Celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

If you're looking for a way to enrich your child's knowledge about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life or the civil rights movement, here are a few suggestions.

First, read a book about Dr. King's life with your child. I would suggest "Who Was Martin Luther King Jr.?" by Bonnie Bader for children ages 7 to 11. I also recommend "Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr" by Doreen Rappaport for children ages 6 to 10. This book tells the life story of Dr. King from childhood through adulthood in a manner that even young children can understand. The focus of this book is Dr. King's teachings on nonviolence.

Both books are available through Barnes and Noble. There are many other quality children's books about Dr. King, so take the time to skim a few other selections and decide which one is appropriate for your child.

Another idea is to create a mural or collage of images that represent Dr. King and his teachings. Some of the words that are associated with Dr. King are peace, equality, love, freedom, and dream.

Have your child create a mural or collage on large posterboard using images from various resources. She may choose to draw these images herself, print them off the internet, cut them out of  a magazine, or take photographs. The images do not have to be directly related to Dr. King as long as they represent words associated with Dr. King.

When the mural or collage is completed, ask your child to explain what each image means to her. This activity is appropriate for elementary children of any age.

You could also try creating a timeline of the important events in Dr. King's life. You can use the information provided in one of the books your child has read about Dr. King, or you can visit www.factmonster.com and click on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to view a timeline of Dr. King's life.

There are many events included in this timeline, so after reading the timeline with your child, select a few of the most important events.

You can create a timeline on paper, or you can create a mobile. Have your child share the timeline with other members of your family so he can share what he has learned with others. I would recommend this activity for children eight years of age and older.

Here's another activity geared towards children ages 8 and up. Have your child watch the video of Dr. King's march on Washington and his famous "I Have a Dream" speech. It is available on www.mlkonline.net. You can watch the entire video, or you can read along as you listen since the entire speech is available on this site.

After watching the video, talk with your child about what Dr. King's dreams were for our country. Ask your child to identify how life today is different from the time of Dr. King and how it is the same. For example, today children of any color can attend the same school, but in past white children and black children could not attend the same school. Despite this difference, racism still exists today.

Ask your child if any of Dr. King's dreams for our nation have come true. Have your child write a paragraph or two describing his dreams for the future of our country and what he can do to help those dreams come true.

Even if you do not try one of these activities with your child, I hope that you will take the time to recognize Dr. King's life and accomplishments with your child in your own way.