NEWS

EVENTS

Join us: For the Love of Books Lunch

Literacy lays the foundation for communication, skill-building, critical thinking and dreaming big…It launches children into a future full of possibility!

The annual For the Love of Books event brings together champions of early childhood literacy to meet, greet and eat in an effort to advance the Reach Out and Read KC mission. 

In past years, you’ve joined us bright and early for a “hearty” Valentine’s Day-themed breakfast. We’re trying something a little different this year. Be sure to mark your calendar for April 18 — at 11:00 a.m. — for our first-ever For the Love of Books lunch. It’s the same event you know from past years — just with a later start time and warmer temps!

We hope you’ll join us and our clinic sponsor, the Health Partnership Clinic, to help children in our community Launch Into Literacy!

April 18th, 2024, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Grand Street Café

4740 Grand Ave.

Kansas City, MO 64112

MEDICAL MINUTE

by Sallie Page-Goertz, MN, APRN, IBCLC

First, some sobering comments, and then on to the hope that Spring brings.

For our January Medical Minute – I wrote about helping children cope with scary news/events/trauma. And then…Kansas City experienced a moment of extraordinary violence during the celebration of the Chiefs Super Bowl win.  So, I’ll just put in some sites that can help folks process responses kids (and adults) may be experiencing in the aftermath. People and books can offer both support and solace. Remember, our kids may unexpectedly/randomly begin to ask questions about this event – what happened, how it happened, and how can they be safe. If you or your children/grandchildren continue to be distressed, contact your providers for therapy resources!

Tips for communication with children:

Helping your children manage distress

by the American Psychological Association

Talking to kids about fear and violence

by Mental Health America

Book lists:

Books about trauma and violence for young children

The comforting capacity of books

March has arrived! Spring teases us with crocuses and bird song and hope! Flu season is a wrap, RSV season mostly a wrap, and Covid…well Covid is still with us, but not like it was the last time I wrote the Spring medical minute!  And the BIG news of the Kansas Governor’s proclamation that March is Reach Out and Read KC Month!!!

In our 39 clinics, we will begin to see more preschoolers getting ready for Kindergarten enrollment. We are so lucky to have the Kindergarten book bag for our 4 year olds! It has 2 books that will help their parents get the kids ready and excited for kindergarten, as well as a Readiness Checklist for families to review to see what things they need to work on before kindergarten begins.  Many experts emphasize the importance of shared reading, helping kids begin to recognize sounds associated with letters, coaxing kids to tell the story in their own words and more! Thanks to all our amazing donors, ROR-KC is able to support kids with that library of books that they can review again and again as they develop their pre-literacy skills.  

STEFANIE'S BOOKSHELF

by Stefanie Estes, M.L.S.

We’re Going on a Bear Hunt My First Series by Walker Productions LTD

Age Range: 1-4 yrs.

Most toddlers refuse to sit still for long. This can make sharing a book a challenge for any caregiver. In my early mom years, I found it difficult to get my toddler boys to sit through even the simplest board book. This broke my librarian heart. How was it that I was failing at the one part of parenting I should be excelling in? Our world changed when I discovered “follow the trail” books. Both of my sons loved having the task of following a hollowed out or bumpy trail while reading stories together. They couldn’t get enough, and these special books helped make our precious nighttime reading routine more enjoyable and last longer. Thankfully, libraries carry plenty of follow the trail options in their board book section. Given my personal experience with these types of books, I was very excited to present our healthcare clinic patients with a newer follow the trail series this month. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, the modern classic rhyming tale about a family walk in the woods, has welcomed a new generation of young readers by branching into “follow the finger trail” board books. Featuring familiar characters, each book in the series focuses on an early concept like the alphabet, opposites, and shapes. We’re Going on a Bear Hunt is celebrating it’s 35^th anniversary in print which means that many of it’s first readers now have children of their own to share this treasured story with. For a fun family activity, try making one (or more!) of these story-inspired clever crafts together. And, as always, happy reading!

VOLUNTEER CORNER