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Reading Ready Pittsburgh partners with childcare programs and community organizations to offer literacy programs to foster a love of reading with Pittsburgh's youngest readers. Reading Ready Pittsburgh supporting families to foster a love of reading To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Reading Ready Pittsburgh believes in the power of family book sharing to ensure all children are ready to thrive in school. By increasing access to books and encouraging significant family engagement, we work to guarantee that all families have the tools and resources they need to support their children. All children deserve full book shelves. More than 312,000 books given away to date! What We Do B is f or Books Free C hildren's B o okst o re Raising a Reader Dolly Parton's Imagination Library ParentPowered Community Outreach Little Giveaway Libraries Deon's Story Deon, a former professional football player turned early literacy advocate, shares his story about learning how to read as an adult so he could be a part of his daughter's own journey of reading. Our Recent News B is for Bikes Day B is for Bikes was a tremendous success! Thank you big time to the 70 plus folks who came out through the day! Lots of smiles and free books and free BikePGH giveaways. Hoping to this event again next year but even bigger! 1/5 Fairytale Storytime Once upon a time... that is, this past Saturday, April 11, we had our fairytale storytime and just look at these super cute photos! Many thanks to all the families who came through to hear some stories, explore our space, and participate in our planned activities. We hope you had a blast, and -- if these pictures are any indication -- it looks like y'all did. Hope to see everyone again real soon! 1/7 Music Storytime with You Be You Music We had nearly 40 kids come by on the 21st to see Georgia English of You Be You Music do her musical storytime. Many songs were sung, snacks were eaten, and crafts were ... crafted! Thank you all for coming out to support both her and us! 1/3 Kelly Starling Lyons Visit Award winner children's author Kelly Starling Lyons came to B is for Books and hosted two storytimes on February 28. It was awesome! We get phenomenal authors in here a lot, but we've never had someone so famous before. Plenty of families came by to hear her read and get their free, new books autographed by her. Afterward, the kids got to participate in a bread kneading activity to connect with Lyons' book My Hands Tell a Story . 1/7 Educator Night Over 25 educators came to B is for Books on February 18 for educator night. The evening featured PQAS credit and lots of free books given away. Rebecca Chrystal of Raising a Reader (our rotating bookbag program) was the guest speaker and lectured on how to engage families through diverse books. Can't wait to do it again sometime! 1/6 Where Has the Time Gone? A lot has happened since our last update here, so let's fill you in! We had our Celebration of Families in November, and plenty of folks came and had their portraits taken -- some for the very first time. Local author Michael Roth came by and did a storytime and brought his therapy dog with him. For the winter solstice our very own Kathy and Sophia created all the puppets to perform a Three Billy Goats Gruff shadow puppet show. Kids got to make their own puppets afterward. And, finally, just last week we launched our Baby Book Club at the bookstore! It happens the first and third Thursday every month. Come check it out! 1/8 Halloween Hoopla 2025 We had an absolute BLAST this past Saturday, October 25, at our second Halloween Hoopla event. Well over 60 children attended, heard stories, decorated pumpkins, and took home lots and lots of free books. Hope you can make it next year! 1/10 B is for Bookbash So the B is for Bookbash this last Saturday was, well, a total BASH! We had somewhere around 100 or more families come through the Carnegie Library of Homestead in just a mere 3 hours. Thank you so much to our partners who helped us make this day a true success. Crafts were made; stories were read; snow cones and snacks were eaten; school supplies and books were gifted; and faces were painted. And, of course, much more happened but we'll leave it at that for now! Thank you, thank you, thank you everyone!! 1/11 B is for Bugs Day Reading Ready Pittsburgh hosted the Carnegie Museum of Natural History at B is for Books on Saturday, July 12, for a day filled with creepies, crawlies, and lots of fun activities. Kids and families got to see insects of all different shapes and sizes, eat some "dirt", and take plenty of bug books to learn more at home. 1/9

Upcoming Events with Reading Ready Pittsburgh Upcoming Events For questions about events, email mark@readingreadypittsburgh.org 1/4

Summer Reading Programs Read with Me! Families enjoy an 7 week book giveaway program to share the love of reading with their child! Every book given is brand new. Reading Ready Pittsburgh coordinates with childcare centers, home visitors, and home daycares to provide age appropriate books. With each book, a customized parent tip sheet is provided to aid family engagement around reading. This program is exclusive only to Raising a Reader implementers at this time. Want to learn more about Raising a Reader? Click here. 1/3 Free School Age Book Fairs Reading Ready Pittsburgh brings a variety of new picture, beginner readers, and chapter books to summer camp programs in the Mon Valley. Interested in a Reading Ready Pittsburgh book fair? Send her an email at hannahz@readingreadypittsburgh.org . 1/5

If you do not live within the 20 additional zip codes we offer or the official city limits of Pittsburgh as indicated by the zip code list below, you are not eligible for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library at this time.

Community Engagement and Outreach Reading Ready Pittsburgh loves to work directly and creatively in our local communities. Our organization is often tabling at a variety of community events and at partner's events . We also work with the family centers and pediatricians around the Mon Valley and provide them books and resources of all kinds like early literacy posters, stickers with helpful hints for parents, and literature highlighting the importance of early literacy. Click here to reach out to Mark if you'd like any items listed below or if you are interested in partnering with Reading Ready Pittsburgh in our community efforts! Executive Director Mary Denison tabling at a Beverly's Babies Community Shower Specific Projects 1/8 Family Reading Poster Campaign Much like the "Read" and "Got Milk?" public service announcement campaigns of the 1990's, Reading Ready Pittsburgh's poster project delivers a powerful message in simple language. Each of the 20 posters feature a photo of a local family reading to or with their child(ren) alongside a simple yet impactful message about literacy at the bottom. These posters are hung in areas where children and families might be: classrooms, libraries, pediatrician offices, and more. Feel free to request a couple if you know of a good place to hang one! Diaper Bank Baby Wipe Stickers Any time a parent or caregiver interacts with their child is a great time to talk, sing, and play. RRP has an ongoing partnership with Mon Valley Family Center diaper banks to put colorful tips and reminders for parents on baby wipes that are distributed alongside the diapers. 7 5 8 7 1/8 1/6 Read, Play, Learn Spaces There are many spaces in our community where families do passive errands or spend time waiting that are great places to add a reading nook. Reading Ready Pittsburgh has added RPL spaces to the Clairton laundromat, Clairton Inn apartment complex, Millvue Acres housing complex, the Latino Family Community Center, Duquesne Family Center, and even our bookstore! We hope to transform spaces in salons and barbershops, municipal buildings, and other similar areas. Let us know if you know somewhere that could benefit from a reading nook! Books for Family Health Care Centers and Pediatricians Reading Ready Pittsburgh supplies nearly a dozen community health clinics, family health providers, and pediatrician offices with free copies of Read to Your Bunny . Each time a new family with young children visit the office for a check-up or other service they get to walk away with a copy of Rosemary Wells' charming little book. From Scholastic: "This gem of a book celebrates reading through an intimate story and vibrant, bunny-filled pictures. [It] is an invitation for parents and children to read together every day. This picture book promises: Read to your bunny often, and your bunny will read to you."

Education Opportunities Reading Ready Pittsburgh promotes extracurricular learning opportunities for families and Early Childhood professionals. These programs provide literacy strategies that can be used in both the home and classroom. Check out the sections below for more information and topics. For Professionals Reading Ready Pittsburgh offers professional development opportunities for educators. Our experienced staff can lead workshops several times a year at B is for Books, local childcares, or social support agencies. Educators can take advantage of PQAS and Act 48 credits through these workshops. Below is a list of what we currently offer. Reading Ready Pittsburgh currently can offer these professional workshops: Emergent Reading: An Overview of Core Literacy Skills for Early Learners Nursery Rhymes: Using Mother Goose in Early Childhood Classrooms Raising a Reader Implementer Workshops Using Books to Support Social Emotional Learning Family Engagement: Promoting Shared Reading Brain Architecture and Early Childhood Educators Planning Engaging Storytimes Interested in a topic not listed here? Let us know! We can tailor our trainings and maybe even work to make a new one! For Families Reading Ready Pittsburgh also offers family workshops to encourage engagement around literacy for young children. Throughout the year family workshops are offered at our free bookstore for children, B is for Books. At this time, we can offer the workshops listed below. Are you a teacher or professional looking for literacy workshops for your families? Sites can schedule Reading Ready Pittsburgh staff to lead a parent workshop on site. Reading Ready Pittsburgh currently can offer these family workshops: Importance of Reading to Young Children Promoting Shared Reading by Asking Good Questions Making Literacy Connections Using Books to Support Social Emotional Learning at Home Brain Architectur e Balancing Screens for Young Children Contact Megan at megan@readingreadypittsburgh.org to learn more or schedule a professional development session or parent workshop.

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B is for Books is Reading Ready Pittsburgh free bookstore for children. B is for Books A Free Bookstore for Children Reading Ready Pittsburgh operates an absolutely, 100% free bookstore for children and their families. The idea is simple: we believe that every child and their family should have easy access to high quality reading material with as few barriers as possible. This bookstore also doubles as a resource for early childhood educators. If you are an educator in need of a fresh set of books for your classroom and are able to pick them up from our bookstore location, you may request them below. 1/9 What Happens Here? Some things to do around the store if you are... An educator Meet with our librarian to choose the right books for your classroom Learn about our circle and story time events Ask us about professional development opportunities A caregiver Take home three free books to add to your family library Read a book in our nook with your little one Ask the staff about our early literacy programs A kid Take a look around the store, the games, and the nook Grab three books to take home and keep Read in the nook or play with the games Some other things we're doing around the store that you should know about: Literacy events at least once a month, a storytime every Saturday at 11:30 am, parent workshops, and even school field trips! B is for Books can now be reserved as a party space as well! Call 412-444-2994 or complete the inquiry form here for more information. Keep up to date on our social media to stay in the know! Donation Policy Reading Ready Pittsburgh will gladly take your new and gently used children's books to give away in our bookstore! It doesn't matter if it 's one book or one thousand books, we wi ll take them as long as they are in acceptable condition; not offensive in their language o r depictions of people or cultures; and geared towards kids birth to 18. Please click here to start the donation process. Questio ns about donating? Click here to email Kathy! Request Books If you are an educator or organization that works with children (e.g. social worker, doctor, community center), you may request a variety of gently loved books spanning all ages and genres from the store. You must make arrangements to pick them up from our storefront at 222 East 8th Avenue, Homestead, PA 15120. Click here to fill out the form , and our librarian will be in contact with you shortly. Please note that these books are from the store itself and may vary depending on what we currently have in stock. Location and Hours 222 East 8th Avenue Homestead, PA 15120 Monday: Tuesday: Wednesday: Thursday: Saturday: 9 am - 3 pm 12 pm - 3 pm 9 am - 6 pm 9 am - 3 pm 10 am - 2 pm

How to get involved with Reading Ready Pittsburgh. Get Involved There are tons of volunteering opportunities for you at Reading Ready Pittsburgh. Look below for just a few of them. There are many more not listed here! Want to sign up to volunteer? Fill out this form , and Mark will be in touch. Build a Little Library If you have the skills to build little libraries, please reach out to help us increase access to books through our Little Giveaway Libraries for young readers! We are seeking volunteers to read to small children in their childcare programs. If you would like to read to groups of small children on a monthly basis please contact us. Read in a Classroom (as needed) We always have tasks that need to be completed like cleaning books, prepping programming materials, wrapping books, and whatever else that might come up that week. Help Around the Bookstore Donate Books or Host a Book Drive Do you have children's books that need a new home or want to host a book drive? Consider helping Reading Ready Pittsburgh and B is for Books! Book Bag Support Do you get excited to organize and laminate? We do! Help us get our classroom book bags ready to go for our newest partners. Purchase Birthday Books Each child in our programming receives a brand new book each year for their birthday. Would you like to help us with that?

ParentPowered (Haga clic aquí para español) Over 900 parents enrolled! REGISTER HERE Or text RRP to 70138 to enroll FACT: Balance and coordination help toddlers navigate the world. They're important for physical tasks like climbing stairs and playing on a jungle gym. 1 year-old sample message TIP: As you lie in bed, play an emotion game. Whisper a feeling like happy or sad. Then show each other the face you make when you are feeling that way. 3 year-old sample message GROWTH: Keep comparing groups of objects. You're getting ready 4K. Now challenge your child to identify which hand is holding fewer pennies. Try one more time! 4 year-old sample message Promotional Flyers Want to promote ParentPowered in your community? Click the pictures below to download them and then share away!

Volunteer Resources Clearances You must obtain your clearances before reading in a classroom. Reference this document to determine which clearances you need. Need help? Questions about obtaining your clearances? Contact mark@readingreadypittsburgh.org Volunteers and staff gather for a group photo at Mon View Painting Day 2023 Book Lists Click on the lists below to find engaging read aloud books. Great Read Alouds for Babies and Toddlers - Reading Rockets Best Books for Babies 2024 - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Books for Toddlers - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Books for Preschoolers - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh Rhyming Read Aloud Books Black Girl Magic: 33 Picture Books Featuring Black Female Protagonists Black Boy Joy: 30 Picture Books Featuring Black Male Protagonists Volunteer Favorites Additional Resources Looking for ways to engage the children you're reading with? Check out these ideas! Do you read to groups of babies? Check out this list for best practices when reading with babies.

Raising a Reader CLICK HERE FOR IMPLEMENTER RESOURCES Raising a Reader is a national organization with a mission to engage caregivers in a routine of book-sharing with very young children starting at birth. Book-sharing fosters brain development, relationships, a love of reading, and literacy skills that are critical for school success. Over 1,800 children enrolled in 64 sites around the Mon Valley and city! How Raising a Reader Works Reading Ready Pittsburgh connects with interested local childcare programs. Red book bags are rotated weekly into children’s homes exposing children to over 100 award-winning books per rotation cycle. Book bag rotation is paired with parent training and information on how to effectively share books to promote children’s early literacy skills and love of learning. Through the Raising a Reader program, families of Pre-K, Kindergarten, or 1st grade students are connected with their local public library. Their reading progress from the weekly book rotations is celebrated at a Blue Bag Event. At the event, students receive a Blue Library Bag, meet a librarian, and are encouraged to register for library cards to continue the practice of borrowing books and develop lifelong reading habits. "I think the Raising a Reader program makes book access easier and helps with my child's development and reading skills." Parent of 1 year old "I love this program! It showed me so many great books for my kids. It allows us to show new stories each week without the pressure of buying and is so easy by having them provided by the school. It is a great program." Parent of 3 year old "I really enjoyed receiving the red bags ... there was always a WOW factor on what books were inside. We took our family reading outside of the home .. we read during her sister's soccer practice, at the park. The red bags have impacted my family reading in a positive way." Parent of 4 year old What parents are saying about Raising a Reader Our Raising a Reader Sites Are you interested in offering Raising a Reader to the children and families in your center? Contact Megan! megan@readingreadypittsburgh.org | (412) 352-7488