Rome Reporter

The room was filled with the sounds of children running in place and clapping their hands. At the front, Dr. Eric L. Holland joined in with enthusiasm, mirroring the actions of over 50 three to four-year-olds.

Dr. Holland was there to read to the children from "Energy Makes Things Happen." Before beginning, he engaged them by asking, "Who likes reading?" The response was a chorus of "I do," accompanied by many raised hands.

Unlike a typical reading session, Dr. Holland actively involved the children by asking questions and encouraging participation. He had forewarned teachers at Tallatoona Head Start that his session might excite the kids.

For 20 minutes, he read while incorporating questions about energy use, such as pushing, waving, and throwing. Each action was demonstrated by Dr. Holland and mimicked by the children.

When milk was mentioned in the book, Dr. Holland asked, "Who likes milk?" leading to many hands in the air. Further interaction followed with questions like "What do we have with milk?" which elicited an echoing reply of "cookies," and "Where does milk come from?" answered by a chorus of "cows" followed by enthusiastic mooing.

As the story concluded, Dr. Holland led the children in running in place and clapping before finishing with a big group hug that nearly knocked him over amid smiles and giggles.

Reflecting on the experience, Dr. Holland said, "It's a lot of fun reading to kids this age because they create a lot of energy.” He added that his goal is to inspire curiosity in children: “If I can just spark their brain, hopefully that spark may just be the brain that changes the world.”

Reading sessions like these align with Rome City Schools' focus on literacy and are moments Dr. Holland values greatly.