🌱 KELP: Where Every Child Belongs
KinderCinch™ Early Literacy Program (KELP) is more than a classroom initiative.
It’s a shared experience.
Created by Deanna L. Vigliotta, founder of The Traveling Saleslady®, KELP was inspired by her children’s book Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom’s Away, a story about love, resilience, and connection.
At its heart, KELP ensures:
No student is left behind.
Every child in a participating classroom receives the same literacy kit, building confidence, inclusion, and ownership from day one.
Children name their own Bedbug.
That moment changes everything.
Ownership builds confidence.
Participation builds belonging.
Reading builds joy
✨ What is KELP?
The KELP Bedbug has joined TikTok under: @Bedbuginamug
Follow for:
• Parenting insights
• Teacher appreciation moments
• Travel adventures
• Behind-the-scenes literacy fun
Because learning should feel joyful.
👩🏫 Support for Educators
Teachers receive a guided classroom discussion resource that encourages:
• Conversations about family roles
• Working parents
• Grandparents and intergenerational bonds
• Empathy and resilience
Because literacy isn’t just decoding words, it’s building understanding.
🏫 Bring KELP to Your School
KELP stands for KinderCinch™ Early Literacy Program.
It is a hands-on reading experience designed for:
• Preschool
• Transitional Kindergarten (TK)
• Kindergarten classrooms
Each child receives:
• A paperback copy of Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom’s Away
• A custom Bedbug plush companion
• A word search puzzle
• A magnet and themed stickers
• A personalized cinch sack featuring the Bedbug character
🌍 A Program with Purpose
Children don’t just learn to read.
They learn to give back.
A Program with Purpose
Every child deserves the opportunity to discover that reading can be fun. Through our collaboration with Junior Achievement of Orange County & Inland Empire, the KinderCinch™ Early Literacy Program is bringing engaging, sponsor-funded literacy experiences to Transitional Kindergarten classrooms across Southern California.
Whether you're interested in sponsoring a classroom or investing in the future of young learners, every donation helps place literacy resources into the hands of children at no cost to their schools or families.
Help make a lasting difference - click below to support the KinderCinch™ Early Literacy Program.
🎥 Meet the Bedbug
We are currently seeking elementary schools interested in implementing KELP in:
• Preschool classrooms
• TK classrooms
• Kindergarten programs
If you are an educator or administrator ready to bring an inclusive literacy experience to your students, we would love to connect.
🤝 Become a Classroom Sponsor
👉 Follow @Bedbuginamug on TikTok
Interested in partnering, sponsoring, or bringing KELP to your school?
📧 Deanna@thetravelingsaleslady.com
📱 407.256.8162
Frequently Asked Questions About the KinderCinch™ Early Literacy Program
1. What is the KinderCinch™ Early Literacy Program?
KinderCinch™ is an early literacy program designed to make reading fun, interactive, and memorable for young children. Built around the award-winning children’s book Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom’s Away, the program combines a classroom read-aloud with hands-on literacy activities and materials children can continue using at home.
What ages and grade levels is KinderCinch™ designed for?
The KinderCinch™ Early Literacy Program is designed primarily for preschool, Transitional Kindergarten (TK), Kindergarten, and early elementary students. Activities support age-appropriate skills such as vocabulary development, sequencing, prediction, story comprehension, and recall.
How does KinderCinch™ help children develop early literacy skills?
KinderCinch™ turns story time into an interactive learning experience. Teachers and classroom volunteers can use guided questions and activities to encourage children to predict what happens next, learn new vocabulary, recall story details, sequence events,
and talk about characters, feelings, and family experiences.
What is included in a KinderCinch™ classroom experience?
KinderCinch™ combines a children’s book with engaging literacy materials and hands-on activities. Student kits can include a copy of Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom’s Away, a color-your-own cinch sack, crayons, a Friendly Bedbug plush character, magnet, stickers, word activities, and Junior Publisher page-number stickers. Teachers also receive resources to help extend the story into classroom learning.
What makes KinderCinch™ different from other early literacy programs?
KinderCinch™ combines reading, hands-on participation, social-emotional learning, and family engagement in one memorable experience. Children aren’t simply listening to a story. They interact with it, participate in activities, personalize their materials, and take their literacy experience home with them.
Does KinderCinch™ support social-emotional learning as well as literacy?
Yes. Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom’s Away explores a situation many young children understand: being separated from a parent or loved one. The story provides opportunities for teachers to discuss emotions, family relationships, routines, reassurance, and coping with change while simultaneously developing early literacy skills.
Can businesses or organizations sponsor KinderCinch™ for a local classroom or school?
Yes. KinderCinch™ was designed with a community sponsorship model that allows businesses, foundations, service organizations, and other community partners to help bring an early literacy experience directly to children. Sponsorship can provide participating students with literacy materials while helping organizations make a tangible investment in education within the communities they serve.
Is there a cost to students and families participating in a sponsored KinderCinch™ program?
The goal of the KinderCinch™ sponsorship model is simple: every child participates.
When a classroom is fully sponsored, participating students and their families are not
asked to purchase their individual KinderCinch™ materials.
Can KinderCinch™ be used in Title I schools and underserved communities?
Yes. KinderCinch™ can be especially meaningful in communities where access to children’s books and supplemental literacy experiences may be limited. The sponsorship model creates an opportunity for community partners to help provide participating children with books and literacy materials they can use at school and take home.
Can KinderCinch™ be used by teachers, libraries, nonprofits, and community organizations?
Yes. Although KinderCinch™ can be delivered in a traditional classroom, the program can also complement literacy initiatives involving schools, libraries, nonprofit organizations, community groups, and corporate community-impact programs.
Who created the KinderCinch™ Early Literacy Program?
KinderCinch™ was created by Deanna L. Vigliotta, author of the Mom’s Choice Award®-winning children’s book Bedbug in a Mug: When Mom’s Away. The program grew from the idea that a children’s book can become more than a story. It can become an interactive experience that connects children, educators, families, volunteers, and community supporters around early literacy.
How can a school, business, or community organization bring KinderCinch™ to local children?
Schools, educators, businesses, foundations, and community organizations interested in KinderCinch™ can contact The Traveling Saleslady to discuss classroom participation, sponsorship opportunities, and potential community partnerships. Whether the goal is supporting one classroom or expanding early literacy opportunities across multiple schools, KinderCinch™ can be adapted to create a meaningful local literacy initiative.