Holyoke’s youngest learners have access to a wide range of fun, kid-friendly books they can bring home by the bagful each week, thanks to the Red Book Bag program that launched at all six of the district’s elementary schools this year.
Each week, PreK students take home bags that contain 3-5 books—including board books, picture books, multicultural books, and books that focus on science, technology, art, and music (STEM). When they bring their bags back, they can take home a new bag filled with a different collection of books.
And so it goes, week after week, with each new bag offering fresh opportunities for families to spend time together while nurturing a love of reading.
Over the course of the year, students will read dozens of classic and new titles that are carefully selected to serve a wide range of interests and needs, including for bilingual and multilingual families.
“These book bags are a big hit with our students and their families,” said Director of Early Childhood Education Amy Roque. “Their faces light up when they look through their new bags each week. Reading each new book with their families brings them one step closer to being ready to start kindergarten.”
With coordination and support from the district’s family and community engagement coordinators (FACE team), Holyoke’s elementary schools have organized a number of family events this year to celebrate the book program, including virtual parent engagement meetings with the Raising a Reader representative, and discussions via Zoom and in-person events that bring families together at school.
In fall 2024, Holyoke Public Schools launched the Red Book Bag program at each of the district’s six elementary schools, through a partnership with Raising a Reader Massachusetts, the Valley Opportunity Council, and the Holyoke YMCA Preschool. Holyoke’s participation in the Red Book Bag program is funded through a grant from the Massachusetts Commonwealth Preschool Partnership Initiative.
Raising a Reader Massachusetts is a flagship affiliate of the national Raising a Reader initiative. Both organizations focus on families to help them build, practice, and grow reading routines that will prepare children to thrive in school and beyond.