GetSet4K Gets Kids Ready for School

Melanie Huggins knows how daunting it can be for parents to send their kids to kindergarten. That’s why the youth services director at the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County in North Carolina recently created GetSet4K.org, a comprehensive Web site that offers caregivers a month-by-month guide about what to do before that first big day of school. The site—whose content was developed by librarians, educators, and the state’s childcare licensing office—isn’t all about literacy. There’s a strong emphasis on socializing, child development, and health and wellness, and there are numerous links to places such as the Center for Social and Emotional Education, which shows parents how to teach their kids empathy. “We focus on a more holistic approach,” says Huggins, whose child entered kindergarten last year. Parents can also find helpful tips, like remembering to teach a child to cover his nose while sneezing.