ESSENTIAL WORKERS

There has been a lot of talk lately about essential workers.  Many of us ask, “What exactly does essential mean?” and “Who are these essential workers?”

The dictionary defines essential as necessary – something we need, and that we can’t do without. Food is essential – we can’t live without food.

While many people help us, essential workers are the people who help us get the essentials of life – the things we can’t live without, and things we can’t get for ourselves. In other words, we can’t survive without essential workers.

Essential Workers:

• Bring us food and water

• Pick our fruits and vegetables

• Pack our food and load it onto trucks

• Transport our favorite things from factories to stores

• Stock our groceries

• Ring up and bag our purchases

• Keep our electricity and water running

• Remove our garbage

• Fix our toilets and plug our leaks

• Connect our internet and keep our phones working

• Deliver our mail and bring us packages

• Protect us

• Keep us healthy

Essential workers work hard. They carry heavy boxes, drive for long stretches of time, and work long hours. They work in the hottest heat and coldest cold, through rain, snow, sleet, slush, strong winds, and thunderstorms. They operate large machines and use sophisticated technology.

They continue working when the rest of us stop – on weekends, holidays, early in the morning, and all through the night, during hurricanes, blizzards, and even during a pandemic. When the world stopped, the essential workers kept going to provide our needs. They remained at the frontlines and exposed themselves to risk so we didn’t have to. We stayed safe and secure at home.

Essential workers do their jobs behind the scenes and we don’t often see them. They work in fields, farms, warehouses, factories, and power plants where they pick our fruits and vegetables, pack and ship our merchandise, and manufacture our necessities. Essential workers make our world run efficiently and keep our communities safe and healthy.

WE IS THE NEW ME

During the recent pandemic, we learned how valuable essential workers are. This new awareness and appreciation help us realize how interconnected we all are and how much we depend on each other for what we need. We all help and serve each other. No one can do everything on their own.

We can create a better future with this level of awareness. With the knowledge that we are all interconnected, we can evolve from the current competitive mindset to the collaborative mindset of the 21st Century.

We are happiest when we help and add value to other people’s lives – when we make things better and easier for each other. This creates a WIN-WIN mentality which is the basis for the entrepreneurship of the 21st Century Economy.

Gratitude and appreciation are the foundation for healthy interactions and creating a 21st Century community. When we appreciate what other people give us and do for us, we look for ways that we can give, and serve others.  The practice of appreciation and gratitude, with awareness and acknowledgment of what we contribute, improves our relationships. The ways in which we serve each other unites us in a global community.

Imagine what we could accomplish in a world in which we all share our skills, talents, resources, and express our unique gifts, to support and bring out the best in each other. The more we connect, partner, and network with people, the more opportunities for success we create. We will fulfill our individual and global destiny.

We have been gifted with an historical opportunity to cultivate a mindset of appreciation for the people and processes that sustain, support and nourish us.

• Express gratitude to essential workers. Make this an everyday practice, don’t just wait for a pandemic.

• The ordinary is extraordinary. We experience life more deeply when we realize that everything we eat, wear, and play with, involves many people and processes

• We are all heroes. Find ways to become a hero in other people’s lives. What are your skills and talents that you can share? What gifts can you give? How can you help others and bring value to their lives?

• Educate children and provide them with resources to learn about the importance of community:

  • Read books about essential workers

  • Read books about gratitude

  • Discuss how essential workers impact our lives

  • Sing Thank You songs

  • Play with Essential Worker puppets and dress up with props

  • Write Thank You letters and create Thank You gifts

Resources: Books, Songs, Videos

Thank You for the Strawberries, by Riki Lax           

How Did that Get in My Lunchbox?, by Chris Butterworth

Before We Eat From Farm to Table, by Pat Brisson

The Thank You Book, by Mo Willems

An Awesome Book of Thanks, by Dallas Clayton

Thank You, Omu, by Oge Mora

Thank You, World, by Alice B. McGinty

Thankful, by Eileen Spinelli

Trashy Town, by Andrea Zimmerman and Dan Clamesha

What if There Were No Teachers? by Caron Chandler Loveless

When I Grow Up, by Al Yankovic

I Want to be a Doctor, by Laura Driscoll

Night Job, by Karen Hesse

Sam the Garbage Man

Thank You Song

Thank You Song Music Video for Kids

How to Teach Your Kids 21st Century Skills

The 3 R’s have been replaced by the 4 C’s.

Reading, writing, and arithmetic were the educational standards for previous generations. However, they are not enough to ensure the success of 21st century kids, who live in a rapidly changing world, have to manage massive amounts of information from multiple sources, participate in a global economy, and prepare for jobs that haven’t been invented yet.

21st century kids need 21st century skills.

Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creativity are the 21st century skills that this generation needs to thrive.

Critical thinking is crucial for information management and learning, Collaboration is necessary for a win-win mentality and to participate in the global economy of the 21st century, Creativity is the basis of entrepreneurship, and Communication is essential for self actualization.

READING BOOKS IS AN IDEAL WAY TO TEACH 21ST CENTURY SKILLS.

Engaged Active Reading is the most natural and effective way to teach 21st Century Skills.

Read books WITH your children, not to them. Enjoy the story together.

Rather than just passively listening to the story, engage your children in conversation. Ask them questions and answer the questions they ask you. Keep the conversation going.

Read the text and pictures. Define words. This teaches children to engage with text, and they learn where information comes from.

Connect the book to your children’s life by discussing events in their life or participating in activities together that are related to the story.

Actively reading books, engaging in conversations and discussions with your child, as well as doing activities related to the story are the most natural and effective ways to teach 21st Century Skills. While the 3 R’s are still important, the focus has shifted to the 4 C’s as the basis of education in the 21st century. Communication, critical thinking, collaboration and creativity are the skills that 21st Century Students need to thrive in today’s world and be prepared for the future.

6 Ways to Use Books to Build Your Child’s Vocabulary

6 Ways to Use Books to Build Your Child’s Vocabulary

Children can learn more from books than any other form of media, including TV, movies and video games. Books are the best way to expose children to new words and build a rich vocabulary.

Having a rich vocabulary is vital to children’s success.

Communication

A rich vocabulary improves all areas of communication — listening, speaking, reading and writing.

Relationships

Children can understand what other people are saying and connect more easily with friends.

Self Expression

Children can say what they mean and share ideas effectively.

Reading Comprehension

Having a large vocabulary helps children understand what they’re reading.

Academics

Reading and writing are critical to academic success.

Children must learn specific vocabulary for each subject.

BOOKS ARE THE PERFECT TOOL TO TEACH VOCABULARY AND GRAMMAR

BOOKS EXPOSE CHILDREN TO

• New words, which increases their vocabulary

• Repeated words, which improves their comprehension

• Vocabulary and grammar together – which teaches them how to use the new words in grammatically correct sentences

• Use of words in sentences, which helps children learn how to use words in context

HOW TO TEACH NEW WORDS

When you get to a word that you think your child doesn’t understand, ask your child if s/he knows what the word means. Allow your child to define the word, then review the definition of the word, and re-read the sentence, emphasizing the new word.

If your child does not know the word, then define and explain the word, using gestures and intonation to help. 

REPEAT NEW WORDS

Children need to hear words many times before it becomes part of their vocabulary. Use the word many times, in many sentences, in different contexts, and in conversations. Put emphasis on the new word when you use it in conversation.

PRACTICE USING NEW WORDS

Practice saying the word together.

Use the word in a sentence, using synonyms of the word for emphasis. (ex. Look, he’s holding on to the banister, right he’s holding the railing?)

Ask your child to make up a sentence using the new word.

Your child needs to hear and use the word multiple times in order to master it.

When your child retells the story, remind your child to use the new words that s/he learned.

REVIEW NEW WORDS

Anytime you have a chance, remind your child of the new word learned while reading the book. Ask your child if s/he remembers the word. Review the definition, using the word the way it was used in the book, and create new sentences using the word.

TEACH INDEPENDENCE

Teach your child strategies to discover the meaning of a new word when s/he hears or sees one.

1.    Ask an adult to explain the word

2.    Look at the picture and see if helps him/her to discover the meaning

3.    Re-read the sentence, or a few sentences, to see if the context helps

4.    Use a dictionary or google to find the definition of a word

READ OFTEN

Read books with your child every day. This will create many opportunities to learn new words.

By using these techniques, adults can use any book to build children’s vocabulary and teach them the words they need to understand and express what they see, hear, touch, smell, taste, think, and feel.