Lower Yukon One Book Project

Lower Yukon One Book Project

Adverse challenges result in creative and innovative solutions for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) program of the Lower Yukon School District (LYSD).  One of these challenges—and quite significant—is child readiness and preparedness when entering public school.  The One Book Project, supported by the Comprehensive Literacy State Development (CLSD) Grant, was launched in response to this substantial need for at-home learning materials for our youngest learners.  The One Book learning boxes are designed, assembled, and distributed monthly to the families of all kindergarten and pre-kindergarten students throughout LYSD. 

Each month a new learning box or packet, designed with a theme, is filled with engaging materials that target early literacy, numeracy, and developmental skills.  A story book is included with a reading star chart, bookmark, and stickers.   In addition, the family will find the Family Connection flyer written specifically for each month’s content as a guide for at home learning.  The Family Connection introduces strategies and tools to encourage activities and routines that support early literacy skills.

The project has solicited positive feedback from families and school sites alike.  One encouraging message from a grandparent read, “I have had the privilege to look at some of your boxes for the young ones. Fantastic work.  I love it.  I see that my grandchildren would benefit so that means all kids can benefit as well.  My wife and I are very impressed.”  The positive response from communities serve as a catalyst for continued creative problem solving in a time when face-to-face classroom instruction is not always possible.

Producing and shipping three hundred individual learning boxes each month is a big undertaking, but with the partnership of the Kusilvak Career Academy (KCA) this became a possibility for the ECE program.  This strategic partnership with the district’s residential CTE program, located in Anchorage, allowed for high-school students attending KCA sessions to have the opportunity to participate in an on-the-job (OJT) experience assisting with the assembly and shipping of the One Book learning boxes.  In addition, a media project is in the development stage which will allow these students to create read-aloud videos and early learning activity tutorials. 

This OJT experience introduces career opportunities in early childhood education, media exploration, and early learning support in the family environment.  Perhaps even more importantly, these students are introduced to the world changing difference they can make by reading to a child.  Furthermore, the KCA students have been excited to work on projects that will be sent to their own villages and for some to a younger sibling. 

The LYSD ECE program is convinced that by introducing a daily read aloud routine in homes, an optimistic impact will be noted in the trajectory of school readiness and student learning.  The One Book message states: Reading one book a day exposes a child to 78,000 words per year and 296,660 words by the age of five!  One book…