Harry Potter Visits the United Odd Fellow & Rebekah Home.

It begins with a bedtime story--that time of connection between a parent and child that provides relaxation and opens the door to the imagination. For many, the love of reading develops from this early childhood exposure to fairy tales, classic stories and poems. At the United Odd Fellow & Rebekah Home in Bronx, New York, an award-winning program bridges the gap between students and seniors to promote intergenerational friendships based on a fundamental learning skill--reading. Senior R.O.A.R. (Reach Out And Read) was awarded the New York Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (NYAHSA) 2000 Innovation of the Year honor.

Kenneth T. Geib, administrator of United Odd Fellow & Rebekah Home, says, "Through a partnership with P.S. 36 and Holy Family School, Reach Out And Read has provided our residents the opportunity to interact with, educate and, at times, learn from the fifth-graders from these schools."

"A nursing home is a 'hidden' community, and we find residents being admitted at younger ages. We don't want their contributions and vitality to wither, and programs such as Senior R.O.A.R. keep them involved with life in the larger world," adds Geib.

Collaborating with President of the Board Martin Elson and GeIb, Director of Recreation Susan Geiser developed a program to involve residents in the "real" community, which includes children. Geiser presented the Senior R.O.A.R. proposal to the principals and assistant principals of the two participating schools.

"Originally, the program was intended to involve second-graders, but we soon realized they were too young to participate effectively," says Geiser. For Senior R.O.A.R. to be successful, it was determined that the fifth grade was a more appropriate and productive level for this reading-based program. Although deemed premature for the Senior R.O.A.R. program, the second-graders remain an intergenerational presence through an adoptive grandparent program.

When fifth-graders arrive at the United Odd Fellow & Rebekah Home for their first visit, Geiser conducts a short in-service to let them know what to expect. "I give them an idea about what growing old is about and try to head off any nervousness they might be experiencing." After meeting the residents, the children quickly become more comfortable with them; the children also enjoy their involvement in community service. Although residents assist with reading, the children exercise control through the reading material they bring to the activity. "The original idea was to simply encourage the ability to read and enjoyment of reading," Geiser explains, "but what happened was that the residents began to read to or with the children."

"What we have seen," says Gelb, "is that the children's confidence and self-esteem have grown because they are under no pressure to perform." He explains that it's up to the children to establish their own comfort levels as to how many residents they want to interact with at one time. Many sit at a table and have one-to-one or one-to-two exchanges; others sit in small groups.

"The fifth-grade teachers are there to observe," says Geiser. "Back in the classroom, they expand on the experience by giving the students assignments to describe how they felt with the older people."

The benefits of R.O.A.R. are reciprocal because the residents also gain confidence and appreciate the opportunity to interact with these young people. By being exposed to what interests the students, these seniors have come to know about such popular characters as Harry Potter and Pokemon. To show their appreciation, the residents donated the Harry Potter series to the schools' libraries through contributions from Barnes & Noble. And, again with the assistance of Barnes & Noble, United Odd Fellow & Rebekah Home is building its own library of large-print books for residents and other reading materials geared for children to use at the facility.

As an added program benefit, the children are exposed to living history. If they are studying World War II in class, they can probably find a resident who was in the war or who could tell them about its effects at home. The children hear firsthand what it was like to feed a family or drive a car using ration coupons.

Geiser monitors the group during reading activities. She says, "One particularly reticent resident, a retired registered nurse, slowly began coming to the dining room where Senior R.O.A.R. is held. One day, I looked around and she was wearing her glasses to read to the children. I had never even seen her in glasses. This is now her favorite program, and she joins in every event."

By varying the activities and subject matter, the children remain enthusiastic while being exposed to other topics that might pique their interest. At different times, for example, the entire group discusses current events, holds mock trials, reads plays and receives visits by guest speakers.

"In the one-and-a-half years of Senior R.O.A.R.," says Gelb, "the program has grown in depth and scope." A $35,000 grant was awarded by the United Hospital Fund to continue to enhance and expand it. The children and seniors take field trips together to museums, the Hayden Planetarium, concerts, etc. Current events and cultural exchanges give a reality orientation to the seniors and have awakened the children to what goes on in the world through eyes other than their teachers' and parents'.

"It takes very little to start a program like Senior R.O.A.R.," says Gelb. "Basically all you need is a willing, enthusiastic and determined attitude. We'd like see this program adopted by other facilities throughout the nation. Start-up costs are minimal, but the rewards are limitless to all those involved. If one student is touched by this experience and enters the healthcare field or continues community service to the elderly, we've done a great job."