Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond strives to normalize parenting. Every day is different presenting its own unique rewards and challenges. We often feel like we are on a merry-go-round and cannot seem to change the mundaneness of our routines.
I felt the same way while raising my four children, I often wondered whether I was doing a good job. Often, it felt like I was “winging it” and was hoping for the best. As a former educator and then stay-in-the-car-mom (I was never at home!) for more than 20 years, it was intuitive for me to build relationships with those who interacted with my children: teachers, administrators, and coaches. I assumed that’s what we, as parents, were supposed to do. We each learned from each other, and I soon became a trusted partner at the school and district levels where we made systemic changes for our children county-wide.
Educators are at a tipping point. They have the monumental task of ensuring our students receive the education they deserve while juggling the ever-changing pandemic world of schools opening, virtual learning, or even going hybrid. It has become almost comical at what is expected and what is reasonable.
Wouldn’t it be nice for educators to have a resource that has insight and expertise in the student’s physical and mental well-being? Someone who we can partner with to help the student where they currently are academically and then help them reach their full potential?
Parents! They are our ticket to helping our students achieve the success they deserve. We need their input, their perspective of how the child learns, or if any happenings at home are affecting the student’s school performance. Their knowledge is critical to helping educators navigate learning in the manner that is most beneficial and impactful for the student.
In this uncertain time, teachers need, more than ever, parent input and guidance. We are counting on them to help us. But we also must realize the burden parents carry right now. It is imperative to create a symbiotic relationship between schools and parents for students to feel supported and achieve success.
In my debut book, Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond, I share my insights on how an educator turned Parent Impact Coach built a relationship, became an advocate for schools and students, and helped create systemic changes at the school and district level that affected students and staff county-wide. My education background along with compassion and empathy catapulted me to the forefront of issues that impacted students long-term.
Published May 4, 2021
About the Book: Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond strives to normalize parenting. Every day is different presenting its own unique rewards and challenges. We often feel like we are on a merry-go-round and cannot seem to change the mundaneness of our routines.
Parent Power offers insight, ideas, and methods to navigate this exhilarating, exhausting task – raising productive, compassionate, future generations. Tackling relevant topics that parents face, with a head-on approach to:
Social media
Sports
Discrimination
And many more
Each chapter ends with Punam’s Perspective, a personal anecdote that prompted the need to write the chapter. Those experiences shaped Punam as a parent and an advocate, and, eventually, on this journey to build a formidable team of parent, teacher, and school.
Mom’s Choice Awards, Gold Seal
Amazon #1 Release
Review
Reader’s Favorite, 5-Stars:
Parent and author Punam V. Saxena shares her experiences on becoming a partner in the educational process in Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond. This invaluable work tells the tale of a stay-at-home mom who became passionate about enhancing students’ educational experience by getting involved in the academic community and forging a trusting relationship with faculty members. She addresses parenting issues related to self-care, community participation, social media control, bullying, discrimination, and quarantined parenting. The book aims to guide parents in raising emotionally intelligent kids by engaging them in dialogues that help them understand the value of diversity and justice as a concept of fairness. As parenting is a lifetime vocation, this work becomes a supportive teammate.
If you’re like most parents, you feel you’re doing a fine job in raising and dealing with your kids based on your child-rearing philosophy. You exhaust all the means to be a good provider. But at some point, it will drain you. One particular aspect that I enjoyed in Parent Power is Saxena’s take on self-care. Children can prove to be a handful, and as a parent, you too deserve tender loving care. Saxena writes with no promises but assures that it is feasible, at the very least, to decrease the frequency of your most challenging parenting days. I strongly recommend Parent Power to all parents for its inspirational and realistic approach to developing strategies to help parents become more centered and productive.
-Vincent Dublado
About the Author: Punam V. Saxena is a mother of four, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, and a Master’s in Education. Throughout her 30 years of experience between teaching and volunteering in her children’s schools, she implemented several procedures that benefited students and administrators within the school district.
She is a Parent Impact Coach, TEDx speaker, author of Parent Power: Navigate School and Beyond, and podcaster. Her work focuses on bridging the gap and fostering and stronger relationship between parents and schools by empowering parents to become partners in their child’s education.
Punam has been recognized as Volunteer of the Year at Harrison School for the Arts and has received a Key to the City in Lakeland, Florida. She has been featured in the magazines Podcast Movement, Shoutout Atlanta, Global Fluency, and Women Who Podcast. She has also spoken at several mainstage events including She Podcasts Live, Passionistas Project’s “I’m Speaking“ and Podcast Movement’s Virtual Summit. Additionally, Punam has been featured on NBC’s Atlanta & Company, CBS, ABC, and FOX.
In her spare time, she enjoys running, cooking, reading, and spending time with her family.
Thank you, Punam, for this post! We agree that parents need to support educators and the amazing work they are doing, more importantly now than ever. It is the partnership that is important; parents should not be telling educators what to do or micromanaging instruction or instructional materials, but instead working as a parent with their own children and with their schools to ensure success of students.
Asian Americans: We hear you, we see you, and we condemn the violent hate crimes against you that are happening, and have happened, in the United States.
Anti-Asian violence has been on the rise over the last year here in the United States, but the recent murders are not isolated incidents, and are instead part of a legacy of racism again AAPIs.
As we shared in our Black Lives Matter post: Racism is a long-standing virus in our country. This virus is not new—it is engrained in our history. And what is happening in our country now (and throughout our time as a nation) is motivated by the White systemic racism that permeates structures and motivations of this country.
There is no in-between safe space of being not racist, and thus we must be anti-racist. As a reminder, here are some key resources to working towards an anti-racist society for all BIPOCs:
First, educate yourself on the racism faced by AAPIs today and the history of this racism:
Make a tangible action plan within your local community. Take action today.
Share posts from AAPI activists or organizations that inform about, fight against anti-Asian racism and support—through volunteering and financially, if you can—the organizations however you can:
Highlight the history and contributions of the AAPI community. One way this can be done is by reading and sharing books by AAPI authors and about AAPI characters with our students, kids, family, etc.
Read works by AAPI authors (This list is focused on children’s and young adult authors and limited by our limits; please be sure to click the links throughout the post for more book recommendations, and keep your finger on the pulse of new releases to constantly learn and grow. Please share other authors you recommend in the comments section, and we will add them.)
Samira Ahmed
S.K. Ali
Hanna Alkaf
Nandini Bajpai
Anjali Banerjee
Sona Charaipotra
Traci Chee
Tina Cho
Roshana Chokshi
Amy Chu
Sayantani DasGupta
Saadia Faruqi
I.W. Gregorio
Jenny Han
Veera Hiranandani
Joanna Ho
Mike Jung
Cynthia Kadohata
Anna Kang
Hena Khan
Anna Kim
Thanhha Lai
Minh Lê
Stacey Lee
Grace Lin
Malinda Lo
Marie Lu
Lensey Namioka
Trung Le Nguyen
Linda Sue Park
Mitali Perkins
Randy Ribay
Aisha Saeed
Dan Santat
Kashmira Sheth
Christina Soontornvat
Chieri Uegaki
Thrity Umrigar
Padma Venkatraman
Jen Wang
Gene Luen Yang
Kelly Yang
Jennifer Yen
David Yoon
Farhana Zia
Continue to listen to AAPI voices and do not stop educating yourself. Only through ongoing work will we work our way towards an anti-racist society.
and
**Please note: Many of these links have been widely shared on social media, and we curated them here and added many others, particularly connected to reading, to give them a concrete place. This is shared work.**
Black Americans: We see you, we hear you, we support you, and we condemn the violent acts against Black Americans that happen too frequently in the United States including the murders most recently of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd, David McAtee, Tony McDade, and Breonna Taylor. Black. Lives. Matter.
Racism is a long-standing virus in our country. Because of racism, Black people are brutalized, murdered, and unjustly treated. This virus is not new—it is engrained in our history. And what is happening in our country now (and throughout our time as a nation) is motivated by the White systemic racism that permeates structures and motivations of this country.
As Dr. Ibram X. Kendi states in How to Be an Antiracist, “The opposite of racist isn’t ‘not racist.’ It is ‘anti-racist.’ What’s the difference? One endorses either the idea of a racial hierarchy as a racist, or racial equality as an anti-racist. One either believes problems are rooted in groups of people, as a racist, or locates the roots of problems in power and policies, as an anti-racist. One either allows racial inequities to persevere, as a racist, or confronts racial inequities, as an anti-racist. There is no in-between safe space of ‘not racist.'”
So to combat racism, we must be actively anti-racist.
Educate ourselves about the history of racism, race relations, and the act of anti-racism.
Educators: Applied to the teaching of reading, Letting Go of Literary Whiteness by Carlin Borsheim-Black and Sophia Tatiana Sarigianides offers concrete suggestions for teaching about White privilege.
Then, apply what you have learned to your own context (regardless of the level or content area). What can you do to make a change? How can you stop being complicit and start being anti-racist?
It’s time to start doing. Remember: educating ourselves is critical, but it is only the first step. Action must follow.
Not My Idea: A Book About Whitenessby Anastasia Higginbotham (Free PDF available through June 19th) offers one option for scaffolding for discussions critical conversations about race.
Read and share books by BIPOC authors and about BIPOC characters with our students, kids, family, etc.
Anti-Racism Book List from my friend Candace Greene McManus including further reading for kids & young adults and children’s books featuring BPOCs just living their lives
Book recommendations by Black authors (This is a list of books we have especially loved and recommend. This list is limited. Please be sure to click the links throughout the post for more book recommendations, and keep your finger on the pulse of new releases to constantly learn and grow.)
Picture Books
Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed, illustrated by Stasia Burrington
Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander
The 5 O’Clock Band by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier
Preaching to the Chickens: The Story of Young John Lewis by Jabari Asim, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Knock Knock: My Dad’s Dream for Me by Daniel Beaty, illustrated by Bryan Collier
The Patchwork Bike by Maxine Beneba, illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd
Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeloa
Firebird by Misty Copeland, illustrated by Christopher Myers
Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall
Shortcut by Donald Crews
Freight Train by Donald Crews
Just Like a Mama by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by Charnelle Pinkney Barlow
Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop: The Sanitation Strike of 1968 by Alice Faye Duncan, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
Bedtime for Sweet Creatures by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon
Going Down Home with Daddy by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Daniel Minter
Hands Up! by Breanna J. McDaniel, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Fresh Princess by Denene Millner, illustrated by Gladys Jose
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
H.O.R.S.E.: A Game of Basketball and Imagination by Christopher Myers
Harlem by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Christopher Myers
Muhammad Ali: The People’s Champion by Walter Dean Myers, illustrated by Alix Delinois
Heart and Soul: The Story of America and African Americans by Kadir Nelson
Nelson Mandela by Kadir Nelson
My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete & Ryan Elizabeth Peete, illustrated by Shane W. Evans
Boycott Blues: How Rosa Parks Inspired a Nation by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and his Orchestra by Andrea Davis Pinkey, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up by Sitting Down by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomping Stride by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Brian Pinkney
A Day at the Museum by Christina Platt, illustrated by Sharon Sordo (chapter book)
Tar Beach by Faith Ringgold
Another by Christian Robinson
You Matter by Christian Robinson
Little Melba and her Big Trombone by Katheryn Russell-Brown, illustrated by Frank Morrison
Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly, illustrated by Laura Freeman
Radiant Child: The Story of Young Artist Jean-Michel Basquiat by Javaka Steptoe
Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate
Be A King: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Dream and You by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by James E. Ransom
Freedom in Congo Square by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie
The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by Rafael López
Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
This is the Rope: A Story from the Great Migration by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by James E. Ransom
Middle Grade
Crossover by Kwame Alexander
Booked by Kwame Alexander
The Usual Suspect by Maurice Broaddus
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Watsons Go to Burmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper
Stella By Starlight by Sharon Draper
The Last-Last-Day of Summer by Lamar Giles
Great Greene Heist series by Varian Johnson
Robyn Hoodlum series by Kekla Magoon
Somewhere in the Darkness by Walter Dean Myers
Ghetto Cowboy by G. Neri
Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty by G. Neri
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds
Miles Morales: Spider-Man by Jason Reynolds
Track series by Jason Reynolds
Ghost Boys by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Louisiana Girls Trilogy by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Two Naomis by Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich and Audrewy Vernick
Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
Logan series by Mildred D. Taylor
Gaither Sisters series by Rita Williams-Garcia
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Locomotion series by Jacqueline Woodson
Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
Young Adult
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
With Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo
Swing by Kwame Alexander
Solo by Kwame Alexander
Kendra by Coe Booth
Tyrell series by Coe Booth
Fist Stick Knife Gun: A Personal History of Violence, A True Story of Black and White by Geoffrey Canada, illustrated by Jamar Nicholas
The Belles series by Dhonielle Clayton
Tyler Johnson was Here by Jay Coles
Say Her Name by Zetta Elliott
Fresh Ink: An Anthology edited by Lamar Giles
Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes
Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
A Certain October by Angela Johnson
First Part Last by Angela Johnson
I’m Not Dying With You Tonight by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal
March series by John Lewis
How It Went Down by Kekla Magoon
Tyrell by Coe Booth
Dope Sick by Walter Dean Myers
It Ain’t All for Nonthin’ by Walter Dean Myers
Monster by Walter Dean Myers
Knockout Games by G. Neri
It’s Trevor Noah: Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely
When I Was the Greatest by Jason Reynolds
Dear Martin by Nic Stone
Odd One Out by Nic Stone
The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
Jumped by Rita Williams-Garcia
Beneath a Meth Moon by Jacqueline Woodson
The Sun is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon
American Street by Ibi Zoboi
Educate ourselves about the system we are part of.
Talk about anti-racism. Speak up when others are being racist. Educators, teach about being anti-racist. This is your job–in order to support young people. Just so we are clear, this includes teachers in predominantly White classrooms.
Don’t know how to start?
Here is a “Scaffolded Anti-Racist Resources” from New York City School Librarians. “This is a working document for scaffolding anti-racism resources. The goal is to facilitate growth for white folks to become allies, and eventually accomplices for anti-racist work. These resources have been ordered in an attempt to make them more accessible. We will continue to add resources.”
Antiracist Allyship Starter Pack: Resources and Tools Regarding Racism & Anti/Blackness & How to Be a Better Ally from Tatum Dorrell, Matt Herndon, and Jourdan Dorrell
“There is No Apolitical Classroom: Resources for Teaching in These Times” from NCTE “We know that racism exists in our classrooms and in our communities. We feel that silence on these issues is complicity in the systemic racism that has marred our educational system. We see no place for neutrality and urge each member of NCTE to educate as many people as possible about the ways that systemic racism affects all of us in negative ways.”
Continue to listen to Black voices, do not stop educating yourself, and focus your learning on anti-racist ACTIONS. White Americans, if you feel exhausted, keep in mind that Black Americans don’t have opportunity to shut off the effects of racism. This is a privilege.
Educators, we must frame everything we do to be anti-racist.
What anti-racist work are you doing?
and
**Please note: These links have been widely shared on social media, and we curated them here and added many others to give them a concrete place. This is shared work.**
At 11pm, I had the idea to teach my 6-year-old stop animation. I watched countless YouTube videos and tried to tailor them to his skill level. The next day went fairly well, but I learned some things along the way that I thought I’d share with other caregivers or educators embarking on this adventure.
Create a Model, Show Examples/How-To Videos.
It is exceptionally hard to explain stop animation to a kindergartener. Thus, I showed many, many examples and then showed him my own example. I recommend pre-watching your examples because I found many inappropriate models that I was glad I ruled out in advance. I also found how-to videos that were way too intense for my kid. They would overwhelm him.
The first video I showed him was a LEGO animation (which I learned is called a brickfilm). The video I post below is very easy to follow and shows how it works:
Next, I showed a claymation, which is the clay form of stop animation. I watched many and found this one to be pretty clear:
And finally, I created my own (quick) model using clay. I left the clay model out, so I could explain how I did it. This was the quick model I made:
2. Use the “Stop Motion” App.
I learned (after watching many tutorials) that this app was not only very user-friendly but also very capable of advanced work (which we were not doing. The key to using the app is to avoid having to push the photo button. Every time you take a picture and touch the tablet/phone, it jiggles the camera a tiny bit. For the model above, I stacked five textbooks and hung the camera part of the tablet over the edge of the top book. This allowed me to set the automatic timer on the app and avoid touching the screen. I did everything flat on my table, as you will notice in the model.
Essentially, you set a timer for a certain length of time (I did five seconds for my model, but I set it to 15 seconds for my son.) In that time, you move your design slightly. If you miss the timer and don’t make the move, it is extremely easy to delete any of the frames in between.
My son chose to do a brick film with his legos, so I set up the tablet to lean against a chair leg. I had to remind him not to touch the chair, and I set the automatic timer. After that, he pretty much worked independently for an hour on his film.
3. Other Lessons Learned
There’s something that Stop Animators call “light flicker.” If you are close to a window, the changes in the sun (e.g. it goes behind a cloud) will make the light of your video flicker in each shot. Pros (my son and I not included), recommend doing your stop animation in a room with no sunlight or windows. You use two headlamps—one to put in front of your creation and one to put behind it for shadows. To remove the shine on the lego pieces, I learned that pros cover the front headlamp with parchment paper. This was way above our skill level. The pros also use professional cameras and not tablets/phones.
Stop animation takes time, but it takes far less time with this app. It is instantly rewarding to kids (at least, relatively to taking a lot of solo framed photos). It occupied my son for a good hour, and he got to play with his lego, so it was a fun time for him.
Don’t forget to add music. I got a bit lazy with mine, and I clicked the audio record option (which allows people to record their voices), and I just played a song through my cell phone to get it in the background. You can upload a song if you want better quality than mine.
Those are the basics. Kindergarteners are very capable of beginning stop animation films. My son’s ended up being a tray of his favorite minifigures. They appeared one-by-one, and then they disappeared one-by-one. It was a great first start for him!
When quarantining became a reality for many of us in March, we were both looking for activities that would help keep our kids busy but also interacting with other kids. Ricki then came up with the idea of doing virtual book clubs, and Kellee was all in!
Trent & Henry’s Two Book Clubs
Trent and Henry, Ricki’s oldest, both were really interested in reading the Bad Guys books, so we started a chat with just the two of them. This is the first virtual book club that both kids had been in and was a great way to help them understand how to discuss books with a peer. So far they have read four of the Bad Guy books and have had a blast discussing everything from illustrations, to motive, and predictions.
As of this week, we are going to pause on the Bad Guys books and are moving ahead with some partner reading with some of the boys’ favorite picture books!
Ricki put out a call on Facebook for anyone interested in doing a Kindergarten-ish book club, and many jumped in! The kids range from age 4 to 9, and we find the mixed age group is really working! The club voted on the first book to read, and we started with Sideways Story from Wayside School by Louis Sachar and then we moved to Unicorn Rescue Society: The Creature of the Pines by Adam Gidwitz.
Trent’s Other Book Club
Trent also is part of a book club with one of Kellee’s colleague’s daughters. With this book club, Trent and Gabby started with picture books (The Hat Trilogy by Jon Klassen, The Questioneers by Andrea Beaty & David Roberts, and Lights! Camera! Alice! by Mara Rockliff). Next up are the Questioneers chapter books.
Ben’s Book Club
Ricki’s three-year-old Ben is also in a book club using Juana Medina’s Juana & Lucas. Admittedly, this book club has been trickier because the kids are ages 3 to 4. They have had great questions like, “Do you like to chew gum, too?” and are connecting with the book, but their attention span usually lasts between 5 to 10 minutes. They are also incredibly shy and have difficulty volunteering questions. Either way, it is still great to see the kids connect with each other.
The Clubs
For the larger club, Ricki sets up a Zoom meeting and leads the meeting. She ensures everyone gets to ask their questions and that everyone’s voice is heard.
The questions that kids come up with, even at age 6, are intuitive and deep!
Examples:
Bad Guys #1: Why do you think the kitty doesn’t talk but the other animals do?
Bad Guys #1: Why do you think those words on page 7 look like that?
Bad Guys #2: Do you think they would have made it without Legs helpiing them?
Bad Guys #3: Why did they think the ninja was a boy (she is a girl!)?
Wayside: Do you think it’s fair that Todd always gets in trouble?
Wayside: Joy’s name sounds like she should be good, but she keeps calling people dumb and stupid which isn’t good. Do you like her?
Unicorn: Why do you think Professor Fauna is hunting the unicorns?
Unicorn: Do you think the animal got tangled in the ribbon because it was a trap, or do you think it was something else?
Unicorn: Do you think Professor knows about the animal Elliot and Uchenna found? Do you think they will see it again?
With Trent’s book club with Kellee’s colleague, she used the teaching guides to drive the conversation (Hat Trilogy, Questioneers, Lights! Camera! Alice!), and she found that teaching guides are perfect for this as well. And their insight was wonderful!
With the smaller clubs, we use FaceTime. We’re still there while they are chatting, but it is easier for the two to chat back and forth.
Usually the club meeting lasts 20-30 minutes which is about how long they can stay on topic and discuss a book, but we think that is pretty great for kindergarten-ish kids.
We always end with “friend questions.” Kids are invited to ask their (new) friends questions about their lives. They tend to ask each other about their favorites (foods, colors, movies, books, sports teams, universities).
The book clubs have been such a highlight for our kids. They look forward to it each week! They love sharing the reading experience with others, specifically now when interaction with other kids is so limited.
An unexpected highlight: they’ve made some good friends. Henry and Trent have never chatted for more than a minute or two and last saw each other when they were babies, so it has been wonderful to see them bond these last few weeks!
We highly recommend virtual book clubs! Let us know if your kids have taken part in any virtual clubs!
In My Heart Author: Mackenzie Porter Illustrator: Jenny Løvlie Published March 10, 2020 by Little Simon
Goodreads Summary: A working mother reassures her child that even when they’re apart, they’re always in each other’s hearts. This lovely board book is perfect for moms to share with their little ones.
Though we’re not together we’re never truly apart, because you’re always on my mind and you’re always in my heart.
This is what a mother tells her child as she leaves for work each day. This lovely board book perfectly captures the sentiment that many women feel about being a working mom. The lyrical text takes us through a mother’s day away, showing us that although she’s working hard, her child is always on her mind and always in her heart.
Ricki’s Review: This book really hit me in the gut. I couldn’t read it without crying. I have a lot of mom guilt related to my status as a working mom. I genuinely believe that it is best for my kids, yet I struggle with the emotions that come with this decision. This book was as much for my kids as it was for me. There are many books that address concepts like going to school or learning to meet new people, but this is the first book that I’ve read that addresses the concept of working moms (particularly at this age level). I will cherish this book and read it to my children again and again.
Kellee’s Review: As a working mom, mom guilt is real. It is hard when I cannot come and be a reader in Trent’s class every time or be part of all celebrations in his classroom, but I also love working; however, there are very few books that reinforce the normality of this situation. As Simon & Schuster shares, 70% of moms are working moms, so there are so many of us that need this book to read to our children to explain that work is part of our life but that they get the opportunity to be in an awesome school situation while we are doing a job we love and need. And no matter what we love them! The author and illustrator do a great job of showing that balance. Thank you to them both for bringing this book to life!
Teachers’ Tools for Navigation: Ricki is purchasing an extra copy of this book for her kids’ daycare/preschool. It is a great book for early childhood educators to use. Children might draw pictures of the emotions that they experience before, during, and after reading this book.
Discussion Questions: How do you feel when your parent goes to work? Why? What might you do to cope with these feelings?
We Flagged:
Read This If You Loved: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn; Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdney; Stella Luna by Janell Cannon
If you are anything like us right now, you are quietly panicking a bit. Our young children (three, in Ricki’s case) are home for quite a while, and they cannot go to public places. This is different from the summer because…they cannot go to public places. Our parenting strategy is always to keep them busy. Our kids thrive on trips to the playground, visiting museums, play dates, etc. When we keep ourselves busy, everyone does well.
We know that online learning content offers a lot for kids. We did some hunting, and we found some screen-time options that offer great educational content. Luckily for us all, there are many generous people and companies offering educational opportunities for our kids. We’re sharing the list below and invite you to share other options! Something we are trying to remember—this will hopefully be a short time period. We all hope this passes quickly. In the meantime, we are all going to do the best that we can. Solidarity with the parents and guardians out there. <3 BE WELL!
There are some incredible authors who are doing LIVE (yes, LIVE!) readings and doodle alongs of their books. We are, quite frankly, blown away and in awe of these authors. Ricki’s and Kellee’s children are loving so many of these! Here’s amazing opportunities (some available for a limited time) for our children/students as we move to digital/distance learning:
Read Alouds
Mac Barnett, author of EXTRA YARN, SAM AND DAVID DIG A HOLE, THE TERRIBLE TWO, Shapes Series; THE TERRIBLE TWO, and so many more!
Mac is reading is books in order of publication, and he has over 40 books. We will be watching him every single day! He’s quite entertaining! Follow him on Instagram* to watch live at 12pm PST or watch the video within 24 hours! He recommends that kids wear a hat, and he answers questions at the end.
Starting 3/28, Mac Barnett switched to read alouds on Monday through Friday with a Live Cartoon on Saturdays.
Starting 4/2, Mac Barnett moved to using IGTV which means the read alouds do not expire at 24 hours! And he is going back to reread all of the books that expired on IG Live.
Starting 6/1, Mac Barnett is moving to once a week Book Show Club Book Show meetings on Saturdays.
Oliver Jeffers, author of STUCK, LOST AND FOUND, The Boy Series, THE INCREDIBLE BOOK EATING BOY, ONCE UPON AN ALPHABET, HERE WE ARE, and so many more!
At 2pm EST and 11am PST starting on Monday, Oliver Jeffers will read one of his books every weekday on Instagram* Live and talk about “some of the things that went into making it.” He talks about what he was thinking when he made each book, which is really neat to learn. He is archiving the videos on his website.
As of 4/29, Oliver Jeffers finished reading all of his books and is no longer doing Stuck at Home Book Club; however, they all are available on his website.
Kate Messner, author of the Over and Under Series, Ranger in Time Series, HOW TO READ A STORY, and so many more!
She has also gotten permission from her publisher to do read alouds on her You Tube Channel! Including the upcoming OVER AND UNDER THE RAINFOREST which doesn’t come out until August!
More read alouds available:
From April 20th to May 11th, PBS & Penguin Random House have collaborated to bring storytime with Michelle Obama. Families can tune in to the livestream on PBS Kids’ Facebook page and YouTube channel, or the Penguin Random House Facebook page.
Levar Burton is back to reading stories to us, and he is reading for everyone on his Twitter Livestream!
Greg Pizzoli is hosting the Standby Book Club on weekdays at 11am ET on Instagram* Live. (After 4/21, he will be moving to weekly Monday meetings at 11am ET.)
Barb Rosenstock is offering to share read alouds to some of her picture books. Please see the image above for guidelines.
Josh Funk has announced that on his Facebook he will be doing read louds there and on his Instagram.
On her You Tube channel, Laurel Snyder read aloud her newest Charlie and Mouse book and included an activity at the end. When finished, she is also reading from her picture books.
Josh Gad is reading books on his Twitter and Instagram* accounts.
The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy is going to do Shark Story Hour every day this week at 10am on Facebook Live! Available to watch later in the day as well! (Moved to about once weekly starting in May.)
Storyline Online has videos of celebrities reading their favorite picture books.
From April 2nd to June 4th, Dolly Parton is reading books from her Imagination Library during Goodnight with Dolly on Thursdays at 9pm on her Facebook.
Daisey Ridleyread BB-8 on the Run by Drew Daywalt on the Disney You Tube channel.
On Facebook and You Tube, Neal Shusterman is going to do a Storyman Virtual Reading Series reading some of his less well-known short stories. He’ll be posting two or three times a week.
At-Home with Kwame Alexander includes many videos including a reading of Crossover that has been added during the quarantine.
Dav Pilkey is joining in! He’s read from Dog Man and done some drawing on You Tube during Dav Pilkey at Home.
Audio Book Sync is back! SYNC is a free summer audiobook program for teens 13+. Returning April 30th and continuing 13 weeks until July 29, SYNC gives participants two thematically paired audiobooks a week.
Dan Santat has created the SANTAT ONLINE SURVIVAL SCHOOL FOR THE PANDEMIC #DANDEMIC! He’ll be sharing lessons on Instagram, and all lessons are available in a Drop Box as well.
Penguin Random House Audio is offering a collection of free audiobook downloads for teachers and parents with kids home from school – or anyone looking for a great story right now. The free “Listen at Home” collection of classic titles is accessible via Penguin Random House Audio’s Volumes app (through 4/30).
Time for Kids has released their entire Digital Library free for the rest of the school year.
Also, amazing news: Kid Lit Authors are joining together and organizing a virtual book festival for May called Everywhere Book Fest which is archived and available.
Follow #CandlewickClassroom on social media to see videos including #WriteWithKate, weekly writing prompts and tips from Kate DiCamillo, from Kate DiCamillo. Candlewick is also hosting Instagram Live events, including My First Book Club Live with Shannon and Dean Hale talking about Princess in Black. Also, they have a You Tube playlist called Stay Home with Candlewick Press which have short and fun educational videos.
Candlewick Press also created a book about the coronavirus for children and are offering it as a free download.
#OneBookConnects is a part of Read to Them, a non-profit organization that focuses on family literacy, and is an “opportunity for families and schools to read the same book together digitally.”
And don’t forget publishers always have amazing educator guides for us to use!
**Please note: This is just a small sampling of all of the amazing publisher resources out there!
Doodle Alongs
Ben Clanton, Author of the Narwhal and Jelly Book Series, BOO WHO?, and so many more!
Ben Clanton will be reading and drawing Tuesday and Friday this week. Our kids are very excited for this one.
Note: Now that these FB Live events have passed, Ben is moving to Instagram* Live each Monday at 12:30pm ET.
Jarrett J. Krosoczka, author of the Lunch Lady Series, HEY KIDDO!, and so many more!
At 2pm ET, Jarrett will be doing a live webcast! And since it is on his You Tube channel, if you cannot watch live, they will be archived. We cannot wait to see what Jarrett will teach us to draw!
Mo Willems, author of the Elephant & Piggie Series, Pigeon Series, Knuffle Bunny Trilogy, and so many more!
Mo Willems is hosting a lunch doodle each day at 1pm ET. “Learners worldwide can draw, doodle and explore new ways of writing by visiting Mo’s studio virtually once a day for the next few weeks. Grab some paper and pencils, pens, or crayons and join Mo to explore ways of writing and making together.” Lunch Doodles with Mo ran for 3 weeks and ended on April 3rd.
During the month of May, Mo hosted Thank-O-Rama each Thursday in May at 1pm ET.
Matt Tavares, author of Red & Lulu, Crossing Niagra, and so many more!
Matt Tavares, on his Facebook page live at 10am ET, is hosting Monday Mornings with Matt! The videos are saved on his page to view later.
More Art-Focused Activities
On his You Tube, Nathan Hale is doing an Adventure Comic activity called Cooped Up Comics and other fun activites!
These coloring pages from some of our favorite illustrators.
And many museums are stepping up on their blogs and websites to give us activities and resources to help with quarantine distance learning. For example, the Inside LSU MOA (LSU Museum of Art) blog has art activities and stories in art activity.
The Knock Knock Children’s Museum has started a Knock Knock at Your Door series to continue their objective even while closed.
Art Time Today with retired Elementary Art Teacher and Arts Ed Professor (and my Art in Elementary teacher at UCF!) Cheryl Smith includes lessons for all ages of kids!
Mark Siegel and the 5 Worlds team has released a free sample of their coloring book for the book series.
Visit the Cincinnati Zoo at 3pm ET/1pm MST Live where they highlight an animal each day on Facebook Live and include an activity to do. (Available to watch later in the day, as well).
Find a science-related video at Mystery Science! (Free memberships with some content available).
Kiwi Co., a company that has STEM focused monthly subscription boxes, is now updating their At-Home Resources for Kids (and their grownups) daily to help with STEM activities while schools are closed.
Oceans Initiative, whale experts from Seattle, have shared a free, virtual marine biology camp to entertain and inform kids while schools are closed.
Little Passports, a company that has social studies focused monthly subsrciption boxes, has opened up their activities for fun learning at home to all.
Scholastic has rolled out FREE! Learn At Home lessons that are very easy to follow Scholastic lesson plans (book, video, discussion questions)! They also shared that more will be coming.
PBS Learning Media has curated standards-aligned videos, interactives, lesson plans, and more for educators, and PBS Digital Studios has a ton of content in many different content areas.
Other Fantastic Learning Explorations
Our friend Jenny Seiler has put together an Edu Resources Padlet with lots of resources as well–it is separated by type of experience and is continuously being added to!
Zoom is being kind and allowing their service for free! Zoom will easily allow anyone to have face to face meetings. And a kind educator created a document for instructions for students/kids.
Disney and Kennedy Space Center are offering free online activities, such as Facebook Live events and imagineering in a box, for kids during school closures.
Washington Teachers’ Union has createdLessons on TV where each day of the week will feature a 30-minute lesson for a particular grade group. (Mondays – Early Childhood 1st Grade; Tuesdays – 2nd & 3rd Grade; Wednesdays – 4th & 5th Grade; Thursdays – Middle Grades; and Fridays – High School)
John Krasinski is hosting Some Good News on You Tube. Not exactly education-focused, but it is good for life in general.
* Please note: Instagram Live recordings can be watched for 24 hours after the recording before they expire, and they have to be watched from your phone.
What are some ideas that you’ve found? Share them in the comments! We are in this together. <3
Please note: This post was updated by us often from its publication until May 31st, 2020. After 5/31, the links and information may not be as accurate.
