By: Lindsey Sterrett, R2S Elementary Literacy Director

As we return to tutoring, or for some, begin new tutoring relationships with students, I wanted to share key takeaways from a recent training, "How to Competently and Confidently Connect with Children After Crisis/Disaster." The session was facilitated by Child Life Disaster Relief, a group of clinical professionals who founded their nonprofit after recognizing the need for trauma-informed community support in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Here are some insights I’d like us to carry forward in our practices and relationships as we resume tutoring:

Our students, like us, have experienced the trauma of this natural disaster in various ways. It has been a lot to process, and for many in our community, this remains a time of uncertainty and hardship. As we get back to learning and connecting, our relationships with students become even more essential. Your time together can be a source of predictability and consistency for them.

Here are some ways to support our students in this process:

• Be present with your full awareness and attention. Many families are under extreme stress right now, and your presence and focused attention are a true gift.
• Let them share experiences on their terms. Children need to feel in control of what and how much they share. Some children may have a lot to say, while others may not want to discuss it at all. Avoid leading conversations or asking direct questions about how the hurricane impacted them. Research shows that it can take 9–18 months after a trauma for children to process these events cognitively.
• If they do share, reflect and validate their experience without probing further. Acknowledge what you hear, but give them space to open up at their own pace.
  
• Be mindful of potential triggers to their stress response. These might include rain, thunder, wind, clouds, loud noises, safety drills, or sirens.
• Monitor your own emotions. Your emotional regulation can significantly influence children, just as their emotions can affect ours.
  • One easy way to support regulation is how we breathe. When you exhale longer than you inhale, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which can help you feel calmer and more relaxed
    • Slows your heart rate: Exhaling longer than you inhale signals your vagus nerve to release acetylcholine, which slows your heart rate.
      
    • Reduces stress and anxiety: This breathing technique can help you feel more relaxed and reduce stress and anxiety. 
      
• Handle big questions with care. If a child asks a challenging question or shares a difficult issue, validate their feelings, respond honestly, and acknowledge the significance of their question. If it feels beyond your expertise, reflect what you hear and suggest, “I wonder who you can talk to about big questions. Is there someone you trust?”
  
• Build relationships through play. Play is the language of children. As we return to our work, let’s create space for play. The R2S resource library offers many useful resources for this.
• Offer choices in your routine or lesson plan. For example, let them choose a book or decide if they’d like to play a game at the beginning or end of the session.

If you’d like to learn more about Child Life Disaster Relief (CLDR) and its resources click HERE.

📚 Meet the Authors!
We are honored to host Veronica N. Chapman, a Social impact ideator & activator, author, and founder of Boxxout Enterprises, the creative force behind Black Baby Books and Black Children’s Book Week. Veronica is a Spelman College and Babson College alum who has dedicated her career to designing solutions for social change. Veronica will be sharing her children’s book, "King Khalid is Proud," with the first 100 families receiving free copies!

🎉 We’re also excited to welcome Jaha Avery, lawyer, thought leader, and author of the powerful book, "I Heard: An American Journey." Jaha’s work explores themes of heritage and identity through a rich narrative inspired by her background in civil rights law and advocacy.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to meet these inspiring authors and celebrate their contributions to literature and social change.

🎈 Family Fun & Festivities
In addition to author meet-and-greets and book signings, we have a full lineup of holiday-themed activities to bring joy to the entire family:

• 🎨 Face Painting
• 🍪 Cookie Decorating
• 🎡 Carnival Games & Prizes
• 🎁 BIPOC Holiday Market featuring local businesses
  
  

🍴 Delicious Food & Entertainment
Pick up a free meal from Cooking with Comedy and Blessed Soul Food, while enjoying music by DJ Big Wave. The day will also feature a special performance by entertainer Virtuous, ensuring the energy stays lively all afternoon.

🎄 Don’t Miss Out!
This is a celebration you won’t want to miss! Celebrate local authors, enjoy family-friendly holiday fun, and connect with the community in a meaningful way.

Click here to RSVP on Eventbrite and secure your spot today. Admission is free, but space is limited—don’t wait! Let’s make this year’s Holiday Extravaganza the best one yet. We can’t wait to see you there.

📣 Spread the Word!
Share this event with friends, family, and neighbors. Together, let’s celebrate the season, support Black children's book authors, and strengthen our community.

We are thrilled to welcome Camille Harris-Wallace to the R2S team as our new Tutor & Volunteer Coordinator! With a rich background in early childhood education and youth support services, Camille brings her thoughtful expertise and passion for education and families to the critical work of coordinating community volunteers.

Read below for a quick Q&A with Camille to get to know her and her role at R2S a bit more:

What role has reading played in your life?
I love reading. I have always thought of reading as the best movie. As a woman of color, many books are not written with me in mind. I have the ability to imagine people as I want them to be. Reading has also given me a love of language. I love discovering new words, and having a thesaurus handy while reading was one of my favorite things to do to increase my vocabulary during high school.

What was your favorite book as a child? What is your favorite book now (if it changed!)
I think my favorite book as a child was The Secret Garden.  I think as an adult I have many favorites. One of the books that influenced significant change for me was the Power of Now by Echart Tolle.

What do you most enjoy about your work with R2S?
Hands down what I have enjoyed the most on day 2, is getting to know the people I work with. Everyone has been extremely welcoming and the people you work with can make or break a job.

Where does your passion come from?
My mother was an avid reader. She instilled the love of reading in me.

Give us a glimpse at your life off the clock.
1 am feeding, diaper changes, laundry, cleaning the house. That’s all I do right now with a 3 month old.

What is one of your favorite things to do in Asheville/favorite aspect of Asheville?
One of my favorite things to do had been to walk around the greenway. I love to listen to live music and enjoy Pisgah Brewing Company. I love gardening, sewing, and doing anything crafty.

Synonyms, or words that have similar meanings, are a bonafide way to build a student's vocabulary and background knowledge. Print this free pumpkin synonym puzzle, cut out the pieces, and encourage your student to piece it together. Once they solve the puzzle, discuss the synonyms present and their shared meanings.

Download this free printable with directions, puzzle, and word list with meanings - click here.

Don't miss this brain-teasing word scramble. Rearrange the letters on each line to form an autumn-inspired word - practice spelling, learn new vocabulary, and have fun!

Download this free printable with activity and answer key - click here.

Really challenge students with this code breaker activity that requires them to spell out words be decoding pictures and letters. Practice with working memory, handwriting, spelling, reading, and vocabulary, this unique activity will inspire students to create codes of their own!

Download this free printable with activity and answer key - click here.

Prepare for loads of laughter with this fall-inspired magic madlibs activity! To play, have one student ask another student to give them specific words based on the blanks, i.e., "Give me a type of food, animal, verb, etc." You do not want the word-giver to know the context of the story yet. Then the student writing the words down can read back the full story with the blanks filled in.

Download this free printable with activity and answer key - click here.