Tandem’s full name—Tandem, Partners in Early Learning—is not just something that sounds good.  It reflects the way that Tandem works—seeking ways to collaborate, add value, and work with others towards the goal of every young child in our bay area counties having the benefit of an enriched learning environment in those critical first three years.  This means that Tandem is looking for all kinds of ways to partner with organizations who engage young children and their families, and asking, “How can we team up to make all of this learning more effective, more fun, and more empowering for caregivers?”

I got to experience one of these partnerships on Sunday when I attended Head Start Day at Habitot Children’s Museum in Berkeley.  I brought my three-year old granddaughter, Rosie, with me so I could get the perspective of caregiver as well as Tandem board member.  Habitot is a super-fun place for toddlers and preschoolers…Rosie enjoyed dressing up in an astronaut jumpsuit and piloting the rocket ship, went shopping in the grocery store section where she relished piling all the pretend dollars from the cash register into her basket, and she couldn’t resist tasting the glittery purple salt mixture that was so much fun to play with (not so yummy!).

But best of all was the Read Aloud that Tandem Community Literacy Specialist J. Jimenez did.  It was a genius idea to have copies of the books for each child-caregiver pair, so we could snuggle up to our little one and look at our own book, while J led us through the story, asking questions and suggesting sound effects.  We read Higher, Higher about a little girl named Ruby who loved being pushed on a swing at the park by her dad–higher and higher…whee!  J was fun, encouraging and informative, and kept both kids and adults engaged. “Tandem’s involvement in the event included two activities for families that promote early literacy skills,” J explained. “We had a cute ‘Moon Dust’ station that invited children to explore what happens when a drop of paint mixes with a lot of salt to serve as a medium in which to draw letters, write names, and enjoy the sensation of the salty mixture between their fingers. We also provided StoryBlocks, built by Tandem volunteers, to encourage families to be creative, build silly characters, and tell stories about their creations.”

It was gratifying to see the mix of children and their families all reading together along with J.  I can only imagine how much fun everyone had when they went home and read the book again, remembering the sound effects and talking about what you might see if the swing got high enough in the sky.  Besides the Read Aloud book, each family received another book to take home and a pass for a return visit to Habitot.  Staff from both the Tandem Alameda County team and Habitot were available, friendly, and encouraging throughout the event.   I saw lots of smiles, lots of great energy and curiosity in the children, and lots of playfulness between children and their families.  I am sure many of them will return to Habitot again—I know I can’t wait to come back with Rosie.

Tandem’s Read Aloud offered a moment for everyone to sit still and engage with a book, nicely punctuating the otherwise free-spirited play and exploration of Habitot’s space.  Kudos to both Tandem and Habitot for the work each of you does independently, but in partnership, you magnify your power.  What a great partnership! Keep it up!

Tandem® is proud to partner with Habitot Children’s Museum. Visit Habitot’s website for more information on current exhibits, upcoming events, and opportunities to attend Tandem family workshops on early literacy, family engagement, and interactive book-sharing. For more information on upcoming Tandem events, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Scroll through the photo gallery below to see Head Start Day highlights.