Shelby Bond

EDU 245 - 82A

24 April 2019

Story Boost Reflection Paper

Reading has always been a key factor in my life, with my passion starting from

before I could even read myself. Every night, my family would gather around the living

room, get comfortable in our chairs, and listen to my dad tell stories of magical

wardrobes, enchanted schools full of uniquely gifted children, and demigods fighting for

a better world. Using my personal experiences alone, I can see the great impact that

someone reading to me had on my life. When I first became aware of the Story Boost

program and what I would be doing through my Foundations of Literacy class, I was

thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute towards a child’s positive reading

experience and hopefully pass on my deep love for the adventures found within the

pages of such stories.

I learned quickly that while a book may be a Caldecott winner and a personal

favorite, that doesn’t necessarily guarantee a connection with the child that is listening

to the story. In one case, I brought in the book ​Sleep Like a Tiger​ by Mary Logue. My

three readers had all previously mentioned being interested in art, and so I thought this

book would be a perfect combination of their artistic interest, a sweet storyline, and a

quality picture book. Despite my reading it with different voices and expression, I quickly

lost the interest of the girls. After a few pages with them heavily distracted, they

eventually asked to go back to their classrooms. As it was our second book of the day, I
agreed, taking this moment as a teaching example to what I can do better rather than a

moment of defeat.

I was also reminded to be aware of the stories that I label as personal favorites

that are mainly dictated by distinct nostalgic memories and emotions. While I may love a

story due to the fact that it reminds me of my mother playing the piano or other personal

memories, I need to remember that each child has their own experiences and won’t

always connect to the same stories that I do as an adult. This doesn’t necessarily mean

to stop reading these stories to children, but I think it is important to let the child talk

about what they got out of the story as well as discussing my own connection.

Through various sessions full of distraction and disinterest, I began realizing that

for me to fully grab the girls attention, I needed to start bringing stories that they could

actively interact with instead of passively listening to each session. Attempting to mix

things up, I brought in the story ​La Princesa and the Pea​ by Susan Middleton Elya, a

Mexican rendition of the classic story The Princess and the Pea that incorporates basic

Spanish words into an English story. Instead of having the girls sit back and listen, I

would have they help me figure out what the different Spanish words meant using clues

within the sentence (example: the ​niña​ liked to play with ​her​ doll) and listening to see if

the word itself reminded them of any English words (example: princesa and princess). I

was surprised by how well the girls did at figuring out the words and how excited they

got about being able to help me tell the story! At the end of the day, one of my readers,

Angelica, exclaimed, “We learned so much today!” and asked for me to bring more

books with Spanish in them. This day really emphasized to me the importance of
allowing children to actively take part in the story and how vital it is for me to seek out

opportunities for them to do so. While it is important to surround children with quality

picture books and read them exemplary literature, it is just as important to find books

that they will truly enjoy, kickstarting their love for reading from a young age.