next activity.

The curriculum was developed with teachers to ensure that both academic and social skills needed for kindergarten were being addressed.

“Story Time at the Library is a popular way for parents to introduce books and letters and other school readiness skills to children, but Kindergarten Gear-Up was developed to expand this learning academically and socially,” Program Services Librarian Anna Hartman said. “The kids also learn to be away from their parents for a short time and gain some independence.”

Hartman leads the overall program. She says the hour-long sessions are broken up into thirds. The first 20 minutes, caregivers work with the children together in an “I do, we do, you do” type learning situation.

The grown-ups then break away for sessions from community partners on topics such as how to pack a healthy lunch or how to keep children safe. Everyone comes together again for the last 20 minutes for a closing activity.

“The program gives kids a better idea how to be away from parents, how to get used to being with a teacher and friends, basically what to do and what not to do,” said Beatrice Wallace.

The County Library says it plans to expand the new Kindergarten Gear-Up courses to two more branches in the spring. For more information about the County Library, visit www.sdcl.org.

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