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Small fry, bigwigs share joy literately
By JON WILSON © St. Petersburg Times, published October 1, 2000 ST. PETERSBURG -- If a bumblebee stings you, you might get "chicken pops." So declared one of teacher Lisa Murray's 4-year-olds last week during a special reading session at the Happy Workers Children's Center. Maybe the medical science wasn't on target. But the youngsters' excitement about the adventures waiting inside book covers couldn't be missed. They analyzed every page of a book about a cat's favorite color. They took a dozen hues illustrated in the story and matched them with objects in their classroom. They sagely discussed cows, bees and worms, all of which made cameo appearances in the tale. Afterward, they sang a song in Spanish, followed by a spirited rendition of America the Beautiful and the pledge of allegiance. Happy Workers, a 71-year-old center considered the city's oldest social service agency, showed off some of its youngsters as part of its National Literacy Month observance. Last week, about 30 visitors -- including 17 expected Friday from Home Shopping Network -- came to read to children in several age groups. It marked the first time in Happy Workers' 5-year-old family literacy program that the center had tried a series of VIP reading days. Mayor David Fischer was among the readers, as were City Council member Rene Flowers and state Rep. Rudy Bradley. "I feel like people have been leaving with the feeling that it's rewarding," said Dr. Virginia Irving, the center's director. Happy Workers, at 920 19th St. S, currently cares for about 135 children, 2 months to 5 years old. "We have room for more," Dr. Irving said. There are 21 teachers. The center emphasizes reading and language skills at least partly because it is fun to do so. But it also stimulates young imaginations and encourages empathy, Irving said. Tense fairy tales can help young children deal with psychological bugaboos. Others, such as Goldilocks and the Three Bears, help teach societal rules, Dr. Irving said. The center conducts a "read to your bunny" program that encourages parents to read to their children 20 minutes a day. With support from area Kiwanis clubs and St. Peter's Cathedral, Happy Workers also distributes books to families four times a year. And the center encourages parents to buy books to start a family library, or check out books from Happy Workers' own library. Youngsters also are taught conflict resolution, peace and compassion. The values are considered a legacy of the Rev. Oscar McAdams and his wife, Willie Lee McAdams. They founded Happy Workers as part of Trinity Presbyterian Church in 1929. Learning other languages -- as the 4-year-olds' Spanish song demonstrated -- is also part of the McAdams legacy. Oscar McAdams spoke five.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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