by Betty Trummel

For the past two months of self-isolation, I’ve enjoyed sharing the joy of reading with others. Whether it’s Zoom book club meetings with my local library or book discussions with friends (“Hey, tell me about what you’re reading!”), it’s been a great time to re-focus on reading and find that quiet time to curl up with a good book. 

My greatest joy, though, has been the opportunity to read with my grandchildren each and every school day! Early on during stay-at-home orders, I wanted to reach out to our grandson (4th grade… the grade I taught for SO many years), and granddaughter (1st) grade and see what I could contribute to make home schooling/learning FUN!

The results have been a daily delight…lifting my spirits and providing a deeper connection to grandkids I can’t see very often because they live in the Las Vegas area. We’ve literally “seen” each other every day… while doing something fun and educational!

I’ve used stuffed toys and puppets to enhance various picture books for Ella…

…and Jackson and I have shared two chapter books which were perennial favorites when I taught fourth grade! 

Both children have been able to watch and listen to me read either “live” or through video recordings. But, the real bonus has been listening to them read aloud to me! Jackson always begs for “one more chapter, Grandma!” and most days Ella shares several books and I can barely get her to stop! I sent the kids an atlas (I have the same one at home) and we’ve enjoyed sharing geography knowledge together!  There are SO many ways to share the love of books and learning…even from afar!

What a joy it is to encourage these young readers and cement the bond of “reading = Grandma time” with these precious kiddos.  Who can you reach out to and read with today?  How can you share your love of reading with others?