Virtual story times bridge physical distance between generations
For the past eight years, volunteers who live at Eagle’s Trace, the Erickson Living-managed community in West Houston, have spent every other Friday with first grade students at Houston ISD’s Barbara Bush Elementary School.
“It’s a great partnership,” says volunteer Pat Osborne, who helped launch the initiative. “The teachers prepared math activities to support their curriculum, and they provided all the supplies. We spent 20 minutes with each of the six first grade classes, working on these activities to develop their math skills.”
When the 2020-2021 school year was upended by the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers and volunteers put their heads together to brainstorm new ways to reach students.
“Even though we couldn’t be physically present in the classroom, we wanted to maintain the relationships we’ve built with students, teachers, and the school’s administration,” says Pat. “Many of this year’s first grade students have older siblings, so they know all about the mentors from Eagle’s Trace.”
Together, the school’s first grade teachers and the Eagle’s Trace mentors developed a plan to harness the power of technology to reach students. “We had the idea to record ourselves reading books to the students,” says Pat. “Teachers could show the videos to the students for a virtual story time.”
#WeRead initiative
The idea was a hit among the volunteers who live at Eagle’s Trace. “We latched on to the idea because of [late former first lady] Barbara Bush’s passion for literacy,” says Pat. “When she was alive, Mrs. Bush would visit the school each year to read to the students. We were honored to be invited to her story times, so this felt like a way to continue that tradition.”
To prepare for their turn in front of the camera, the Eagle’s Trace mentors went online to watch videos from the Barbara Bush Literacy Foundation’s #WeRead initiative, “a focused effort in response to the need for high-quality, digital learning content to support at-home and distance education amidst school and library closures.”
The online #WeRead video library includes Bush family members, elected officials including Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, sports professionals, and local children’s book authors reading their favorite children’s books.
“We took note of what worked well in a virtual read-aloud,” says Pat. “Keeping the book close to the upper part of your body, having the pages facing the camera so children can see the illustrations, pacing, articulation, inflection—we wanted to maximize the benefit of our videos.”
Jordan Crume, community resources coordinator at Eagle’s Trace, volunteered to record the virtual read-alouds, which were filmed in the library at the West Houston community. “We had bookshelves behind us to create the atmosphere of a cozy story time,” says Pat.
Crume edited the videos and sent them to Barbara Bush Elementary School’s first grade teachers to use at their convenience. “It worked out well, because the first grade classes are a mix of in-person and virtual learners,” says Pat. “The videos can be used for both.”
Continued engagement
Earl Routh, another of Eagle’s Trace’s volunteers, read the book Giraffes Can’t Dance, a rhyming tale of a giraffe who learns to dance to the music he hears.
“So many things are different about this school year, but this is our way to let the kids know we care about them and we’re thinking of them,” says Earl, a retired teacher, coach, and principal.
The teachers are also grateful for the continued engagement.
“We are beyond thrilled our Eagle’s Trace partnership can continue to thrive during our 2020-2021 school year at Barbara Bush Elementary,” says Robin Brown, first grade lead teacher. “We have siblings of students from years past who have asked if they would get to go to the science lab this year and work with the math mentors. Although they were disappointed to learn that the program can’t continue in person this year, the students are excited they still get to see the mentors virtually. In the midst of all the uncertainty and chaos, it’s comforting to know some constants remain.”
About Eagle’s Trace: Eagle’s Trace, one of 20 continuing care retirement communities developed and managed by Erickson Living®, is situated on a scenic 72-acre campus in West Houston, Texas. The not-for-profit community of more than 960 residents and 500 employees is governed by its own board of directors, affiliated with National Senior Campuses, Inc., who provide independent financial and operational oversight. Additional information can be found at EaglesTraceCommunity.com.
Written by Sara Martin
