Harding Center offering programs for parents, kids

What do sushi-making, yoga, math activities and preparing nutritious snacks have to do with literacy?

Everything.

“Talking with your children, reading to your children, problem solving with your children, singing with your children — anything that has to do with learning (contributes to literacy),” said Barb Scarth, Family Literacy Projects Manager at the Harding Family Center. “People learn in so many different ways.”

For the second year the Harding Family Center is offering a variety of fun and educational summer classes and activities for parents and children to do together. All the programs fall under the “general umbrella of family literacy” and grew out of Even Start, a family literacy program that fosters children’s literacy by serving the parents’ educational needs.

“We’re a year-round program. In the summer months when it’s difficult to get families to participate in regular school classes, we decided to offer a bigger variety of classes and times,” Scarth said.

Although the classes are geared toward Even Start families, they are open to anyone in the community. There is a $5 registration fee as well as a fee for each class, but scholarships are available for low-income families. All classes are held at the Harding Family Center, 411 N. 15th Street, Coeur d’Alene.

The following classes are coming up:

Family Math Nights, July 7 or July 28, 6 to 8 p.m., $8. “Numeracy is a part of literacy,” Scarth said. Families will play math games and learn how to incorporate math into their daily activities. Tip: When grocery shopping, have children count the different types of milk.

Sushi Making, July 11, 3 to 5 p.m., ages 7 and up, $10. Travis Whiteside, chef at Takara, will teach families how to make California Rolls. This class was a big hit last year. “People wanted advanced sushi making (after last year’s class). We’re not calling it advanced, but if the same people come, they will learn something new,” Scarth said.

Literacy through Yoga, July 12, 14, 19 and 21, 9 to 10 a.m., $28. Children will learn simple yoga poses and then develop a journal, drawing pictures of themselves in those poses. This class meets for four one-hour sessions.

Nutritious Snacks, July 14, 5 to 6:30 p.m., $8. Parents and children prepare and taste good-for-you snacks.

Camp Fiesta, July 19 to 22, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., ages 5 to 8 (parents welcome), $60. Children learn Spanish through art and drama in this four-day class. Head Start teacher Rosario Wohlsen, who is from Peru, teaches this class.

Using Sign Language with Your Baby or Child, July 20, 7 to 8:30 p.m., ages 7 and up, $8. This is a new class this year.

Get Ready for Kindergarten, July 27, 9 to 11 a.m., $8. This is a workshop for children who will attend kindergarten in the fall, and their parents.

Music and movement for the Whole Family, Aug. 25, 5 to 6:30 p.m., $8.

Storytelling with Down to Earth Dad, Aug. 24, 5 to 6:30 p.m., $15. Patrick Mitchell, a national speaker and trainer on parenting will help parents and children incorporate storytelling into their lives. “The emphasis is on bringing the male figure into the forefront with family literacy. Storytelling is important,” Scarth said.

To encourage people to get the extended family involved, a prize will be given for the “largest family.” Participants are encouraged to bring grandfathers, uncles, brothers and others.

In addition, the Harding Family Center library will be open for the summer. Children can find age-appropriate books, games and toys while parents have access to parenting and child development information. Computers are available for public use. Library hours are Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Fridays 10 a.m. to noon.

The Harding Family Center will cap off the summer with “Natsu Matsuri,” a multi-cultural celebration and festival. There will be literacy activities and free entertainment. Food will be for sale. It will be held Sept. 4. The time has yet to be set.