The Benefits of Reading Aloud with Your Children
The importance of reading to and with your child has been well established. This article from NPR explores the emotional and cognitive benefits of reading aloud with your children, even as they are learning to read to themselves.
How Reading Aloud Can Help You Bond With Your Kid and Make Them Better Readers
Sunshine, Water, and Big Smiles
The cars started lining up before 9. The playground was shaded and waiting to be filled with children. Teachers stood ready, wearing Acorn shirts, and clear masks, ready to greet our children. Each child entered the playground, after being unbuckled from their cars by their parent and having a temperature check. Once on the playground, children started at our outdoor hand washing station and then scattered across the playground to play. Children swung on swings, painted at a picnic table, and zip lined to their hearts’ content. We spent the majority of our morning outside, just letting the children play and interact.
After dividing our children into groups, we talked about some of the changes at The Acorn (teachers wearing masks, lining up a “pool noodle” apart). Children adjusted quickly, with no signs of anxiety or distress. Once inside, children washed hands and played with items around the classroom. All school windows were open and each child had his or her own basket of art supplies. After snack, which took place at large tables with children appropriately spaced, the big kids were given scissors and pictures to cut and then put back together. They seemed to love this and particularly seemed to love having a structured task. The morning ended with sweaty faces and sandy feet loading back into their cars and happy hearts as children and families headed home, ready to come play again tomorrow.
As the week unfolded we added more small and large group activities, including nature scavenger hunts and art, making bandanas, washing toys and baby dolls, flashlight drawings, story time and more. Smiles have been big on the adults and the children alike. We are thrilled to have had a chance to slowly reopen and to make sure we can welcome children back and enable them to play and interact while protecting the safety of our children, staff, and families. We are looking forward to having our teachers and students back on campus and welcoming you all with open (and appropriately distanced) arms on August 17.
Whatever Else You Do, Be Kind
There’s a piece circulating around the Internet you may have seen about quarantine. The premise is that while we are in the same storm, we are not in the same boat. Quarantine and social isolation look very different for each of us, even though we are in the same overall situation. As I read the piece (posted at the end for you), it reminds me that not only are we in different boats from each other but sometimes we switch boats from day to day. Some days I feel like I’m embracing this family time and enjoying the slower pace. Other days I feel like the pace is crazier than ever as I try to navigate school for my kids while juggling my own work, meal planning, laundry, and the normal day to day interactions. But I like the take home message that wherever you are today or tomorrow or even three hours from now, be kind. Be kind to yourself, to your neighbors, to the people around you. As restrictions begin to ease and Texas and other states begin to reopen, people have very different feelings about what that looks like or what it means. Be kind. Be kind to the person at HEB who is a frontline worker and likely functioning on limited sleep and high stress. Be kind to the relative who may have very different ideas of what social distancing or mask wearing means. Be kind to the neighbor down the street whose child unexpectedly runs toward yours to play. Be kind to your children who would rather play than do their schoolwork. Be kind to yourself on the days it feels really hard to get out of bed and get going. Be kind to your spouse who is in the foxhole with you and may or may not be responding the way you think he or she should. Be kind to the stranger you see who feels differently about mask wearing than you do. Kindness costs nothing and goes a long way to spread peace and joy. When we emerge on the other side of this, things will look different. Our schools, workplaces, and recreational activities may look very different for awhile. Let’s preserve what we can by fostering our relationships through kindness. Many of us are tired and worn out by this process. Many are concerned about what the next several weeks, months, or even years may look like. But it costs nothing to be kind and goes a long way to help fill someone up, someone who might be running on empty.
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WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BOAT ...
I heard that we are all in the same boat, but it's not like that. We are in the same storm, but not in the same boat. Your ship could be shipwrecked and mine might not be. Or vice versa.
For some, quarantine is optimal. A moment of reflection, of re-connection, easy in flip flops, with a cocktail or coffee. For others, this is a desperate financial & family crisis.
For some that live alone they're facing endless loneliness. While for others it is peace, rest & time with their mother, father, sons & daughters.
With the $600 weekly increase in unemployment some are bringing in more money to their households than they were working. Others are working more hours for less money due to pay cuts or loss in sales.
Some families of 4 just received $3400 from the stimulus while other families of 4 saw $0.
Some were concerned about getting a certain candy for Easter while others were concerned if there would be enough bread, milk and eggs for the weekend.
Some want to go back to work because they don't qualify for unemployment and are running out of money. Others want to kill those who break the quarantine.
Some are home spending 2-3 hours/day helping their child with online schooling while others are spending 2-3 hours/day to educate their children on top of a 10-12 hour workday.
Some have experienced the near death of the virus, some have already lost someone from it and some are not sure if their loved ones are going to make it. Others don't believe this is a big deal.
Some have faith in God and expect miracles during this 2020. Others say the worst is yet to come.
So, friends, we are not in the same boat. We are going through a time when our perceptions and needs are completely different.
Each of us will emerge, in our own way, from this storm. It is very important to see beyond what is seen at first glance. Not just looking, actually seeing.
We are all on different ships during this storm experiencing a very different journey.
Realize that and be kind.
Unknown author