Born to Read Trainers

Last month, Sharon Abair led this group of 16 from a wide range of towns (Waterville, Winslow, Mercer, Oakland, Palmyra, Newport, and Belgrade) in reflections on peaceable practice. They were inspired by the assignment to try sharing the books from the bag with the children in their care. They had great activity ideas, such as making books to go with My Friend and I and posting a wall of handprint tracings in the classroom. One class included parents’ hands on the wall, and the children found the presence of those hands very comforting.

One participant who unsure about Who’s In Rabbit’s House? called Sharon after the training to let her know that she ended up sharing it successfully. She also related a fantastic anecdote: during a lunchtime that was particularly boisterous, one little boy said, “Kids, kids! Let’s have a little peace around here so I can think about nice things!”

This group left with great enthusiasm for trying book walks, and felt rewarded by the opportunity to interact with colleagues. “I really enjoyed getting out and doing the group thing with other people,” one evaluation form reads. “I love to learn from others and glean from their ideas.” Thanks to Sharon for making this exchange of ideas possible.