January 12, 2026 PA Promise for Children Releases January Booklist for Preschoolers PA Promise for Children has released its list of January books for preschoolers in its Kindergarten Here I Come newsletter. The list includes eight books across four categories. Learn More PA Promise for Children’s booklist includes four categories – Language and Literacy Skills, Social and Emotional Development, Science Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression. The list includes: Language and Literacy Skills There’s a Nightmare in My Closet (Mercer Mayer) Dreams (Ezra Jack Keats) Social and Emotional Development Corduroy (Don Freeman) Bears (Ruth Krauss and Maurice Sendak) Science Thinking and Technology Rainbows (David Whitfield) The Rainbow Fish (Marcus Pfister) Mathematical Thinking and Expression Art Lesson (Tomie dePaola) The Doorman (Edward Grimm)
December 9, 2025 Caregivers Should Learn How to Detect Respiratory Syncytial Virus The fall and winter seasons bring with them a variety of illnesses – including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common respiratory virus that infects the nose, throat, and lungs that peaks in December and January. Learn More Caregivers and educators should know how to detect RSV – which can often be difficult to distinguish from the common cold, the flu, or COVID-19 – because some children can become very sick from the virus and need hospitalization. RSV can be especially dangerous for infants and some young children and is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States. Immunizations can protect babies from getting very sick from the virus. Two to three out of every 100 infants under the age of six months are hospitalized with RSV every year. Some who are hospitalized may require oxygen, IV fluids if they are unable to eat or drink, and mechanical ventilation via a machine that helps with breathing. Most improve with this type of supportive care and are discharged after a few days. Immunization Currently, there are two RSV immunizations available: Babies are either protected by their mother being vaccinated during pregnancy or through a shot at birth, or receiving a shot during RSV season. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released an RSV immunization guidance on infants and young children. Symptoms and Preventing the Spread Caregivers should contact their medical provider immediately if they see the following signs in an infant or young child: Runny nose Poor feeding Congestion Sneezing Cough (dry or wet sounding) Fussiness, irritability Fever (temperature of 100.4 or higher) More urgent symptoms – which should prompt caregivers to get children seen by a medical provider immediately – include: Fast breathing Flaring of the nostrils Head bobbing with breathing Rhythmic grunting during breathing Belly breathing, tugging between the ribs and/or the lower neck Wheezing Lethargy Skin or lips turning blue To prevent the spread of RSV, caregivers and educators should practice good hygiene by covering coughs and sneezes as well as washing or sanitizing hands often and cleaning frequently touched surfaces. It is also a good idea to take steps for cleaner air, such as bringing in fresh outside air, purifying indoor air or gathering outdoors. Those who feel ill should stay home and away from others. For more information, check out PA Promise for Children’s guide on RSV.
PA Promise for Children Releases December Booklist for Preschoolers PA Promise for Children has released its list of December books for preschoolers in its Kindergarten Here I Come newsletter. The list includes eight books across four categories. Learn More Pa Promise for Children’s booklist includes four categories – Language and Literacy Skills, Social and Emotional Development, Science Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression. The list includes: Language and Literacy Skills Chicka Chicka Boom Boom (Bill Martin Jr.) Miss Spider’s ABC (David Kirk) Social and Emotional Development The Gingerbread Boy (Richard Egielski) Jelly Beans for Sale (Bruce McMillan) Science Thinking and Technology Shapes All Over Town (Joe Borer) What Magnets Can Do (Alan Fowler) Mathematical Thinking and Expression Everybody Cooks Rice (Norah Dooley) In the Night Kitchen (Maurice Sendak) The list can be viewed on PA Promise for Children’s website.
November 11, 2025 PA Promise for Children Releases November Booklist for Children PA Promise for Children has released a list of eight books for children in November in its Kindergarten Here I Come newsletter. Learn More The booklist provides eight recommendations in four categories – including Language and Literacy Skills, Social and Emotional Development, Science Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression. The books on the list include: Language and Literacy Skills The Relatives Came (Cynthia Rylant) Neighborhood Mother Goose (Nina Crews) Social and Emotional Development Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Judith Viorst and Ray Cruz) The Pout-Pout Fish (Deborah Diesen and Dan Hanna) Science Thinking and Technology Betty Bunny Loves Chocolate Cake (Michael Kaplan) Bread and Jam for Frances (Russell Hoban) Mathematical Thinking and Expression Stripes of All Types (Susan Stockdale) Elmer (David McKee)
October 20, 2025 PA Promise for Children List Features Books About Being Afraid With Halloween just around the corner, the spooky season is upon us. But being afraid is often not a fun feeling for children – so, PA Promise for Children has compiled a list of books for children who are having difficulty with fear. Learn More The books cover a variety of topics, from being afraid of the dark or going to bed to being in new places. Fear can change with age or experience, so adults might not always understand a child’s fear. Talking with a child’s doctor or teacher could be one method of combatting their fear – but reading them a book about the fears of others is another possibility. The Child Mind Institute’s suggested list of 10 books about being afraid for children include: When I Feel Scared (Cornelia Spelman) There’s an Alligator Under My Bed (Mercer Mayer) Franklin in the Dark (Paulette Bourgeois) Orion and the Dark (Emma Yarlett) The Thing Lou Couldn’t Do (Ashley Spires) The Doghouse (Jan Thomas) Miss Hazeltine’s Home for Shy and Fearful Cats (Alicia Potter) There’s a Nightmare in My Closet (Mercer Mayer) Can’t You Sleep, Little Bear? (Martin Waddell) The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (Linda D. Williams) To read the entire list, visit PA Promise for Children’s website.
October 13, 2025 PA Promise for Children Releases October Booklist for Preschoolers PA Promise for Children has released a list of October books for preschoolers in its Kindergarten Here I Come newsletter. Learn More The booklist provides eight recommendations in four categories – including Language and Literacy Skills, Social and Emotional Development, Science Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression. The books on the list include: Language and Literacy Skills One Smart Goose (Caroline Church) Apples and Pumpkins (Anne Rockwell and Lizzy Rockwell) Social and Emotional Development What’s Opposite? (Stephen R. Swinburne) You Are (Not) Small (Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant) Science Thinking and Technology Bark George (Jules Feiffer) When I Grow Up (Al Yankovic) Mathematical Thinking and Expression Counting Our Way to Maine (Maggie Smith) Quack and Count (Keith Baker) For more information, view PA Promise for Children’s October booklist.
September 23, 2025 List Features Books for Children with Family and Friends Theme PA Promise for Children has released a new list of 12 books that are family- and friend-themed. Learn More The Family & Friend Books list includes 12 titles for children of varying ages. Unlike typical PA Promise for Children lists, the titles are not broken down into categories – but instead all focus on themes of family and friends. The list includes: Ciencia Magica enla sala de estar (Richard Robinson) Please, baby, please (Spike Lee and Tonya Lewis Lee) Who’s In My Family (Robie H. Harris) More More More, Said the Baby: Three Love Stories (Vera Williams) Annie Rose is My Little Sister (Shirley Hughes) Lion in the Living Room (Caelaach McKinna & A.R. Stone) Crazy Hair Day (Barney Saltzberg) Toot & Puddle You Are My Sunshine (Holly Hobbie) Guess How Much I Love You (Sam McBratney) Max’s First Word (Rosemary Wells) Hunter’s Best Friend at School (L.M. Elliott) Harold and the Purple Crayon (Crockett Johnson) The list can be found on PA Promise for Children’s website.
September 9, 2025 PA Promise for Children Releases List of September Books for Preschoolers PA Promise for Children has released its list of September books for preschoolers that includes eight books across four categories. Learn More The list is broken down into four categories – Social Studies Thinking, Language and Literacy Skills, Science Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression. The book list is accompanied by a downloadable Kindergarten Here I Come activity guide that features a variety of resources, learning activities, information, and play opportunities for caregivers that can be used to help their preschool-age child. The books on this month’s list include: Social Studies Thinking Actual Size (Steve Jenkins) Say Please, Little Bear (Peter Bentley) Language and Literacy Skills It Is Night (Phyllis Rowand) The Bus for Us (Suzanne Bloom) Science Thinking and Technology Put It On the List (Kristen Darbyshire) Mrs. McNosh and the Giant Squash (Sarah Weeks) Mathematical Thinking and Expression One Mole Digging a Hole (Julia Donaldson and Nick Sharratt) 365 Penguins (Jean-Luc Fromental and Joelle Jolivet)
August 18, 2025 PA Promise for Children Releases Activity Guide for Preschoolers PA Promise for Children included a new activity guide during its most recent “Kindergarten, Here I Come” newsletter that focuses on the topic of preparing for kindergarten and features a variety of activities for caregivers and preschoolers. Learn More All activities in the guide are linked to Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards that are used in pre-k programs throughout the state as a resource for developing classroom learning situations that will ensure a child’s development in the skill areas necessary for future success. Early learning standards outlined in the guide include: Approaches to learning through play Creative thinking and expression Language and literacy development Mathematical thinking and expression Social and emotional development Health, wellness, and physical development Scientific thinking and technology Social studies thinking The guide also discusses how to choose an early learning site and provides descriptions for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS Child Care, and Head Start. It provides registration information that includes a list of things to do to prepare for a child’s transition to kindergarten. The list includes contacting a child’s school district to find out which school a child will be attending, completing registration forms on time, and gathering the necessary paperwork. The activity guide also provides a variety of activities for each month of the year. Activities in the guide help to: Develop problem-solving skills Spark children’s imagination and creativity Celebrate a child’s differences Promote healthy eating habits Promote safety Promote reading, writing, listening, and speaking Develop positive relationships The guide also provides suggestions regarding children’s health, including keeping a child’s immunizations up to date, promoting physical activity, encouraging a child to eat nutritious foods, and brushing teeth regularly. For more information, check out PA Promise for Children’s activity guide for preschoolers.
August 12, 2025 PA Promise for Children Releases August Books for Preschoolers PA Promise for Children has released its list of July books for preschoolers that includes eight titles across four categories. Learn More The list is broken down into four themed categories – Language and Literacy Skills, Social Studies Thinking, Science Thinking and Technology, and Mathematical Thinking and Expression. Books on the list include: Language and Literacy Skills Click, Clack Moo Cows That Type (Doreen Cronin) Dear Panda (Miriam Latimer) Social Studies Thinking Maisy Goes to Preschool (Lucy Cousins) Mr. Gumpy’s Motor Car (John Burningham) Science Thinking and Technology Oscar and the Cricket (Geoff Waring) And Everyone Shouted, “Pull!” (Claire Llewellyn) Mathematical Thinking and Expression Lengthy, The Long Long Dog (Syd Hoff) Big Dog… Little Dog (P.D. Eastman) Check out PA Promise for Children’s full list of August books for preschoolers.
