The future of at-home, preschool education may soon be going to the worms – itty-bitty bookworms, to be exact.
The Itty-Bitty Bookworm is a new, North Charleston company looking to single-handedly change the way we educate our children at home – starting with preschoolers. The program is subscription-based and completely turnkey: once you enroll, your monthly education kits arrive by mail.
Each month, subscribers receive four weeks worth of children’s literature, arts and craft materials, a comprehensive lesson plan, activity ideas, newsletters covering the latest research, and more. The program is literature-based, meaning all the activities for the month revolve around the books provided.
The Itty-Bitty Bookworm prides itself on the quality of its learning materials, citing that each lesson plan is grounded in research and fundamentals endorsed by the NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children), the US Department of Education and the International Reading Association.
According to the owner of the company, Tara Rison, a strong curriculum grounded in the latest education techniques is the key to success. In fact, the idea for The Itty-Bitty Bookworm was born out of frustration with the caliber of materials on the market.
In 2006, Rison – former Curriculum & Training Specialist for a large childhood development center – decided to start her own in-home preschool. So, she started looking for a curriculum to aid her in the education process.
“Needless to say, I was disappointed,” said Rison. “I could not find one, single product or program that addressed all of my in-home, education needs. Either the program was too teacher-directed, too superficial, too outdated or too incomplete.
“What I really needed was a solid, modern curriculum, spelled out in comprehensive lesson plans, including all the bells and whistles – like arts and craft materials, classroom decorations, books, activities – sent directly to me, so I didn’t have to go shopping. But, since
I couldn’t find a company that produced such a product, I decided to start a new company that would.”
The Itty-Bitty Bookworm may have been born of frustration, but users of the program will find it anything but. The program’s instructions are simple, easy-to-follow and have had pleasing results with Rison’s own in-home preschoolers.
“The kids positively blossomed, and the parents were tickled,” said Rison. “My preschoolers became more interested in learning, started relishing the problem-solving process, developed a newfound love of books and began ‘using their words’ with more frequency.
“It’s such a satisfying feeling, to watch children grow and develop a love of learning before your eyes. I just want other in-home preschools, child-care centers, and home-schooling families to experience the same joy and success.”
With The Itty-Bitty Bookworm arriving on their doorstep each month – chances are they will.
For more information, or to subscribe, please visit: www.ittybittybookworm.com
About The Itty-Bitty Bookworm
Founded in 2007, the Itty-Bitty Bookworm is a simple, organized, teach-it-yourself curriculum – based in the latest research and quality children’s literature – that does all the prep work in advance, so you and your kids can focus on learning, activities and fun.
Our company is committed to excellence and devoted to the basic tenet that quality education can also be enjoyable. The program is specially designed for children ages 2-6, and tailored to meet the unique needs of in-home preschools, family child-care centers, child development centers and home-schooling families.
For more information, please visit our website at: www.ittybittybookworm.com. The site also contains kid-friendly features like the original story of Bo the Bookworm, downloadable coloring pages of Bo in action – even a link to Bo’s MySpace page!
Contact: Tara Rison
Photos Available Upon Request
843) 830-4550
contact[@]ittybittybookworm.com
Website: http://www.ittybittybookworm.com
