Children’s Reading Connection Founder, Brigid Hubberman, along with the dynamic performing duo of Cal Walker and John Simon share their mission to inspire, create, and promote efforts that build a culture of family and community literacy. They believe that together we can grow successful readers, engaged citizens, and thriving communities. Listeners have the gift of hearing John and Cal perform two samples from their Sing Me a Story! Read Me a Song! Collection. Tune in to learn from this magical trio and be inspired to create an accessible culture of early literacy within your own community!
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Children’s Reading Connection Founder, Brigid Hubberman, along with the dynamic performing duo of Cal Walker and John Simon share their mission to inspire, create, and promote efforts that build a culture of family and community literacy. They believe that together we can grow successful readers, engaged citizens, and thriving communities. Listeners have the gift of hearing John and Cal perform two samples from their Sing Me a Story! Read Me a Song! Collection. Tune in to learn from this magical trio and be inspired to create an accessible culture of early literacy within your own community!
Find Brigid’s Published Writing within:
Click Links to Learn More About:
More Research to Support This Work:
Get solutions from Schoolutions!
#solutionsfromschoolutions #schoolutionsinspires #schoolutionspodcast
Schoolutions –S1 E14: Children's Reading Connection: Sing Me a Story! Read Me a Song! ~ Providing Communities Access to Early Literacy with Brigid Hubberman, Cal Walker, and John Simon
[00:00:00] Olivia: [00:00:00] Olivia: Welcome to Schoolutions, where listening will leave you inspired by solutions to issues you or others you know may be struggling with in the public education system today. Hello, I am Olivia Wahl and I am so fortunate to introduce you to my guests. A dream team that I have the privilege to know, Brigid Hubberman, John Simon, and Cal Walker.
[00:00:25] Olivia: I'm excited because I have memories of when I moved to Ithaca from Brooklyn, New York in 2006. And I remember Rae Covey, who is currently the principal at South Hill Elementary, invited me to a cocktail party. And I am terrible at cocktail parties. I never know how to hold a beverage, hold a snack, shake hands, meet people.
[00:00:49] Olivia: I was a nervous wreck. And I remember standing with Rae, who is a pretty comforting force, and seeing Brigid walk around the corner in this gorgeous apartment at The Dewitt Mall. Brigid introduced Jim Trelease. That was humbling in itself. And then I had the gift of meeting you, Brigid, and it changed my life in many, many ways.
[00:01:15] Olivia: I've known you for a long time. Then I think of Cal and John. I gave birth to our older son, Benjamin, at Cayuga Medical Center in 2007, and I was handed a red bag with various books and music and songs, and your voices boomed and echoed throughout the walls of our house with our newborn baby for years and years and years.
[00:01:41] Olivia: You are such a part of our life, and you may not even know. I needed to have you on as guests, and I think you each deserve a proper introduction so let me jump right in. Brigid Hubberman is an internationally acclaimed literacy leader who has shared her expertise in community literacy as far away as Cape Town, South Africa.
[00:02:02] Olivia: It all started in Ithaca, New York in 1997 as Brigid launched Family Reading Partnership and led a community-wide movement to create a culture of literacy. Long at the forefront of community literacy efforts in the country, Brigid now brings her leadership, expertise, and passion for building community with books to Children's Reading Connection, or CRC.
[00:02:25] Olivia: A platform to share what she has learned to help other communities far and wide. She develops innovative community literacy initiatives that bring families, schools, and communities together to help ensure all of our children love and learn to read. Her work has been showcased in Washington, D. C. at the Library of Congress, in Jim Trelease's Read Aloud Handbook, and in Scholastic's Game Changer, Book Access for All Kids by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp. Welcome, Brigid.
[00:02:56] Brigid: Thank you so much, Olivia. I'm honored to be here.
[00:03:00] Olivia: John Simon has been working in schools in and around New York State for over 40 years, both as a school district employee and as a freelance consultant and performer.
[00:03:10] Olivia: He has appeared on national television and at numerous educational conferences. John is currently based in Ithaca, New York, working with both Children's Reading Connection and with the Hangar Theatre's Education Department. John is a singer songwriter with several recordings under his belt and fronts the popular party band Radio London.
[00:03:30] Olivia: He is an award-winning radio personality on WVBR, Cornell University's community radio station, and he is the proud grandfather of four. Welcome, John. Excited to have you.
[00:03:43] John: Me too, Olivia. Thank you.
[00:03:57] Olivia: Yes, yes. Cal Walker is a long-time resident of upstate New York and has consistently been involved in efforts to expand opportunity and access, especially in the area of education. In addition to having served with a long list of not-for-profit organizations in various roles, he is a co-founder of The Village at Ithaca, an Ithaca, New York-based education-focused initiative. Now in its 20th year, Cal is a parent of five adult children and eight grandchildren. He and his wife, Glenda, have also been foster parents to 57 other children over the past 20-plus years.
[00:04:22] Olivia: Welcome Cal.
[00:04:24] Cal: Thank you so much. Happy to be here, Olivia.
[00:04:26] Olivia: I ask every guest at the start of each episode who an inspiring educator is in their life. Brigid, would you mind kicking us off?
[00:04:35] Brigid: I would love to. First, I have two daughters who are both teachers and in this time of COVID and all the challenges, I really have to shine light on, on both of them who are so wonderful. In going back and looking at educators who had such an impact on me, even as a parent, I think of Kay Budman, who was a school librarian, and not only did she talk about books and connect children with books in such an amazing way, but she took special interest in children who might have been having some challenges.
[00:05:09] Brigid: And my son was so active and so busy and, and sometimes got on the wrong side of the teacher's patience. And so, Kay would send home messages that said, Josh had the best question today. So, she saw beyond the books and, and saw the full child and what their possibilities were.
[00:05:28] Olivia: Cal, how about you? Will you share an inspiring educator from your life?
[00:05:32] Cal: Absolutely. I certainly will. And I'm going to choose someone who unfortunately I don't know the name, but the quote that is attributed to this man or woman is one that inspires me. Continuously, I understand that there was an educator who made the following statement either verbatim or some variation of it is that we as a society and educators in particular, particularly for young children, we have to stop putting them in groups based on our perception of their intelligence.
[00:06:05] Cal: And I don't know about you, Olivia, but when I was growing up many, many years ago, it was not uncommon to have the “redbirds” and the “robins” and the “blue jays”. Right? And this was all somebody's subjective opinion of the intellectual capacity of these kids. And so, what this educator said, and I love it, said: We must stop immediately trying to determine how smart this child is and rather focus on how is this particular child smart?
[00:06:35] Olivia: Oh! Beautiful!
[00:06:35] Cal: That is a paradigm shift.
[00:06:38] Olivia: It sure is.
[00:06:38] Cal: It is liberating because it recognizes that all children are innately gifted with talents and abilities. And our responsibility as adults and particularly as educators is to help identify that as early as possible and encourage it.
[00:06:53] Cal: And I'll just add parenthetically, you asked for one, but let me give you two. I think it was Albert Einstein who said: if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will always think it's stupid.
[00:07:03] Olivia: I think that quote's also associated with standardized testing and how it really doesn't tell us much about kids at all.
[00:07:10] Olivia: So, thank you so much, Cal. Yeah. John, can you talk to us about an inspiring educator from your life?
[00:07:17] John: Absolutely. My father was a professor of education at the University of Massachusetts, eventually, but he was one of the finest teachers I know. And I think I learned a lot about my work with people from him.
[00:07:32] John: I come from a family of teachers, so it’s kind of in my blood. But when I was in fifth grade, I grew up in Manhattan, right on the border of Harlem and Washington Heights. And my fifth-grade teacher was Mrs. Harmon Washington. Who took no nonsense and had really high expectations. And I managed to rise to her expectations and thrive in her classroom.
[00:08:01] John: And it was the last time I really worked hard in school was in fifth grade, because after that, nobody really expected too much of me. I just sort of skated by with, you know, my charm and my wit. But when I think back on things, Mrs. Washington was a person who really took me seriously. And it helped shape who I am.
[00:08:22] Olivia: Brilliant. I was actually just speaking about this in a school district yesterday about having expectations for children and believing that they can if we support them each individually in accomplishing those goals. So, it's fascinating to hear that that really left an imprint on you as a student that many years ago.
[00:08:44] Olivia: It's wonderful. I want to name an issue that we're going to be speaking to today. And the issue that I've watched you as a trio confront really is a good word or address in our community is the lack of vision that I see all over the world of providing ample opportunities for early childhood literacy, especially with a focus of birth to early primary education.
[00:09:11] Olivia: What I have watched all of you do is work together to change systems by providing access, equity, and cultural context on a national level through Children's Reading Connection. I think of the word inclusivity primarily, and Cal, your voice, it just, it resonates so deeply. And one of my favorite recordings that I've listened to is of you reading All the Colors of the Earth.
[00:09:38] Olivia: It's stunningly beautiful. Can I ask you to read that for listeners right now? Would you be so willing? John, if you want to strum along or play, you're welcome to as well, please.
[00:09:50] Cal: I would be more than happy to do it. Yeah, this book is called All the Colors of the Earth, and I'm delighted to read it.
[00:10:05] John: [guitar playing to accompany Cal’s reading]
[00:10:05] Cal: Children come in all the colors of the earth.
[00:10:12] Cal: The roaring grounds of bears and soaring eagles.
[00:10:19] Cal: The whispering golds of late summer grasses,
[00:10:28] Cal: And crackling russets of fallen leaves.
[00:10:35] Cal: The tinkling pinks of tiny seashells by the rumbling sea.
[00:10:44] Cal: Children come with hair like bouncy baby lambs.
[00:10:51] Cal: Or hair that flows like water.
[00:10:59] Cal: Or hair that curls like sleeping cats in snoozy cat colors.
[00:11:10] Cal: Children come in all the colors of love.
[00:11:16] Cal: In endless shades of you and me.
[00:11:23] Cal: For love comes in cinnamon, walnut, and wheat.
[00:11:32] Cal: Love is amber, and ivory, and ginger, and sweet.
[00:11:42] Cal: Like caramel, and chocolate, and the honey of bees.
[00:11:51] Cal: Dark as leopard spots, light as sand.
[00:12:00] Cal: Children buzz with laughter that kisses our land.
[00:12:07] Cal: With sunlight like butterflies, happy and free.
[00:12:17] Cal: Children come in all the colors of the earth and sky and sea.
[00:12:30] Olivia: It's so beautiful. And listening to you read, it's just spectacular. And I know Brigid, we've talked about the way that Cal reads this book, that it really encompasses what you do in your work. Would you mind speaking to that Brigid? What is your vision, mission, values for CRC, for Children's Reading Connection?
[00:12:52] Olivia: Well,
[00:12:52] Brigid: Well, to start with, All the Colors of the Earth, because it does so beautifully embody all that we do and all who we are. All the Colors of the Earth is one of those books that's so much more than a book. It really sets our ideals. It's kind of like a lighthouse book. And, and always the books we choose are lighthouse books, where they have so much to say.
[00:13:14] Brigid: And actually, just this morning, hearing Cal read it to pre-K children and seeing their reactions to it with John's lovely guitar in the background, it's so powerful and so beautiful. So again, that book and how evocative it is of being so much more than a book and having it be about vision and values and love, honestly, quite, quite honestly, love.
[00:13:39] Brigid: So, when you think of Children's Reading Connection, it's as much about who we are as what we want to do. And who we are are people who want to change the world in a better way for all children. That we dream and imagine that all children have what they need in their first years of life to succeed at school.
[00:14:02] Brigid: And so that takes us to think about reading. And literacy, but to think about it in a full way for young children that it's about language and and it's about learning and it's about love because reading is so much more as we all know than pronouncing the words, you know, it helps children understand the world.
[00:14:22] Brigid: So, once you say this is who we are, and you have that vision, we want all children to have on their road to reading these early wonderful experiences with books. The most important place for them to have those is at home. And so how do we support families? And, you know, when children are old enough to go to school, they have the structure of school.
[00:14:44] Brigid: People work within that structure of school to reach children. But before that, when children are young, how do you reach families? How do you support children? And so, we need to really embrace families with a warm embrace, not with a should, but here is a gift for you. So, coming back to then Children's Reading Connection and our mission, vision, and values, it's thinking about how we serve as a model and our own lighthouse for sharing with not just this community where we have been very fortunate to be able to pilot national programs.
[00:15:22] Brigid: But how do we share that mission, vision, and values with other communities because there are people who are out there wanting to help and support families, but they may not know how yet.
[00:15:33] Olivia: So, Brigid, what do you specifically do to place books into the hands, homes and hearts of children and families? How do you do that?
[00:15:41] Brigid: There are so many different ways to do that. Some of the pilots that we've been developing are ones that take a book. So a great example is The Word Collector, you know, that that here is again, a book that is so beautifully power packed with all the things that we believe in and how do you make sure children have access to it?
[00:16:05] Brigid: The first thing you do is you partner with others and say, who else cares about this and who can reach families? So often pre–K or Head Start or organizations that are serving families with young children. And then when you partner with them, you make sure that everyone can receive the same book. And then you develop a context to go around it that makes it so much more than a book.
[00:16:29] Brigid: So, with The Word Collector, the story itself is both written and illustrated by Peter Reynolds, who is an absolute genius. You know, this is a paradigm shifting book.
[00:16:41] Olivia: I concur.
[00:16:42] Brigid: I thought you would agree with that.
[00:16:44] Olivia: I do. Yes.
[00:16:42] Brigid: Here, we think about words and vocabulary and can move into an academic sense, sometimes thinking about what's the definition.
[00:16:54] Brigid: But Peter Reynolds casts in The Word Collector that words are about loving. And collecting and sharing and what are your favorites? So that's a great example of thinking what children's reading connection is all about.
[00:17:08] Olivia: Yeah, it is a perfect example. I remember walking through our community in a time that was pretty challenging.
[00:17:14] Olivia: It was right before COVID hit; I think the year before. When you are taking on that initiative and seeing words all over Ithaca. The cranes covered in, in these giant, beautiful hanging billboards around language and how language surrounds us and everything we do. I know the three of you have been close friends and advocates for this work for many, many years.
[00:17:42] Olivia: I'd love for listeners to hear more about how this relationship evolved and developed. What's the story behind the magic of your relationship over the years, John, do you want to speak to that?
[00:17:53] John: Absolutely! Well, just like Jerome with the word collector, Brigid is a people collector.
[00:18:00] Olivia: Ha! I agree, yes.
[00:18:00] John: And it was through Kids’ Book Fest that was an annual event at Boynton Middle School where Brigid got me to come and bring my guitar and do a little performance. It was in the little auditorium and the guy who was on right before me was this fellow with the splendid voice and this clearly wonderful heart named Cal Walker. So I caught his show or his reading and loved it.
[00:18:25] John: And the next year they had us flip-flopped and he sat in on some of what I did. And later comparing notes, we both really were taken with each other's qualities. And Brigid had this idea of maybe we should do something together. We're about the same age, the two of us. We are both men who love children and have many children of our own and I think each of us in our own ways also really, I really needed some like good strong male models when I was young growing up in New York City with my single mother in an apartment.
[00:19:07] John: So I think we both bring some of that kind of integrity and, and fire to make it safe and good for children and a nurturing environment. So that's how we came together in the beginning.
[00:19:20] Cal: And we've been doing it for about 15 years. And it's really amazing because right now I am doing some work at the Ithaca High School.
[00:19:27] Cal: And just a couple of days ago, a student that I've been working with for about two weeks on a project said: Oh my goodness. I've seen these banners around town, and I finally looked at it closely, and I saw the name, and I connected, and then, oh my God, you're the Cal Walker that came with John Simon when I was in, you know, and then she mentioned the name of her elementary school.
[00:19:51] Cal: I think it was Cayuga Heights. And I said: You know what? We get that all the time. There's so many students here, high school seniors, who say: Oh, we just remember when you would come into our classroom. And I would say: Well, what was your favorite song that we used to sing? And, or the book that we used to read?
[00:20:07] Cal: And they would name the song, and we just sing a couple verses of it. It's just so much fun.
[00:20:11] Olivia: It’s so wonderful. The experiences stay with children for so, so, so many years after, because hearing books being read and sung is a huge, huge part of your - I'm going to call it magic because we know that musicality helps children internalize and remember language and words.
[00:20:34] Olivia: Just like a lot of grownups add a little sing-song tune to something they need to remember. I've done that for many years. There's a lot of research to support your work and that's why I've been a proponent for forever, even with Love Those Letters, the, the brilliance with that work as well. I know a current initiative that you are working with right now is The Sing Me a Story, Read Me a Song.
[00:20:59] Olivia: And I was in the car the other day with my younger son, Henry. He goes: Do you see what they did there, mom? Do you see what they did? That word reversal. I'd love for you to speak more Brigid to that initiative. The six-book set that's being given to families and how that came to be. Talk about that for listeners.
[00:21:18] Brigid: Yeah, so, first to appreciate again, Cal Walker and John Simon and the magic that you described and the wonder, the power of the books being books that are songs and stories, that they can be read and sung is more than the sum of their parts. And that's the same with John and Cal. There are so many levels of this wonder and so many levels of this magic.
[00:21:42] Brigid: But I want to point out, you were starting to talk about it some, Olivia, is song and the power of song and the power of rhyme. We want this path to reading to be with love and with words. And rhyming words are so important to that path. Children's ability to be able to hear words and if they rhyme, to have song connected to it.
[00:22:02] Brigid: And we found, particularly over these years, that especially children with different abilities in learning, that that song makes all the difference. And Cal and John make all the difference too. So that's been really wonderful.
[00:22:15] Olivia: I agree. And so how do you initiate the fundraising for projects like this? I know you have community partners.
[00:22:22] Olivia: Brigid, it's impossibly hard to say no to you because you are beloved. How do you work with community partners to get these initiatives going?
[00:22:31] Brigid: Well, first is thinking about how important it is to children and families and the, uh, saying that if it's important enough, we find a way. So starting there. Especially during the pandemic, families have their children at home and they don't have access even to the library.
[00:22:48] Brigid: We have to as a community, figure out a way to do this. In fact, one father said: You know, here the pandemic is happening and the community gave me this gift, gave me just what I needed for my daughter. So you start there establishing that we must find a way to do this. We were very fortunate last year that Visions Federal Credit Union came through and helped us quite a bit, but so did the community.
[00:23:12] Brigid: We're always asking: Would someone want to help with this? We just see it as the most amazing opportunity because you could give funding that would change a child's life, really, and give them this gift of Cal and John now, but Cal and John for years to come and the six books in their lives. So it's really powerful.
[00:23:33] Olivia: I'm sure there are folks listening that would love to donate to this work and support you with the Children's Reading Connection. I will make sure to put links for donating in the show notes for the episode. I just want to reiterate, with this initiative, children and families receive six beautiful picture books and then a link for the gorgeous complete collection of these books being read aloud as well as sung with the music being created by John Simon.
[00:24:05] Olivia: I mean, this is unheard of and the link is free. It's accessible on your website. I've listened to all. It's beautiful. I just, I think it's amazing what you're doing. So I'm grateful for you all.
[00:24:17] Brigid: Thank you so much, Olivia. It's really been wonderful and powerful and lasting.
[00:24:22] Brigid: And when you think of 15 years, there are children who are carrying this with them for so long.
[00:24:29] Olivia: My oldest son being one of them. He still remembers you coming into his pre-k class. I remember, uh, John, you were playing at the Johnson Museum of Art on the Cornell campus and Ben missed his nap for you, John, which was a really unpleasant rest of the day, but boy, did we have a ball.
[00:24:48] Olivia: He climbed right out of his stroller, sat crisscrossed on the hard floor forever just to be in your presence. Those memories. It's not just important for children. It's really important for adults and the caregivers, their grownups, to see that beautiful joy, just the sheer joy. And in hearing songs and joining in with music.
[00:25:08] Olivia: I hate to wrap our conversation. We must soon, but before we do, John, I would love for you to play and sing All Are Welcome. It's such a beautiful piece. It takes place in a school. It shares so much about Children's Reading Connections, community, and ideals. Would you be willing to sing and play for us?
[00:25:30] John: I'd be delighted. I have to run and get my guitar.
[00:25:31] John: So don't go.
[00:25:32] Olivia: Go ahead. We will wait. I can't wait.
[00:25:35] Cal: Olivia, as you talk about, uh, how the singing and the reading just sticks with children, not only for, it sticks with people, not just the children, but also the adults as well. One of my absolute favorite anecdotes, which I've been hearing for 15 years, is a parent will say, a parent or guardian will say: You know, we drove Ithaca to Cleveland, or Ithaca to Miami. And we had the CDs and that's all the children wanted to hear over and over and over and over, right?
[00:26:00] Cal: And, uh, and I can empathize with them because I, I'm notorious for driving long distances. But, you know, these parents will say: You know what, that's just a testament to the fact that these children love those songs that never got tired of hearing.
[00:26:20] Olivia:
[00:26:21] Olivia: It's wonderful. And we still have all the collections in our house years and years later. It's so wonderful.
[00:26:27] Brigid: You know, while John's getting his guitar, it strikes me the cultural capital, we haven't really talked about that, but in this town, we have Cal and John and they read and sing. And that means so much for children to carry that and carry the songs in their hearts and minds and that they share that with other children.
[00:26:46] Brigid: It's, it's really such a wonderful testament to who we are as community.
[00:26:51] Olivia: Sure is. John, we're so excited.
[00:26:55] John: Hey. Hooray. Yeah, the book is so beautiful. And, uh, this music just sort of came to me. And I think it's a perfect fit. Cal Walker, will you sing with me on the all are welcome here, my friend?
[00:27:08] John: Pencils sharpened in their case. Bells are ringing, let's make haste. School's beginning, dreams to chase.
[00:27:19] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:27:23] John: No matter how you start your day, What you wear, when you play, Or if you come from far away.
[00:27:35] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:27:40] John: In our classroom, safe and sound. Fears are lost and hope is found. Raise your hand, we'll go around.
[00:27:51] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:27:57] John: Gather now, let's all take part. We'll play music, we'll make art, we'll share stories from the heart.
[00:28:07] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:28:13] John: Time for lunch, what a spread. A dozen different kinds of bread. Pass it around till everyone's fed.
[00:28:23] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:28:29] John: Open doors. Rush outside. We'll swim. We'll slide. We'll have fun side by side.
[00:28:40] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:28:45] John: We’re part of community, our strength is our diversity. A shelter from adversity.
[00:28:55] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:29:01] John: We will learn from each other, special talents we'll uncover. There's a big world to discover.
[00:29:11] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:29:15] John: So much to learn, so much to do. And when the busy day is through. Can't wait to come back, start anew.
[00:29:26] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:29:31] John: Head for home to get some rest, and greet tomorrow ready and fresh. Our time together is the best.
[00:29:42] John & Cal: All are welcome here.
[00:29:45] John: You have a place here. You have a space here. You are welcome here.
[00:29:56] Olivia: So beautiful. Oh, you are welcome here. All of you. Anytime, any place. I'm so honored to have had you as guests. What you do for children every day, every moment with your intent and your action is just so very inspiring. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. I'm grateful for all of you.
[00:30:19] Cal: Well, we're grateful to you for having us on today.
[00:30:23] Brigid: Thank you Olivia.
[00:30:24] Olivia: Thank you, John. That was wonderful. Thank you.
[00:30:34] John: Thanks, Olivia.