Dear Readers,
It was day 8 of the 15 day request to self-isolate to minimize the spread of COVID19. To compound the situation I had recently undergone surgery, and was advised that my grandchildren could not visit during this critical time. Even though I Face-timed with the kids every day, I could not create that familial bond I was so desperately craving.
Heartbroken and lonely, I decided to establish an online story hour in which I could interact with the kids in synchronous time. My platform was ZOOM conferencing, which I had used for online classes with my graduate student. For the first session, I chose one of my favorite childhood books, and provided my daughters-in-law with literature links for follow up activities related to the book.
and the You Tube video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7so7q3UH1e8
I was so happy to see how glad the children were to see each other! Lilly wanted to show Stassi Minnie stuffed animal, her ceramic Easter bunny project, and the chips she had for the read aloud. “I have chips!” she said, almost as if Stassi could reach through the screen to grab a few. Stassi brought Pinky, her favorite pink rabbit to the read aloud.
For the most part, they liked the story, however, I need to show the illustrations better in my next attempt. Maybe, I’ll even create my own You Tube video. I need to work on my character’s voices! Why not try the same with the children you are missing? Start simple with one of your favorite stories – maybe Blueberries for Sal or The Carrot Seed?
Let me know how it goes, and keep our online family bond strong.
Happy reading!
Joanne
