I was just thinking about the reading instruction that I provide to the wonderful children I’m blessed to work with, and it brought me to this idea of just how important the “little things” are in the human experience.
I’ve always been in the “business” of supporting people. As a human resources professional and now as a literacy advocate for children. The support environment may have changed, but the fundamentals remain the same.
Like the fundamental rule that “the little things matter” when it comes to serving people. Grand gestures are great, but it’s the attention to those tineey-tiny details that might get easily overlooked that can speak volumes.
And, I’ve found that doing little things the old-school way can come in clutch when working with young readers. In fact, bringing some of the “old” back can add to the human experience and make something that seems so minor (to many) be downright awesome from a child’s perspective.
I won’t dwell long on the matter, but let’s look at the whole mailing system. Not e-mailing system, but the mailing system as in the US Postal Service type of mail. With today’s technology age, where everything is electronic and paperless, you’re seeing less and less physical, hand-held materials. So, more and more reading can be done without touching or holding anything.
But, there are those of us who still love to have physical books and hold them in their hands. I’m one of those individuals. Give me a good old paperback or hardback book over an ebook any day of the week. And, you know who else likes to get hand-held items?
Answer:
Children.
I’ve witnessed how much joy it brings them to get something hand-held sent to their homes. They love it. And, it totally makes sense that they would. For one thing, children tend to be tactile learners. They learn by touching and holding. Plus, they’re children. They simply like touching things and keeping their hands occupied. Secondly, children are so inundated these days with all the digital output that it seems like such a rare treat when they can get a physical copy of something to hold onto.
So, it’s not surprising that the children I serve absolutely LOVE, LOVE, LOVE receiving their binders full of reading and writing goodies or the reading workbook/planners that I send to them before starting their reading instruction with me.
Personally, it’s so fun to see a child receive something in his or her physical mailbox, addressed with his or her name on it. Again, I’ve witnessed the joy it brings a time or two or more, and it never gets old. So, I make it a point to challenge the prevalent use of online learning programs and materials, where digital formats rule, by bringing out the old-school charm when I can.
Plus, I intentionally childproof the materials that I send my students in the mail. Childproofing adds even more to the novelty of receiving something physical. And, here’s what I mean by childproof:
- Items are colorful and engaging to appeal to a younger audience.
- Items encourage activity and allow the child to interact with them.
- Items are both fun, educational, and rewarding all at once.
- Items are personalized and make the child feel special.
- Items are handmade, one-of-a-kind creations that have been crafted with love.
Inevitably, there’s a wonderful phenomenon that takes shape when doing those little things that might go against the grain or the way that everybody else is doing things. Or, for those little things that pull from the old paths that aren’t as popular these days.
It just may be those little things that make your stuff stand out from among the rest. And, for that reason, sending my students their own personalized, crafted with old-school love, binders/workbooks/planners will continue to be one of my go-to ways of making their reading instruction with me a human experience like no other.
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