EpisodesGuest InterviewLiteracy CooperativeSeason 3

Healthy Boundaries, Happy Kids: Part One

Episode 79 | September 19, 2024

Our new partnership with the Literacy Cooperative bodes an amazing first episode with Joan Spoerl the director of their Imagination Library Program - we discuss the entirety of their support for Northeast Ohio and the importance of literacy and education for all ages.

Learn how boundaries around literacy, early development, parenting, education, and more can create better results and expectations.

INTRO

Welcome to “That’s a Hard No” – the podcast about learning to say no and set boundaries to live our best lives. 

Follow along with me as we learn from fellow strugglers and experts, so that you too can start saying no without feeling fear, guilt, or FOMO. 

 

SHOW NOTES
Joan Spoerl works for The Literacy Cooperative as Director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library book-gifting program, a former kindergarten teacher of 10 years, avid volunteer, world changer and encyclopedia. She will draw you into this episode in the first few seconds of hearing her sweet quick voice. Her passion will radiate through your ears. The way she understands and cares about supporting all people struggling with any form of literacy is one unmatched. Joan will take us through the all the efforts of the Literacy Cooperative, how they began, how we came together and why this is of such value to both of us! Donate to this amazing organization here.  Join us on this journey!
Key Takeaways

If you don’t take away anything else, these are the two most important items:

1. The Literacy Cooperative provides support for the entire family to develop better literacy skills

2. Joan Spoerl is a human library

[00:02:32] Mission and Programs of the Literacy Cooperative

  • Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

    • A FREE program that provides children a brand-new age-appropriate book each month from birth to age five. The entire state of Ohio has been recently covered so a local organization near you may be available, please find links below to check!
    • This is an attempt to provide more books to children prior to school to get reading engrossed in the early years

  • Whole Family Approach to Literacy

    • The Literacy Cooperative values the entire family, we believe that we must support the entire family on their literacy journey. If anyone is struggling it is causing difficulties for everyone.
    • If it’s the parent, they are having a hard time supporting their child in education and/or in getting employment or better jobs, if it’s the children the parent may not be able to educate them the way they need support.

  • Professional Development and Adult Literacy

    • We have programs to support adults in learning to get higher education, be better in the interview process, as well as just overall support in the workplace so they have further opportunity in their current play of employment or elsewhere.

  • Financial Literacy and Virtual Programs

    • Oftentimes, people are not taught about money, especially when it comes to budgeting, saving, housing, taxes, and other large purchases. We have many educational sessions to help educate and give space for questions with experts on how to plan for the future and understand financial expectations that they may have never been told or taught.

“You’re empowering people by giving them tools, whether it’s financial literacy or adult literacy or helping them teach their children.”

[00:06:24] Imagination Library Value & Enrollment

  • Importance of Local Enrollment
    • As a reminder, this is not a program for low income households or for those who have literacy struggles only. This a program that is highly benefitted by higher enrollment. It helps us prove there is a need for our resource as well as have substantial data on the impact of providing many books to the households throughout our state.
  • Success Stories and Enrollment Goals
    • As mentioned, we would love to see every child in our state signed up, this goes for multiple children in one family. We have new and rotating books often and new children deserve their special mailed books too!
    • We have seen a positive Kindergarten readiness increase for those enrolled in the program each year. Also, these children’s parents have noted their children have been asked to be read to more often, been “caught” reading or looking at books on their own more often, and using more new words they have learned from their Imagination Library books.

[00:10:06] Literacy Statistics and Challenges

“We need every child to fall in love with print books and reading and learning from the early age.”

  • Early Childhood Brain Development
    • It has been learned that we do the most brain growth in our first five years of life. Language, reading, and writing and highly important during this time.
  • Literacy Cycle and Kindergarten Readiness
  • Impact of the Pandemic on Literacy
  • Importance of Early Language Exposure
    • Talk to your children, narrate everything before they can talk. They will learn just from listening.
  • Dialogic Reading and Its Benefits

“the best way for us to support that brain development is for adults to bathe their child in language, to narrate the day, have conversations with them, even when they’re just babbling as babies.”

[00:17:08] Addressing Literacy from Early Years to Adulthood

  • Again, this is important to the Literacy Cooperative. We want to provide help for all ages. And it is nothing to be ashamed of. Finding help, and learning/growing at any age is admirable and brave.

[00:18:02] Overcoming Literacy Challenges and Dyslexia

“Dolly Parton started Imagination Library because her father didn’t know how to read or write.”

  • Visual Information vs. Written Word
  • Writing for Different Literacy Levels
  • Complexity of Reading and Language Development

“The reading equation that reading experts use when talking about what it takes to learn how to read fluently is language times decoding equals reading comprehension.”

  • Language and Decoding in Reading Comprehension
  • Encouraging Curiosity through Reading

“Reading is an extremely complicated process.”

[00:24:38] Neuroplasticity and Lifelong Learning

  • Resources for Adult Literacy
    • It is NEVER too late. You can always try again, start over, do it a different way.
    • Does not always need to be expensive, sometimes its at no cost at all.
  • Role of Libraries in Literacy Support
    • Many libraries have free classes, computer classes, financial courses, writing, language…the list goes on. They want to help and you can start small. Be honest and ask for support.
    • Libraries are beginning the get the usage they deserve again.

“I think public libraries are today’s modern public square.”

[00:28:23] What to Expect Out of Our Series

  • Defending the Early Years – A discussion about the importance of play in early education as well as in the lives of young children
  • A Live Story Time Followed by (our first ever!!) Live Parenting Panel Podcast
  • Conversations with pediatricians, teachers, a financial advisor, parenting experts and more…

Where to Find Joan

Where to Find The Literacy Cooperative

Where to Find Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

See if it’s available for your little one’s here!

Credits and Thanks
  • Many thanks to our friends and families (our “villagers”) for listening, and for your continued support.
  • That’s a Hard No is a production of Clever Girl Marketing
  • Marketing and Production Coordinator, Maura Del Rosario
  • Production Support, Evergreen Podcasts, Noah Foutz, Producer
  • New Rock Anthem Music: Written by Noah, and performed by his band, The Big Leagues
  • Videographer, Kae Holmberg