Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network 

Show Name: Beyond a Bedtime Story

Episode Title: Gamification of Reading

Episode #9

You are listening to Beyond a Bedtime Story the podcast with your host Emily.

In this episode of Beyond a Bedtime Story the Podcast I will discuss 

Hi, Welcome back, I’m your host Emily, and you’re listening to Beyond a Bedtime Story: A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Reading! With this episode you’ll be one step closer to taking your bedtime stories to the next level, so let’s get into it! 

Today I‘ll provide you with tips to gamify your child’s reading experience. 

• Idea inspired by my teacher! 

Article 7 Ways to Gamify Your Studies to Make Learning More Fun by Oxford Royale Academy 

• These are not my ideas! I’m highlighting my favorites from the article, consolidating them, and providing additional insight into how the strategies might be valuable + fit into your household (but feel free to refer to the actual article which is linked in my show notes - above!)

*Gamification of learning which “involves applying the principles of video games to studying”

Tips: 

1. Incorporating narrative: narrative “umbrella for a series of learning tasks may have the ability to sustain your attention for a longer period of time.” Such as inventing a scenario where you are “undertaking a journey, perhaps through a fantasy land” and “instead of fighting off monsters, you have to learn certain topics in order to progress through this imagined land.”
2. Requires creativity, imagination + effort, but it doesn’t have to be cumbersome. Invite your child to be a part of the creative process, deciding what they want their fantasy journey to look like (they can tell you and you can write down their ideas, they can illustrate too!)  
3. Changing the way you refer to things: The article uses Harry Potter as an example, suggesting, “ Why not pretend that that’s where you’re studying? You could call Biology “Herbology” or “Care of Magical Creatures”
4. This strategy strengthens the narrative you’ve created in tip 1. By changing your terminology to represent your fantastical world, you build intrigue for your child’s studies. 
5. A later suggestion mentions taking on characters while working. Have your child adopt a persona w/n their fantasy. You can be one too! All helps to immerse yourselves in the gamification setting and have fun with learning. 
6. Instant Feedback: I see this being most useful to parents of young children with a points...

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network 

Show Name: Beyond a Bedtime Story

Episode Title: Introducing MLK’s Legacy 

Episode #8

You are listening to Beyond a Bedtime Story the podcast with your host Emily.

In this episode of Beyond a Bedtime Story the Podcast I will discuss ways to introduce Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy to young children.

Hi, Welcome back, I’m your host Emily, and you’re listening to Beyond a Bedtime Story: A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Reading! With this episode you’ll be one step closer to taking your bedtime stories to the next level, so let’s get into it! I found the idea for this episode when 

• MLK day (this year Jan 15) → always 3rd monday in January 

Research sources for how to introduce race, heavy historical topics: https://k12database.unc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/31/2019/06/TipsControversialIssues.pdf  

Provides advice for educators but it is also applicable to parents 

• “Despite the sensitive nature of these subjects, do not sanitize or simplify the past or present”
• “While it is certainly our responsibility to teach the ‘hard history,’ we must also teach the ways various individuals, groups, organizations, etc. have resisted throughout each and every time period. Help students see that in today’s world, which is still grappling with so many of the same issues, they are our future leaders
• Teaching w/ hope 
• The picture books I selected emphasize this (describes resistance from black Americans, such as the Bus Boycott) 
• Advises teachers to know their students well enough: can they handle the material? Are they represented w/n the material? 
• YOU as a PARENT know your child → have a better sense of what they know of the world already and where they may need guidance, but also ensure that you are willing to challenge your child w/ exposing them to new things 
• Advises teachers to create safe space
• YOU as a PARENT w/n YOUR HOME your child is inherently safe with you and that environment, extra level of comfort may make these difficult discussion easier
• By beginning the conversions at home, your child may be extra prepared for classroom content 
• Validate & support frustrating feelings 
• Encourage your child to be honest about if they feel nervous or upset when...

Hopewell Valley Student Podcasting Network 

Show Name: Beyond a Bedtime Story

Episode Title: “Being Bicultural” Discussion & Book Review

Episode #7

You are listening to Beyond a Bedtime Story the podcast with your host Emily.

In this episode of Beyond a Bedtime Story the Podcast I will discuss my experiences growing up in a bicultural family, review the multilingual alphabet book A is for Bee by Ellen Heck, and explain how my bicultural identity has impacted decisions as an author. 

Hi, Welcome back, I’m your host Emily, and you’re listening to Beyond a Bedtime Story: A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Reading! With this episode you’ll be one step closer to taking your bedtime stories to the next level, so let’s get into it! 

Today, my podcast is inspired by my childhood, growing up in a bicultural family as a Colombian American. 

My mom immigrated here from Colombia when she was 10. My dad is white and has always lived in NJ. 

• Wasn’t taught language as a child
• Stuck in the shower story 
• Having my hispanicness be questioned 
• Growing into my identity: spanish linguistics, work, understanding fluently  

• Book = A is for Bee by Ellen Heck 

Alright, I’m back and ready to dive in! Now, instead of referring to specific page numbers, I’ll be identifying page numbers by letter, as this is an alphabet book. So, as always, if you have the book, definitely feel free to follow along

I don’t have a rigid set of strategies for this book as I feel the content’s importance speaks for itself. 

• Goals: 
• Introducing your child to the idea of a global world: languages, cultures 
• Expanding their viewpoint to include languages they’re not familiar with, are not regularly exposed to
• Increase engagement by looking out for words embedded in illustrations

• Discussion of my own writing process: attempt to include bicultural characters + images 
• Realizing that as an author I have the opportunity to present the stories that I was missing growing up 
• Normalizing being bicultural in everyday life and seeing culturally significant...