VIRGINIA DAWKINS: Mr. Fred and the children

Published 8:15 am Wednesday, January 23, 2019

“The more you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.”  – Dr. Seuss

When Mr. Fred Brown made out a wish list for Christmas in December, his family responded by giving him what he had asked for – books for children. When school started again after the holidays, he took those books to Crestwood Elementary School to share with his little friends.

Mr. Fred is a volunteer at Crestwood, helping the children learn to read. His favorite part of the day is when the students gather around him to share a good book. He believes that reading to young children inspires the love of good books and helps prepare them for success in life.

Research shows that reading is the basis for all learning and that children who enjoy reading do well in other subjects. Exposure to reading exercises the child’s brain, enhances his concentration, and increases his thirst for knowledge. Books can introduce children to new friends, new things, and carry their minds away to new places.

When I ask what the children are reading, Mr. Fred mentions so many of the all-time classics; the Dr. Seuss books, with funny, happy, tongue-twisting dialog, are at the top of the list. There are books with timeless life-lessons like, “The Little Engine that Could” and “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.” I’m reminded of loveable characters like Winnie the Pooh, Curious George, Corduroy, the Little Bear, and the Poky Little Puppy. As we talk, I remember what Winnie the Pooh said: “Then would you read a sustaining book, such as would help and comfort a wedged bear in a great tightness.” And then I’m tempted to head to the children’s section of the library and gather up an arm full of those happy stories to brighten my day.

Robert MacNeil, author of “Wordstruck,” described a childhood memory: “It is a winter’s night in 1936, in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A small boy is being read to. He is warm from a hot bath, wearing striped flannel pajamas. He has dropped off his slippers to slide his bare feet between the cushions of the sofa. Outside, a salty wind blows snow against the panes of the windows…his mother reads.” In this cozy scene, seeds of love are planted, mother and child bond, and a love for words begins to grow.

We are told that children should learn to read on the laps of their parents. Often, in today’s world, this does not happen. Hopefully, when parents are unable to spend time with their children, a grandparent will be the one to nurture the child and foster a love for books.

Mr. Fred, who is 90 years old, is Crestwood’s grandparent, spending three days each week reading to the children and listening as they read to him. However, he believes that each child needs much more than books to prepare for living in today’s world. “Children, on their journey through this life,” says Mr. Fred, “need encouragement and praise and lots of one on one conversation with people who care about them.”

In today’s society, there is a lot of darkness hovering around our children, and each child needs someone to open a door of hope and bring in rays of light. They need a listening ear when they feel sad, and they need to be reminded of what Winnie the Pooh said, “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.”

Good teachers help shape lives, and sometimes, in the midst of a crowded classroom, those teachers need help with the shaping. That is where a faithful, caring grandfather like Mr. Fred contributes tremendously.

Virginia Dawkins is the author of Stepping Stones: Steps from Shackles to Freedom, available at Amazon.