Overview
At Grandview Kids, we know that having positive early literacy experiences with your baby, toddler and preschooler is an important step to your child’s future success in school and learning through life.
Grandview Kids’ Free to Read Program was developed by our Preschool Speech and Language (PSL) Program team to support literacy awareness and development in our preschool clients. The program aims to reduce obstacles such as cost and access to make it easier for all of our families to enjoy more books at home. It is now managed by our Family Engagement Team and volunteers.
Something for everyone!
Books for suitable for babies, toddlers, and pre- and early-readers are available in the Free to Read zone at our Oshawa Main site. There is no cost or due date to return books. Books are free for families to keep as long as they wish!
Take a book. Leave a book.
If you like a book, please take it. When you have books you are done with, please bring it back. We are always grateful to receive donations of new and previously loved preschool books, in good condition, at our Oshawa location.
Incorporating books into your child’s daily routine is the first step to building a foundation of early literacy development. By having fun with books, we can create a love for reading and develop a rich imagination that will help your child to have academic success.
How to donate books
Donations can be dropped off at the front desk at the Oshawa Main site (600 Townline Rd S, Oshawa) between 7:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Our volunteers will receive the books. All donations should be in good or excellent used condition. Make sure there are no missing or ripped pages.
Books for parents and caregivers
At the Oshawa – Main Site, parents and caregivers can also find a selection of resource and reference books specific to a range of topics from child development through to learning strategies; this is called the Resource Library. The library also offers helpful resources to support early reading, writing and math development. Items available through the Resource Library must be returned via the lending protocol.
10 Tips to help your child develop a love for reading
- Make reading fun!
- Books aren’t just for words. Touch, feel, and explore books with your little reader.
- Choose stories with characters your child loves to capture their attention.
- Take breaks while reading to talk about the story, the characters, and the pictures.
- Act out part of the story and make pretend play an extension to reading a book.
- Find ways to connect what happens in a story with what may have happened in your child’s life and experiences.
- Ask an occasional question (e.g. “what happened?”).
- Talk about the characters’ feelings and why they did the things they did. Talk about what might happen next.
- Notice and visit places where books and reading material are displayed – libraries, community centres, book stores.
- Go beyond the books. From food packaging to street signs, there is a ton to be read in the real world!
