Paws for Reading
PAWS for Reading promotes reading and communication skills by allowing children ages 5-12 to read aloud to a registered therapy dog. Each child gets a special time to read and interact with one of these furry friends, and a free book to take home. 2017 funding was generously provided by the Raymond and Bessie Kravis Foundation.
Build A Reader
The Build A Reader program is designed to help parents of babies and young children. This year parents can receive an 18-month calendar, providing caregivers with fun and easy activity ideas for reading, writing, talking, singing, and playing with their young children.
Build A Reader Centers
Research shows that healthy play builds the basis for reading, writing, mathematical reasoning, and prepares children for adulthood. The ways adults interact with children aged birth to five has dramatic effects on the brain, impacting a child’s social, emotional, and intellectual development. Build A Reader Centers are designed and equipped to encourage adults and their children to learn and play together through interactive brain building toys, books, and music. Staff are trained to provide free workshop programs to parents on nutrition, music play, speech therapy, and more.
Krueger Read and Grow
The Krueger Read and Grow Program´s mission is to give children books that they can claim as their own, as well as to complement their classroom and school library’s collections with the same books. Each month more than 1,400 books are distributed to low income children in Tulsa County. These are often the only books in the homes of many of these children. Funding is generously provided by the Krueger Charitable Foundation.
Any Given Child
As a community partner in the Any Given Child program, the Tulsa City-County Library works with the Tulsa Performing Arts Center (PAC) to bring a curriculum- and literature-based theater production to all Kindergarten students enrolled in the Tulsa Public Schools district. Curriculum is developed based on the planned theatrical performance and all kindergarten teachers use this curriculum in their classroom leading up to and after their children attend the performance at either the Library’s Connor’s Cove or the PAC. The Any Given Child program provides professional development for the teachers and transforms the way students learn by providing access to the arts. In February 2017, Connor’s Cove was host to 22 Tulsa Public Schools for Any Given Child/Aesop’s Fables with 1,640 kindergartners participating.
Books To Treasure
Sponsored by the Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation since 2003, Books To Treasure has grown into a Tulsa tradition for all second-grade students in Tulsa County. Children’s librarians and library staff visit schools in September and October to discuss a specific children’s illustrator and talk about the importance of reading and the library. All second-grade children in Tulsa County receive a free copy of the featured book and the opportunity to get a special library card with artwork from the book. In 2016, Tulsa County second-grade students received more than 12,000 free books and 3,000 special library cards as part of the Books To Treasure program. Hannah E. Harrison, this year’s Books To Treasure illustrator, will give a public presentation at the Hardesty Regional Library’s Connor Cove on Friday, November 3, 2017 at 7 p.m. This is an exceptional opportunity for children to witness the creativity and passion that goes into illustrating a book, and to meet a “real life” illustrator.
Connor’s Cove
A one-of-a-kind children’s theater, Connor’s Cove is Tulsa County’s destination for high-quality children’s and teen’s programming. The space was designed to promote a love of books to children, teens and families in a fun, informative way by providing FREE performances for area young people. These free performances encourage audience members to discover the joy of reading through live productions including music, storytelling, author visits, puppet presentations, nature and science made fun, historical reenactments and more. More than thirty programs will be presented in 2017-2018 that will draw approximately 20,000-25,000 attendees. Participation has increased more than 20% every year since Connor’s Cove opened in 2008 and recent partners include Chamber Music Tulsa, Tulsa Symphony, Tulsa Ballet, Chorgeus, Hardesty Arts Center, Zarrow Arts Center, University of Tulsa Performing Arts Center, and Theaterworks USA.
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