2007 STORIES of IMPACT

Dedicated Foster Grandparents

Serving Children with Special and Exceptional Needs

~

Foster Grandparent Program

of Northeastern Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin

Douglas County in Wisconsin / Carlton, Cook, Lake, Pine, and St. Louis Counties in Minnesota

715-394-5384      888-338-6492     fgp@ccbsuperior.org

WISCONSIN

Douglas County, volunteer stations by community

Minong (This site is located in Washburn County, but children from Douglas County are served)

Northwoods Elementary:

·         Grandma has only been working at the school for a month, yet her impact is already apparent.  She reports that one student she works with is shy, quiet, and frequently appears sad, and Grandma has been working hard to establish a relationship with her.  One day, this student wore a pink shirt, a departure from her usual all black clothing.   Grandma commented on how pretty she looked in pink, and since then, this student has worn something pink everyday, and her attitude has improved:  She seems happier and smiles more.  It seems that Grandma’s care and kind words made a connection and a world of difference for this student!

·         Grandma has a lot of clout in this classroom!  She reports that students are very respectful to her, even when they may not be to the classroom teachers.  In one instance, the teacher asked a student who needed help to sit at Grandma’s table and so she could help him.  The student refused to move because he knew he would have to buckle down and work hard at Grandma’s table.  After repeated attempts by the teacher to have the student move and the student’s repeated refusal to do so, Grandma rolled her chair over to his desk and said, “Let’s work together” and they did!  Grandma said, “He wouldn’t come to me for help, so I went to him!”  Sometimes Grandmas can get kids to do things that other adults can’t.

Solon Springs

Solon Springs Elementary:

§         Grandma at Solon Springs main focus this month is helping many students "catch up" on reading, writing, and math assignments they missed due to illness.   Grandma has been working hard to bring these students up to par with their classmates and is happy to report that most students are now working at class level. 

§         In kindergarten, Grandma has been working with a little boy on fine motor skills; specifically, letter writing.  This child was unable to write very well at the start of the school year:  He often wrote his letters backwards, and was unable to write his name legibly.  In addition, this child did not want to write and had a very short attention span, making learning difficult.  Grandma is happy to report that since she has been working with him he is now able to write his name legibly, and can write most all of his letters correctly.  When this student becomes upset and loses focus, he and Grandma take a short walk around the hall, and then return to the writing task.  This physical activity allows this child to re-focus and complete his work.

§         Grandma enjoyed helping students make keepsake Easter “Eggs” to enjoy for years to come with this easy recipe:   3 cups sugar + 3 tablespoons water (this makes enough for 2 eggs).  Grandma was great at navigating the student through the process, explaining as they went.  First, Grandma asked the student to add the sugar to the bowl after she measured it, and then had the student stir the mixture after adding the water.  Next, after mixing was complete, Grandma showed the student how to press the mixture into an egg mold, and then had the student do so as well.  Last, Grandma let the two molds form for a bit, and then eased the mixture out of the molds onto paper towels to dry.  The “eggs” were left to dry overnight, and then would be decorated once they had hardened.  The students were so excited to make these Easter “Eggs” with Grandma that they could hardly wait for their turn!  Even though this was a fun activity, it was still a learning opportunity for students—following a recipe and process in order to make something is an important skill to master. 

§         Grandma was working with her reading group—a mix of 3 students with varying reading abilities (the hope is that struggling readers will model and learn from better readers).   After students read a paragraph, Grandma has a discussion about the material, asking opinions and questions about what was read in an attempt to foster a discussion about the material.  On this particular day, students were reading about a zoo in Budapest, Hungary.   Grandma asked if any students had been to a zoo before, and a discussion ensued about the zoos students had visited and the animals seen there.  Grandma took this a step further and made the connection with the similarities between zoos in the US and Hungary.  The students enjoyed the discussion and gave many examples of their own zoo experiences.  Grandma reports that several children in this reading group have made nice gains in their reading ability since the beginning of the year; they are more confident reading aloud and comprehend what they read better.  She attributes this to discussions about material read, which makes learning fun and also serves to reinforce what was read.  In addition, tying student’s experiences to material personalizes the experience for them; they remember that material much better because they relate it to their own life experience. 

§         As I arrived, I saw both Grandmas accompanying students en route to the auditorium.  Today is concert day, and the Grandmas were assisting students as they prepared to practice songs before the big concert event. The auditorium was buzzing with excitement as students eagerly awaited their class performance. The Grandmas sat with their respective classes and cued fidgety students to be respectful of those performing on stage by refraining from talking or being loud.  It was amazing to see how well behaved students were when they received a “no-nonsense” look or a “finger to the lip” gesture for quiet from Grandma!  Both Grandmas helped performers line up and walk to the stage as their class had a practice turn, and their pride was evident in their wide smiles and photo taking as they watched their class perform!  Their overall impact on students was evident as well—both Grandmas participate in all aspects of student’s school day, from serious classroom work to fun concerts—tutoring and mentoring no matter what the day brings!    

§         Grandma has been working with first graders on book reports, which seem to help students better understand the concept of the book.  It is quite a process:  Students read a book to grandma, and then complete a worksheet that tells about the book.  Students write the title of the book, what the book was about, and a draw a picture of their favorite part of the book on the worksheet.  Grandma has been assisting with sentence structure, printing, and spelling.  She reports that some students are having a hard time writing letters correctly—many write letters backwards, like “d” for “b” for example.   Some students struggle with spelling words correctly, and Grandma is a “stickler” for spelling!  Because the process is relatively long, grandma reports that she uses frequent praise and encouragement.  Students have the book report routine down now, and some have improved upon printing, spelling, and reading comprehension.

Superior

Bryant Elementary:

§         Grandma at Bryant has been working on counting with students.  She reports that through the use of repetition, a student who was unable to count over 10 at the start of the year is now able to count to 48!  Grandma also reports that several children would skip numbers in sequence when counting (such as "1, 2, 3, 6, 9") and now are able to remember to include all numbers when counting. 

§         February is Black History Month and Bryant Elementary is putting on a play honoring African Americans who contributed to history.  The play is about Bessie Coleman, the first female African American aviator.  Bessie Coleman received her pilot’s license two years before Amelia Earhart, which is a little known fact.   Grandma’s role is to help students learn their lines for the play.  Grandma practices reading lines with students and gives suggestions regarding loudness and tone of vocals.  She stated that it is exciting to see how much the students have progressed in their performances.  She is enjoying helping students with the play and is amazed about how much she has learned about African American history!

§         Grandma has been helping 2^nd graders with reading; specifically, helping students to sound out and pronounce words they are unfamiliar or struggle with while they read.  She helps one student in particular who often skips key words while reading a sentence, making the sentence unmeaningful.    When this occurs, Grandma gently reminds this student that the sentence doesn’t make sense without the key words, and has the student re-read the sentence, taking care to read all the words.  Grandma reports that this student’s reading and comprehension has improved significantly since the beginning of the year.

§         Grandma worked with a student who needed help in most areas in order to participate in school.  At the start of the year, this student needed constant help with letter recognition, reading, completing worksheets, and zipping her jacket, to name just a few.  Grandma reports that this child responded well to consistent repetitive instructions about how to complete tasks.  All of a sudden, Grandma stated that “something clicked” with this child—she began to blossom and would state, “I can do it myself, Grandma” when working on a task.  Grandma said that it was her cue to step back and let this child exert her independence.  Grandma also said that before she knew it, this student was saying “I can do it myself, Grandma” all the time:  She no longer needed Grandma’s help!  This was a bittersweet realization for Grandma as she was happy to see this student gain her independence, but sad that she would no longer be working with her.    

§         Grandma has been helping students make watermelon plant pots for Mother’s Day presents.  The pots are painted to look like a slice of watermelon, decoupaged with the student’s picture, and then filled with watermelon candy.   Students paint the rim of the clay pots green, the middle red, and then use black paint to make random watermelon seeds.  Grandma’s job is to help students get paint, instruct students about where to paint each color, and show students how to hold the paint brush and paint effective strokes; particularly several students with fine motor difficulties.  The watermelon seeds symbolize student’s growth over the year, and Grandma said that she thoroughly enjoyed helping students make these adorable pots for their moms!      

§         Grandma has been working with a student whose learning ability has been compromised due to a brain tumor.  This student is currently in remission and back in school eager to learn, but is having difficulty comprehending math and spelling skills.  He frequently writes letters and numbers backwards, has difficulty spelling, and difficulty spacing letters to form words (letters are too far apart).  Grandma has been showing him how to write letters legibly and recognize when they are written backwards, teaching him how to space letters to form words, and assisting him with simple math problems.  She reports that even though it is early in the year, this student shows improvement when he works with her.  His will to learn is strong despite his learning disadvantages, and grandma is happy to help him succeed to the best of his abilities!      

§         Grandma is an expert crafter so she is assisting students with a special holiday project.  She is helping students prepare for their Christmas party, when they will complete crafts with their families at school.  Grandma will be there too; giving instructions about the crafts and filling in for parents that are unable to attend.  Students and parents will be decorating gingerbread houses this year.  Grandma’s job is to construct gingerbread houses from small milk cartons, frosting, and graham crackers.  She reports that students enjoy decorating the gingerbread houses the most even though it is a difficult task--many kindergarteners lack the fine motor skills to work with small objects, and it is often difficult for little fingers to manipulate small beads, candy, and glue.   Good thing grandma is there to help! 

Cooper Elementary: 

§         Grandma at Cooper Elementary has been working with child with behavioral issues. This student often has a difficult time focusing on his work or will refuse to complete his work altogether. Grandma has found a way around this obstacle! When this student refuses to work, she states, “When you are ready to work, let me know and I will help you” and walks away. When this student starts working, Grandma offers him choices as they work. For example, “You can complete your math problems first, or we can read first, whichever you would like to do.” Grandma reports that these strategies have been very effective for this student. He feels more in control and likes having choices. He now is able to focus on his school work and has improved in math and reading.

§         Grandma has been assisting a student with a task he struggles with—time management.  This student has been behind on class assignments and was struggling to keep up on with his peers.  Consequently, he would have received “incompletes” instead of grades on his report card if his assignments were not completed by the end of the grading period.  This student had a large amount of anxiety about getting so much work completed in a short time.  Grandma noted this student’s anxiety, and she encouraged him to complete assignments one at a time before moving on to the next and to keep up with assignments as they were assigned.  She also offered to assist this student complete assignments by answering any questions he had or helping him problem solve.  Grandma asked most every day how he was progressing and if he needed help.  As this student completed an assignment and went on to the next one, his confidence grew, and he worked hard to get the remainder done.   Grandma decreased asking this student if he needed help and how he was doing as she saw the progress he was making.  By the end of the grading period, this student had completed all his assignments and received grades on his report card.  Grandma reports that she checks with this student periodically regarding completion of assignments, and he is always happy to tell her that he is keeping up with the class!  

§        Students in Grandma’s class worked on completion of the DARE program this month.  In order to graduate from the program, each student had to write a paper about what they learned through the course, and then present their paper to peers in class.  Students voted on the presentation they thought were the best, and the presentation winner will give his/her speech to the entire DARE graduating class from all the grade schools in Superior at Senior High School in the near future.   Grandma’s task was to assist students as they picked their presentation topic, and she did so by giving students what she calls a “memory boost”, or reviewing important parts of the program with them.  She also asked students what part of the DARE program impacted them the most, and then suggested that they use impact as a speech topic.  Last, Grandma helped students ensure that their speeches had an introduction, body, and conclusion so that it flowed well.  Grandma reports that she enjoyed helping students with their speeches, especially since the DARE program is instrumental in keeping kids away from drugs and alcohol.     

§         Grandma started working as a Foster Grandparent in October.  There are several students in 4^th grade that Grandma works with on reading who were initially shy, reluctant to receive help, and had a difficult time reading aloud.  Grandma helped both students work on their reading techniques during the course of the year, such as pausing at the end of a sentence, and “turning up the volume” so that the students can be heard while they are reading.  As the students worked with Grandma each week, they became less shy and started to go to her for help.  As their relationship with Grandma grew, so did their reading confidence!  Grandma proudly reported that both these students confidently read their essays in front of the class and did a fine job!

§         Grandma was working with 3 students in a study area on math worksheets.  It was a whirl-wind of activity as she constantly re-directed students to focus on the task, answered questions, helped students correct wrong answers, and discussed problem solving.  Her head was reeling, but through it all, she remained calm and collected.  She even had the opportunity to talk to me briefly, explaining that the students she is working with need fewer distractions and noise to work effectively.  She reported that she has worked with these students throughout the course of the year, and it really serves to help them complete their schoolwork and stay caught up with the rest of the class.  I was amazed how she was able to focus each child and get them to complete their math worksheets when there was so much going on at one time!  Kudos to you, Grandma!

§         Grandma has been the “substitute” foster grandparent in a classroom, filling in for another FG who has been on leave until recently.  When this FG came back to school, grandma moved to different classroom and started working there, but apparently left a lasting impression on one student in particular.  In the classroom grandma had subbed in she had been working with a student who needs 1:1 attention everyday to focus on sounding out words and reading.  He took quite a “shine” to grandma, worked very well with her, and was quite distressed when she left.  He asked his teacher if he could continue to work with grandma even though she was no longer the FG in his class, and all the teachers agreed that this would be beneficial to the student.  Grandma now works with him for 20 minutes each morning.  The student is thrilled to be with grandma again and is working extra hard during tutoring time!         

§         There are three bullies in the classroom that Grandma works in.  Grandma’s teacher has become very frustrated in trying to deal with these students and their classroom disruptions so she researched bullying interventions and teaching strategies in an attempt to stop the bullying in her classroom.  The teacher discovered the Ron Clark story which made quite an impact on her.  Ron Clark is an acclaimed teacher who has helped countless children live up to their potential by using special rules for his classroom and highly innovative teaching techniques.  Clark has an undying devotion to his students and helps them cope with their problems.  He has been able to make a remarkable difference in the lives of his students because of his efforts.  The teacher was very inspired by Ron Clark’s story and enlisted the help of Grandma, who completed her own research on bullying intervention strategies and contacted local libraries in order to obtain the video of the Ron Clark story.   To date, Grandma has learned some interesting concepts about changing bullying:

1. Kids need to know you care and have a genuine interest in them
2. Kids need to like who you are
3. Kids need structure at school

            The teacher and Grandma are going to complete their research on bullying and Ron Clark   and then implement interventions.  Grandma will serve as the teacher’s backup—using strategies to provide consistency and modeling appropriate behavior.  Grandma has been very proactive and helpful during the process and should be proud of her efforts!  To be continued next month…….

Family Forum: (This includes two Head Start centers in Douglas County)

§         Three year old children in this Head Start room are learning their letters and numbers.  Five of the children know the alphabet and Grandma is happy to listen to them recite it and help them if they get stuck.  They are still working on recognizing and tracing their names.  When they arrive, they check in with Grandma and she helps them with this task as they choose their name tags.  Grandma helps them with their assigned tasks; learning how to wash their hands, set the table and be helpers in a variety of ways.  This day, the children were searching for hidden snowmen in the room.  Grandma instinctively started singing her clues to them.  Great relationships have developed.

§         One of Grandma’s activities is reading to children.  In a Head Start class of 3 year olds, children’s attention span is short, but Grandma is looking for ways to hold their attention as long as possible.  Over the year, attention has improved and the children have formed a bond with Grandma by sitting around her when she reads.  Intergenerational relationships are important and further development of interpersonal skills.

§         The Head Start children are gaining competency in recognizing their names as Grandma greets the children and makes sure they get their name tags each day.  There is a rhyming word question printed by the name tags and each day Grandma works on the rhyming word with the children.  This is a very fun way for children to learn words, letters, and sounds and have an intergenerational exchange.  There is also a question of the day and Grandma discusses this with the children at lunch.  By doing so, she helps them express their feeling and thoughts about the question. 

§         Grandma has been helping the children with their cutting skills.  They have increased coordination and Grandma is seeing positive results. This week, the lessons have been focused around dinosaurs and the children made dinosaur soup which they will have for lunch today.  Grandma helped the children peel the carrots and potatoes which enhanced small muscle development and eye/hand coordination. Grandma reinforced healthy eating and good nutrition.

§         Grandma accompanied the children on a field trip to the Dairy Queen and along a hiking trail.  As they walked through the neighborhood, she talked with the children.  It was a special treat and helped the children explore the city, learn how to walk safely and enjoy their treats. These walks provided positive intergenerational experiences and the children were able to see that Grandma enjoyed being with them, was interested in them and their activities and that she had fun being with them.

§         Grandma at Head start Center 2 has been helping 3 year olds work on shape identification and fine motor skills through puzzle play.  In addition to helping children fit puzzle pieces into puzzles, Grandma assists the children identify shape pieces and match shapes together.  She reports that the children have made progress since the beginning of the year--many children are able to identify shapes now and can work puzzles with little assistance. 

§         Grandpa at Head start Center 1 has been assisting children with fine motor skills; specifically, writing letters and numbers.  Since many children write letters and numbers backward, Grandpa's job is to show them how to form these correctly.  Grandpa reports that many children he works with have improved in writing things such as their names.

§         Grandma at Head start Center 2 reported that she is working with children on writing letters, especially each child’s name.  Specifically, she shows children how to write their letters correctly, the right way to form letters, and how to print their name in a straight line from left to right.  Grandma reports that the majority of children are able to write their names more legibly since the start of the school year. 

§         Grandpa at Head start Center 1 enjoys reading a variety of books to children every day and is focusing on reading comprehension.  While reading, Grandpa associates the pictures in the book to the story so that the children better understand the meaning of the story.  Grandpa reports that the children often ask, “Grandpa, what does that word mean?”  and he explains the definition of each word that they don’t understand.  Grandpa says that the children seem to understand stories better with this approach.

§         Grandma at Head start was eating with about 5 children at lunch time.   She modeled family style eating and manners by dishing food onto her own plate, then passing the dish on and encouraging children to do the same.  Sometimes children would dish out their own food, but forget to pass the dish on.  Grandma would remind them to do so by stating, “Let’s pass it on so everyone gets some, thank you!”  Most children were able to dish their own food and pour their own drinks, which is impressive for 3 year olds!  It was like watching a little assembly line in action!

§         Grandpa serves as a safe haven for the children, and this was evident several times during my visit.  Grandpa sat in his rocking chair next to the children during circle time and sang “The Days of the Week Song” softly with them.  Several children climbed up on his lap while singing, happy to rock and be with Grandpa!  After this activity, a child was hit by a peer and began crying.  Grandpa walked over to this child and he hugged Grandpa, obviously glad for a shoulder to cry on.  Grandpa talked to him softly and comforted him, and the child calmed down and was able to go and wash his hands for lunch.  It was wonderful to see the impact Grandpa has on the children just by being in the classroom!

§         Grandma assists children with oral hygiene and fine motor skills by getting each child’s tooth brush out and putting toothpaste in a small cup (children are responsible for putting toothpaste on their own toothbrushes).  Grandma prompts each child to put toothpaste on his/her toothbrush, to brush all his/her teeth, and to brush for at least one minute.  She reports that oral hygiene and fine motor skills have improved over the course of the year:  Children are much more willing to brush their teeth for a longer period of time and are more diligent in brushing all their teeth as they have learned to coordinate all the steps involved in oral hygiene.

§         Grandpa has been helping children identify and learn the basics about farm animals such as chickens and roosters.  For example, Grandpa might say, “This is a chicken, a chicken lays eggs.”  Grandpa grew up on a farm himself, so he is knowledgeable about many animals and enjoys sharing his experiences with the children.  His expertise was needed one school day when a rooster and chickens were brought into the classroom, and one hen starting getting picked on by another.  The children were alarmed to see this until Grandpa explained that chickens have a “pecking order”, and that the chicken that was being pecked at most likely would not be injured if he learned his place, in this case, sitting down.  In fact, the chicken being pecked at did sit down and was not injured, much to the relief of the children! 

§         Grandma has been helping children prepare for pre-school graduation this month.  She served as a “pretend” audience for students as they rehearsed the songs they would sing at their graduation ceremony—“5 Little Monkeys” and the “Alphabet Song”.  Grandma said that even though it’s an exciting and happy time of accomplishment for these students, it is also bittersweet.  She is sad to see them grow up and move on so quickly.  Over the course of the year, Grandma said that she has seen students mature both physically and mentally and become so independent, many no longer need a stool to reach the sink or are able to brush their teeth independently when they needed many prompts to do so at the start of the year.   Grandma said, “You know kids are ready to move on when they tell you, I can do it by myself, Grandma!”

§         Grandpa was telling me how much he enjoys being a Foster Grandparent, and mentioned that wherever he is in the community, he inevitably sees a child he has worked with, past or present, at such places as Wal-Mart or even at a church dinner.  On one occasion, Grandpa was at Wal-Mart, and a child in his class came running up to him yelling “Hi, grandpa, Hi, grandpa!!”  This child’s mom said that the child spotted him and told her (as he went running toward Grandpa) that he just had to go say “hi”.  Grandpa said that children are always surprising him with hellos and hugs when he sees them in the community, and that it makes his day when children from past classes remember him.  I said that it goes to show how important he is to the children he works with, and what an impact his care has impressed upon them.  He said, “I guess so…I never thought about it like that before!”  

§         During mealtimes at Head Start children are responsible for learning “family style dining” or serving themselves food and maintaining/cleaning their own spot at the table.   Grandma has been working with students on routines and table manners so they eventually will be able to participate in family style dining independently.   Grandma reports that she has been teaching children meal time routines, such as clearing food from plates and putting glasses, plates, and silverware in a bin when they are finished with lunch.  Children now have a good sense of mealtime routine—there are several “Grandma’s little helpers” that are eager to maintain their own spots as well as assist other children with theirs!  Grandma also reports that children are responsible for learning to clean up any food or beverage spills they make during mealtimes.  When kids spill, Grandma said, no one makes a big deal out of it.  They are simply asked to get paper toweling and clean up the spill to the best of their ability, which certainly helps them learn how to be responsible! 

§         Grandma has been working with 4 year old children on language and how to ask when requesting items.  She says that many children would simply point to an object rather than ask for it by name, and would become quite upset if they received the wrong object.  So, grandma started asking kids to name what they wanted by stating, “Use your words, please”, or “What would you like?”  In addition, several students are having problems enunciating words, so Grandma will repeat what children state in an effort to show them how to say words correctly.  She reports that after about a month of establishing consistent routines like this, she has seen an improvement in language skills and ability.

§         Grandma has been working with children on writing their names, which can be a frustrating fine motor task for young children.  She has found a unique was to do so:  Children are required to sign their names in the log book when they get to school each morning, so grandma helps them do so by assisting with spelling and forming each letter of their name correctly.  She stated that the children are thrilled to log in because this is typically a task completed by their parents.  Their excitement really helps motivate them to do a good job writing their name, and grandma has seen each child consistently writing their name better and more legible over the last few weeks—quite an accomplishment for 3-4 year olds!   

Four Corners:

§         Grandma at Four Corners has been working on telling time with a child who was unable to tell time before she started working with him.  Because of Grandma's help, this child can now recognize the most common times on a clock such as 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, etc. most of the time.  Grandma reports that since this child has made such good progress recognizing hourly time, she is now helping him to recognize time in minutes, like 11:15 am, 12:10 pm, etc.  and he is doing very well! 

§         Grandma is working with kindergarten students on recognizing and identifying coins and coin values.  Grandma uses games to help students learn money concepts.  To assist with coin identification, she uses dishes of coins mixed together and asks students to pick out different values, for example, “Please pick out all the dimes from the dish.”  In addition, she has laminated coins including pennies, nickels, and dimes.  Students match these laminated coins to a sheet with values of 1, 5, and 10 on it.   Students are able to make the connection that a penny equals 1; a nickel equals 5, etc.   Grandma stated that these are effective ways to help students learn coin values and has seen a nice improvement over the course of the year—most students are able to identify coins and coin values. 

§         The students at Four Corners are excited to be making their very own Maple syrup from the many trees that surround the school—one advantage of being a country school!   Students tapped trees several weeks ago and will collect a fair amount of precious sap used to make syrup with the help of Grandpa.  He reports that several students asked him to help make syrup, and how could he refuse?  Grandpa will help guide students through the sap collection process, will assist students carry sap to the boiling area, and will watch the boiling process with students (School personnel and teachers will complete the actual sap boiling in turkey deep fryers!)  Grandpa is happy to help, but wishes that the hike through the woods wasn’t so lengthy or wet!  

• Grandma has been working with a student this year that has a difficult time reading, telling time, and spelling.  Through consistent/repetitive instructions and help with tasks, she stated that his reading and telling time have improved since the beginning of the year.   She also stated that it is amazing to see his confidence grow as he accomplishes tasks.  And the more confidence he has, the more he able to accomplish tasks on his own.  This student is not yet up to grade level, but is making consistent strides toward that goal with Grandma’s 1 to 1 help each day.

• Grandpa was working with a student in the commons area helping him with math story problems and algebra.  This student was hurrying through the math problems very quickly, and making errors due to his haste.  Grandpa was very patient and gave him many cues to slow down.  He also gave this student much encouragement and praise, such as “When you slow down, you’ve got it (the correct answer)!” and, “You’re really getting this well”.  The big smile on the student’s face indicated how proud he was when Grandpa looked over his last few answers and they were all correct.   When the student returned to class, Grandpa explained that he had been working with this particular student all year.  The student has a difficult time focusing in the classroom and is easily distracted due to noise and activity levels, making it difficult to complete worksheets.  Grandpa gives this student the 1:1 help he needs several times a week so he can finish his classroom work on time.  The quietness of the commons area, the consistent cues to slow down, and frequent encouragement is what this student needs to be successful, and Grandpa is happy to provide him with the help he needs to succeed in school!

• Grandma has been working with a student who has difficulty focusing on his work and has motivation problems—he often asks Grandma to do his work for him!  Grandma has been working on spelling and writing with him since he struggles with both and his writing is often illegible.   She stated that he frequently gets up and walks around, and is distracted easily, so she must re-direct him to the task they are working on quite frequently.  Even though this student’s behavior is challenging, Grandma states that he is a sweet kid and she enjoys working with him.  One day a parent was volunteering in the classroom while Grandma was working with this student.  When he saw that this parent was going around the room working individually with students, he turned to grandma and stated, “I don’t need you anymore, grandma.  I want to work with that lady instead.”  Grandma laughed as she realized that he figured this parent would be easier than she to work with—he figured he wouldn’t have to work as hard with her and she wouldn’t be as “strict” as grandma!   

• Grandpa has proven to be quite the mentor, recently taking two orphaned brothers under his wing.  The principal of the school told grandpa that these two orphans, who lost their mom last year and their dad last month, need a strong male presence in their lives and thought that grandpa was just the man for the job!  He willingly took on this important role by talking to the boys whenever the chance presented itself—in the lunch room, on the playground, or in the hallways in order to build a relationship with them.  The older brother is very shy and seemed to have difficulty talking with grandpa at first, but grandpa kept on trying.  This boy now is more willing to approach grandpa and talk with him, and grandpa feels that he is making progress toward building a relationship with him.  The younger brother enjoyed grandpa’s company right from the start, and grandpa is also tutoring this boy.  He feels like he has made a good connection with this student.   Grandpa states that he will continue to build relationships with these boys and will offer a helping hand whenever needed—hoping to show these kids that he cares and is willing to help make a difference in their lives. 

Great Lakes: 

§         Grandma at Great Lakes Elementary was working with two kindergarten students in the commons area during my visit. The students were drawing pictures on large sheets of paper, which I learned was actually home-made wrapping paper that would be used to wrap Christmas gifts for their families (both students had been out of school ill since before Christmas and were unable to finish wrapping gifts for their families before the holiday break). Grandma was assisting these students wrap gifts, which can be challenging for little fingers to do. Grandma’s assistance with fine motor tasks including cutting and wrapping enabled these students to complete gift wrapping. Grandma was also working with these students on “catching up” on their schoolwork and completing assignments they missed while ill. Grandma was happy to report that both students were almost caught up to the rest of the class!

§         Grandpa was working with a 3^rd grade student on spelling.  Grandpa reports that he has been assisting this student to sound out vowels and consonants when he attempts to spell a word, and it has been an effective technique for this child.  This student has improved in spelling since the beginning of the year—he is now able to spell many words by sounding them out and writing down the letters that he hears.   

§         Grandma works on reading and reading comprehension with students every day.  One technique she uses to ensure that students understand what they read is to quiz them when they have completed an assignment.   This particular day, Grandma was working with 4 students in the commons area.  These students were reading about Franklin D. Roosevelt.  After students took turns reading, Grandma quizzed them about the influential president, asking such questions like “How many years did President Roosevelt serve?”, or “What is one important thing he did during his presidency?”  Grandma states that this technique reinforces what they have read and prepares them for completing assignments and tests. 

• All students in class read books to Grandma daily.  Even those students who are good readers and don’t need much help enjoy reading with Grandma.  As students master each reading level, Grandma encourages them to read at the next level by having them pick from several books that are more challenging to read.   Grandma offers praise and encouragement to students as they read, helps them sound out words, and always find something special about the way they read the book to comment on.  For example, one student read the word “cheese” correctly.  Grandma complimented her by stating that she was the very first reader to pronounce the word correctly on the first try.  This child beamed from ear to ear because she felt such a sense of accomplishment!  Grandma beamed too, just as proud of this young student!  

§         Grandma is helping students prepare for end-of-the year state standardized testing.  Grandma’s job is to review learned concepts with students daily to prepare them for testing and to also assist several students that are still struggling with basic concepts.   She reports that it is amazing how many concepts students forget as they are constantly learning new things.  To help students review concepts, Grandma puts together workbooks for students in various skill areas such as animal knowledge, shapes, patterning, same/different, and the 5 senses.  Students complete workbooks and Grandma corrects and reviews their answers with them as a group; assisting as needed by ensuring that correct answers are found.    She reports that students tend to remember concepts better when they discuss them as a group, and she also reports that the review has been a success:  Most students are well prepared to take the standardized tests.

§         Grandma has been helping 1^st graders sound out words when reading.  She reported that a student that she has been working with had an “a-ha!” moment this week.  This student has had great difficulty sounding out words when reading and has become frustrated.  Through the constant repetition of reading the same books each day and much encouragement, he was able to sound out words independently within the second month of school!  Grandma stated that it was as though a “light bulb went off” over his head, and he just beamed about his accomplishment.  Grandma told him how proud of him she was and how hard work really pays off!

• Grandma has been working with students on math—sequencing, counting, and number identification.  She has a schedule of needed skills in the math area and works on those skills with students daily.  Grandma also has math assignments ready for students as soon as they get to school in the morning, which provides students with consistency and establishes a routine.  These morning math assignments are typically ones that students did not complete the day before.   She reports that students seem to be understanding concepts and are starting to become more independent when completing their worksheets.  She is enjoying seeing the progress they are making already this school year!

Northern Lights: 

• Grandma at Northern Lights is working with students on reading skills.  One first grade student was unable to read at all during the start of the school year.  Since Grandma has been helping this student with reading, she can now read the most basic books!  Grandma reports that this student has also gained enough confidence from her reading success that she now attempts to read books that are more difficult!

§         In 2^nd grade, Grandma has been working exclusively with a student who needed a lot of help--she was unable to recognize any letters at the start of the year.  This student would often confuse letters with one another, such as mistaking V’s for U’s and R’s for N’s.  Grandma worked diligently with this student each day on letter recognition.  Grandma stated that it seemed like all of a sudden a light bulb went off—this student can now recognize every word in the alphabet!  In addition, this student is also able to recognize and write simple words as well such as a, and, get, and but, independently!    

§         Grandma was working 1 to 1 with a student on reading.   She was encouraging this student to sound out words, and also talked about the story as the student was reading.  Grandma stated that this ensures that the student understands what he or she is reading.  She also stated that she learned a neat technique for sparking student’s interests in reading that she uses:  Grandma and the student will look through the book before reading it, and she will ask the student what he or she thinks the book is about.  She said that the student becomes curious about the story and it motivates them to read the book to see if they were right about the subject of the story.

• Grandma was working with a first grade student on antonyms and opposites worksheets.  Grandma reports that this student has been a challenge to work with because at the beginning of the year she refused to work, answer questions, or write down any information about what she knows.  As a result, it was unclear what this student actually understands about the material her class is studying.  This student started working with Grandma, and it soon became apparent that she was attempting to control the situation by refusing to work.  Through a lot of patience and a strong commitment to helping this student learn, Grandma has slowly started to extract information from her, and she is now willing to work on worksheets and take tests part of the time.  Grandma reports that she attempts to draw this student in by making the work fun and interesting, and she also respects this student’s decision to stop working—some work is better than none at all.  

§         Grandma has been working frequently with a student who requires constant 1:1 assistance with reading and writing in Kindergarten class.  This student is easily distracted by other students and noise, and has a vivid imagination, often pretending to be a power ranger or invisible.  Quite often, Grandma must re-direct him to the task at hand, which can be difficult when working with a child who is pretending to be invisible!  Grandma just goes with the flow, relating to this student on his level.  She often uses humor to re-focus him, such as “Power rangers read books too, you know.”  As Grandma was relating this to me, this particular student came out of the classroom to find Grandma because he was concerned that she wasn’t in the classroom.   He came up to her and gave her a hug, then stated, “I was wondering where you were, Grandma!” and wanted to know who I was.  His bond with her was very evident through his affection and genuine concern.  It was quite a sight to see the impact she has made on him!

• Grandma was working with a first grade student on a numbers sequencing worksheet.  The student had to look at the number on the sheet and determine what number followed it in the sequence, i.e., 4 comes after 3.  This student did not know the sequence of numbers from 1-10 and needed to count from 1 to each number in order to determine the answer.  Grandma was so patient throughout this tedious process, and gave frequent encouragement to keep going.  After this child was finished, I commented that it must get overwhelming at times working through a tedious process like that every day.  Grandma stated that although it can be overwhelming at times, she reminds herself that for some students, working with her is the only 1:1 time they receive at all.  She stated that this became apparent when some students failed to turn in homework each week.   In order to combat this, grandma now assists these students complete homework before they leave school.  She stated that even though students only work with her everyday, it is “One more tracing on the brain”, or one more positive routine and pattern in place to help students learn.  How fortunate these students are to have grandma in their classroom!   

• Grandma was working in the hallway at her desk with a student playing a game that is designed to teach students counting and letter identification at the same time.  Instead of the typical numbered game board, this game board contains all the letters of the alphabet.  Players roll a die and then move the game piece accordingly.  Moving the game piece requires that the player is able to count and then move the game piece the correct number of times (remember, the board is not numbered, but lettered).  The player also must identify each letter he lands on, so he must be able to identify the alphabet as well.   This student understood the concept of the game but had difficulty identifying letters, often mistaking “y” for “v” or “k” for “y”.  Grandma was very encouraging and patient, and frequently asked this student, “Let’s look at the letter again—what letter do you see?”  She gave this student ample time to come up with the correct answer.  If the student was unsure, she gave him the letter sound, which helped him identify the letter.  At the conclusion of the game, she stated, “You did a great job--aren’t you proud of yourself?” The beaming smile the student gave her said it all!  When this student went back to class, grandma reported that she works with this student most every day on letter identification as it has affected his ability to read.  This particular game has proven to be one the student’s favorite, and he has improved upon letter identification and letter sounds since he started playing it—and grandma’s patience and encouragement hasn’t hurt either!

YMCA Daycare:

• Grandma has missed a week at the daycare because of her recent surgery.  While gone, the children sent her cards and were very glad to have her back greeting her with hugs.  She has been working with the children on matching cards with pictures to numbers on cards.  In this 4 year old kindergarten, children recognize numbers to 10.  Some of the children can count to 25 and Grandma listens to them and helps them when they get stuck.  Of practical significance, Grandma helped a little girl learn how to peel a banana-a basic life skill that can be difficult for a 4 year old.

• Today, Grandma is at a table with three children, two are working on puzzles and one is building with blocks that have numbers printed on them.  Puzzles can be frustrating, especially since the puzzle pieces are much smaller than they were at the beginning of the year, but Grandma’s patience and support enables the girl to manage the smaller pieces, an accomplishment since the beginning of the year helping her increase dexterity and eye/hand coordination. Grandma also asks the child working with blocks what the numbers are and when the child does not answer, Grandma encourages her and the child smiles as she says the correct number.

• Grandma has seen the 4 year old kindergarten children accomplish much this year.  Most of the children are ready for kindergarten.  Grandma spends extra time with a child who is behind the other children in learning skills including printing and recognizing, letters, and writing her name. Focusing is difficult for the child. On the day of the visit, Grandma was with the little girl as she worked on writing her name.  The child wrote several letters of her name this day, a surprise to Grandma, as this was significant progress for the child.  Grandma was very pleased and felt that she has helped the child make progress.

• Grandma is a positive influence helping the children develop good hygiene.  She sits by the bathroom door and as the children come of the room, they show her their hands and she talks to them about washing both hands, top and bottom and drying them so that their hands will be clean for lunch.  This is one of the life skills that are taught in the daycare setting and Grandma is able to talk with each child individually to reinforce the activity.

• Grandma has been working with children at meal times on table setting and clearing, using appropriate table manners like “Please pass the peas” or “Thank you”, and using portion control when dishing food on their plates.  Grandma states that the children are doing very well and have made much progress in those areas, but still need frequent reminders to eat their vegetables!  Grandma thought hard about a way to motivate children to dish a significant amount of vegetables and also eat them.  She came up with a wonderful solution that really works:  During meal times, Grandma states, “The farmers who grew this food are going to be so proud of all of you for eating your veggies!”  The children are so happy to think that the farmers are proud of them that they clean the vegetables right off their plates!  Grandma said that so far, it has worked every time, and 2 weeks later, children are still eating them.

• Grandma has been working with a child who has some developmental delays; specifically, he is unable to differentiate between letters and numbers.  When grandma asks him to identify letters by pointing them out, he will typically point out numbers, and vice versa.  So, grandma uses the large letters of the alphabet bordering the room to make it fun for this child to learn.  For example, she tells this child that they are going to identify letters, and uses the word “letter” frequently throughout the exercise (i.e., this is the letter A).  She walks around the room and identifies letters for this child, then asks him to identify letters for her.  Grandma reports that this child is able to recognize more letters since they have routinely done this exercise.  She also reports that he is able to identify some numbers, but she is focusing more on letter identification now so he won’t become confused.  

• Grandma has her work cut out for her this month:  She is teaching children Christmas songs and finger plays that they will perform at their Christmas program!  Children are learning 5 songs, which is challenging for 3 and 4 year olds, so Grandma is helping them memorize the words through daily practice and repetition.   She has been singing songs along with the students and modeling correct finger plays.  In one song, children pretend to play the flute; in another they pretend to rock a baby all the while singing along!  Grandma says that she has also been encouraging the children who are shyer to sing along with the rest of the children, and has offered them frequent praise and encouragement to do so.  She stated that the children have shown nice progress, and are now able to sing along to the majority of the songs.  She hopes to have all children up to speed by the program in mid-December. 

MINNESOTA

Carlton County, volunteer stations by community

Barnum

Barnum Community Education

• Grandma works individually with children and helps them understand homework assignments, with most time spent on spelling and mathematics.

• While playing word games with children in a small group, there has been a secondary impact--  teaching the children how to “share” Grandma’s attention during the word exercise.

Cloquet

All We Can Be

• In this day care setting, Grandma works in the room with toddlers.  One of their favorite activities is reading books.  Grandma was aware of budget constraints at the site and took it upon herself to go to the library to select seasonal books for use in the classroom.  The children can't wait for Grandma to arrive in the morning.  One little girl who has very shy, is now the first to grab a book and run to greet Grandma.  This little girl now seeks Grandma out when it is time for an activity or for a little down time.

Churchill Elementary School

• In this Special Education classroom, both the Teacher and the Grandma told me about the connection Grandma had made with a boy in the classroom.  The third grade boy had been a loner and very withdrawn.  Through Grandmas patience, her smile and her accepting nature the boy had grown to trust her and turn to her for help and encouragement. 

Cloquet High School

• Grandma helps with special needs kids by selling cookies and muffins to the student body at breaks and lunch time.  Two of the special needs children are doing real well with giving change.  They know the difference between dimes, nickels pennies and quarters with the help of the Grandma. 

Fond Du Lac Head Start and Early Head Start

• A young girl has been working so hard on her coloring skills with the help of Grandma.  She is now using several colors instead of one and is staying in the lines as well.

• A child had come in with a bloody nose and was teased by the other children and did not want to come back to class because he was embarrassed.  Grandma befriended him and sat with the boy, encouraged him to eat his lunch and read to him. 

• Grandma has been working with the children on setting the table at Breakfast and Lunch time.  They are all learning where the silver ware goes, plates and napkins.  They are very excited to be able to help Grandma and to do it all right.

• The pre-schoolers in this class love to sit next to Grandma during reading time.  They all get to take turns and she enjoys their loving enthusiasm to sit with her. 

• One boy in her class room enjoys doing art projects. Grandma always compliments the boy on his artistic creations. The little boy put his hand on Grandmas hand, a Native American sign for love. Grandma told him she loved him also.

§         Grandma works in a Head start classroom of two and three year olds.  At this age the children enjoy doing art projects.  Grandma always compliments the children on their artistic creations.  She knows this will help to improve their self esteem.  One little boy put his hand on Grandmas hand, which is a Native American sign for love.   Grandma told him she loved him too.

§         Children look up the Foster Grandparents working in their classrooms.  Many actually think of the Foster Grandmothers as their own personal Grandmother.  Because of this close bond, the children are able and willing to share their thoughts and feelings.  One little girl was upset because her cat had just died.  Grandma wanted to comfort the girl and thought the girl would open up even more if Grandma shared her own story about when her fish died.  Both the little girl and Grandma were able to discuss their shared feelings and console one another.

Lil Lumber Jacks Learning Center

• A little 2 year old  boy who has never been in Daycare before has been crying non stop.  Grandma spends a lot of extra time with this boy to help him feel welcome and comfortable in his new environment and reports she is successful.   

• Two boys did not talk at all when they came to Daycare.  With the Grandma just sitting with them and just taking that extra time to talk and listen to them, they are both talking none stop now and enjoy telling Grandma everything that is going on in their lives.  

Esko

Winterquist Elementary School

• Grandma, just back from sick leave, volunteers in a kindergarten class.  She works in small groups helping children learn to count to 100 by 1’s, and 10’s.  In the few days Grandma has been at school she has developed a relationship with students in the library, talking to them about what they are reading and helping in the computer lab.

• Grandma works on the alphabet with kindergarten children.  She also reads to them and they answer questions about the story.  Grandma also spends time with children in the computer lab where they are learning their last names, addresses and phone numbers.  About ½ of the kindergarten children know this information thanks to Grandma’s help.  She listens to children count from 1-100 by 5’s, 10’s 20’s, etc.  Most of the children are now about to achieve this goal.  Grandma’s individual attention helps children feel special as she supports and tutors them to produce these outcomes.

• The kindergarten children are to reach the goal of counting to 100 this year.  After the teacher tests the children, those who are having difficulty reaching this goal come to Grandma who works with them so they are successful.  Ten of the fifteen children now can count to 100.  One little girl has trouble remembering 30, so Grandma suggests she remember what comes after 2.  She encourages the children by telling them, “Look how far you got this time!”  Then they keep trying.  She also works on phonics with children as they learn to identify the first and last letters in the words by the phonetic sounds or identify the sound when they know the letter.  One boy in particular has difficulty, but Grandma has worked with him and he now knows almost all letters and sounds.

• Grandma helps children who have gotten behind or are having difficulty in a kindergarten class.  They are working on counting and the beginning and ending sounds on letters.  She has been helping a boy trace a stencil of a child who is carrying an umbrella.  The little boy saw the project as very large because it involved cutting something that was somewhat intricate, coloring and pasting the pieces together.  He was afraid he would not be able to get it done, but with Grandma’s encouragement, he accomplished this in the allotted time using small muscles, eye/hand coordination, visual skills and communication.  It was a success that improved his self-image.

• Grandma has helped children learn to tie their shoes this year.  She was observed as she patiently helped a child who has not mastered this task yet.  She told him he was getting better and almost had it.  At the beginning of the year, only two children in the kindergarten class knew how to tie their shoes and now only two do not know how to do this.

Moose Lake

Moose Lake Elementary

• This Grandma works with special needs children and they are all very appreciative of the loving hands of the Grandma.  They all want to sit with her and be her special helper for the day. 

• Grandma helps a child feel more confident in his math skills, reviewing the math problems with him and going over the problems when his answers were wrong. He has been very accepting of this tutoring and looks forward to his sessions with her every day.

Cook County, volunteer station by community

Grand Marais

Grand Marais Community Education:

§         Grandpa has been busy interacting with the children at various stations and during recreational activities.  He is pleased that the children now recognize him in public and seem happy to talk with him. 

Sawtooth Elementary:

§          Grandpa is an artist and while serving as a Foster Grandparent, he encourages children whose self-esteem and social skills can be enhanced by fostering artistic skills.  By all accounts, this has become very important in allowing children to achieve academic success.  During the noon hour, Grandpa noticed a high school girl sitting alone.  He approached her and saw she was drawing.  He was overwhelmed by her ability and because of his artistic talents, he encouraged her talents and assured her that it is OK to have talents and that because she has them she is not different than other students.  He told her that her talents should be developed and doing so will be beneficial for her.  He is going to continue to support her and find ways to encourage her success.

§          Grandpa is an artist and while serving as a Foster Grandparent, he encourages children whose self-esteem and social skills can be enhanced by fostering artistic skills.  By all accounts, this has become very important in allowing children to achieve academic success.  During the noon hour, Grandpa noticed a high school girl sitting alone.  He approached her and saw she was drawing.  He was overwhelmed by her ability and because of his artistic talents, he encouraged her talents and assured her that it is OK to have talents and that because she has them she is not different than other students.  He told her that her talents should be developed and doing so will be beneficial for her.  He is going to continue to support her and find ways to encourage her success.

§          Grandpa continues to help a child who has issues in the classroom.  Using Grandpa’s expertise in art, he encourages the child who has the potential to be very skilled artist.  Other children in the class ask to join the group so a system has been developed to allow everyone a chance to join the group.  This is very beneficial for the child as he learns appropriate interaction with other children.  Grandpa works with another child who prints well if he takes his time when 1:1 with Grandpa.  Lunch time is great-the children all like to sit with Grandpa and they have a wonderful intergenerational experience.

Lake County, volunteer station by community

Beaver Bay

North Shore Christian Academy: 

§         During the year, Grandma has spent quite a bit of 1:1 time with a boy who benefits from the time together.  His school work is improving and lately they have spent time reading together.  They take turns reading and the boy is developing fluency and comprehension as they work their way through “Heidi.”

§         Grandma is tutoring a child who is not working up to his ability.  Because the classroom is non-graded, the staff believes the child could be at a higher level.  He is going on vacation, so Grandma helps him catch-up before he leaves.  She is also listening to students read Charlotte’s Web for comprehension.  She helps them understand they are reading to understand the story not just answer questions about the book.

§         Three girls in this open graded classroom have been reading to Grandma. One girl in particular needs her attention because the girl does not know how to pronounce some of the words or understand their meaning.  Consequently, she makes up her own words unless Grandma urges her to slow down and go back, pronounce the words and figure out the meaning.  This is an important part of learning to read and with help; this girl is getting much better and can retell the story.

§         Grandma spends quite a bit of time with a child who reads to her.  To assure that he comprehends what he reads, Grandma asks him questions throughout the story to assure that he understands and remembers what he has read.  He is much better at focusing and comprehending than earlier in the year because of the 1:1 help he has received.

§         One of the teacher’s children is in this open classroom.  This was a difficult situation because he always wanted to be near his mother and ask her for help.  After Grandma talked with the teacher/mother, they decided that Grandma should work with the child, who may be slightly dyslexic, and he will not go to his mother for help and interaction except as appropriate.  He is now benefiting from this relationship with Grandma, trusts her and is achieving at his level of ability.

§         Two kindergarten children need help learning basic skills and one child is especially challenged academically.  Grandma gives them individual and small group time because this open graded classroom is overwhelming for the younger children.  Together they are learning their alphabet and numbers by singing songs, doing worksheets and using manipulatives.  Additionally, the girls need to learn social skills and as Grandma works with them, she teaches them to be polite, wait their turn, appropriate interaction and sharing.  This personalized interaction could not take place in the classroom.  Academic and social results are already being realized during the first two weeks of school.

§         Grandma works with three kindergarten children helping them with letter sounds and recognition.  The children knew very few letters at the beginning of the year and with practice each day, they now know over half of the alphabet, upper and lower case.  They are also learning the sounds the letters make by speaking into a piece of tubing and hearing the echo.  This is fun and encourages the children.

§         This school setting allows children to progress at their level.  Consequently two girls Grandma has worked with have moved to first grade level work.  They continue in the same room and Grandma continues to help them at the more advanced level. The remaining little boy is not at the level as the girls and is behind the kindergarten level.  Grandma spends 1:1 time with him working on identifying and writing letters although he knows the letter sounds.  He has made progress as Grandma has worked with him and now knows letter sounds and will continue to work on printing upper and lower case letters. 

Silver Bay

Steps of Faith Daycare:

§         Grandma has found a fun way to help preschoolers/kindergarteners learn numbers.  She plays Go Fish cards with them and by observation; the kindergarten child was having no difficulty.  The positive interaction and smiles between them showed that an intergenerational relationship had developed over the summer.

Pine County, volunteer stations by community

Bruno

Nemadji Daycare

§         Several of the children have been sick with colds and Grandma has been spending lots of time in the rocking chair helping the kids get that extra nap that they need to feel better faster. 

§         An 18month old girl naps much longer since the FG started rocking her to sleep. She is also getting along better with other kids and she is happier all around while playing with the other kids.

§         The children are so excited to be back outside more with the weather warming up.  The FG is working with the youngest children in the Daycare on going down the slide.  They are all learning new confidence on going down with-out holding someone’s hand to help them feel safe.  

§         A new set of twins has been coming to the daycare.