Big Book Drop to benefit Slippery Rock Area kindergartners
Students entering kindergarten at Slippery Rock Area Elementary School in the fall will not only have a head start on reading, they will have a new book or two to practice with.
The school’s principal, Crystal Johnston, said the school requested 200 books from the United Way’s annual Big Book Drop in April, which Slippery Rock Area School District’s two elementary schools will provide to kindergartners at their orientation. According to Johnson, distributing these new books is a way to get incoming students excited for kindergarten.
“We don't know that all parents have the things they need, so this is a way to give them,” Johnson said. “Learning letters is important, but reading to kids and doing those things before coming in really helps.”
The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania distributed about 35,000 children’s books to agencies across five counties in mid-April at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh. The books focus on inclusion, STEAM topics, popular characters, and communication and problem solving, according to a news release from the United Way.
The release also said the Big Book Drop is meant to expand early literacy so children are set up for success even before they enter kindergarten. In 2023, the Southwestern Pennsylvania United Way invested $1.5 million in 30 agencies working to level the playing field for students from pre-K to high school and beyond.
In addition to Slippery Rock Area School District, Glade Run Lutheran Services also received books at the drop, which the staff sorted in its library for students.
Sheila Talarico, vice president of development and external affairs at Glade Run, said that while the library is well-stocked with books for children of all ages, the Big Book Drop helps the agency stay up to date with newly released books.
“Reading is a basic fundamental part of a student’s life, and it's nice to have what's new,” Talarico said. “We're grateful for the gift of books, whether it be for the school library or the kids.”
Glade Run has benefited from the Big Book Drop three years in a row, Talarico said. The United Way lets agencies request a certain number of books, and also what age range they serve, so they get books that can reach their audiences. The St. Steven’s library on the Glade Run campus serves students from about 50 school districts, so the Big Book Drop is important for encouraging students to keep searching the stacks for new literary gems that appeal to them.
“We really value the books for the library for our students,” Talarico said. “They give you the option to pick books in each age range, and they gave us a really nice variety for children up to high school.”
Johnson said this is the first year Slippery Rock Area School District has received books from the annual event. She said she hopes giving the incoming kindergartners new books will give them a positive outlook on starting their academic lives in the fall.
“What we do with our incoming kindergarten parents, we have some pre-K activities in the time leading up to kindergarten,” Johnson said. “Those kids spend some time in the buildings before they actually come to kindergarten. They talk to those new kindergarten parents on some things to work on for incoming kiddos.”
