Virtual story time gives young readers an outlet for their imaginations in a pandemic

Like many in-person happenings and events, the Mom & Tot story time at Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Catholic School in Orland Hills was put on sudden (and, as it turned out, indefinite) hold when the COVID-19 pandemic hit last March.

Rather than pull the plug on such a popular program, pre-K teacher Beth Rachanski has decided to try what so many other businesses and organizations have been doing throughout the crisis — taking their offerings online.

“We were very excited to start this virtual program,” says Rachanski, who has been at the school since 2009. “We love this program because it’s a great way to introduce new families to our CJB community and also because story times are a way to begin introducing newly registered families to the faculty.”

The virtual story time, geared to children ages 2 through 4, starts with the kids and their guardians watching and listening as Rachanski reads and discusses the chosen story (the first session this month featured “Happy Valentine’s Day Mouse!” by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond, with the lovable main character from stories such as “If You Give a Mouse A Cookie”).

Participants then follow along using a provided supply kit, which includes suggestions for additional activities in the areas of fine motor skills, gross motor skills and a food extension — and watch Rachanski complete a craft related to the story with step-by-step instructions. She encourages parents to email her a photo or video message of their completed craft, which she responds to with a message of her own.

“This back-and-forth helps to keep the story time as personal as possible and provides important home-school interaction.”

Rachanski says she tries to choose stories that are age- and holiday-appropriate to keep children engaged, with upcoming sessions centered on themes of St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and water. She has been gratified to see so much interest in the program and is thankful that she has found a way to keep families connected to and excited about reading though in-person story times have been put on hold. In fact, given how well the virtual sessions have gone, she thinks she may try to continue offering online and in-person versions of the Mom & Tot program once the pandemic has subsided and kids start coming back. Regardless of how they’re delivered, Rachanski believes the important thing is that these stories are shared between children and their parents.

“This program is so important because instilling a love of reading and learning in young children really sets the stage for lifelong academic success,” Rachanski says. “I also love the idea of providing a program for young children who might not have that many available options for activities due to the pandemic. I feel so strongly about the loving and welcoming atmosphere of our CJB community that I look for ways to share it with others, and this is just the perfect opportunity to do so!”

This article originally ran on nwitimes.com.