Vancouver Family Magazine January 2020

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Best of 2020 W I N N E R S How Clark County

Home-Schools

Closing the Million-word Reading Gap

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contents

January ‘20

22

FEATURE ARTICLES

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The Modern Home School Experience How Clark County Home-Schools

18

Book Nooks and the Million-Word Gap Why reading to kids early makes a difference, and how to make it fun for the whole family

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Best of Vancouver 2020 Check out who nabbed top honors--as voted by you!

IN EVERY ISSUE

18

8

12

6

Editor’s Notes

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The New Domesticity Copying from the masters to learn a skill

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Renaissance Dad Everybody's a genius

28

Calendar of Events & Activities

ON THE WEB • Theater Review: Oregon Children’s Theatre presents "Dragons Love Tacos" • Editor’s Picks • Browse archive issues • Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

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Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

• Mondays & Thursdays, ages 6-18 • Classes in 6 or 8 week sessions • Qualified instructors teaching age-appropriate, secular classes • Elective-style coursework to supplement home instruction • Encourages peer connections and community building

Firstenburg Homeschool Community cityofvancouver.us/FCChomeschool

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EDITOR'S NOTES

Photo: Scarlette Richards – scarlette.squarespace.com

Reading as Therapy In a 2015 article in The New Yorker, novelist and biographer Ceridwen Dovey shared her experience consulting a “bibliotherapist” for the first time. “Bibliotherapy,” Dovey

explained, “takes many different forms, from literature courses run for prison inmates

to reading circles for elderly people suffering from dementia.

Sometimes it can simply mean one-on-one or group sessions for

‘lapsed’ readers who want to find their way back to an enjoyment of books.” Dovey’s particular therapist assessed her current anxieties and recommended specific books—fiction books, not self-help or medical—to help her process her feelings. Can reading, in and of itself, really be therapy?

Dovey says yes. “Reading has been shown to put our brains into a

pleasurable trance-like state, similar to meditation,” she wrote, “and

www.VancouverFamilyMagazine.com

Volume 19, Issue 1 Publisher

Julie Buchan Julie@vancouverfamilymagazine.com (360) 882-7762

Editor

Nikki Klock Nikki@vancouverfamilymagazine.com (360) 882-7762

Associate Editor

Sarah Mortensen Sarah@vancouverfamilymagazine.com

Graphic Designer

I-Shüan Warr Ishuan@vancouverfamilymagazine.com

Ad Designer

Philip Nerat addesign@vancouverfamilymagazine.com

Contributing Writers

Julianna Lawson, Carrie Lynn, Sarah Mortensen, Perry P. Perkins

it brings the same health benefits of deep relaxation and inner calm.

sales@vancouverfamilymagazine.com

esteem, and lower rates of depression than non-readers.” Her article

Vancouver Family Magazine is published monthly by Vancouver Kidz Magazine, LLC

Regular readers sleep better, have lower stress levels, higher self-

focused on adults for whom reading fiction has been a transformative

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life experience, emotionally and physically, but kids likely experience

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the same advantages. In our October 2018 issue of Vancouver Family acquisition, empathy development and solution exploration among

the many benefits kids experience from reading with their families.

Growing up in a complicated and overexposed world of ideas makes these skills especially crucial for the coming generation.

Get inspired to make books and stories a regular part of your

Vancouver Kidz Magazine, LLC and staff do not recommend or endorse any service, product, or content represented in this magazine or on our website.

The sole purpose of this publication is to provide information on available services and/or products. It is the consumer’s responsibility to verify the accuracy of information given. Vancouver Kidz Magazine, LLC, and/or Julie Buchan and Nikki Klock and staff do not assume and disclaim any liability to any party for any loss or damage caused by error or omission in this magazine or on our website. We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone.

family’s New Year on page 18.

“Reading fiction makes me lose all sense of self, but at the same time makes me feel most uniquely myself.”

– Ceridwen Dovey

Nikki Klock, Editor nikki@vancouverfamilymagazine.com

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Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

On the Cover: 4-year old Davis of Vancouver is a lover of life, connoisseur of all things food, and can't wait to be a big boy and join his older brothers at school next year.

Photo by Caley Marston.

Sweet Abandon Photography SweetAbandonPhotography.com

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THE NEW DOMESTICITY

the

NEW DOMESTICITY

1

OLD-FASHIONED

By Julianna Lawson

COP YWO R K

“I can’t invent, I can only copy,” thus confessed

one of the most delightfully successful creatives in all of children’s literature, Beatrix Potter. Yet, who among us would have the audacity to turn the pages of “Peter Rabbit” and sniff, “What’s so original about this?” Hers was an imaginative originality, ultimately one that became her own, yet born and bred through years of studying and recreating the work of those who had gone before her.

Indeed, as Potter’s biographer Margaret Lane reveals, “From babyhood Beatrix had had a passion for paint-box and pencil, and her earliest drawings had nearly all been of animals and birds, copied from plates in old-fashioned natural histories.” She would later draw from real life (or, somewhat gruesomely, from death), sketching and painting her furry companions: rabbits, mice, and even a “dead fox from heaven knows where.” These companions evolved into a world where “rabbits walk upright, skate on ice, carry umbrellas” and continue, a century later, to charm millions.

Mark Twain argued that there’s no such thing as an original thought or idea: every creative endeavor upon which we embark is nurtured by outside influences and prior discoveries. In essence, humans are creatives who copy. But don’t let such a reduced statement deflate your hopes and dreams! Each time we copy with the intent to learn and understand, we are working toward something uniquely us. And therefore, an old-fashioned copywork is really an impetus for growth and development, in young and old alike.

While writing just now, I happened to glance out the window in time to see a sleek, charcoal-grey neighborhood cat sauntering through our backyard. Over time, he has beaten down a narrow path through the grass, and it’s rather a common sight to find him wending his way toward the arborvitae with mysterious intentions.

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Less common was today’s sight: the cat proudly carried a tied-up Target bag in his teeth. No doubt there is a prosaic explanation.

Most likely it is someone’s garbage sack, swiped from a windtossed porch by our fearless prowler. Yet this is just the sort of image that reminds me that I, too, am one who copies. I see a cat with a shopping bag during the holiday season and can’t help but create a merry little animal world for him. A world influenced, no doubt, by Beatrix Potter.

A new year dawns, naturally inviting a host of creative prompts.

What better time to awaken and guide our children’s artistic pursuits through the time-honored discipline of copywork? So, rather than place a blank sheet of paper before a timid child with the hopeful yet vague direction, “OK, go ahead and draw,” teach him to copy the masters. Start small and seek out simple yet whimsical line drawings from favorite authors such as Sandra Boynton, Dr. Seuss and H.A. Rey. Join your child in learning to sketch the images before you, and over time, I bet you will both be rather impressed with your ability to recreate The Man with the Yellow Hat! As author and speaker Sally Clarkson would advise, “Be a student of your child,” and seek to find her creative bent. She may not enjoy drawing, sketching, or painting, but what if she’s a budding photographer, dancer, or actor? Here again, look to the masters for inspiration. Watch old black and white movies and notice the way the greats like Katharine Hepburn and Danny Kaye lit up the screen with their comedic sense of timing and witty banter. Cue up dance scenes featuring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, or find coffee-table sized library books filled with old photographs to inspire film study.

If your child is a writer, fill his mind with excellent literature. Read, read, read . . . and then read some more. Guide him in copying

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

continued on next page

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paragraphs from the masters—from Boynton to Brontë, and he or she will get a feel for well-chosen words and compelling sentence structure. Or, perhaps your child can’t stay out of the kitchen.

Study “The Great British Baking Show” together and learn about laminating, proving, and sifting. Then, best of all, treat your family to scrumptious delicacies as you experiment.

is our turn to admire and learn from those who have gone before us. As songwriter Andrew Peterson says, let us “humbly approach creative work” and welcome the New Year with growth, ambition, and our own creative spin on the art forms that continue to bring joy and beauty to our great world.

Whether your child is drawn to magic tricks, dog training, woodworking, hairstyling, or music, invite her to dive in and go for it. We have the largest store of resources at our disposal at this point in history, both through the ease of gleaning online material and through the obvious fact that we are the current generation. It

Julianna Lawson and her husband Jamie make their home in Vancouver with their four children, ages 14 to 21. As young children, Julianna and her sister especially enjoyed copying their mother, and often did so through independent culinary experiments. (They quickly discovered that there is more to making soup than simply stirring together cold water and chopped carrots.)

“There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope.

We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.” ―Mark Twain, in “Mark Twain’s Own Autobiography: The Chapters from the North American Review” (University of Wisconsin Press, 1990)

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

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RENAISSANCE DAD

Photos courtesy of the author

By Perry P. Perkins “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

–Albert Einstein This is one of my all-time favorite quotes. One that I wish I’d heard earlier in life, but it’s no less true today than it would have been in my childhood.

I know it’s true, because I was a fish who thought he was just stupid.

Back when attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was defined as, “Doesn’t live up to his potential” (a term I still despise 35 years later) and the accepted treatment was detention, I wandered through the halls of various academic institutions vaguely aware that everyone else seemed to speak a language I didn’t understand.

If someone had told me that I thought outside the box (a phrase which wouldn’t be coined for a number of years), my probable response would have been: “Wait . . . there’s a box?”

It turns out that I didn’t need to focus.

I didn’t need more discipline.

I just needed someone to understand that maybe, just maybe, I didn’t need to know how to climb a tree, because climbing trees wasn’t what I was meant to do.

Albert Einstein, who would become one of the greatest scientific minds in history and lay the groundwork for modern physics, was an abysmal student. In fact, some of his teachers thought he may have a serious functioning deficit when he was still unable to speak fluently at age nine. He was nicknamed “der Depperte”— the dopey one.

A fish out of water, age 9 - Seriously, the glasses didn't help.

felt that his bad attitude was affecting his classmates. Soon after, he tried to enter the Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland, but he failed the entrance examination in every subject but math.

Sounds like a fish in a tree to me.

I wasn’t any fonder of school than ol’ Albert.

Each morning I’d drag myself to the bus stop like a bootless P.O.W. Sure, once in a while we’d get to dissect a frog or something equally cool, but those sunbeams were few and far between.

Then there was math . . . ahh math . . . my lifelong foe . . . the fly in my soup, the Darth Vader to my Rebel Alliance.

Most of my teachers, from preschool right through college were great, dedicated, caring people (albeit over-worked, underappreciated, and underpaid. Some things never change.).

Ms. Fungus, my 7th grade math teacher, however, was not one of them.

Ms. Fungus looked like the wicked witch of the West . . . with a perpetual case of acid reflux.

Einstein hated school and was expelled at 16 because teachers

Go to VancouverFamilyMagazine.com for facts and fiction about Einstein’s childhood and early academic life.

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Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

continued on next page

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Her eyes would scan the classroom, not unlike a hyena hungrily scanning a herd of young wildebeests, looking for the weak ones.

I’m pretty sure that if it had been up to Ms. Fungus, I would still be in detention.

Take the time to learn what makes your child swim, or climb, or soar.

See, I could do the problems in my head. That part was easy, and my answers were invariably correct. It was just that somewhere between my brain and my No. 2 pencil, a mathematical Tower of Babel rose to block my path.

If they love art class, buy them paints. If they love writing, read everything they give you and, if they love dissecting frogs, well . . . maybe keep an eye on them.

And then let them.

Perry P. Perkins is a third-generation chef, award-winning writer, and culinary instructor in Longview. He operates the MY KITCHEN Outreach Program, for at-risk and under-served youth. His writing has appeared in hundreds of publications, including many “Chicken Soup for the Soul” anthologies.

Typically, this inability to show my work led to accusations of using a calculator to do my homework. I would deny cheating, and try to explain. Ms. Fungus, with a smack of her crooked broom, would invariably snap at me, in her eye-of-newt breath, “You’re not going to carry a calculator with you every day of your life, you know!”

P.S. Ms. Fungus, if you’re out there and reading this, I just want to tell you that I know you were just doing your job, the best you knew how, and had no way of knowing that we would all, in fact, carry a calculator everywhere we go, every day . . . thanks to a little device that my fellow fish, Steve Jobs, created.

(Okay, I may have added the crooked broom thing, but the breath was no joke.)

And so it went through science, geography and chemistry. I would spend every school day staring at the clock and waiting for that blessed buzzer to ring.

During the seemingly endless years of my high school incarceration, I was enrolled in algebra every year. Every single year. I was presented with the exact same curriculum in the exact same way and, like clockwork, I flunked it every year.

P.P.S. I also hope—and I mean this sincerely and from the bottom of my heart—the flying monkeys eventually turned on you.

I was told that I simply suffered from math anxiety.

Whatever I suffered from, it nearly proved fatal, and never has any student been so happy to tunnel under the wall of finals and find themselves in the wide-open fields of graduation.

Now, in fairness to my younger self, what I lacked in the sciences, I made up for in the arts. My grades in the former classes usually teetered precariously near the bottom of the curve, while my accomplishments in English, history, theatre, and creative writing would carry me, if sometimes on a stretcher, through high school.

Thirty years later, I’m a professional writer. Apparently, despite all of the trees . . . I found my pond. Now I have my own little Einstein, and we’re learning what works best for her, what she enjoys, and what she struggles with. Most importantly, we’re learning to cut down those trees that don’t really need to be there.

tein

My own little Eins

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

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Feature: The Modern Home School Experience

Go to VancouverFamilyMagazine.com for links to the Clark County home-school resources mentioned in this article.

MODERN The

Home School Experience MORE FAMILIES

are choosing to home-school than ever before, and the trend does not look to be slowing down. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the percentage of home-schooled students has doubled since 1999. And that number does not even account for students who are enrolled in online schools or home-schooling only parttime. Defining what actually constitutes “home school” is changing rapidly and new options are opening up for students who want more flexibility in their education than the traditional route offers.

THE CHOICE TO HOMESCHOOL Pitsul decided to home-school when her oldest was about to head to kindergarten. “I didn’t feel like my 5-year-old son was ready to be at school for 6-plus hours each day,” she shares.

She is not alone. Rachaal Castillo, a Vancouver mom of two, explains her choice to begin homeschooling from day one. “As a mom of boys, I know that having to sit all day is hard and I think home-schooling gives us a little more freedom for my boys to be active, move around and learn in other ways than the typical methods used in public schools.”

Despite the newfound popularity, some misconceptions still linger concerning the quality, process and families of home-schoolers; foremost the myth that children kept from school are isolated and lack social skills. Assumptions that home-school families are authoritative and overbearing, or even passive un-schoolers do not paint the real picture of a day in the life of most home-schooled children. Headlines such as Business Insider’s “Home-schooling is the New Path to Harvard” are beginning to show outsiders that home-schoolers are competitive contenders in business and education; yet, parents still often face judgment by friends and family who subtly question their choice. “As home-schooling parents, we know that we are taking a huge responsibility upon ourselves to educate our children. It is easy to get discouraged when people start to question your ability and qualifications,” says Olga Pitsul, a Vancouver mom who has been home-schooling her children for eight years.

Mary Nielsen, Vancouver a mom of eight, wanted more balance for her family, which led her to home-school her younger children. “The public school schedule was hard on our family time,” she says. “When they were home, they had homework and were stressed and tired. I felt like I had very little time with my kids and few opportunities to teach them things like cooking and yardwork, or just playing together.” One of her daughters still takes band and history at Alki Middle School, and her oldest is enrolled in the Running Start program through Clark College.

Some families of students with special needs feel that they can better meet the needs of their children at home. Joanna Harvey is a Vancouver mom of four. One of her daughters has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“Staring at a blank math worksheet was torture for her, so I switched her to Khan Academy. She was able to go through five grades’ worth of lessons in two years and caught up to her grade continued on page 14

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Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

Photos courtesy of Joanna Harvey

By Sarah Mortensen

Top to bottom: Joanna Harvey’s kids, Wynessa and Everett, at Lan Su Chinese Garden; Everett and Wynessa measuring out how long a megalodon was; Wynessa dissecting owl pellets at an OMSI science field trip; the Harvey kids hike the Moulton Falls trail with their nature group.

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Feature: The Modern Home School Experience (cont'd) continued from page 12

LOCAL PROGRAMS Flexibility, freedom, and personalization are the main selling points of a homeschool education. However, that doesn’t mean that home-school students are necessarily learning different skills than their peers. All students in the state of Washington are required to take standardized exams at different points in the school year for progress monitoring purposes. How home-school parents choose to teach those skills is completely up to them. Some families opt to buy a curriculum set online, following pre-made lesson plans, while others pick and choose from a variety of sources including Khan Academy and their local libraries. Homeschoolers can get an educator card from the library with extended book limits (100 instead of 50), hold limits and borrowing times.

a commonwealth has been the key to successful home-schooling for us,” says Sue Simper, Vancouver mom of three.

“Not only do the kids have a strong social group, but the moms (and a few dads too) need it even more. We encourage each other, share ideas, and spend lots of time together outside of school in book clubs and activities.” New Commonwealth Schools is a framework many co-ops use.

It subscribes to the philosophies of “A Thomas Jefferson Education: Teaching a Generation of Leaders for the Twenty-First Century,” by Oliver Demille (TJEdOnline. com, 2009), in which the ultimate goal is for children to become personally responsible for their own education and pursue their passions without prompting.

Children observing their parents as active learners is a main tenet of the program.

Firmly Planted Family Homeschool Resource Center is a Christian ministry dedicated to supporting home-school families. They offer a breadth of classes for all ages that can be taken a la carte, including core subjects. Firmly Planted provides a community for students and parents to learn from each other.

Parents can get advice on curriculum or techniques that other parents have used, and help each other along the way. Inside, Headwaters Bookstore supplies new and

Co-ops or commonwealths are one way home-school families pool resources to create a school of their own. Parents share teaching responsibilities and organize projects as a group. Typically, children are not divided into grades, and “school” is only held a few days a week for a short period of time. “Being part of

Sue Simper conducting a home school biology unit about animal classifications.

14

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

used home-school curriculum and The Raft coffee shop provides joy in a cup.

Field trips, tutoring, and clubs connect students just as a traditional school would.

Firstenburg Homeschool Community is a new program of Vancouver Parks and Recreation. Unlike Firmly Planted, the program is not affiliated with any religion or worldview, but it does offer a wide variety of elective-style classes in 6-8week sessions. Additionally, they welcome suggestions for new class offerings to fill the needs and interests of home-school students in the area. Foreign languages, acting, knitting, art, swimming lessons and math are just some of the course offerings.

These classes, especially designed for home-schoolers, are taught by educators, experts or qualified parents. Those who register for at least two classes a day have access to a free public swim on Mondays or Thursdays.

PUBLIC SCHOOL OPTIONS FOR HOMEBASED LEARNING Charter schools are growing in popularity, and online charters are growing faster than most. In Washington, Columbia Virtual Academy, Washington Connections Academy and K12 Academy are all tuitionfree online public schools. Through these options, students enjoy the flexibility of continued on page 16

Photo courtesy of Sue Simper

level in junior high.” Her younger son was born with apraxia which is a condition that makes producing speech incredibly difficult. His first language was American Sign Language and he spent several years in speech therapy. He is currently diagnosed with social communication disorder, a language processing disorder.

“He can feel socially awkward,” says Harvey. “Yet, he’s bright and funny and he will become quite talkative once he gets to know someone. I’ve been able to find curriculum that appeals to his interests and is appropriate to his grade level. But I modify the language arts aspects to meet him where he’s at.”

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Class schedule for more class dates and locations available at:

www.learningtobuyahome.com

www.traciedemars.com (link for upcoming classes)

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

15

Feature: The Modern Home School Experience (cont'd) continued from page 14

when to study but still have structure and deadlines. Students work with state-certified teachers and have class meetings online. This way, students have access to an online community of peers and can join clubs with others with similar interests through the school. Some areas even organize field trips like the pumpkin patch for elementary-age students. What makes this option different from true home-schooling, is that the curriculum is created by the charter school, not parents, and must conform to state standards.

Some home-schoolers choose to switch to an online charter during high school in order to earn a diploma.

Seeing the demand for more home-based options, local districts have created new ways parents can support their child’s learning from home while still being enrolled and participating in public school in some capacities. These options require the same active support from parents as traditional home-schooling for children to progress in their learning. Castillo’s son uses the River HomeLink program offered through Battle Ground School District. “He goes to school two times a week and is taught the district curriculum for reading, writing, and social studies,” she explains.

“They have curriculum for the parents to take home for the other subjects, including math and science. Parents volunteer in class twice a month.” The flexibility allows students to progress at their own pace, especially for young students who may be used to taking a nap during the school day.

Older students have more time to pursue individual interests, sometimes for credit at the high school level. Evergreen School District’s equivalent program is called Home Choice Academy.

Vancouver Public Schools (VPS) offers a variety of “alternative learning” programs, most of which are housed at the Lieser School campus, and each of which have a home-based element. Vancouver Home Connection is a parent partnership program that serves K-10th grade, and whose middle school component includes 2-, 3- or 5-day per week class schedule options. Virtual Learning Academy serves middle and high school students through a program that is primarily online, but which requires students to meet with teachers on campus for at least 2.5 hours once per week, and also provides students with a Focus Friday option for career readiness skills and seminars. Vancouver Flex Academy is not housed at Lieser or considered an alternative learning program per state guidelines, but it does combine “face-to-face instruction with online, digital and experiential learning” for “motivated, hard-working students who will excel in a non-traditional school setting.”

Each of these VPS programs emphasizes before enrollment that students must be highly motivated in order to be successful.

HOME SCHOOL LIFE An average day for a home-school student varies widely. Many are enrolled in outside sports, music lessons, and supplemental classes previously mentioned. Waking up, getting ready for the day, and driving to and from classes is part of the routine—even when your school is at your house. When at home, the integration between school and family life is so entwined that school can go on all day. “It’s almost impossible to quantify the hours we spend home-schooling because we are

Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center will host an “All About Homeschooling” Conference on January 18. Find details at VancouverFamilyMagazine.com/calendar.

16

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

almost always together and learning,” explains Julie Morris, Vancouver mom of six and a former public school teacher.

“From cooking and gardening to reading an inspiring classic book at breakfast and bedtime, the learning never ends. The most positive result of home-schooling my kids is providing an environment that helps maintain their love of learning and allows them to go through the phases of learning without the constraints of a classroom.”

Sarah Mortensen recently completed her degree in marriage and family studies and works for Vancouver Public School as a paraeducator. When Sarah is not reading to her kids or students, she is probably in her backyard taking care of her vegetable garden. She also enjoys hiking, hot chocolate, and dressing up for Halloween. She lives in Vancouver with her husband, son and daughter.

The learning never stops at the Morris household. Photos courtesy of Julie Morris

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17

Feature: Book Nooks: Closing the Million-Word Gap

Closing the Million-Word Gap

By Carrie Lynn

T

he heat of the attic overwhelmed me.

Memories did, too. Tucked in plastic totes were myriad books we had read to our kids.

Fun books like Dr. Seuss’s “Hop on Pop” or Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” mixed in with deeper stories like “Snow Treasure” and “The Secret Garden.” Of course, series such as “The Great Brain” and “The Chronicles of Narnia” were there too. Every one of these books had been enjoyed multiple times during family reading and quiet personal time.

Early on in our home we began family reading. My husband and I were both readers. We had no big goals beyond sharing books with our kids. For us, reading was part of joy, discovery and leisure. What we didn’t know then was, we were “Million-Word Gap” closers.

In a 2019 study, the Journal of Developmental and Pediatric Behaviors found 25% of caregivers never read to their

18

children. This lack of one-on-one reading is leading to a learning crisis called the “million-word gap.” In short, many children under the age of five are 1.4 million words deficient by the time they start school.

This gap in learning carries over into every other area of study. G. Reid Lyon, Ph.D. states, “Reading skill serves as the major avenue to learning about other people, about history and social studies, the language arts, science, mathematics, and the other content subjects that must be mastered in school. When children do not learn to read, their general knowledge, their spelling and writing abilities and their vocabulary suffer in kind. Reading skill serves as the major foundational skill for all school-based learning, and without it, the chances for academic and occupational success are limited indeed.”

Today, reading aloud to kids is a diminishing art. With that loss comes a

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

greater concern: loss of diverse learning.

The good news is that this gap can be closed. Much like adding nutrition to a diet, some simple changes to daily life can kickstart a healthy reading habit and increase a lifetime of learning. A few simple tricks can turn on the tap of family reading enjoyment.

B o o k N o o k:

Make books accessible.

Keep your family reading material visible.

Leave your book on a coffee table or night stand. For small children, put stacks of books on low shelves or in baskets where they can be easily reached. Select books with brightly colored illustrations or cute animals to grab their attention.

R e a d i n g St a t i o n :

Create a reading corner, complete with table, chairs, pillows, or tents. Add coloring paper and crayons or pencils so kids can illustrate or doodle while you read aloud. continued on page 20

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Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

19

Feature: Book Nooks: Closing the Million-Word Gap (cont'd) continued from page 18

M a k e T i m e:

We make and keep appointments for other parts of our lives.

Do the same with reading. Write it in to your daily schedule. Remind your kids it’s coming up. Get everyone excited to read!

A d u lt T i m e:

The adage, “Readers are leaders” applies here. Kids are mimics. It’s how they learn to walk, run and talk. Carve out time every day to read for yourself offline. Meghan Cox Guron, author of “The Enchanted Hour: The Miraculous Power of Reading Aloud in the Age of Distraction” (Harper, 2019) s a y s ,

“Babies look at adults to see where they are looking. So, if we’re glued to an electronic device, that’s what will draw their gaze, too.” Grab a book, get the newspaper, order a magazine. Curl up and read. Daily.

Field Trips:

Trek on over to bookstores, like Dickens Children’s Books and Barnes & Noble, or any of the Fort Vancouver Regional Library District locations. Make it a family field trip. In libraries and bookstores, inaudible whispers call from the shelves as you stroll the aisles. Colorful, dramatic, inviting art coaxes you to peek, touch, and investigate the book. Grab a stack. Settle in. Flip the pages. Slip into another world.

Pa r k D a y s : Leave the stress of home behind. Pack a bag or backpack. Grab a blanket for the ground. Add a couple of favorite stories. Bring along a healthy snack. Set up camp. Lay out and watch

20

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

the clouds roll by. Then read aloud while imaginations take flight. Scientists at the University of Sussex record that “reading a book or newspaper for six minutes (a day) lowered stress levels by 68%.” Add in being outside and that stress-free rate will likely drop again.

Becoming a million-word gap closer is one of the easiest and most rewarding activities you pursue. Connections humans crave will be enhanced. Imaginations will increase. Cognitive abilities will develop.

And in the end, you will be helping the next generation of scientists, historians, musicians, and chefs. Take six minutes to grab a book. Start reading.

Carrie Lynn is an avid reader and emerging writer living in Vancouver. Her first memoir, “Finding Fitzgerald,” is now available at www.widopublishing.com. When not reading or writing, she can be found coordinating Vancouver’s nonprofit Winter Hospitality Overflow (W.H.O.) or traveling with her family.

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21

Feature: Best of Vancouver 2020

Best of

.

N I E R A S E T O THE V

2020

Vancouver Family Magazine is proud to announce the winners of our 12th annual Best of Vancouver awards, as voted by you, our readers! Take a peek at who nabbed top honors.

BEST

ESTHER SHORT PARK

BEST

public square in the state of Washington, Esther Short Park attracts individuals, families and large events throughout the year, from the community Christmas tree and menorah lightings in November and December to Vancouver Farmers Market in the summer. No special event required, though: the playground, bell tower walking paths *Best ofsquare, Vancouver 12th year running! and water feature beckon families any time.

Photo credit: Vancouver’s Downtown Association

Between Columbia and Esther Streets, and 6th and 8th Streets, Traditionally considered the oldest downtown Vancouver

Pronounced AY-la-NAY, this casino resort lies just off the freeway near Ridgefield and La Center and opened in 2017. Along with gaming space, the complex is home to various restaurants, bars and retails outlets and an entertainment venue hosting local and nationally recognized performers.

22

700 NE 136th Ave. Vancouver 98684 360-487-7001

Firstenburg Community Center is fitness headquarters for every member of the family, with a top notch swimming pool (with a slide and a lazy river!), multiple gyms for hoops and volleyball, billiard and ping pong tables, fitness equipment and classes, and more, plus special youth and family events held here throughout the year.

www.cityofvancouver.us/firstenburg

BEST

PIZZA

BEST

Family FITNESS

www.rallypizza.com

PLACE

8070 E Mill Plain Blvd.

Vancouver, WA 98664 360-524-9000 1 Cowlitz Way Ridgefield, WA 98642 1-877-GO-ilani

www.ilaniresort.com

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

Rally Pizza opened its doors in 2016 and has been serving up fun ever since. It all starts with artisan-inspired pizza combinations like fennel sausage with mozzarella and sweet and sour onions and rounds off with frozen custard concretes and sundaes. Come for the food, stay for the frequent family events and entertainment. continued on page 24

Your partner in health When it comes to caring for families, PeaceHealth has a long history of providing family medicine to thousands of our neighbors and friends. We have a diverse team of experienced medical providers available to help you find the right care that fits your life.

These providers are happily accepting new patients.

Kathryn Cox, MD

Leon McCook, MD

Dr. Cox is a Pacific Northwest native. She obtained her Bachelor of Science from Portland State University, where she was honored with the President’s Award for Outstanding Community Engagement. She is committed to providing quality, personalized healthcare. Dr. Cox has a special interest in serving individuals with intellectual disabilities and enjoys spending time with her family.

Dr. McCook’s philosophy to patient care is working collaboratively, treating care as a conversation that includes listening, educating, setting attainable goals and providing close follow-up. While a generalist by training, he has developed skills in asthma, diabetes, select small skin procedures and LGBT medicine.

Jami Rice, PA-C Jami Rice is a physician assistant for PeaceHealth Family Medicine.

Her passion is caring for patients throughout their lifespans. She believes strongly in caring for the whole person through active listening and developing trusting relationships, while focusing on health promotion, education and preventive care.

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360-727-0991 | peacehealth.org/vfm Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

23

Feature: Best of Vancouver 2020 (cont’d)

continued from page 22

THE

HEATHMAN LODGE

BEST Photo Credit: The Heathman Lodge

7801 NE Greenwood Dr. • Vancouver, WA 98662 360-254-3100 Seasonal and local fare make Hudson’s Bar and Grill a foodie magnet, and the adjoined Heathman Lodge pays homage to the Pacific Northwest with unique art pieces on display and a decidedly rustic character.

www.heathmanlodge.com

BEST

ily Dinn Fam er E R I E NCE EXP

BEST 17707 SE Mill Plain Blvd.

Vancouver, WA 98683 360-828-5139

Kiddos (and kids at heart) can build their own pizza or calzone, or enjoy kids’ menu items that include a quinoa bowl, pretzel dog, and chicken caeser salad along with the usual kids’ options.

The paper kids’ menu invites kids to eat with intention through prompts for “mindful eating” such as “Look at your food, think about it. Where did it come from?”

www.hopworksbeer.com/eat/vancouver

BEST

IT'S A TIE!

WILDFIN AMERICAN GRILL

777 Waterfront Way, Ste. 101 • Vancouver, WA 98660 360-718-7701 Located at Grant Street Pier on the new waterfront, WildFin has made a splash in vitalizing Vancouver’s emerging focal point. Spacious and modern ambiance pair with a menu that is certainly seafood-centered but including other staple favorites like ribeye and petite tender steak, a house burger and a creative and extensive appetizer list.

www.wildfindamericangrill.com/vancouver-restaurant

7801 NE Greenwood Dr. Vancouver, WA 98662 360-254-3100

www.hudsonsbarandgrill.com

In the lodge-rustic surroundings of The Heathman Lodge, Hudson’s Bar and Grill serves up beautiful seasonal and local fare with occasional live music on the side.

www.hudsonsbarandgrill.com

BEST

BEST

*Best of Vancouver 12th year running!

AN D

AN D

BIG AL'S 16615 SE 18th St. Vancouver, WA 98683 360-944-6118

It’s so much more than bowling.

Yes, Big Al’s boasts not one, but two full bowling alleys with 42 state-of-the-art bowling lanes, including 12 plush VIP lanes.

But throw in a full restaurant, an epic sports bar, plus an arcade, and it’s no wonder Big Al’s is family night central year round.

www.ilovebigals.com continued on page 26

24

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

Dream big. Plan ahead.

With Washington College Savings Plans, you can start planning, save for college, and invest for a brighter future.

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Learn more at wastate529.wa.gov GET and DreamAhead are qualified tuition programs sponsored and distributed by the State of Washington. The Committee on Advanced Tuition Payment and College Savings administers and the Washington Student Achievement Council supports the plans. DreamAhead investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. If in-state tuition decreases in theMagazine future, GET tuition units may lose value.

Vancouver Family • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020 25

Feature: Best of Vancouver 2020 (cont’d)

continued from page 24

BEST

BURGER

FISHERS LANDING: 1525 SE 164th Ave. • Vancouver, WA 98683 HAZEL DELL: 616 NE 81st St. • Vancouver, WA 98665 360-836-5274 Peanut butter pickle bacon burger? Yes, please! It might be the most unusual burger combo you’ve ever heard, but it also happens to be, well, killer. Top it off with all the fries you can eat and lots of rock and roll. Kids will love the Hazel Dell location’s interior lighted tree sculpture.

www.killerburger.com

BEST

Children's

Clothing

BEST

STORE

STORE

PIPSQUEAK RESALE BOUTIQUE

*Best of Vancouver 12th year running!

A kids’ clothing resale shop right at the mall!

Shop hundreds of gently used baby gear and clothing items, with new inventory constantly on arrival.

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8700 NE Vancouver Mall Dr. (inside Vancouver Mall) Vancouver, WA 98662 360-597-4715

BEST

Spa Salon

IT'S A TIE!

CAMAS MEDSPA

Founded in 2006, with a mission to provide toys designed to inspire children’s imagination, this mom and pop toy shop also hosts “crafternoon” activities, financial literacy workshops for kids, musical performances and other special events.

Photo Credit: Kazoodles

www.pipsqueakresale.com

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14300 SE 1st St. • Vancouver, WA 98684 360-335-4951 Clark County’s true medspa offers treatments from head to toe including skin care, Botox, Kybella, facial fillers, laser hair removal, and truSculpt body shaping.

BEST

www.camasmedspa.com

ATHENA DAY SPA

2702 NE 78th St. • Vancouver, WA 98665 360-573-4813

10910 NE Fourth Plain Blvd.

Vancouver, WA 98662 360-885-2786

Massage, facial, nails, haircut and color?

Don’t mind if we do! It’s a one-stop shop for all things beauty, inside and out.

A historic house conveniently located on Fourth Plain near Gher Rd. is a treat to walk through and discover great finds for all things baby.

www.athenadayspasalon.com 26

TI NY H I NYS

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

www.tinyhinys.com

Montessori Education Imagine. Explore. Create. Grow. Excel.

Confidence-building, child-centered education for children 16 months old through the 8th grade

Clark County Montessori schools invite you to experience the Montessori difference first hand. Contact a school today to arrange a personal tour.

Blue Spruce Montessori Children’s House Serving Children Ages 2 ½ Through 6 Years Old 360-314-4190 www.bluesprucemontessoriwa.com

Blue Spruce Montesori Ages: 2 ½ - 6 years old 360-314-4190

Cascadia School Ages: 1st grade - 8th grade 360-944-8096

Open House: February 1st, 11AM - 2PM

Open House: February 1st, 11 AM - 1 PM

Open House: February 1st 11 AM - 2 PM

Good Shepherd Montessori Lakeshore Montessori School Ages: 2 ½ - 6 years Ages: 2½ - 6 years old 360–573-4103 360-892-7770

Camas Montessori School Ages: 2 ½ - 6 yrs 360-834-7434

Vancouver Montessori School Ages 12 mo. to 6 years 360-256-0872

Open House: January 25, 11AM - 1PM

Open House: Februsay 1st 10 AM - 12 PM

A Peaceful Path Montessori Ages: 16 - 36 months 360-253-7394

www.apeacefulpathmontessori.com

Please call to schedule a tour!

www.bluesprucemontessoriwa.com

www.gsmontessori.org

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Open House: February 1st, 11AM - 1PM

Open House: February 1st, 10AM -12PM

www.cascadiaschool.org

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Skinner Elementary Montessori Ages 2 ½ to 12 years 360-696-4862

www.skinnermontessori.com

www.vancouvermontessori.com

“One test of the correctness of the educational procedures is the happiness of the child.”

- Dr. Maria Montessori

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

27

2020 Calendar

CALENDAR OF EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

January ‘20

of events

S M T W T F S 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

Have a community event that you want to share?

Go to www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com and click on “Calendar” to submit your event. Deadline for print calendar submissions is the 1st of the month prior to the issue.

5 SUNDAY

NW Children’s Theater presents “Matilda the Musical.” (See Jan. 1) 12 pm

NW Children’s Theater presents “Matilda the Musical” at 1819 NW Everett St., Portland.

Tickets $16-$27. 12 pm

7 TUESDAY

2 THURSDAY

Kids’ Fun at La Center Community Library, 1411 NE Lockwood Creek Rd., La Center. Enjoy some STEM fun. Make your own craft and take it home with you. For kids ages 6-12 and their caregivers. 3:30-5 pm

NW Children’s Theater presents “Matilda the Musical.” (See Jan. 1) 12 pm Winter Break Movies at Camas Public Library, 625 NE 4th Ave., Camas. Enjoy movies on a big screen with popcorn. Jan. 2: “Toy Story 4.” 2 pm

10 FRIDAY

Toddler Drive-in at Battle Ground Community Library, 1207 SE 8th Way, Battle Ground. Have fun with your toddler and start the new year with a fancy new car! Decorate box cars, and then watch a short movie afterward. Bring your car home to continue the fun! Open to ages 2-4.

10:30-11:30 am

3 FRIDAY

NW Children’s Theater presents “Matilda the Musical.” (See Jan. 1) 12 pm & 4:30 pm Winter Break Movies at Camas Public Library, 625 NE 4th Ave., Camas. Enjoy movies on a big screen with popcorn. Jan. 3: “Detective Pikachu.” 2 pm

11 SATURDAY

4 SATURDAY

Photo credit: David Kinder

W

2020 Preschool Fair at Vancouver Community

ED - SU

1-5

N

28

Check out our website for even mo re local events .

Events are subject to change. Please contact organization directly to confirm. All library events are free and open to the public.

1 WEDNESDAY

NW Children’s Theater presents “Matilda the Musical.” (See Jan. 1) 12 pm & 4:30 pm

activities

Library, 901 C St., Vancouver. Free familyfriendly event, with 19 preschool providers presenting, including free and low cost options.

ESD 112 and EOCF will be there to see if you qualify for Head Start. Montessori, academic, play-based, and religious preschools all represented. Free admission. 10 am-1 pm

17 FRIDAY

Funtastic Friday at Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St., Vancouver. Are you ready for some fun? Drop in on Friday afternoons for a wide range of creative and interactive projects for all ages. January 17: 3D Design and Clay Sculptures, January 24: Calder Mobiles, January 31: Robot and Mathematical Art. 3:30-5:30 pm

18 SATURDAY

All About Homeschooling Conference at Firmly Planted Homeschool Resource Center, 11100 NE 34th Cir., Vancouver. Three separate workshops for families who want to learn more about home-schooling: 10:30 am-12 pm – Thinking About Homeschooling (Overview) 1-2:30 pm – Homeschool 101 (The Nuts and Bolts) 3:30-5 pm – Homeschool Thru High School (You Can Do It!) Pick and choose which workshop(s) you want to register for. Curriculum Table Talks available between workshops. The Raft coffee shop will be open as well as Headwaters Bookstore. Cost: $10/family each workshop for members, $15/ family each workshop for non-members.

10 am-5 pm Lunar New Year Celebration at Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St., Vancouver. Enjoy a celebration of the Lunar New Year, with crafts for all ages and a performance by traditional Chinese dancers. 12-2 pm Lunar New Year Celebration at Three Creeks Community Library, 800-C NE Tenney Rd., Vancouver. Enjoy a celebration of the Lunar New Year, with crafts for all ages and a performance by traditional Chinese dancers. 2-4 pm Oregon Children’s Theatre Presents “Dragons Love Tacos” at Newmark Theatre, 1111 SW Broadway, Portland. The mind-blowing, earth-shattering, tantalizing secrets of dragons revealed! When Mom runs down the street to pick up dinner, a boy and his faithful dog Leroy encounter a quartet of dancing dragons. Each one has its own unique style and personality, but they all have one thing in common: they’re hungry! This hilarious, dance-filled journey into the field of Dragonology is equal parts ridiculous

continued on page 30

Northwest Children's Theater presents "Matilda the Musical", based on the book by Roald Dahl. Matilda revels in the anarchy of childhood, the power of imagination, and a girl who won’t let being “little” stop her from putting an unjust world right.

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

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1007 E Mill Plain Blvd Vancouver, WA 98663

www.fvrlfoundation.org • 360-906-4700 FVRL Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization registered with the State of Washington.

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

29

Calendar of Events & Activities (cont’d) continued from page 28 and delicious, and has all the ingredients for a fantastic time! Tickets $15-$34. 2 pm & 5 pm Lantern Tour: An Evening at the Fort at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site, 1501 E Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver. Experience the reconstructed Hudson’s Bay Company’s Fort Vancouver at night. As in past years, each adult attending the program will carry their own candle lantern and tour with a Park Ranger through the reconstructed fort’s Counting House, Fur Store, Chief Factor’s House, Kitchen, and Bake House. In each building, visitors will experience historical vignettes with costumed living history interpreters, including graduates of the park’s Youth Volunteer Programs. Visitors will learn what activities would have occurred during the evening hours at Fort Vancouver, and enjoy a cup of hot cider at the end of the tour.

These tours meet at the entrance gate to the reconstructed Fort Vancouver. Admission $10$25. 7:30-9 pm

19 SUNDAY

Oregon Children’s Theatre Presents “Dragons Love Tacos” at Newmark Theatre, Portland. (See Jan. 18) 11 am & 2 pm The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra presents Piano Extravaganza at First Presbyterian Church, 4300 Main St., Vancouver.

Enjoy the fifth annual Piano Extravaganza, “Return of the Duo Grand Pianos.” Tickets $10$25. 3 pm

22 WEDNESDAY

Re-Imagined Radio at Kiggins Theatre, 1011 Main St., Vancouver. Start with a 1936 theatre.

Re-enact historic radio dramas complete with voice actors and Foley sound artists. Garnish with digital SFX, music, and visual backdrops.

Invite a live audience to watch, eat popcorn, and participate via social media. The result: Re-Imagined Radio—storytelling as never before heard or seen. This month: “The Maltese Falcon.” Admission: $10-$12. 7 pm

24 FRIDAY

Funtastic Friday at Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St., Vancouver. (See Jan. 17) 3:30-5:30 pm

25 SATURDAY

The Lost Ark of African American Art, History and Experience at Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St., Vancouver. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) invites you to a special day of presentations at Vancouver Community Library.

1 pm-African dance and talking drums with Habiba Addo 2 pm-The Buffalo Soldiers with Frazier Raymond. Includes a special viewing of the trailer for the documentary, “Buffalo Soldiers of the Pacific Northwest” by Ridgefield filmmaker Dru Holley.

4 pm-Growing Up in Vancouver: a panel discussion with members of the First Families of Vancouver’s African American community African American art and historical displays will be on display in the Columbia Room and on the first floor of the library through February. 9 am-6 pm Health, Wellness & Abundance Show at Vancouver Mall, 8700 NE Vancouver Mall Dr., Vancouver. Demonstrations, wellness products, activities, tips and tools for living a healthier, happier and more financially secure life in 2020.

10 am-4 pm Oregon Children’s Theatre Presents “Dragons Love Tacos” at Newmark Theatre,

Portland. (See Jan. 18) 2 pm & 5 pm

Lantern Tour: An Evening at the Fort at Fort Vancouver National Historic Site. (See Jan. 18) 7:30-9 pm

26 SUNDAY

Oregon Children’s Theatre Presents “Dragons Love Tacos” at Newmark Theatre, Portland. (See Jan. 18) 11 am & 2 pm

31 FRIDAY

Funtastic Friday at Vancouver Community Library, 901 C St., Vancouver. (See Jan. 17) 3:30-5:30 pm

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“...an imaginative place where dentistry happens by pure magic!”

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Emergency Appointments Warm, Supportive Staff

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Dr. Ronald Hsu DDS, M.S. (Board Certified Pediatric Dentist)

30

2115 SE 192nd Avenue, Suite 106 Camas, WA 98607 contact@storybookdental.com

Vancouver Family Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • January 2020

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FAMILY FUN FOR EVERYONE! Find the CLUES Solve the PUZZLES

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advertiser index Camps, Parties & Entertainment Mountain View Ice Arena................................17 NW Escape Experience.................................31 Events FVRL Bookapalooza.......................................29 Oregon Children's Theatre.............................29 Vancouver Parks and Rec/Water Resources Education Center............................................3

Financial Washington College Savings Plans................25

Fitness Mountain View Ice Arena................................17 Naydenov Gymnastics...................................11 Vancouver Parks and Rec..............................32 Vancouver Tennis Center...............................19

Health Adventure Dental............................................19 Barnick Chiropractic.......................................21 Child and Adolescent Clinic..............................2 Evergreen Pediatrics........................................9 Fetyko Family School of Tai Chi and Qi Gong........................................................13 PeaceHealth...................................................23 Priority Life Chiropractic and Massage...........11 Storybook Dental............................................30 Vancouver Clinic.............................................15 Vancouver Vision Clinic..................................21

Legal Schauermann, Thayer, Jacobs, Staples & Edwards PS.....................................7

Retail ArchCrafters.....................................................5 Kazoodles.......................................................29 Vancouver Mall...............................................30

Schools & Education Clark County Montessori Schools..................27 EOCF................................................................3 The Gan Jewish Preschool............................21 King's WayChristian Schools............................5 Firm Foundation Christian School..................17 Naydenov Gymnastics...................................11 Vancouver Parks and Rec................................5

Services Banfield Pet Hospital........................................2

Resources Applied Team Insurance.................................21 EOCF................................................................3 Washington College Savings Plans................25 Home Buyer’s and Seller’s Seminars.............15

Vancouver Vancouver Family Family Magazine Magazine • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • www.vancouverfamilymagazine.com • December • January 2016 2020

31

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Marshall Community Center 1009 E McLoughlin Blvd. | 360-487-7100

cityofvancouver.us/passpromo Offer expires January 31, 2020. Cannot have been a passholder in December 2019. Some exclusions apply. Does not include 1, 3 or 12 months passes.