Gift a kid a book this holiday season

First 5 San Bernardino is encouraging parents and caregivers to give books as gifts in addition to toys this holiday season. The Gift a Kid a Book campaign is about sharing the importance of learning and literacy with young ones.  According to First 5 San Bernardino Executive Director Karen Scott, 90 percent of a child’s brain develops by age 5, so making sure that all children 0-5 have access to books and are exposed to language from an early age is crucial for their development.

First 5 San Bernardino held localized events promoting reading in Fontana at Kordyak Elementary, in Victorville at the Victor Elementary School District Resource Center, and in Big Bear at North Shore Elementary.  Hundreds of books were distributed to children, in addition to playing in the snow, being read to and seeing Santa. 

Beyond brain development, taking time to read to a baby or toddler is critical to developing social-emotional learning skills because the time together reinforces the importance of attentiveness and learning. Parents and caregivers must embrace their role in establishing curiosity and a love for learning through consistently taking the time to read with a child. Children respond to the experience of dedicated, close and physical time with a caring adult.  “To help our children find success in this world, I can’t think of a more important gift than reading to pass down to the next generation,” Scott concluded. 

If you’d like to help First 5 San Bernardino share the message about early literacy, they created a Partner Toolkit with sample social media posts, newsletter articles and resources.

First 5 San Bernardino also has free children’s books available for parents and caregivers! Call (909) 386-7706 to schedule a pick-up.