One of the joys of my role as Executive Director at Tandem is seeing the ripple effects of our work. It’s one thing to strategize about early learning in meetings or review reports on book distributions—it’s another to unexpectedly come across a tangible piece of that impact in the community.

Recently, while at Children’s Council in San Francisco for a meeting, I noticed a familiar book sitting on the family waiting area’s bookshelf—Flashlight by Lizi Boyd, one of the many books Tandem distributes through our programs. Naturally, I had to take a photo. There’s always something special about spotting a Tandem book “in the wild.”

As I snapped the picture, a mother and her young daughter playing nearby asked what I was doing. I explained that I work at Tandem and love to document our books in use.

Her face lit up instantly. “Oh, Tandem? We love you guys!”

It turns out this mom and her child attend our play-and-learn groups at Children’s Council and know Tandem staff members Susan and Carola. She went on to share how much she appreciates Tandem’s support for parents and caregivers and that our play-and-learn groups have given her confidence in engaging her child through books and play.

It was a simple moment, but it carried so much meaning. Seeing first-hand how our work resonates with families is a reminder that every book we distribute, every workshop we lead, and every playgroup we host makes a real difference.

Early Learning, Everywhere

Tandem’s play-and-learn groups, like the one this mom and her daughter attend, are designed to meet families where they are—whether that’s at home, a library, a family resource center, a park, or a clinic. Many families, especially those without access to formal early education, rely on these community-based learning experiences to support their children’s development.

In addition to our school-based StoryCycles program, we currently offer:

• Read & Play Club, an adaptation of our StoryCycles program designed especially for the in-home family child care provider and in-home visitor context
• Give Me 5 Play-and-Learn Groups, where caregivers and children explore early learning together in song, movement, and play
• Interactive storytime read alouds, hosted in community spaces or virtually on Zoom and led by Tandem staff members

Check out our community calendar for more information on our in-person and virtual events!

By embedding these opportunities in everyday spaces, we help parents build confidence as their child’s first teacher while making early learning accessible, joyful, and culturally relevant.

Learning Through Play

At the heart of our play-and-learn curriculum is a simple but powerful idea: learning happens through play. Children develop literacy, language, math, and social-emotional skills when they explore, move, sing, and listen to stories.

Our playgroups focus on:
✅ Kindergarten readiness (language, literacy, and social-emotional learning)
✅ Early math skills (patterns, numbers, and problem-solving)
✅ Multilingual and multicultural learning (books in families’ home languages)
✅ Family connection (creating a learning-rich home environment)

This year alone, we’ve facilitated over 64 play-and-learn group sessions and distributed 20,600+ giveaway books to build home libraries, reaching thousands of families like the one I met today throughout San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties. 

A Moment of Gratitude

As I reflect on this small yet meaningful encounter, I feel immense pride in the Tandem team, our community partners, and our supporters. These everyday moments—where a parent feels empowered, a child is excited about books, or a teacher sees a classroom come alive with learning—are a direct result of your work, your dedication, and your belief in the power of early learning.

So, to every educator, parent, volunteer, and supporter—thank you. Moments like these belong to all of us.

If you’d like to explore more ways to bring early learning into your home, check out our activity guides and book lists.