First Session
This group of 16 was eager to hear suggestions about how to read to their children so that their reading sessions would be interesting and motivating. Not everyone wanted to read at first (one of the parents passed twice, but later joined in the reading when it seemed that everyone was having so much fun reading Gregory the Terrible Eater).
I was especially impressed with the ideas the parents shared with each other in terms of extended activities. One parent suggested duplicating the objects from Black on White on different colors of construction paper and cutting them out to teach colors. Another suggested making chocolate cookies in the shape of the objects. All of the parents expressed gratitude for receiving the books, but were most enthused about learning the different ways to read to children.
We tried different vocal sounds and facial expressions. One of the parents had walked a few blocks to attend the session and said that she was glad that she had braved the cold. The brakes on her car had failed, but she had no intentions of failing to take advantage of this opportunity to learn how to read to her children. Goodnight Moon brought back memories to the participants whose parents had read the same story to them when they were young. A couple of them mentioned that they would recite the nursery rhymes to their children that they had heard when this book was read to them.
The most popular of the nursery rhymes for Goodnight Moon was "Hey Diddle Diddle" and the most popular story recalled from Goodnight Moon was the Three Bears. When The Snowy Day was read, one of the parents stimulated a discussion about being an only child and how that sometimes feels - the good and the bad. For example, she grew up on a farm as an only child and was very lonely. On the other hand, another parent talked about having eight sisters and brothers and wishing that she was an only child so that she could get some attention.
The participants discussed the fact that reading could be a group/family activity that all children could participate in and get attention from. The parents were amazed at how many memories the books helped them to recall and talked about how parents and children could learn from some of the lessons in Gregory the Terrible Eater. One parent said she would always try to add a favorite food to whatever vegetable was being served for dinner and would practice compromising a little instead of being so admittedly rigid.
Parents who didn't really know each other seemed to bond with each other and stayed after the session to talk about their children. One of the parents couldn't get her daughter to join the other children in the play room. The little girl was about five years old. She listened very quietly and behaved very well. Her mother seemed surprised, but very pleased that listening to reading had so completely captivated her daughter's attention.
Session Two
The enthusiasm was just as high as it had been in the first session. Most parents shared their experiences prior to beginning our reading circle. One of the parents had gone so far as to make her own "Red on White" book because that seemed to be her 17-month old baby's favorite color. Experiences varied with Goodnight Moon. They ranged from one parent discovering how many objects she could teach her child to identify by saying goodnight to them to another parent and her child initiating a "good-morning" ritual.
There were many fun experiences shared about the reading of and extended activities for Gregory the Terrible Eater. The parents talked about decorating hamburgers with veggies - carrot circles for eyes, spinach for a green mouth with cheese-strips for yellow teeth. They talked about pairing a vegetable with a favorite food, for instance broccoli with pizza as dessert or with spaghetti. They talked about poaching eggs in cookie cutters. Most of all they talked about how much their children enjoyed hearing them read.
The mother of the little girl who stayed with her during session one reported that she had to read the same books to her daughter over and over and that they played the game "Tell me a story about this" with the Black on White book - one that she initially thought would not interest her little girl because it was below her age level. During session 2, the little girl went in to play with the other children so that she could listen to the first set of books again when she got home that night and because she would even have more books to listen to. The parents were proud of the stories that they were able to create as a result of being stimulated by the books and the ideas learned at the first session.
My biggest surprise was the positive feedback given for A Chair for My Mother. The parents talked about coping with loss and not having the money to buy all of the things their children begged for. They thought this was a great book to use in teaching their children responsibility and that sometimes it takes time to save up for something you really want. They wanted their children to be aware of the mother who worked every day and who was sometimes happy and sometimes tired.
They also thought A Chair for My Mother was great because the book showed team work. The discussion turned then to the tragedy of September 11 - the terrorist attack on America and how people came together like never before to say "we care, we'll help." The group talked about how it feels good to be able to help someone and that it doesn't always mean giving money, which none of those attending this session have much of. They talked about playing a game of "who can I help and how" with their children. They thought the book would help a lot at home in strengthening their children's understanding of saving and waiting for rewards. This book really brought out some very deep discussion. It was very moving to listen to parents who are struggling with making ends meet and wanting their children to understand and love them. This book showed that it can be done.
Although we read through Mouse Count and Where the Wild Things Are, there was not as much time for discussion as sharing their experiences from reading the first books and A Chair for My Mother had taken up a great deal of time. I feel very confident that these parents are committed to the high quality of reading development/readiness for their children.
