Tumut ECTs pair up to produce a children’s book about COVID-19 to help children cope

Two early childhood teachers (ECTs) from Tumut, in regional New South Wales, have worked together to create a story which supports children to understand the ongoing challenges of COVID-19. 

Hannah Goldspink and Brooke Bond, both of whom work at Tumut Community Preschool, recently published The World Caught a Germ, after they each expressed their concerns about feeling ill equipped to explain to children why their lives had changed so suddenly.

“I wanted to help the students understand a bit more about what’s happening in the world and why they have to say goodbye to their parents at the gate, why they have to get their temperatures checked before class and why there aren’t as many kids in the classroom anymore,” Ms Goldpink told local publication The Daily Advertiser.

Written by Ms Goldspink and illustrated by Ms Bond, the story features young Penny, who’s parents are both essential workers, with one in health care and the other working at a grocery store. 

Penny learns about social distancing, and comes to understand throughout the story why some of her friends are no longer coming to learn alongside her while they remain at home to reduce community risk. 

Seeing the printed copy of her work, Ms Goldspink said, was “surreal”, and has inspired her to create more stories about “tricky concepts” to support children. 

The World Caught a Germ is available in hardcover, paperback and for kindle on Amazon Australia.

This story Teachers devise new way to explain coronavirus to little ones first appeared in The Daily Advertiser.