By SARA BERGQUIST
sbe007@latech.edu
Children from the
Battiste, a junior early
childhood education major, read to children at the Early Childhood Education
Center as part of her family and child studies assignment.
“FCS 311 students come here to observe and interact with
the kids before they teach,” Laura Chestnut, a teacher at the Early Childhood
Education Center, said.
Battiste chose to read “Ten
Little Lady Bugs” by Melanie Gerth, illustrated by
Laura Huliska-Beith.
“I picked the book because it was cute,” Battiste said.
Battiste and other family and
child studies students are assigned to observation hours at the Early Childhood
Education Center.
“I was assigned to pick a story-poem and read it to the
children,” Battiste said. “We had to make a magnet or
a felt board to use as part of our illustration.”
The students illustrate the story by placing characters
from the story on the homemade board.
“It’s an extra visual for the children,” Battiste said. “[I] also ask them to listen for rhyming
words.”
Before Battiste was introduced
to the children, they warmed up to a few hand motion songs, with lyrics such as
“boom chicka boom,” and “doodle-ee-doo.”
The children sat grouped together, and Chestnut led the
children in welcoming Battiste warmly.
Their eyes were attentively focused on Battiste though her narrating, and when Chestnut asked,
“What do you tell Ms. Brittany?” the children chimed in saying, “Thank you.”
Rachel Frazier, a sophomore biology major, who was
observing during Battiste’s readings, said
story-telling is fun and helps the children to become comfortable around Tech
students.
“[Storytelling] is to evaluate how children do things,”
Frazier said.
“It is an aid in
children’s development.”
The children like to interact and pick out words in
stories, Frazier said.
“I’m four, too,” a child stated when Battiste
turned the page and read that four lady bugs were left in the story.
Battiste said she and other FCS
students are required to observe at the Early Childhood Education Center at
least once a week.
She also said she will interact with the children again
by either playing games or reading stories.
Regardless of the type of activity, she said, interaction
with children is beneficial.
“I think that the reading went pretty well,” Battiste said. “It was a good learning experience for me.”