Early Literacy

While most school-age children are back in the rhythm of school activities, some little siblings are at home or in daycare and may need activities of their own. PBS Kids has created some amazing reading and interactive learning resources to help parents and caregivers. Explore these sites with reading and learning activities.

Digital and Printable Resources

• gpbkids.org and PBS KIDS Video App: Explore full episodes, clips, games, and more educational tools for kids from ages 2-8.

• PBS KIDS for Parents: Find tips, resources, printables, an Activity Finder and more tools for learning at home with young children, including a special virtual event: Prepping for a Very Different School Year.

To get free resources and activities sent directly to your phone, sign up for Bright by Text by texting “GPB” to 27448.

These are interactive reading tools that are easy to use and navigate. They will capture the attention of little learners.

Toddler Time at Home: This calendar of daily activities features weekly themes that encompass five categories: On The Move, Adventures Online, Sensory Time, Story Time, and Arts and Creativity.

Vroom: Boost learning from birth to age five. Available for iOS and android phones, this app is filled with fun and simple learning activities for mealtime, bathtime, bedtime, or anytime.

Words2Reading: Here you can find easy-to-follow videos, links, downloadable documents, e-books, and audio clips to grow your young reader from birth to age eight. You can customize your age search so that you can go directly to appropriate age resources.

Bright By Text: Bright by Text is a free service that provides activities, games, and resources right to your smartphone. Messages are targeted to your child’s age and include information on child development, language and early literacy, health and safety, behavioral tips, and more. Message and data rates may apply. To get started, text GPB to 274448 or fill out this form. Subscribers can receive texts in English or Spanish.

1,000 Books Before Kindergarten

The Statesboro Regional Library has a special program for pre-school children and their families. The 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program is free for children ages birth to five-years-old. Visit or call the library today to learn more, register, and pick up a starter pack. You can also register online

The Statesboro-Bulloch Regional Library has created a site to track the books that you read by the year. Create your own account here and start tracking today. Open to ages 18 and older at all Statesboro Regional Public Libraries.

This award-winning children’s literacy website streams videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations.

A highlight about our community partners whose

continued support and efforts help improve literacy in Bulloch County.

Altrusa International is a non-profit civic organization with local chapters across the world, including in Statesboro, GA. Its members seek to make their communities better through leadership, partnership, and service.

Statesboro's Altrusa chapter makes its impact with a variety of service, literacy, fundraising and international projects each year. Their literacy efforts benefit Bulloch County Schools' students and families. The chapter has donated nearly 40,000 free books through classroom donations and by placing books in the free meal packs that Bulloch County Schools' most at risk elementary students receive each weekend through the Backpack Buddies program. If you are interested in becoming an Altrusa member or want to partner with the club's community efforts, contact the club president.

The Altrusa Club of Statesboro’s “Books for Backpack Buddies and Beyond” project aims to boost literacy by providing books to low-income Bulloch County students who receive weekend food through the Backpack Buddies food distribution program. What started as a small project in 2010 has grown into an effort that now involves other civic groups, churches, Georgia Southern students and other individuals who donate books, money or grants to support the project. Currently 541 Bulloch County children in grades K-4 through 5th grade receive a free book to keep each month. The children also receive additional books at Christmas and at the end of school. The club also serves 85 children under the Georgia Children and Parents Service program in two local daycares in efforts to reach impoverished children at a younger age.

Ferst Readers' mission is to strengthen communities by providing quality books and literacy resources for children and their families to use at home during the earliest stages of development.

Free books for 5-year-olds and younger:

Ferst Readers of Bulloch County partners with Bulloch County Schools to supply free books and literacy materials to families. Parents or adults may sign up any child who is five-years-old or younger. Multiple children within a household may participate. This service helps do the following:

• encourage reading
• improve literacy in preschool children
• increase a child’s access to books at home, and
• encourage families to read together

At Kids World Learning Center, we recognize and support the importance of early language and literacy. Our team is trained on how early language and literacy is a critical part of children's development which supports children's ability to communicate, express and understand feelings, and children's thinking ability. Build a good foundation for your child with reading books to them starting at infancy.

The Statesboro Regional Public Library System is a group of 6 southeast Georgia public libraries, serving Bryan, Bulloch, Candler, Emanuel and Evans Counties. All of the Statesboro Regional Public Libraries boast a full range of books, audiobooks, DVDs, e-books, digital magazines, and downloadable audiobooks. They also provide Internet and WiFi access, access to online databases and digital services, reference and readers’ advisory services, and programming for children, teens, and adults. In addition, there are dedicated genealogy areas in the majority of our libraries.

Get Georgia Reading is a statewide public-private partnership that seeks to bring awareness and resources to Georgians to address the problem of illiteracy in our state's young children. In Georgia, two-thirds of third-grade children are unable to read on grade level. This is due to the growing number of children who lack basic early literacy skills when they enter Pre-K and Kindergarten, a foundation that must be built between birth and five years old to help ensure children learn to read well and meet grade-level milestones. Only 49.8 percent of Bulloch County Schools' third-grade students and 69.6 percent of its eighth-grade students can read on grade level. Get reading in our community to ensure our children are on track to achieve grade-level literacy.

Stay up to date with the Get Georgia Reading Monthly Newsletters

Free books help build a library right in a child's home. These are resources to access books for your home or one you know:

• Statesboro Regional Library and its Youth Library Services

• Ferst Readers of Bulloch County

• Early Literacy, Vol. 2, Issue 2
• Early Literacy, Vol. 2, Issue 1

Early Literacy, Vol. 2, Issue 4

Bulloch County Schools is an internationally accredited public school district in Georgia that serves nearly 11,000 children in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade. Early literacy and grade-level reading are major strategic initiatives of the school district, and it seeks to engage parents, the community, and community partners to effect change and improvement.

Email: webster@bullochschools.org
Website: www.bullochschools.org
Location: 150 Williams Road, Suite A, Statesboro, GA 30458
Phone: 912-212-8500
Facebook: facebook.com/bullochcountyschools
Twitter: @bullochschools