Each school year, the Early Learning Coalition sponsors the Literacy Buddy Program which provides children with books to take home and share with their families. The program also encourages them to express themselves through correspondence with their adult buddy. Children come to school better prepared to learn when they interact with adults who regularly read, write and talk with them.

Are you a Preschool Provider? Follow this link to the Literacy Buddy Program for Preschool Providers

You can become a Literacy Buddy!

• A Literacy Buddy agrees to receive letters from a child in an early learning facility served by the Early Learning Coalition.
• The Buddy in turn sends a letter and high quality book in response to the child’s letter.
• This exchange takes place three times from mid fall to spring.
• The program teaches children about correspondence, communication and instills appreciation of high quality children’s literature.

Literacy Buddy Brochure

Volunteers: Welcome to the Literacy Buddy Program Video

Please take a moment to fill out the application to become a Literacy Buddy.

• Fillable application to become a Literacy Buddy – English
• Fillable application to become a Literacy Buddy – Spanish

Already a Buddy and want to continue with the program? Just click LiteracyBuddies@elcofswfl.org and let us know. You can also use this link  to ask for more information about the program, or call (239) 935-6186. Click to access the application on our Facebook page.

For the 2020 – 2021 program , book due dates are:

November 13, 2020
January 15, 2021
April 16, 2021

Because of COVID-19 restrictions, many preschools are not permitting book drop-offs. We are asking all Literacy Buddies to order through Amazon, using the Smile Program. Here are two short how-to videos:

Amazon Ordering for Literacy Buddy Program

Sign up for Amazon Smile Program to Benefit the Early Learning Coalition SWFL

Children’s Book Suggestions 

These writing samples were completed by a child over a span of four months and demonstrate what a difference books and letters can make in the life of a child.