Posted by Anne W on Friday, May 4, 2018
In honor of National Children's Book Week, a special storytime was held this week at Emerson Point Assisted Living.
Children of all ages came with their parents and arrayed themselves on the floor in the activities room. Behind them, care facility residents sat in a large half-circle of chairs.
We started with books, songs, and rhymes, focusing on classics that all ages were likely to know - we read oversized book versions of Little Red Hen and The Three Little Kittens, recited some nursery rhymes with the help of flannel board pictures, and sang "Old McDonald," "The Grand Old Duke of York," "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," and others. Erin Moore, the activities director at Emerson Point, accompanied the singing on her guitar.
After enjoying stories together, snacks were laid out. A May basket craft incorporating watercolors and sparkly pipe cleaners was also available. Parents, children and residents mingled, chatted, and made connections as they felt comfortable - though there was no pressure to do so. Simply being together with community members in all phases of life offered social benefits to all in attendance.
Around the country, a handful of public libraries hold periodic storytimes at nursing home facilities. There are even several preschools located within the walls of an elder care facility. A 2017 documentary film, Present Perfect, explores one such intergenerational learning center. Filmmaker Evan Briggs points out how "generationally segregated" American society has become - a phenomenon the preschools and events like this week's Intergenerational Storytime are trying to combat.
According to The Atlantic, "Numerous studies have linked social interaction with decreased loneliness, delayed mental decline, lower blood pressure, and reduced risk of disease and death in elders. Socializing across generations has also been shown to increase the amount of smiling and conversation among older adults, according to one Japanese study from 2013."
It was clear at ICPL's Intergenerational Storytime that the Emerson Point residents found the children a source of joy, and the parents, too, were enthusiastic. One mother commented that without grandparents living nearby, this was a rare and valuable opportunity for her toddler to have meaningful interaction with the elderly. Residents, in turn, were already asking if the children could come back another time.
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About the Author
Anne W. works in Children's Services and Collection Services. She loves to read, go on low-budget road trips (especially to camp and hike in national parks), and drink craft beer on a patio. Anne W. enjoys visiting thrift stores, but is also a minimalist. Anne W. has two daughters, a husband, and three cats. Anne W. divides her reading...
Ever thought about who might have invented the high five? It was 1970s pro baseball player Glenn Burke! This biographical picture book follows Glenn Burke's brief but illustrious career in the major leagues, including the moment he and fellow player Dusty Baker spontaneously invented the high five. For Burke, a unique individual who was always joking, cheering, and dancing in the dugout, it was a natural progression. Burke also happened to be a Black gay man in the 1970s, and, heartbreakingly, he was pushed out of the league and later struggled with homelessness and substance abuse, dying of AIDS-related illness at only 42. These topics are dealt with sensitively but honestly in this picture book biography. I hope readers think of Burke every time they high-five someone after reading this story - a man who only now is being recognized for his legacy, not only in inventing such an iconic gesture, but in paving the way for LGBT+ athletes. If you want more on Burke, there is a middle-grade fiction title also by Phil Bildner that ties together the stories of Burke and a modern-day LGBT+ young male baseball player, also an excellent book. -Anne W