As of last summer, I became a mom. And now, reading has SUCH a different meaning. Our almost 7-month-old can't yet understand the words of Pout Pout Fish and definitely doesn't sing along to The Barnyard Dance ... and yet, we still read to her every single day.

We explain to her what she sees on the page, we point out the fish or the cow or the horse. We give her kisses in the part of the book that mentions smooches, we describe the colors and the scenes, and we make sure she knows how funny it is when he moms let out a loud "cockadoodle dooo."

At first we felt silly. Roux wasn't paying attention and desperately wanted chew on the corners of her brand new board books. Now, we realize these books are exposing her to things we never could -- underwater adventures, early mornings on a farm, and the antics of a silly monkey. She still tries to wiggle out of our arms, but more and more she is focusing on what's in front of her. She is laughing at certain pages (I have no idea what's so funny). She touches (and sometimes licks) the images on the page. She looks up at us with a curiosity in her eyes when we use silly accents.

We're learning a lot about being moms. But I think one of the most important lessons so far is just how important it is to be consistent ... because even when you don't think they're paying attention, they are.

When I was a kid, my favorite book of all time was Anne of Green Gables. From grade school and on into adulthood, I've lost track of the number of times I've read that book and its sequels like Anne of Avonlea, Anne of the Island, and many other titles by Lucy Maud Montgomery. But it wasn't always that way. I remember when I was very little, my mother had bought a copy of Anne of Green Gables that included the first three titles mentioned above, all bound into one big green book with a picture of Megan Follows from the film adaption on the front. I was fascinated by the book and periodically I would pull it out to see if I could read it, always disappointed to find that I only recognized a few words on each page while the rest might as well have been written in Greek. Over and over I would take the book off the shelf, open it up, check to see if the words made sense to me, and put it back, only to try again a few months later. In reality, I was probably following my own intuitive version of what literacy teachers today call "The Five Finger Rule." 

We've talked about The Five Finger Rule in ENHE's Saturday family engagement workshops frequently. The basic principle is that sometimes, reading a book with too many unknown or difficult words can be discouraging for a child. But by the same token, reading a book where they aren't challenged at all can be boring or too easy. A good way to check is by having your child turn to a random page in the book in question and read it, counting on their fingers how many words they don't know.

0-1: This book might be too easy!
2-3: This book is probably just right
4: Read this book along with your child to help them when they need it
5: This book might be too difficult for now, try again later

Eventually, one day I opened Anne of Green Gables and to my surprise, all of the words made sense! What had once seemed like flowery gibberish to me turned into beautiful lines of poetry and prose that captured my imagination and my heart for years and continues to do so to this day. I would stay up for hours at night, reading and re-reading the stories about Anne and committing full passages to heart. It was definitely a challenge, as L.M. Montgomery didn't necessarily write her books to be written by young children, but it was just the right amount of challenge.
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You can find more information about The Five Finger Rule and other literacy tips and tricks in our Resource Center!

Many of us – regardless of our age – struggle with stress and anxiety. Whether it has to do with peer pressure, starting a new school, your job, or simply having too much on your plate, stress pops up in our life from time to time, and we all have different ways of coping with it. What works for some people may not work for everyone, but studies show that there’s a common technique we can all do daily to help reduce stress: reading.

​“Reading can be a wonderful (and healthy) escape from the stress of everyday life. Simply by opening a book, you allow yourself to be invited into a literary world that distracts you from your daily stressors. Reading can even relax your body by lowering your heart rate and easing the tension in your muscles. A 2009 study at the University of Sussex found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%. It works better and faster than other relaxation methods, such as listening to music or drinking a hot cup of tea. This is because your mind is invited into a literary world that is free from the stressors that plague your daily life.”[1]

There’s a reason why ‘bedtime stories’ are a popular routine for parents and their children. Not only does reading have many benefits such as promoting learning and brain development for children but, if done at night, it also helps calm them down and make for a better night’s sleep.

Even after my parents stopped reading me bedtime stories as a child, I was encouraged to read a book on my own before bed. It became a habit that I couldn’t break. I still read to this day and can’t fall asleep without reading a few pages of the latest novel on my bedside table. Now I know why – it relaxes me, takes my mind off things, and is an escape from any stressful matters that might be occupying my mind.

If you’re not someone who regularly reads before bed, I encourage you to try it every night for a month and see if you go to bed less stressed and sleep better! Share your thoughts below or on social and use the hashtag #LiteracyIsJustice in your comments!

[1] https://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/reading-stress-relief

My wife and I read to our daughter every day. At least once. Often more than once.  We have made this a routine since she was born.  She will be four this month. 

In her first months she could not comprehend what we were doing. She heard the sound of our voice.  She did not understand our words were coming from a page.

When she became mobile, keeping her still long enough to read even the shortest children’s book became difficult.  We kept at it. She started to enjoy the pictures.  Especially books with interactive pages. Then she started to mimic words we read to her.  Two syllables might slur into one. Consonants were difficult. But she wanted to repeat what she heard.

At first maybe she was just repeating sounds.  Eventually she started to understand the sounds described things depicted in the book: a dog, an elephant, a monkey, a car.

Reading with consistency eventually created an expectation in our daughter that reading would be part of each day. She started to ask to read books.  She would take them from the shelf and bring them to us.
 
We also used the books as a means to teach the alphabet and phonetics. She learned numbers too. 

Eventually, our daughter started to understand words we were reading could describe not just objects but also concepts – emotions, size, speed, temperature. She ascribed those concepts to things around her and related them back to a book we read.   She was mad like a character in a story.  The car was fast just like the one in a book.

As she has grown, the books we read have become longer and more complex.  They have more words.  She understands and enjoys dialogue and narrative as distinguished from just words and pictures.  

Her ability to process and retain information has grown.  She finishes sentences in books we have previously read – sometimes only once or twice.  She can recite some books nearly verbatim in their entirety.
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Maybe most important: reading to our daughter has taught her what reading is and why it is meaningful.  She cannot read yet.  But she already loves it.  And this will be a motivator for her to learn how to read, and, once she has learned, to keep reading.  And if she keeps reading, she will keep learning and in so doing become a better person. That is why we read to her every day.

East Nashville Hope Exchange is all about literacy and that includes health literacy. 

We know that a child’s heath – emotional, physical, and nutritional – has a significant effect on learning. It can be difficult to remember something new when one is stressed out or distracted by other activities or problems. Likewise, it is difficult to learn if one is ill or does not have the fuel required for the brain to functional optimally.

How can you help ensure your child is healthy and prepare to succeed?

• Provide a quiet place for studying/reading without lots of music or TV or other distractions. This habit can reinforce the importance of concentration.
• Talk to your child about stress – in an age appropriate way – and help them feel safe and loved regardless of what else is going on in their life. Open communication about the things that might be causing them stress is a powerful way to work together to problem solve.
• Physical exercise is important for children of all ages and has been proven to improve health. It should be incorporated into your daily schedule. It’s also a great way for a kid to burn off some pent-up energy!
• Proper nutritional also is vital. Consider starting your child’s day off with a meal that incorporates protein and doesn’t have too much sugar. Oatmeal is a great option.

 
By providing our children the tools and resources they need to be healthy, they’ll be more than ready to learn!

By ENHE Board Member Jennifer Weinberg

Since our children were born, we’ve made it a habit to read a story at bedtime. It’s a wonderful time to slow down, snuggle, and expose our kids to the love of reading. After a week or two, we try to change the book. And the kids go ballistic. They want the same book over and over and over again. It can drive us crazy!

Here’s the good news: repetitive reading is good for our kids. There is an abundance of studies that show us repetition helps develop vocabulary and word recognition, enhances fluency, increases comprehension, and builds confidence.

So how can we get through one more night of “Goodnight Moon”? Here are some tips on how to change it up when reading the same book for the 1,000th time:

1. Ask Questions. Pause in the book and ask a question about the story. Now, my kids don’t particularly like when I don’t follow the script, but it does create an opportunity to work on reading comprehension.
2. Point out a detail in the illustrations. Kids like talking about the pictures. This will give them a chance to examine the pictures more closely.

 
Check out these articles for more information and to assure you that it’s okay to read “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” one more time.

• https://www.todaysparent.com/toddler/toddler-behaviour/why-toddlers-want-to-read-the-same-book/
• https://www.mother.ly/child/its-science-reading-the-same-books-to-your-child-over-and-over-makes-them-smarter
• https://www.readbrightly.com/why-reading-the-same-book-repeatedly-is-good-for-kids/

Kira Schlesinger: The Reverend Kira Schlesinger is the interim rector of St. Ann's Episcopal Church. She has lived in Nashville since 2008 and received a Masters of Divinity degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School. Below, she shares with us the origins and importance of her name. 

William Shakespeare famously wrote, “What’s in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” And yet, many of us are fiercely protective of our names; we take offense when people mispronounce or misspell them. Our names are who we are and how we are known in the world. Soon-to-be parents often spend a lot of time and energy deciding on a name for their child, potentially exploring religious or familial connections. Names follow certain trends, going through phases of popularity and switching from traditionally male names to traditionally female ones.

My name is Kira, which is a pretty unusual name. I never could find it printed on keychains or other souvenir paraphernalia alongside the Laurens and the Sarahs. When my parents were expecting my arrival, they wanted a name that started with a ‘K’ since they are Karen and Ken, but they were also looking for something different. A young woman in the neighborhood happened to be named Kira, and it piqued their interest. Ayn Rand’s first novel “We the Living” also features a female protagonist named Kira.

The Anglicized name Kira can be traced back to a number of different languages including Greek, Russian, Gaelic, and Japanese and might also be a feminine version of the Sanskrit name “Kiran” which means “beam of light.” Whatever its origin, as I have grown up, I’ve come to embrace having an unusual name.

While “family” seems like a simple concept to define, it’s just not that easy. There isn’t one definition for family, as it can mean different things to different people.  A family is not necessarily a husband and wife and their 2.5 children. Families differ in economic, social, and cultural backgrounds, and can be made up of moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, step-siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, pets, and much more. That said, one thing that universally defines a family in my opinion are people that are important to you, you can rely on, and you share memories with.

For me, my friends are a significant part of my family. I grew up with a mom, dad, sister, two cats, and a dog – all of whom I was very close with. And while I was close with my grandparents when they were alive, my extended family – aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. – didn’t live close by so we didn’t spend a lot of time together and form relationships. Instead, my family spent many summer vacations, holidays, and birthdays with very close “family friends” as we called it. I referred to them as my aunts, uncles, and cousins, although we were not technically related by blood. 

This idea of “family friends” was an important and common concept from an early age, and it’s why I’ve formed such strong friendships throughout my life that truly mean the world to me. Along with my immediate family, these friends are the people I’ve formed great memories with and who have always been there for me during the happy and tough times, and vice versa.

My definition of family is just one meaning. How do you define family and what does it mean to you? Let us know in the comments below or post on social media and tag ENHE and use the hashtag #LiteracyIsJustice!

How do I use literacy in my day job? My day job is simple: I help my clients manage their resources effectively, so they can be meaningful stewards in the communities they serve.  I cannot be successful in my job without literacy. Literacy, simply put, is the state of being educated.  I didn’t know how to do my job well on day one; I had to use the tools I gained through school and work experience to help me along the way.  
 
So, literacy in my day job looks much like a toolbox. I am fortunate to have tools that support my continuous learning much like a carpenter needs multiple tools to build a house.  Before you hit snooze, I won’t bore you with the details of life as a banker.  Insert any passion you wish to turn into a profession, and these tools work.  They may not be called hammer or wrench but they are as effective at building an environment of lifelong learning as building a home.
 
Reading: I bet all of us read something in a work day.  Reading is a critical skill and is the gateway to opportunity. Taking this skill a step further, I read job related materials to comprehend. When a client sends an email with an issue, I read beyond the words on the page to attempt to understand what the person is trying to communicate.  Reading has always been a critical skill; and even more so in a digital age where people tend to prefer to communicate by written message.  
 
Writing: As much as I read, I write in equal amounts throughout my work day.  Writing serves multiple purposes. I might write an email to someone to communicate a message.  I also write notes to help prioritize tasks or work through a project or issue.  Like reading, the writing I create for work is not simply words on a page; they serve a purpose to connect with others, solve issues and find proactive solutions to make my clients’ lives easier.
 
Critical Thinking: In my line of work, reading and writing are two very close companions in helping me critically think through my day and tasks.  I don’t simply want to fulfill a request.  I use reading and writing to ensure I have given the very best solution to help my clients achieve their goals.
 
Reading. Writing. Critical thinking.  These are skills that help anyone achieve success in the workplace.  All three skills open the door to never ending possibility of learning and opportunity.