Grant funds classroom libraries for PreK

By the end of this week, all NISD Prekindergarten students will have access to a new classroom library of books.

That’s 122 classrooms in 71 elementary schools across the District. Each “library” set contains 28 books that are aligned with the new PreK curriculum. There are also printed labels inside each book with ideas for teachers on how to incorporate the books into lessons.

The initiative was funded by a grant from the Frances R. Dewing Foundation which supports early childhood initiatives.

Developing literacy skills is a critical component of the Northside PreK program. The grant provides all of the District’s youngest students with access to a wide variety of reading materials in their classrooms.

“Literacy is key to success in other core academic areas and life in general,” said Patricia Sanchez, Assistant Superintendent of Elementary Instruction. “Reading is an important early childhood learning experience that enriches language and vocabulary development.”

Back in the spring, the District launched a campaign to encourage elementary students to read for 21 minutes every day in 2021.

Pictured are students from Brittany Knight’s class at Carson ES reading their new books.