Educational Service Unit 13 has begun distributing family literacy kits to more than 1,700 kindergarten through fifth-grade students across the Nebraska Panhandle, part of a program funded by the state's Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant.
What the kits do
The initiative, called Take the Story Home, provides grade-level reading materials and activities intended to help families build literacy skills during everyday routines. ESU 13 said the kits are designed to strengthen the link between schools and homes by encouraging shared reading, conversations about stories and simple literacy games.
- More than 1,700 students in kindergarten through fifth grade are eligible.
- Participating elementary schools are in Gordon, Alliance, Oshkosh, Bayard, Minatare, Mitchell, Morrill, Sidney and Banner County.
- Kits began delivery on Oct. 9 with additional shipments scheduled throughout the Panhandle.
How schools will distribute the materials
ESU 13 said schools will determine the best local method for getting kits to families, including distribution at parent-teacher conferences or in classrooms. Each kit includes a QR code linking to a brief survey so families can report how they used the materials; ESU 13 will use the feedback to gauge use and whether the kits encourage at-home literacy activities.
“Strong readers are built through strong partnerships. This initiative is about more than providing literacy materials. It’s about connecting schools and families and giving parents the tools and confidence to support reading at home,” said Deirdre Amundsen, ESU 13 director of professional learning.
ESU 13 Regional Literacy Coach Stephanie Smith said everyday moments at home can be powerful learning opportunities and emphasized that parents don’t need to be teachers to help children become readers.
“Some of the most meaningful literacy experiences happen during everyday moments at home,” said Stephanie Smith.
The program is part of Nebraska’s broader efforts funded through the Comprehensive Literacy State Development grant to improve early literacy outcomes. ESU 13 did not release a dollar amount for its portion of the grant in the materials provided.
District officials will collect family feedback through the embedded survey to inform future supports and to measure whether the kits prompt more reading and conversation about books at home.
