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

Fun with Paint and Bubble Wrap

The toddlers really enjoyed making a card/art, which was made to celebrate Mother’s Day. They used paint and bubble wrap cut into heart shapes. As always, they had a lot of fun with the art project.

-Laura Hecht

Names and Adjectives

The project was to write the child’s name and find adjectives for each letter of the name. Here is a picture of what one mother came up with for her child. I think it is a wonderful way to try to describe the child’s personality at that point in life with just a few words.


-Laura Hecht

Valentine’s Day Finger Painting

Last week we worked on Valentine’s Day cards. The toddlers made one to give away by finger painting on a piece of paper that would later be cut out in the shape of a heart.  Of course, some of the children did not want to get their hands messy so I gave them a paintbrush. Some of the children that did use their fingers spent a long time spreading the paint around. All of the children had fun and all of the results were very unique!

-Laura Hecht 

Full Class

"I had been meaning to give you a call!"  I hadn't seen this family in a while and I had two library cards that were delivered during last semester's librarian visit waiting for them.  Apparently they had a round of illness toward the end of last semester and were unable to attend for a number of weeks.  "My daughter loves the books so much, we are happy to be back!"  Not only did she bring both her little girls to class yestereday, but her nephew as well.  We are up to 15 families in the toddler class at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center in only our third week of class.  Word is getting around!

-Dawn Noelle