Simply click on the orange rectangular button to follow the CCPS Office of Family and Community Engagement. You will see it to the right when you open the Smore newsletter in a new tab. (See the image below) You will then receive a weekly Smore about ways to prepare for Kindergarten.

For starters, you want your child to be interested in reading and enjoy books! Developing early literacy skills makes it easier for children to learn to read. Children who enter school with these skills have an advantage that carries with them throughout their school years. What can you do to motivate your child to pick up books? Here are some ideas that you can easily incorporate into your day.

1. Stash books everywhere! Keep books around your home and start a home library of children's books. If you are feeling super creative , check out these reading nooks for inspiration.

2. Listen to audiobooks or children's podcasts while in the car. Check out story apps on your phone and connect with Chesterfield County Public Library's Overdrive/ Libby app.

3. Model reading! Be a reader yourself!

4. Act out stories! Play dress up like characters in the stories you read. Check this site for some examples.

5. Read the book and then watch the movie or YouTube video! For instance, read the Pete the Cat book, Pete the Cat and his Four Groovy Buttons by James Dean and then watch a video of the story together.

6. Create a relaxing reading read aloud routine. Reading is a great way to bond with your child. Make a point to fit in some quality re aloud time everyday. Bedtime is especially good time to wind down and read.

7. Reread the same books to little ones! Kids will learn rhyming, repetition, and sounds through multiple readings. Read about the benefits of rereading here.

8. Ask open ended questions and make predictions about stories. Talk about the stories you read!

9. Read EVERYTHING around you! Comics, directions to a game, magazines, cereal boxes, and recipes can all be of interest to a child! Read all the things you can to get your child interested in print.

10. Use books as a way to learn skills or develop empathy. For instance, get advice for a new puppy from a book or learn how to deal with emotions like sibling rivalry.

Reading is FUN! Getting your child to be print motivated and interested in reading is not hard! Start today!

Find out in this 2 minute video featuring Bellwood Elementary's librarian, Avery Long!

Have you heard of Circle Time @ Home? If you liked Mr. Roger's you will like this show! "Circle Time at Home" is a children's television program that involves local volunteer teachers, musicians, artists and community partners. Produced by VPM and the Excellence in Children’s Early Language and Literacy (ExCELL) program, "Circle Time at Home" features teachers from across the area including Saida Bouhajja and Stephanie Knost of Chesterfield County Public Schools. Its intended audience is preschool and kindergarten-age children and their families. Look for it in the VPM TV Schedule. The episodes are archived so you can enjoy them with your child anytime!