When We Stayed Home by Tara Fass and Judith A. Proffer

It's wintertime in the northern hemisphere and the COVID-19 pandemic is still going strong. Even though scientists are making progress in manufacturing and distributing vaccines, it's going to be some time before life goes back to normal. During winter, children are often cooped up inside their homes due to bone-chilling temperatures and poor weather conditions. Now that it's winter and we are living through a pandemic, children will be cooped up even more so than usual. It can be boring for them to be in the house day after day. What's a child to do?   In their book When We Stayed Home, authors Tara Fass and Judith A. Proffer offer some suggestions of things children can do. Keep reading to learn more about When We Stayed Home and for a quick language arts minilesson to go with it.

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Author's Summary

With whimsical illustrations and relatable prose, When We Stayed Home helps young children navigate all of their great big feelings and cheer themselves on during the upheaval of the pandemic, honoring their role as the "super-helpers" they are by washing their hands, wearing masks, social distancing and staying home. Along with the family dog as his trusty sidekick, When We Stayed Home's super-helper builds virus-free forts, decorates silly toilet paper-shaped cookies, enjoys screen visits and dance parties with family and friends, and relies on his resourceful creativity and imagination to weather the virus storm. Children ages 3-8 will recognize their own experiences and emotions as they see our super-helper paint endless pictures and draw chalk art, read books and do puzzles, wave hello to masked neighbors, play under a bluer-than-usual sky, and feel all the feelings as they miss school, playgrounds, and friends and family staying at home in their own houses. 

🍎 Title: When We Stayed Home

🍎 Authors: Tara Fass and Judith A. Proffer

🍎 Illustrator: Yoko Matsuoka

🍎 Publisher: Huqua Press

🍎 Date: September 22, 2020

🍎 Pages: 50

What Is the Coronavirus?

Before reading When We Stayed Home, take a few minutes to review what the coronavirus is and why we need to stay home.  It might seem like a silly thing to do... everyone knows what the coronavirus is, right?  Even so, it's important to clear up any misconceptions your students may have.  Don't forget that some stories about the coronavirus on the Internet and social media are based on rumors and inaccurate information!  Children may be misinterpreting what they hear from family, friends, and the news.  While talking with your students, it's important to provide information that is truthful and appropriate for their age and developmental level. Once you feel confident that you've cleared up any misconceptions your students may have, go ahead and read the story.

Making a List of Activities

When We Stayed Home is a simple story and is written for early readers to understand easily.  It is told from the perspective of a little boy who has to stay home because of the pandemic.  The little boy reminds us why it's important for everyone to stay home and describes ways that he and his puppy keep busy.  As you read When We Stayed Home with your students, help your students identify the different activities the little boy described and let them share some of their own stories of how they've been keeping busy.  When you are finished reading the story, do a quick compare and contrast minilesson.  Work together to make an anchor chart using T-chart with two columns... one column for the activities found in the book... the other column for the activities your students have been doing at home.

Will you and your children be cooped up in the house this winter?  What are some activities you will be doing together to keep busy?  Share your ideas in the comments below!

(Next Article: Living in Two Homes Is Tough by Abby Cadet, Age 9)

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