Parents & Teachers

 

Gamma Jan’s Literacy Tip

Talk, Read and Sing with your young children. What a wonderful way to Learn!

For four and a half months, I was confined to my apartment in Yemen. During that period, I began thinking about what would be helpful for the adults in rearing and teaching the children.
It came to me that we live in a global world today. Our world is changing fast. I wanted to be a part of helping introduce our children to other parts of the world with a message that all children would be able to relate to and understand.

My objectives for the books would be:

• The stories would take place on different continents with a city or country mentioned, thus giving the children a global perspective.
• The messages of the books would be ones that young children should be able to relate to in some way all around the world.
• To provide information that sparks a conversation or continues a conversation about topics that would expand their views about life and the world.
• Each book would have a song to reinforce the messages of the book.
• That through the books, they will begin to see that although people are different in some ways we share a common humanity.
• Religion is not mentioned in any of Gamma Jan’s books, as the books are written for children, all around the world.

Books are wonderful tools. When we read to children, we introduce them to the important things in life as it relates to the world around us. Reading also develops a stronger bond with our children because of the time spent together curled up with a family member or friend enjoying a good story.