TWIN FALLS, Id — The Twin Falls Public Library began the “Ready, Set, Kindergarten” program on Jan. 5 with the purpose of helping children feel prepared to begin kindergarten.
Youth Services Librarian Kasi Allen worked to create effective lesson plans after speaking with local kindergarten teachers to learn the common issues children who don’t attend preschool run into.
“They don’t know how to sit and learn in a group environment. They don’t have defined motor skills to use scissors, really basic stuff,” Allen said. “And those are things that if we don’t know those going into school,l it kind of holds us back from learning all we could.”
Inside and outside the library, Allen encourages guardians and their children to count numbers, write, read and practice classroom skills.
Parent Cortney Lombardo said this is an important program.
“The library has always done a great job of teaching our children and so I wanted to bring my son so that he could get a good start at kindergarten,” Lombardo said. “And hopefully do as well as he can as he starts out school.”
The program serves all children, but aims to assist children who can’t afford preschool or can’t find an open program.
Allen said there aren’t enough preschool seats for the amount of children in Twin Falls.
“Since the pandemic, I personally know of a few preschools who have shut down and we’ve only grown as a community,” Allen said.
Guardians also have the option to sign up their children for virtual sessions on the library’s website.
The weekly in-person program is on Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m., and the virtual program is on Thursdays at 00 p.m.
To visit the Twin Falls Public Library website click here.
