Literacy Day at Bambi Educational Center

Designed and Created by Stepmans PC

Literacy Day at Bambi Educational Center

At Bambi Day Care Center, spring started with a joyful holiday that was named "Literacy Day".
Bambi staff and their young students (Bambi's little stars) broadened the meaning of the word "literacy" by including literature, music, science, mathematics, art, sport, crafts, and other subject as part of the holiday.

Each age group at Bambi presented their own special show for this day. As we watched each "mini-spectacle", we were very impressed by the professionalism of both children and teachers, and particularly by how appropriate the complexity of chosen material was for children's ages.

Adults read, children listen and sometimes ask questions. This is why, as a rule, children are passive participants of the reading process. Bambi takes a completely different approach. Any book, even a familiar one, and any story that is described in it, turns into a project that requires children's involvement. A two-way system is established: teachers help children understand the story, whereas children embellish this story with their creativity and imagination.

We had a chance to visit many classes and see the results of Russian and English literature-based projects. Among them were "Teremok" and "The Bun", "Repka" and "Goldilocks", "10 Little Ladybugs" and "The little Red Hen", "Three Little Kittens" and "Little Red Riding Hood": familiar books that tell familiar stories. What an incredible show based on these stories did the teachers and students demonstrate!

The youngest children perform short scenes from the book, make pictures and play story-related games, whereas older children familiarize themselves with elements of zoology, biology, agriculture, physics, chemistry, mathematics, size comparisons, and even a few cooking basics.

On Literacy Day, the facility was visited by such valuable community members as: Councilman Brian O'Neill and his assistant Robert Barrilli; Sandi King, Managers of City of Philadelphia Business Services; Alyssa Sherman from the Department of Commerce; AI Taubenberger from Northeast Chamber of Commerce; Michelle Linder-Coates, Executive Director of the Office of Early Childhood Education; Geil Sosnov; Social Worker from the School District of Philadelphia; Instructional Specialist Katherine Mirarchi; Special Education Specialist Arlene Weissman; Keystone Stars Specialist Loyda Guzman; Executive Director of New World Association Marina Lipkovskaya; Editor of Russian newspapers "Reklama i Jizn" and "Jewish Life" Vitaly Rahman, and other city and community representatives.

When Honorable Brian O'Naill asked kindergarten students what makes them so smart, one of the boys said, :We're smart because of Bambi!" and showed the guests a "Thank you, Bambi" poster that he and his classmates had made.

It is becoming increasingly apparent that while many aspects of modern lifestyle tempt children to waste time instead of learning, the "fix" of knowledge that they get at Bambi can help them find the right path in life.