Dear Editor:
Reading “Now One Foot, Now the Other” by Tomie dePaola inspired a number of activities in my second grade class at Huber Street School. The story tells of a relationship between a grandfather and his grandson. The grandfather teaches his grandson many things, including how to walk. When the grandfather suffers a stroke, his grandson must now help him to relearn many things, including walking.
Character education played a big part in this lesson. Children should learn respect for all generations. Building relationships with older people is very important. There is so much they can learn. Respecting one another is vital to our human spirit, especially in these emotional and trying times.
The students conducted interviews with their favorite senior citizens, exploring what they have learned and what they can assist seniors with. They also created a “Top 20 Reasons Why Senior Citizens Are Special”display in the Senior Nutrition Center, located on Centre Avenue in Secaucus. The children had an opportunty to visit the center and share games, as well as wonderful conversation with local senior citizens.
Combining literacy with character education lessons such as respect, honesty, responsibility, courage and compassion help us to mold children into exemplary, law abiding adults. Hopefully, this positive human spirit can be passed down from generation to generation.
Anna Leppin