Friendships

Besides the parents becoming friends and supporting each other, the children in our classes also develop great friendships. I have noticed that there are two girls that are very good friends. The families don’t always arrive at the same time. Usually one of the girls gets there first. Last Tuesday when the second girl arrived, I could see her at the door. She tapped on the glass and waved to her friend. Then she did a little dance and twirled her skirt. Her friend, sitting at a table with me, noticed and smiled a big smile. Of course, I had to smile also. There was so much sweetness in the moment. As usual, the two had a lot of fun playing together for the rest of the class.

While these two in the picture are different friends, it is also so great to see such affection towards each other with their hand holding. They started off in the baby class together. Now they are 1 ½ years old and are in the toddler class together. At this age there is a lot of parallel play between friends so it is always nice to capture moments that show they care for each other.

-Laura Hecht

Water Play

We went to the park last week. It was a great day to be outside. It was a warm day and the planned activity was to make bath toys to use in tubs of water. What a fun activity! Here are the toddlers enjoying the water play.

-Laura Hecht

¡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