Erika Fink is a part of a recent Nebraska Growing Readers (NGR) Writers Workshop held for Sixpence home visitors and staff, Rooted in Relationships coaches, and other early childhood partners. NGR, which is a Nebraska Children and Families Foundation initiative, holds these workshops to encourage the production of local content that will be meaningful to the state’s children, families, and communities.
Because it was clear that the cross-community connections were so important, the Rooted team decided to hold their first-ever statewide meeting of coaches and coordinators. As Christen Million describes it, “we wanted to have time when we could share housekeeping information, but we really wanted to make a concerted effort to have everyone collaborate, talk to each other, get to know each other.”
Rosa Alvarado made reading part of Darlita’s routine. At each home visit, she would dedicate story time where Darlita’s mother or father would sit with her and read. She says of the routine she has established, “what we are trying to do here with our Sixpence is to create a culture of literacy.” This built-in routine of shared-reading has paid off. Not only has Darlita begun to engage with books, but she has also created her own safe space for reading, where she can self-regulate her emotions.
Challenging behavior was identified among the top three stressors in early childhood care in a 2023 study by University of Virginia Professor Lieny Jeon. This is consistent with what has been reported from Nebraska’s early childhood professionals and family members. When caregivers are stressed, it can have significant and long-lasting repercussions, including difficulty with children knowing how to experience and regulate their emotions, strained relationships between the parent/caregiver and child, and negative influence on a child’s physical and mental health.
That’s why a recent joint evaluation by Nebraska Children and Families Foundation and the Munroe Meyer Institute has been so encouraging for Circle of Security, an evidence-based program supported by Rooted in Relationships.
Suzi and Kendra Muhsman recently showed their civic pride in the Schuyler community through the books they wrote for Nebraska Growing Readers. In the process, they promoted family engagement in shared reading, a community commitment toward literacy, and an intergenerational approach toward reading. Learn more about how this mother-daughter duo connected with their community and others beyond.
Nebraska Growing Readers (NGR) has plenty of local online books you can relate to spring that can help celebrate the season even on those one-off bad-weather days.
