¡Vamos a Leer!

After our first class of the semester at Good Samaritan Family Resource Center I met Christina in the hallway. She is one of the new teachers in the preschool program upstairs and she was taking her lunchbreak within earshot of our babies' class. She asked about the song I sing to the children as we transition into story time. In English (I sing it bilingually at the Tenderloin Children's Playground) it goes: "Now we're going to read a book, read a book, read a book. Now we're going to read a book, read a book, read a book." It is the same tune used as we transition from free exploration time into circle time singing "Now we're going to sing a song, sing a song..." (etc.) In my four years with The Reading Tree I have learned that having a familiar tune as a signal to transitions is highly effective. The last line of our song, after "...use our eyes..." is "...use our ears..." (or "vamos a escuchar" in Spanish) - and it is sung in a whisper. It is amazing how well this can quiet a group of toddlers - it is a well known (though often forgotten) secret among teachers - lowering rather than raising our voices to capture the attention of the young ones we teach. It is also great fun and sets the tone for something so special you have whisper about it: reading a book together! It can be like the smallest treasure held in the palm of your hand - a sunflower seed that will eventually grow into a beautifully tall and strong flower or an apple seed that will eventually grow into a tree to bear fruit of it's own. This is the magic of The Reading Tree. Each book read together can be a magical experience in the form of a seed settling into the fertile soil of memory and giving birth to a love of reading that will open uncounted pathways to future growth.

-Dawn Noelle

Ready for Circle Time!

Today was our first day back after summer break at the Tenderloin Children's Playground. In this group, free exploration time is followed by a free lunch program - and then we gather for circle time. I'm not sure which child got the ball rolling, but all on their own, once they had finished lunch, the kids started moving the chairs into a circle for singing, story-time, and their own book to take home. Caregivers, parents, and teachers alike were impressed with the impact this time has on these young children...enough to remember and anticipate our circle time even after a 3 month break!

-Dawn Noelle

¡Hola Maestra!

Here we are, right in the middle of summer, and I am still being called out as "maestra" around the neighborhood. Living in the mission means I see many of our families as I am out walking. This time it was little Mauricio in the aisle of Walgreen's - I recognized him, but he was with his older sister whom I had never met. Fortunately, just on the next aisle I found his mother and was able to say hello. "Mauricio is really wanting some new books!" she said. We are all looking forward to starting up again in the fall.

-Dawn Noelle

End of the Semester

Who would have thought that it would be raining in San Francisco in May? Well, it was. Unfortunately the rain made many families stay at home and our plans for the end of the year party had to be changed. Instead of meeting at the park, we met at our regular location. We still enjoyed some food and our time together. We said goodbye to a few of the children that would be moving on. It is sad to say goodbye, but hopefully I will still get a chance to see them out and about. It has been a wonderful opportunity to see the children grow and to get to know the families!

-Laura Hecht

Enjoying Books (2)

Here are a few more images of the children enjoying books:

-Laura Hecht

Nature Appreciation

The lesson was going to be to take a walk around the neighborhood to find interesting leaves, branches, flowers, or other natural items to stick on clear contact paper to make a something that could later be hung. It had been a rainy week so we had to skip the walk since everything was wet. Luckily, I was able to find plenty of leaves, flowers and twigs beforehand for the children to use. Everyone really enjoyed the project and there were some wonderful pieces to remind everyone about the beauty of nature.

-Laura Hecht

Enjoying Books

The month of February went by so quickly. I just wanted to share these two images of the children reading.

The toddler had set up a little rocking chair next to a shelf with books. I didn’t manage to get a picture in time, but she had also invited a friend to read with her.

The baby in the picture was really interested in the book. At first we read a different one. She protested when I got up, but she quieted down as soon as I came back with another book.

-Laura Hecht