JIM AND GEE

PHOTO BY RANDY BACON

JIM AND GEE

“It’s a Joy to See Kids Blossom”

We began volunteering with the Ozarks Literacy Council doing preschool readings in honor of a friend who was a teacher’s aide at York Elementary and died of brain cancer. We planned to stay one year, but we were there for 13 years. I guess we would still be there had it not been for Covid-19. We seldom missed a week- we think consistency in children’s lives is important.

We always wanted the students to have fun and emphasized that if they learn to read, they can go anywhere and do anything. We started every day with music. Gee learned to play the Ukulele. We also brought maracas and drums and would dance around the room if it was too cold to go outside

We put up a world map to take the children on an adventure around the world. We brought didgeridoos from Australia which Jim plays and then explained how the instrument was used among Aborigines, how the sounds were different and how the sound carries a long way. The kids thought it sounded like an elephant. We celebrated Cinco de Mayo by reading about families from Mexico. We had food, chips, and music. We had fun with the Chinese New Year- we brought fried rice, fortune cookies, and of course music and books.

It is a joy to see kids blossom from not knowing their ABCs to being ready for Kindergarten. We are big advocates for education and the Ozarks Literacy Council does a wonderful job of putting books in the hands of the Early Childhood Education Program.