Have History Will Triumph

Feb 022010
 
Domestic Violence Action 3

Domestic Violence Action 3 (Photo credit: UMWomen)

 

If Vermont’s domestic violence victims can’t get to the lawyer, there’s one who can come to them.

Wynona Ward was 48 years old when she graduated from law school.   I had the privilege of getting to know her when we collaborated on a project to expand services to domestic violence victims in Vermont several years ago.

An abuse survivor herself, Ward left home at the age of 17.  She married her childhood sweetheart Harold and went to work as his partner in long-distance trucking.  Her work-life took a dramatic turn when she learned that a child her family had been abused by her (Ward’s) brother.

To say that Ward ‘took action’ is a bit of an understatement:  she became a volunteer victims’ advocate and worked with her own family members to convict her brother.  The experience propelled her back to school…  and beyond.

Winona Ward became a family law attorney and founded Have Justice Will Travel enabling her to bring compassion, expertise and options to the homes of some of Vermont’s most isolated victims of domestic violence.

Voted one of CNN’s Heroes of 2009, you can read more of her story here.  Or, go directly to the Have Justice Will Travel website to learn more about this remarkable woman and her innovative — and life saving — work.

SPECIAL POWER

Jan 152010
 
Cinderella -Fairy Godmother -Maris Anderson -1893

Cinderella -Fairy Godmother -Maris Anderson -1893 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

by Esther Jantzen, guest poster

Often fairytale, book, or film characters have special powers A fairy godmother can turn pumpkins into coaches and mice into horses, and Superman can fly. Kids enjoy imagining they too might have a special power that could help them solve problems and help others. It gives them a chance to think about how they’d like the world to be. This activity can lead to talking about what kids really can do through their strengths and abilities, which are their real ‘special powers.’ Here are several ways to do this:

First read a story or book that has a character with a special power  like Cinderella, The Cat in the Hat , Harry Potter , The Phantom Toll Booth , or any such story. Then choose one or more of the ideas below.

1) Ask your child how having that special power helped the character. Then ask, “If you had a special power what would it be?” Let them tell you what they would do with that special power. What would be fun and what would be hard about having it? Encourage the child to make up or write a story about having a special power.    OR

2) Invite your child to imagine the character with special power was his or her friend. Then ask, “What would happen in our house if ___ walked in?”   OR

3) Ask your child to tell you what special power they would like YOU, the grown-up, to have. This could lead to a lively discussion. Let them talk about why they’d want you to have that power and what they would want you to do with it. Then you and your children can make a list of the real strengths and powers they have such as friendliness, courage, curiosity, humor, honesty, perseverance, cooperativeness, and imagination. Hearing these words helps kids develop a rich vocabulary and a strong sense of their abilities.

Special Power supports the English-Language Arts Content Standards related to reading comprehension, narrative analysis, oral explanation, and inferential thinking.

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Esther Jantzen, Ed.D, is a mother, an educator and the author of Plus It! How to Easily Turn Everyday Activities into Learning Adventures for Kids available at www.plusitbook.com and the Way to Go! Family Learning Journal available through www.jantzenbooks.com

Story Circle: Read And Re-Tell

Jan 012010
 

By Esther Jantzen, guest poster

 In the days before television and radio, families often sat together in the evening and retold stories from books they had read or from adventures they had. Retelling stories develops one’s memory and the ability to speak in groups. It can build feelings of self-confidence. This activity encourages kids to pay attention to details and to the order of events in a story. It provides them a chance to show off their dramatic skills. And it’s fun to do this! Here is one way to do it:

1) This activity works best when you pick a book that your child really enjoys. First, tell the child that he or she will have the opportunity to retell the story in his or her own personal style. Then read the book aloud together.

2) Let the child retell the story to you soon after reading it. If you want to then re-read the story to remind yourselves of the details, that’s fine.

3) At some event perhaps a family meal or a gathering of friends invite (but don’t force) the child to retell the story. OR let him or her act out the story. Allow the child’s inventive mind to add new details, even if they are different from the original book. Applaud their efforts!

4) You may wish to make Story Circle a family tradition and do it now and then. Adults can join in this, too. It can be done anywhere, for instance, on a long car ride or on a long walk.

5) Start a list of stories that your family members like to tell.

Story Circle: Read and Retell supports the English-Language Arts Content Standards related to reading comprehension, delivering oral communication, and narrative writing.

 Esther Jantzen, Ed.D, is a mother, an educator and the author of Plus It! How to Easily Turn Everyday Activities into Learning Adventures for Kids available at www.plusitbook.com and the Way to Go! Family Learning Journal available through www.jantzenbooks.com

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