Kindergarten Countdown: Ready for Takeoff!

School is just around the corner, and our rising kindergarteners are preparing for takeoff! At the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, School Readiness is a cornerstone of our mission—we’re committed to ensuring every child starts kindergarten ready to learn.

Research shows that gaps in development can appear as early as 18 months, making early engagement critical. Every moment with a young child can be a brain-building opportunity, helping lay the foundation for a lifelong love of learning.

To support this journey, we’re proud to once again provide Kindergarten Readiness Bags for the 2025–26 school year to incoming kindergarteners in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota counties. Funded by The Patterson Foundation with generous support from the Rotary Club of Sarasota Foundation in Sarasota County, these bags are filled with developmentally appropriate tools to help families prepare their children for a confident, joyful start to school.

We are especially grateful to the Rotary Club of Sarasota Foundation for their commitment to this initiative. The Foundation has pledged an increased level of support for the coming year, thanks to a matching grant from the state council. In addition to their financial support, Rotary members continue to lend their time and hands to the effort by helping pack thousands of Kindergarten Readiness Bags for families throughout our four-county region.

THIS KID IS COOL!

Summer learning is in full swing over here at the Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading! THIS BOOK IS COOL! is currently serving over 3,000 families with more than 4,000 registered children who've received their backpack filled with 20 FREE books for summer and beyond. TBIC! Has delivered 82,000 books across the Suncoast. Home libraries are growing, and so are those mighty little brains! 

Look at these young readers rockin' their summer reading! 

THIS BOOK IS COOL! Goes to School

Did you know? The Suncoast Campaign also offers THIS BOOK IS COOL! In School.

Thanks to the overwhelming success of the summer program, SCGLR saw an opportunity to expand and support educators during the school year. In fall 2020, we began collaborating with teachers and administrators across our four-county region to develop standards-based lesson plans, classroom resources, and family engagement activities, all designed to help children in grades PreK–3 become superstar readers.

These resources are created with flexibility in mind, making them easy to integrate into any classroom setting.

If you're an educator in Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, or Sarasota counties and want to bring this engaging literacy program to your classroom, click here to explore the possibilities, thanks to the generosity of The Patterson Foundation.

Suncoast Summer Reading Challenge Launches!

With brains like sponges, children absorb the things we say and do as their brain makes meaningful connections that will help them thrive. That's why this month's theme is all about School Readiness. To explore School Readiness, Leah Verier-Dunn sat down with Jennifer Harrison, ELA K-2 Curriculum Specialist for the School District of Manatee County, and Alison Nichols, Director of Elementary Curriculum and Instruction for the School District of Manatee County, for this Connecting Communities Podcast, Little Learners, Lifelong Impact: The Importance of School Readiness.

A key takeaway? It takes a village.

Teachers, parents, family, and friends all play a role in creating a strong learning environment. When children enter kindergarten, they’re joining a larger community, and feeling connected to that community can make all the difference.

Allison and Jennifer stressed the power of family engagement from parents and grandparents to family friends. Attending school events and showing up together builds a child’s sense of belonging and encourages consistent attendance.

Both attendance and school readiness are major contributors to the achievement gap. Without strong foundations in either, students can fall behind early and stay behind. But when families prioritize routines and regular attendance, they help build the stability kids need to thrive throughout their school years.

This month’s podcast is chock full of great insights and tips for parents to keep the learning going at home and beyond. As mentioned by our guests, there are many helpful, free resources for families to utilize in their school readiness journey. Here are some worth noting:

Vroom helps families identify and execute brain building moments. Whether you’re in the grocery store, in the bath, or winding down for bedtime, Vroom Tips help empower families to transform small moments into powerful brain strengthening experiences. 

Chattanooga 2.0 has created a fabulous Kindergarten skills flyer in English and in Spanish. Consider using this list over the summer to gauge where your child’s progress is and how you may be able to support them in their areas of need as you prepare for the school year.

First 1,000 Days Suncoast and Soar in 4 are two local organizations that provide our Suncoast families with invaluable resources during early childhood and leading up to Kindergarten. Be sure to explore all they have to offer.

Join a Book Circle: The New Civic Path

Be part of a meaningful conversation about what’s possible when communities come together. In partnership with The Harwood Institute, we're launching book circles across Charlotte, DeSoto, Manatee, and Sarasota Counties to explore The New Civic Path by Rich Harwood.

Each circle will be guided by a TPF consultant and will focus on building relationships, trust, and civic confidence.

What’s included:

A free copy of The New Civic Path

A discussion guide + bookmark

Eligible groups receive a $300 Pay-it-Forward Award to gift to a local nonprofit!

Complete this interest form to learn more.

Let’s Keep Connecting

We know that Kindergarten is a big leap, and we know your little one is going to be ready for takeoff next month! Fill the rest of your summer days with joyful learning. Discover the brain-building moments that are already happening every day in your home. Save this Kindergarten Readiness Guide (Spanish) to your phone or print it to use as a handy resource full of activities and games for parents and children to enjoy together.

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