Free Books Every Month for Children in Dallas County
Ferst Readers, in partnership with the Boone Family Foundation and United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, announces our Once Upon a Month literacy initiative, providing wonderful books to children, birth to five, and useful literacy resources to their parents, mailed to the home every month!
The program is currently available to children, under the age of five, that live in Dallas County.
To get started, simply fill out the registration form below.
For those families with children under five who live outside of Dallas County, please check back as our program continues to grow throughout Texas.
For more information, or to help start a program in your community, contact us at: 888-565-0177 or email info@ferstreaders.org
To help support our Dallas program, tax deductible contributions can be made to United Way of Metropolitan Dallas HERE.
Once Upon a Month™
This popular program provides children ages 0-5 with a free children’s book and an accompanying parent guide every month. By encouraging early reading, the initiative stimulates curiosity, language development and learning skills.
Results & Impact
9,397
childrenenrolled in the program in our last fiscal year
108,235
booksmailed to local children in our last fiscal year
94%
Books Beginning at Birth: Free Book Program for Families
The Texas Association for the Education of Young Children and BookSpring have launched the statewide Books Beginning at Birth program. This program is designed to bring books into the homes of children from birth through age 4.
Families in designated opportunity zones can apply to have free, diverse, high-quality books delivered to their homes. All families can access free digital books and other at-home literacy activities through the website.
Help children and families to develop strong reading habits at home by sharing this information with those you serve.
Visit the Books Beginning at Birth webpage, email Idali Reyes or call Reyes at 512-472-1791, extension 101, for more information.
Read
Kids ages 0-18 who read or are read to at least 20 minutes a day can earn great prizes.
After logging 10 days of reading, kids earn a free book of their choice.
Each time they reach the 10-day mark, kids can pick up another prize, up to 5 times over the summer.
Kids who read at least 50 days by August 12 will be entered to win grand prizes!
Log reading at dallaslibrary.beanstack.org or on the Beanstack app.
Printable reading log - Full Color or Black and White
Not Just for Kids!
Adults can have a SMART Summer, too!
Read one hour a day.
Log each day you read at dallaslibrary.beanstack.org
Earn a free book for every 20 days of reading (while supplies last).
Read 50 days and be entered in the grand prize drawing.
Complete activities to earn digital badges and pick out a goodie from the summer prize bag.
Programs
Attend programs at your neighboorhood branch, including live animals, hands-on science, crafts and more!
Browse the scheduled events to start building your summer calendar.
Dallas College offers a number of programs for youth under 18 years of age. Choose from courses in a variety of subjects including:
Learn more about Continuing Education youth programs or check out our current class schedules to find courses for youth offered at each campus. Age range varies by course, so see the course descriptions for details.
DCHHS Older Adult Services Program offers socializing opportunities and more independence for Dallas County residents 60 years and older.
In addition, we provide physical and mental fitness activities, health and wellness programs, benefits counseling, community engagement, social and recreational activities as well as a number County resources and assistance programs. Click for a list of senior centers.
Aberg Center For Literacy
Aberg Center for Literacy is building richer lives, stronger families, and better communities through programs in English fluency, preparation for high school equivalency in English and Spanish, early childhood education, and family literacy. Due to COVID-19, we had to stop delivering services in person and were forced to cancel our spring fundraiser that we anticipated would yield over $60,000 net in critical operating funds for the agency. Following spring break our staff called all students to ask a series of questions, provide information and link them to resources to help them navigate the frightening landscape. As of March 26, 50% of our students’ households experienced loss of income, 59% did not understand the “shelter in-place order’, and 32% did not know what to do if someone gets sick. We also assessed their needs and capability for distance learning, and 92% expressed interest in online learning. This affirms that our services are needed now more than ever to increase understanding of the current crisis and help our students continue to strengthen their skills to provide economic sustainability. Staff assessed options for platforms and content and devised a plan to shift classes for both adult and children to an online platform. While we will not be offering as many class hours as we do with in-person operations, we are trying to provide an offering that is impactful and acknowledges the high levels of stress that our students are currently experiencing. Our goal is to provide a space for students to continue learning and stay connected. We will continue to provide resources for emergency needs and a safe space for emotional support. In addition to devoting class time to assist with resources, we will continue to use our social media channels and WhatsApp groups to educate our students and the public and to keep students informed about community resources. We need funding to pay for the online platform and for staff to continue serving our students as we journey together through this crisis.
Special Needs Schools for Children
Dallas has several schools for special needs, providing a variety of options for special needs schooling. A child with special needs is eligible for public school at age 3; programs differ greatly between districts. The Down Syndrome Guild can connect you to parents of children who are in a range of special needs programs in your area.
In Texas, an IEP (Individualized Education Program) is called an ARD (Admission, Review and Dismissal). To start your search, utilize one of these resources; once you have options, contact district or school officials for more information on enrollment and eligibility.
Adult Education & Literacy
Adult education and literacy programs funded by the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) provide English language, math, reading, and writing instruction to help students acquire the skills needed to succeed in the workforce, earn a high school equivalency, or enter college or career training.
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