TRT vs the TV

"This class really works!  My daughter really pays attention to books and since last week I've subtracted television from her daily routine.  She doesn't even seem to notice because she loves the books so much!" - Cristy, mother of Amariz, participants in our 0-12 month class at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center.

This is exactly why we do what we do at The Reading Tree.  After talking to families about the dangers of screen time for young children and babies, many are reflecting aloud on their efforts to spend less time in front of the television and more time reading books with their babies. 

Family Literacy

It is always great to see our "graduates" reading!  Here is a photo the Montejono family.  Daniel, a former growing with books student, recently visited us from kindergarten on a day off of school.  His sister, Dayana, is following in his footsteps with Mom, Yessica, at her side.  (Daniel is reading well in English, by the way, although his first language is Spanish.  His skills have transferred beautifully across language lines!)

Hilltop

I am most excited about a new class offering this semester at the Hilltop Pregnant and Parenting Teen Program.  These young mothers are eager to learn how to instill a love for reading in their babies.  This past week, we visited the Mission Branch Library.  Maricela, the teen librarian, hosted us for a tour of the teen section of the library and led us in a "Baby Bounce" - a hands-on interactive way to sing and play with babies.  A number of these young mothers took advantage of this opportunity to clear up any pending issues with their library cards and others were able to get new cards for their babies.

-Dawn Noelle

The Name Honors the Process

Miriam Soto with her sons, Mauricio and Lucas. 

As we shared in the Good Samaritan Babies' class this week one mother offered a profound observation.  Lucas, her fourth child, is quiet and more reserved than Mauricio, who graduated out of Growing with Books last year when he turned three.  As she talked about her children at different stages of growth, and how they enjoy reading books together, the older ones reading to the younger ones, she said:  "El nombre honra el proceso."  (The name honors the process.)  She went on to explain how children really do grow with the books they read.  This is exactly what we want our families to be learning and it is exciting to hear them express this so freely.

-Dawn Noelle

Fall 2013 - off to a great start!

Each of our classes are taking on their own flavor and we have started off with great attendance at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center, Tenderloin Children's Playground, and Hilltop Pregnant and Parenting Teens Program.

At the TLCP there are many options and "stations" for families to visit as a part of the San Francisco City College Childhood Observation class led by Ana Fisher.  On Wednesdays, I set up The Reading Tree table where families can come and read together.  For each book they read, they can add a tissue paper leaf to their very own "reading tree".  I like the way the tissue paper gives the trees some extra texture.  Who knows, we might get creative and had flowers or fruit in the future!

-Dawn Noelle

An Good Option for a Rainy Day

It was good to hear my families say this week that getting out of the house to attend a Growing with Books class, even on rainy days, is their preference to staying cooped up in doors.  This attitude was reflected in the comments by my students in the Toddlers' class at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center yesterday as a storm swept through San Francisco.  Our numbers were somewhat lower than usual, as is to be expected on a rainy day.   I was pleasantly surprised, however, that our Babies' was almost as full as it had been the week before - which had been the most so far for this year.  Getting out of the house to a warm and dry play space is an added benefit to our Growing with Books classes on a rainy day.  Then, with their new book in hand, families are given yet another option to continue their rainy day a cozy reading time together at home.

-Dawn Noelle

New Year = New Approach

After a semester of low attendance in our Good Samaritan Babies class, we have upped our outreach efforts with a particular focus on some of the organizations nearby.  I visited the Bryant School food bank one Tuesday morning with some of our leftover inventory books to pass out to families, together with a flyer and a personal invitation to our Tuesday classes later in the morning.

Our communal "Reading Tree" in 2012

In the Tenderloin, with the varied ages and higher numbers in attendance, I have shifted the focus away from project making and instead now have a book table where kids can come and read, and put a leaf on their own tree, which I bring with me each week.  During circle time, I congratulate the children, with a round of applause from all the families, who have come to read on their own, with me, or with their adult.  This has really helped to get the kids reading and cut down on the chaos on the project offering when there are so many kids that want to participate.  It gives me more time to model reading, and to ask children to tell the story back to me when they are ready to read the same book a second time, partially motivated by the extra leaf they will get to put on their "Reading Tree" when they are done.

Individual "Reading Trees" for 2013

-Dawn Noelle