JacketFlap connects you to the work of more than 200,000 authors, illustrators, publishers and other creators of books for Children and Young Adults. The site is updated daily with information about every book, author, illustrator, and publisher in the children's / young adult book industry. Members include published authors and illustrators, librarians, agents, editors, publicists, booksellers, publishers and fans. Join now (it's free).
Login or Register for free to create your own customized page of blog posts from your favorite blogs. You can also add blogs by clicking the "Add to MyJacketFlap" links next to the blog name in each post.
Blog Posts by Tag
In the past 7 days
Blog Posts by Date
Click days in this calendar to see posts by day or month
Viewing: Blog Posts Tagged with: Early Childhood Education, Most Recent at Top [Help]
Results 1 - 21 of 21
How to use this Page
You are viewing the most recent posts tagged with the words: Early Childhood Education in the JacketFlap blog reader. What is a tag? Think of a tag as a keyword or category label. Tags can both help you find posts on JacketFlap.com as well as provide an easy way for you to "remember" and classify posts for later recall. Try adding a tag yourself by clicking "Add a tag" below a post's header. Scroll down through the list of Recent Posts in the left column and click on a post title that sounds interesting. You can view all posts from a specific blog by clicking the Blog name in the right column, or you can click a 'More Posts from this Blog' link in any individual post.
The following is a guest blog post from Michael H. Levine & Lisa Guernsey, authors of the book Tap, Click, Read.
Kids today use a wide variety of tools to learn. How do educators adapt teaching tactics to effectively use modern day tools?
New America and the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop have become known for our joint research and analysis on how digital technologies could be used to improve, instead of impede, early literacy. We have collaborated on the book Tap, Click, Read and developed a toolkit designed to help educators put these insights into practice. The Tap, Click, Read toolkit – comprised of fourteen research-based resources including tipsheets, discussion guides, ratings lists, and a quiz—are now downloadable for free on the First Book Marketplace.
On the First Book Marketplace you’ll find resources for educators, caregivers, and community leaders:
What Educators Can Do—A list of recommendations for updating teaching methods, working with libraries and public media, and more.
What Parents Can Do—A list of ideas for parents and caregivers, including the importance of listening to and talking with children about the media they use and why.
How to Use Media to Support Children’s Home Language—Used well, media can spark opportunities for children to converse with their family members at home in their native languages. This helps them build a foundation for learning English too.
How to Promote Creation and Authorship—Children need to learn what it means to be a creator, not just a consumer, of media. New tools bring this concept to life.
How to Find Apps for Literacy Learning—Choose wisely. Use app-review sites and advice from literacy experts to find materials that match your students’ needs.
The Three C’s—Content, context, and the individual child. Become more mindful in using digital technology with young children by taking this quiz.
A Modern Action Plan for States and Communities—A guide for community and state leaders on how to make progress in solving America’s reading crisis and strengthening family-centered approaches that will endure over time.
12 Actions to Take Now—A one-page list of “must-dos” for community leaders, district administrators, and policymakers to break out of the literacy crisis and bring opportunities to all children.
We are so proud to team up with First Book to provide the children you serve with access to quality 21st-century literacy opportunities. Click here to learn more about our partnership, and visit the Joan Ganz Cooney Center blog for more resources that guide learning through digital tools – including bilingual video vignettes and discussion guides.
A lot of the replies to my blog-topics post asked for more glimpses of our tidal homeschooling days, especially how I work with my teens and my elementary-aged kids at the same time. So here’s a peek at a fairly typical Tuesday morning. The broad strokes—the basic rhythms—of our days stay consistent, four days a week (with one morning given to group piano and [for Beanie] literature classes). The details (what exactly we read, do, discuss, sing) vary, but the shape is the same—sort of like a muffin pan. Yeah, that’s it. Our days are like muffins, alike in shape, but we vary the recipe quite a bit. Make sense?
So—during high tide, we do lessons from 9 to noon, more or less. Noon to 1 is lunch and (often) a read-aloud. From 1-3 the younger kids get gaming time (iPad, Wii) and then they play outside most of the rest of the day. The older girls spend their afternoons reading, writing, gaming, walking, and whatever else they have on tap. I work (write) in the afternoons, and sometimes pop out to teach weekly classes to other homeschoolers. For example, I wrapped up a six-week poetry workshop yesterday with a lively group of boys who always keep me laughing. Love those kids.
Anyway, here’s our Tuesday morning.
9 a.m. Beanie is outlining her Tempest paper for the weekly literature class I teach to her and a few friends.
Huck is playing with refrigerator magnets.
Rilla has drawn a scene from the story of Elissa of Carthage, and is now writing a description under the drawing, complete with Phoenician letters for the names.
Now Huck is noodling around on the piano.
9:15
Read Stone Soup to Huck. Rose stopped unloading the dishwasher to come listen—she says it’s one of her favorite stories from childhood.
While I read, Rilla finished her Elissa of Carthage passage. Beanie moved to another room for better concentration.
9:30
Rose finished the dishes and began making pretzel rolls for our teatime. Huck, Rilla, and I did our morning stretches and recitations. That word sounds so formal! What we do is quite casual. About four mornings a week, we gather in the living room for some singing, memory work, and movement games. It goes something like this:
—We move through a series of stretches (this is mostly for me) which include two planks. During the first plank, we skip-count by sixes; during the second, by sevens.
—Practice the Shakespeare speech or poem we are currently memorizing. Huck, Rilla, and I learn these all together, and usually the older girls wind up knowing them too, because they’re hearing us recite them all the time. This year, I’ve been using Ken Ludwig’s Midsummer Night’s Dream passages from How to Teach Your Children Shakespeare. I had already had Pucks “merry wanderer” speech in mind for Huck and Rilla to learn this year—I earned a small scholarship for performing that one during college, so I’m extra fond of it—when I read the Ludwig book (last summer) and decided his approach meshes perfectly with mine. So: this year they’ve learned “I know a bank where the wild thyme grows,” the merry wanderer monologue, the “Lord what fools these mortals be” speech, and now we’re working on Puck’s final speech (“If we shadows have offended”).
—Then we sing an assortment of memory songs and folk songs. Today it was: U.S. Presidents song; United States song; Horrible Histories English Monarchs song. Yesterday was the same lineup plus Skye Boat Song—a family favorite. This is an informal (meaning not planned-in-advance) part of our day, and basically I just starting singing things and the kids join in. Our Presidents and States songs come from an old Singin’ Smart cassette (cassette!!) I bought back when Jane was little, circa 1999. I wish I could find the booklet—there were some other useful tunes in there. I remember the melody for the U.S. Capitals song and have been meaning to print up a list so my littles can learn to sing along. I’m a big fan of music for anything requiring rote memory. We lean heavily on Schoolhouse Rock around here. Last year our mornings were dominated by French songs, as you may recall.
—This week I started Huck and Rilla on the Latin vocabulary chants from Latin for Children Primer A. We are not doing the workbook—just the rhythmic vocab chants: amo, amare, amavi, amatum and so on. Again, this was something that worked really well with my older set and is a solid, painless way to implant a bunch of Latin roots. We also enjoy my friend Edith Hope Fine’s Cryptomaniacs workbook (Greek and Latin roots)—Rilla will be using that steadily next year.
10 a.m.
Rose’s rolls are in the oven. She’s playing piano. Beanie is doing German on Duolingo. I send the littles outside with a snack.
10:15
Rose heads to her room to maybe do some math? She’s taking business math this year. Yesterday we slogged through the compound interest chapter together. I know you’re jealous. Beanie’s studying geometry, which I find much more entertaining.
I call Huck and Rilla back inside for some history. I read them the Elizabethan Era chapter from A Child’s History of the World—Walter Raleigh, Roanoke, Shakespeare. Long side-discussion of tobacco was sparked by a mention in the chapter. Also a lot of discussion about Roanoke because who isn’t fascinated by that story? I mention to Rose (who is back, checking on her rolls) that Gwenda Bond has a YA novel about Roanoke she might enjoy. This reminds us we need to return some books to the library.
10:45(ish)
Rilla has done a little Math-U-See, and Huck and I had an impromptu chat about the short E sound. He is reading incredibly well these days, devouring Boxcar Children books with ease. I picked up an easy spelling workbook a couple of weeks ago and pull it out occasionally to talk about sounds with him. Rilla is the first of my kids to need some deliberate, steady spelling instruction (she’s using a Spelling You See book this year and really enjoying it because it came with a set of erasable colored pencils, which (art supply) is the key to her heart. With Huck, age 7, I’m now casually pulling out some light spelling games to help him start making those phonics-y connections.
Okay, so that was going on but only for a few minutes, and now Rose’s pretzel rolls are ready. We hurry to the table to enjoy them while they’re warm. Tuesday mornings are our Poetry Teatime—which for us generally means Something Rose Baked and a glass of milk. I usually grab our battered Favorite Poems Old and New and read six or seven poems. Not a week goes by that they don’t beg for their favorite, To My Son Thomas…some days I have it in me, and other weeks I’m not up to the performance. When you do that poem, you gotta DO that poem.
11:10
Huck and Rilla have gone off to play together. This usually means I will find my bed turned into a fort later. Last week, it became some kind of Monkey Kingdom and I had stuffed primates hanging from the miniblind cords all week.
Time for some history with Rose and Beanie. Today was a selection from Don’t Know Much About American History, one of several books we rotate through. Charles Lindbergh, mostly.
11:45
I go grab a sweater from my room. Sure enough, every pillow in the house is piled high. I send Huck and Rilla to get their shoes on. Rose and Beanie are at the piano again, working out a duet—Beanie began taking violin lessons a few months ago and likes to try to work out simple accompaniment to the pieces Rose is working on for piano class.
Everyone piles into the minivan for a quick library run. We have a million things to return. Rilla found a new graphic novel, Jellaby: The Lost Monster, that looks fun. Rose recommended Sarah Zettel’s Palace of Spies for Beanie—a YA historical novel I read for the 2014 CYBILs and passed along to Rose when I finished.
12:30
Home for a late lunch. I forgot to read our chapter of From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler! I’ll have to try to squeeze it in after dinner. This is because—in an unprecedented development—I went into Scott’s office (aka our boys’ bedroom) to give him a package that had arrived, and I stretched out on the bed just for a second and fell asleep. I never nap.
1:05
I guess I napped. Scott is amused. I’m totally discombobulated. Wonderboy is just arriving home from school and the littles are already deep into Terraria. Jane is pinging me from college. My afternoon has begun.
Have You Seen My Dragon is Steve Light’s ode to city living. A boy solicits help from readers as he searches for his slithery, green dragon. The dragon hops around the city and takes readers on a counting journey. Adults and children alike will love the detailed artwork touched by bursts of color! Don’t be afraid to count along as Steve reads Have You Seen My Dragon on Read Out Loud.
KidLit TV’s Read Out Loud series is perfect for parents, teachers, and librarians. Use these readings for nap time, story time, bedtime … anytime!
Enter a fascinating, ornately drawn cityscape and help a boy find his dragon while counting objects from hot dogs to traffic lights. In the heart of the city, among the taxis and towers, a small boy travels uptown and down, searching for his friend. Readers will certainly spot the glorious beast, plus an array of big-city icons they can count. Is the dragon taking the crosstown bus, or breathing his fiery breath below a busy street? Maybe he took a taxi to the zoo or is playing with the dogs in the park. Steve Light’s masterful pen-and-ink illustrations, decorated with meticulous splashes of color, elevate this counting book (numbers 1 20) to new heights. Maybe the dragon is up there, too.
ABOUT STEVE LIGHT
Steve Light is the author and illustrator of several books for children. When he isn’t writing, he’s teaching pre-k students in New York City. Steve is a collector of fountain pens; he has more than 80. When Steve isn’t writing and illustrating he can be found creating models — some of which are inspired by his books –, or carving storybooks; wood dolls and props that fit in a box, which can be used to tell stories. Steve lives in New York City with his wife.
Stephen Savage is the author and illustrator of kid lit titles including several board books. Stephen relies on simple shapes and colors for his beautiful award winning books! Stephen revisits the unassuming Walrus who has a new accomplice in Where’s Walrus? And Penguin? He walks us through the origin of the character and story while recalling New York City landmarks and pop culture references.In this episode of StoryMakers you’ll also meet Supertruck, an unsung hero with a secret.
Stephen Savage is a 2015 Sendak Fellow. The Sendak Fellowship is a four-week residency for children’s book illustrators, created by Maurice Sendak. Which kid lit creator would Stephen like to have met? Watch the interview to find out!
We’re giving away three (3) sets of books signed by Stephen Savage. Each set includes a copy of Where’s Walrus? And Penguin? and Supertruck.
In this sequel to the acclaimed Where’s Walrus?, author Stephen Savage doubles the fun when Walrus escapes the zoo with his mischievous pal, Penguin. Will the zookeeper find them? Or will these clever runaways stay one step ahead disguised as subway riders, baseball players, and even grand opera performers? Hiding in plain sight, they elude the clueless zookeeper until a fly ball at a baseball game leads Walrus and Penguin to a chance encounter with surprising results.
Supertruck Written and illustrated by Stephen Savage
Published by Roaring Brook Press
A 2016 Geisel Honor book! When the city is hit by a colossal snowstorm, only one superhero can save the day. But who is this mysterious hero, and why does he disappear once his job is done? Find out in this snowy tale about a little truck with a very big job, the second of Stephen Savage’s vehicle-based picture books.
ABOUT STEPHEN SAVAGE
Via stephensavage.net Stephen Savageis the author and illustrator of 9 books for children, including the New York Times bestselling picture book Polar Bear Night, written by Lauren Thompson. He is the creator of the here’s Walrus? books, Supertruck, and Little Tug. Steve is the recipient of a New York Times Best Illustrated Book award, a Sendak Fellowship, an ILA Primary Fiction Award, and a gold medal from the Society of Illustrators. His editorial illustrations have appeared in dozens of major newspapers and magazines including the New York Times, The Atlantic Monthly, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. He teaches at the School of Visual Arts in Manhattan and lives in Brooklyn with his wife and their daughter.
Rocket believes reading rocks and kids will too after they hear Tad Hills read R Is for Rocket: An ABC Story. Rocket and his animal pals go on an alliterative journey from A to Z while introducing readers to art and nature. Your early reader will enjoy seeing Bella the squirrel balancing on a ball, Owl offering a cawing crow a cookie and a crayon, and a guest appearance from Tad’s most popular waterfowl friend!
Do you have the book at home? Open up the dust jacket to find a poster of thewondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet! Feel free to read along too.
KidLit TV’s Read Out Loud series is perfect for parents, teachers, and librarians. Use these readings for nap time, story time, bedtime … anytime!
From Random House Kids R Is for Rocket: An ABC Book– Learn the ABCs with Rocket, the dog who inspires kids to read and write! This irresistible alphabet book from the creator of the New York Times bestsellers How Rocket Learned to Read and Rocket Writes a Story is sure to appeal to kids, parents, teachers, and librarians. From finding acorns, to balancing on a ball, to offering a cookie and a crayon to a crow, readers will love exploring the wonderful world of Rocket and his friends. The whole cast is featured, among them the little yellow bird, the owl, Bella the squirrel, and more. Even Goose from the beloved and bestselling Duck & Goose books makes a cameo appearance! With charming and delightful scenes for every letter, here’s an ode to the wondrous, mighty, gorgeous alphabet.
“A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.” —Italo Calvino, The Uses of Literature
My daughter is moving to a new school opening up in our area that focuses on a classical, liberal arts curriculum. Classics books are at the core of this education, and the school emphasizes on the tradition for students to build a personal library of books that they mark in, keep, and return to over the years to treasure. They call this collection “Classics To Keep.”
This is good practice for obvious reasons, but research proves just how good it is. According to the Oxford Journals, test scores from 42 nations provide evidence of the benefits of having a home library. But did the study mention which books were included in the homes? Are they all stocked with just classics?
In browsing my own collection, my personal library is an eclectic mix of classics, professional women memoirs, YA novels, anthologies, science and history textbooks, as well as books on pedagogy. Naturally, my choices for building Zoe’s early childhood books have followed the wide-ranging style of “Let’s get whatever we’re in the mood for…”
Today, Zoe and I hand-picked what we call “Our Classics.” Our classics list had very little to do with the classical liberal arts philosophy but more to do with Italo Calvino’s The Uses of Literature definition.
When it comes to stocking your child’s bookshelf, there is method in the madness. Not all pieces need to be classics - nor should they be. Our bookshelves represent something meaningful for us that help us bring back some wonderful memories. That’s what all great books should do. High test scores as a result of this ongoing project would simply be icing on the cake.
Here’s our list of Favorite Books in Early Childhood For ALL AGES:
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom by Bill Martin Jr and John Archambault. Illustrated by Lois Ehlert - This rhyming alphabet book will burn into your memory. The colorful paper-cut pictures are easy to emulate. So if you’re an early childhood teacher, Chicka Chicka Boom Boom would be one of the most fun DIY decor for your classroom bulletin boards. If you’re a kindergartener, the tempo will keep you dancing, and before you know it, you’ll be the cool kid saying, “Look who’s coming! It’s black-eyed P...Q, R, S, and loose-tooth T!" I’m Zoe! I Can Do It Myself (Little Blessings) by Melody Carlson. Illustrated by Elena Kucharik. The Little Blessings series is known for addressing Christian concepts, but the four character books (I’m Kaitlyn! I’m Jack! I’m Zoe! I’m Parker!) focus on skills and social development. In I’m Zoe, young readers meet a little girl taking small steps towards gaining independence: making her bed, getting dressed, brushing her teeth, and playing with her friends. My daughter still adores this one because she gets a kick out of seeing her name in print (like mother, like daughter). An added bonus is the girl in the book is Asian and looks like her. Super cute. Blue Dragonfly by Pia Villanueva-Pulido. Illustrated by Rene Espinosa. Speaking of getting a kick out of seeing my name in print, this book holds many special meanings for us. Michael and I planned a series of children’s books for emerging readers called River of Imagination years before she was born, and Blue Dragonfly was the first one. Before she learned how to read (age 3 or 4), Zoe could already tell the story with sound effects! In his search for new adventures, curious little Blue Dragonfly embarks on a journey of self-discovery, but his temptations soon lead to trouble. The soothing voice-over narration and accompanying music make the story engaging, along with the colorful detailed pictures illustrated by a comic book artist turned tattoo artist/rock band lead guitarist in L.A. Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney. Illustrated by Anita Jeram. The ever-romanticized quote “I love you to the moon and back” isn’t so cheesy or eye-roll inducing in this sweet book at all. The tenderness between Little Nutbrown Hare and his father Big Nutbrown Hare show just the right amount of reassurance for the young ones (ages 0-2) who need to feel safe and loved. The illustrations complement the text well for the emerging readers (ages 4-7) who need clues to read aloud the short phrases and simple vocabulary. Your Own Keepsake Journal Baby Book - I can’t stress enough just how much I have treasured my keepsake baby book I made for Zoe’s first year. There are so many selections available in Amazon alone that you’re bound to find one that suits you whether you’re a first time mom or a busy working mother with multiple children. Zoe and I love to flip through the pages of her book together - a scrapbook with journal entries. Her sonogram pictures, first day at home, and monthly updates recorded in my own handwriting. I love writing, so I wrote letters to her before she was born. When she was old enough to read and understand, she asked me to continue writing to her. Even if you’re not a writer, I would highly encourage getting a journal with your child together and interact with each other through the written word. There are no rules. Just fun. Next time you get a chance to browse your bookshelf, do yourself a favor and pick up of those books that bring back memories. Think about the specific time in your life that compelled you to buy that book and find meaning behind them. And do the same for your kids.
0 Comments on Building Your Home Library When You Have Kids as of 7/11/2015 7:52:00 PM
I chimed in on a discussion on my local homeschooling list about one mom’s concerns that her son had stalled on the learning-to-read process. As usual I found I had a lot to say, so I’m scooping it here (and expanding a bit) in case it’s of interest to others.
I’ll second what E. said: Six is really very young and at this point (and every point, really), the VERY BEST thing you can do is to read aloud a great deal. There are lots of studies to back up what many of us have been discovering and advocating for years about the immense and rather extraordinary benefits of reading aloud.
Some tricks we have used
• We always turn on the captions when our children watch TV. And it’s amazing how much reading they can pick up from scrolling through the DVR. Huck could distinguish between “Little Bear” and “Little Bill” at age three—his first sight words.
• Video games! or apps, etc. My kids have all picked up a lot of reading just from encountering the repeated text instructions and captioning that is a part of many games.
• Comics and graphic novels. Great reinforcement of decoding skills and incentive to read. My 3rd child learned to read from Tintin Comics. Her older sisters read them and she pored over the pictures until she began to pick up words. (I read them to her whenever she asked but that stage didn’t last long–she just loved to explore them them on her own!) (I’ve written more about this here.)
• Word games and puns. We are a wordy, wordy family. Dinner-table conversation will often involve why a thing is called what it’s called–what the root word is, where it came from. Someone will hop up to look up a word origin. And scarcely a day passes without some terrible, groan-inducing pun trotting around the house. When I teach kids’ writing and lit classes (I’m teaching three different groups of kids at present), I begin every class by soliciting contributions to our ‘Word Hoard’—asking the kids to look out for interesting words during the week to add to our collection. They really get into the spirit of the game and we have amassed some splendid word piles over the weeks. The boys in my Friday afternoon class have turned it into a competition of sorts, unfurling mile-long words to impress their classmates. I’ve learned a lot of obscure medical terms in the past month, let me tell you.
• Riddles, jokes, joke books!
I am not a fan of 100 Easy Lessons because of so many similar stories of kids getting turned off to reading, or stressed/intimidated/bored–all feelings I don’t want kids to associate with reading.
Books of facts are great for young kids–early reader science stuff, etc. Again, lots of pictures to draw them in & help with decoding.
My primary advice is to not try to “teach” a child to read.
The process can be more organic, less structured. Help them along the way you helped and encouraged them to learn to talk. Read together, allowing lots of conversation and lingering and interruptions to hyperfocus on some little piece of a picture.* Looking for street signs (kids will pick those up as sight words very quickly and naturally). Or names of stores, etc. Text is all over our world, not just in books, and reading doesn’t have to be a Capital R academic exercise. People naturally want to find things out, and reading becomes a means of doing that–so sooner or later, every child will have an interest that drives literacy. What you can do is support that interest. Feed it! Rustle up some intriguing-looking books on the topic, preferably ones with a lot of art.
(Here I come back to video games: one of my girls got so interested in a certain game that she wanted to look up guides for it online, and HER reading took a huge leap forward as she began to devour information about this game. My role was to help her safely find resources on the internet, print out useful pages, provide supplies for assembling a binder (her idea)…so you can see there are many ways for a parent to be involved in the process, guiding, facilitating, without it looking like formal reading instruction–an activity that is so stressful for many children. Lots of so-called ‘reluctant readers’ will inhale anything you give them that’s about their favorite video game. Let them hunt for cheat sites. Who cares if they don’t figure out a game level on their own? They are learning crucial research skills–how to frame questions and find answers, and how to apply that information to a practical task. Hurrah for game cheats!)
Current example: Huck is obsessed with Rose’s Snap Circuits set. This morning I stood in the living room for the longest time, watching him—his back was to me—deeply absorbed in assembling one of the projects in the guidebook. He has worked his way through the entire project book with minimal help, following the picture instructions but also puzzling out chunks of text. Sometimes he asks for help with a mouthful word like “capacitor”—no self-consciousness, no sense that he is young to be expecting to be able to read a word like that. He can’t figure it out, he asks for help. But poring over this book, casually encountering these giant words that tell him things he wants to know, has catapulted his reading skills forward in a way no teacher, no matter how good, how patient, could reproduce. If I made him sit down to a reading curriculum, I can guarantee he would be restless and fretful within minutes. But he’ll spend the whole afternoon immersed in building projects out of this book, interacting with the pictures and text, following complex directions—and consider it ‘playing.’ As in, “Can I play with your Snap Circuits again today?” he’ll ask his big sister.
*********
*Let me elaborate on what I said above about “allowing lots of conversation and lingering and interruptions to hyperfocus on some little piece of a picture.” This is a mistake I’ve seen many adults make. A lot of adults have difficulty tolerating interruptions during a readaloud. There’s a whole big conversation to be had about how much background activity to allow — like, Legos keep little hands busy but can be very noisy. There are ways to work around that (spread out Legos on the floor before reading, since the noisiest part is the digging through the bin–things like that). But what I want to focus on right now are the interruptions that come when a child is looking at the book with you and starts talking over the narrative–pointing at things in the art, or otherwise being chatty about the book instead of listening to the story. This activity may actually be an indication of a big leap forward in skill acquisition–but we adults don’t always see it that way!
Here’s an example — when Rose was five or six, I remember reading her My Father’s Dragon. She was right at the point of emergent literacy, beginning to recognize words like street signs and store names as I mentioned above. We were about halfway through this short novel as a readaloud when she started pointing out Elmer’s name on every page. And “the dragon” and “the cat” — words repeated often in the story. But mainly it was the word “Elmer” (the main character). It got to where I couldn’t get through a page, because she kept pointing at the name all over the place. And I had a moment of being irritated and wanting to hush her–now now, let’s listen to the story. But it hit me in a flash that what we were doing together — what SHE was experiencing in this moment — had changed. It had started out “listening to a story.” Now it was READING. She had learned a sight word and was putting this new skill to use, with numerous opportunities to “practice” it on every page. No curriculum in the world could top this skill practice, because it was completely voluntary and completely absorbing her. It was HER activity, not one imposed upon her from the outside.
So, in that hour snuggled beside her on her bed, I let go of the whole listen-to-this-story concept. I kept on reading to her, page after page, but that was merely a background activity providing the vehicle for her discovery. “Elmer…Elmer…the dragon…” — little finger pointing, skipping around the page. We finished the book that way, with Rose only half paying attention to the words I was reading. When I got to the end, she said it was the best book ever and asked me to start it over. The second time through, she listened raptly to the narrative. Her brain had finished its self-assigned task. By the time I finished the book for the second time (a week or two later), she was reading very well on her own.
So that’s what I mean about stepping back to reassess an activity and your objectives….if a child is hyperfocusing on some part of the story that isn’t your voice reading the words, there is probably a very good reason. A wonderful thing about homeschooling is we have the luxury of time and space to allow this process to unfold at the child’s pace–there is no pressure to ‘get through’ a certain amount of material by a set date.
Our friends at Disney recently launched an innovative learning experience that encourages kids to learn by interacting with their favorite Disney characters and stories – inspiring a lifelong love of learning and creativity. The app and tools are available now to program leaders and educators serving children in need for free through the First Book Marketplace.
For some time, we’ve heard from our network of 150,000 educators and program leaders that web-based tools and interactive learning programs are incredibly important to helping the children they serve read, learn and achieve. We’ve worked hard to meet this need. And today, thanks to Disney, the programs and classrooms we serve have greater access to innovative learning apps and tools at the same time it is available to the general public.
To further support learning for kids ages 3 to 8, Disney will provide a three-year, $55 million product donation to First Book. This donation over the next three years is First Book’s largest gift targeting early childhood programs. Specifically, the commitment will provide $5 million in Disney Imagicademy apps and tools to First Book and other non-profit organizations. Disney announced its commitment on December 10 at the White House Summit on Early Education.
Teachers and educators will be able to receive free download codes from the First Book Marketplace to use the new Disney Imagicademy math app. As parents are an ever-important part of successful learning, educators will also have the opportunity to share these download codes with the families of the children they serve, allowing families to bring lessons home and be even more involved and engaged in their child’s learning.
The first app available through the First Book Marketplace is Mickey’s Magical Math World, which includes five app-based experiences in one large app that immerses children in key math-focused activities and games, including count along, sorting, add and subtract, shapes and problem solving.
The companion app for parents, Disney Imagicademy Parents, which is free on the App StoreSM, enables them to see what their children create through the apps, send digital high-fives back to their kids, ask questions to spur conversations about their child’s work and get ideas for more activities to reinforce and encourage their child’s learning.
Do you work with children in need? Sign up with First Book today to gain access to Disney Imagicademy apps and tools, along with many other books and resources!
In-App Purchases may be sold separately. Terms and conditions apply. This offer must be redeemed on an iPad, and, if and when available, an iPhone or iPod Touch.This is a promotional code and is not for resale, has no cash value, and will not be replaced if lost or stolen. Valid only on United States iTunes Store. Requires iTunes account. Must be 13+ and in the United States. Terms and Apple Privacy Policy apply, see http://www.apple.com/legal/itunes/us/terms.html. Compatible products and services required. Apple, the Apple logo, iTunes, iPhone, iPad and iPod touch are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iTunes Store is a trademark of Apple Inc. App Store is a registered service mark of Apple Inc. Apple is not a participant or sponsor of this promotion. Content is free for a limited time only and subject to availability.
“Every dollar we invest in high-quality early education can save more than seven dollars later on – by boosting graduation rates, reducing teen pregnancy, even reducing violent crime.” — President Barack Obama
I was grateful to hear the president talk about early childhood education tonight, and the enormous impact it has on our nation.
Lack of access to education and resources for America’s most vulnerable children is a national crisis, every bit as serious as immigration reform, gun control and the national debt. But unlike so many other complex problems, this is one we know how to solve.
We have been talking about these children for generations. All that’s lacking is the political will.
Although the issues we face are complex, we know that early childhood education is the most straightforward solution; every study shows that there’s nothing more valuable than turning a child into a reader at an early age. They enter school with greater knowledge and vocabularies; they do better not just on reading tests, but on math tests. They have the foundation they need to succeed — in school and in life.
We know what happens otherwise. As President Obama alluded to, kids who drop out of high school are far more likely to be jobless, become teen parents, or end up in prison, and far less likely to become informed, engaged citizens. While we debate endlessly, an entire generation of leaders, thinkers, engineers, artists and writers is being lost to us for lack of opportunities and resources.
Children from low-income neighborhoods are the most vulnerable. 80 percent of the preschools and after school programs serving children in need do not have a single book for the children they serve. In some of the poorest neighborhoods in the country there is only one book available for every 300 children.
First Book, the organization I lead, is committed to helping the 30 million American children living in low-income neighborhoods become success stories. We work with local educators and community leaders across the country to supply them with new, high-quality books. They understand the needs of the children and families in their community, and First Book provides them with the books and educational resources they need.
So I urge all of you to get involved right now. If you work with kids in need at a Title I school, Head Start center or community program, sign up with First Book today to get new, high-quality books for your kids. You can also volunteer, or donate to support our work.
This is a crisis, but it’s one that we can solve. And — if we work together — we will.
In the last (a short and sweet one!) of our blog series on common themes from the 2009 NAEYC’s annual conference, we present a hodge-podge of facts we gathered throughout that week in D.C. Enjoy!
–Language acquisition depends not only on adequate hearing, the ability to differentiate sounds, and the capacity to link meaning to specific words, but also on the ability to concentrate, pay attention, and engage in meaningful social interaction.
–Learning a second language and learning to read are complex tasks influenced by cognitive, environmental and social factors.
–Bilingual Children
-Exhibit the same language milestones as monolingual children
-May acquire language at a slower rate and have more limited total vocabularies in each language
-Have a combined vocabulary in both languages likely to equal or exceed that of a child who speaks one language
–Preschoolers actively listen to and separate out two languages. So we can use both languages interchangeably.
–Development of language and literacy in the home language (or first language) facilitates development of language and literacy in the second language and cognitive development. Academic language ability takes 5-7 years. Social language ability (i.e. Hello, how are you?) is easy to accomplish.
–For more current guidance, check out:
-Head Start Performance Standards and Head Start Dual Language Report (2008)
-Tabors, Patton O. One Child, Two Languages: Children Learning English as a Second Language. Paul H. Brookes Publishing, 2008.
-Igao, Cristina. The Inner World of the Immigrant Child. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers, 1995.
-Espinosa, Linda. Getting it RIGHT for Young Children from Diverse Backgrounds: Applying Research to Improve Practice. Prentice Hall, 2009.
Check out below for the sources of this blog:
1) Using standards-based curriculum to support language and literacy development for English-language learners.
Presented by:
Min-hua Chen, Education Specialist, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education;
Vicky Milstein, Principal of Early Education, Brookline Public Schools;
Min-Jen Wu Taylor, Pre-K Teacher, Brookline Public Schools;
James StClair, Kindergarten Teacher, Cambridge Public Schools;
Sandra Christison, Kindergarten Teacher, Boston Public Schools.
They haven’t posted their slides yet, but if they do, you can find it here.
2) Home Language or English? Implementing program policies and teaching strategies that meet the needs of dual-language learners
Presented by:
John Gunnarson, Napa Valley College.
Another common theme that surfaced at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference dealt with plans and strategies for working with dual language learners. This blog posting provides some tips you can actually use, along with recommendations on how to create a more explicit strategy.
Strategy
Regardless of what you choose to do, the key is to be deliberate, intentional and integrative in your strategy. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Create an explicit plan to integrate the needs of your dual language learners with the overall needs of your center. Check out these steps below to aid in developing your plan.
Consider completing a self-assessment checklist to help you determine where you are in your DLL strategy. You can access the checklist here.
Find out about the current guidelines for dual language programs.
Analyze your current program needs, specifically the demographic makeup of your students, staff and maybe even growing trends in your area.
Develop a policy for supporting and a plan on how to support dual language learners. Get buy-in from management, staff and parents.
Pursue and offer professional development for staff who work with dual language learning children.
Collaborate with other services and supporters.
General Tips
Following are 10 tips for communicating with DLLs. Remember to develop a relationship with the child and their family (see Themes, Parts 2 and 3) in order to maximize that child’s potential. From birth to age 3, children need face-to-face social interaction for language development. DVDs do not work.
Pair visual tools with oral and print cues. For example, if you display the daily schedule in printed words (English), place visual pictures of the activities next to their corresponding words. You can combine these cues in everything you do. For example, use pictures, gestures and movements when talking to maximize all the cues.
For new language learners:
2. Simplify your language and slow down.
3. Do not assume that a child understands what you say.
4. Do not force the child to make eye contact with you.
5. Do not raise your volume when speaking or force the child to speak.
6. Allow plenty of time for the child to answer a question or wait a bit and then rephrase the question in simpler language.
A little later:
7. Listen for intent not grammar.
8. Accept all attempts.
9. Don’t overcorrect.
10. Never ask a child to say something in English. Let it be spontaneous.
Actual Tactics
Below are some tactics that other centers have used and that I found interesting.
Create a bilingual book with the photo and name of every student in your center. This book helps all the students—and even parents—get to know the names, including unfamiliar and foreign, of everyone else.
If you have more than two languages in your center, consider using a word wall. For example, display the word, hello, in every language represented (along with its Romanized pronunciation if it’s not a language with a Latin alphabet). Also, during morning meeting, have the class say hello or good morning in each language represented in your class.
Bring family members in to share things from their country. Take a photo and post it in the classroom.
If you have a listening cen
0 Comments on NAEYC Themes, Part 4: Communication Strategies for Working with Dual Language Learners as of 1/1/1900
Another theme that presented itself throughout various sessions at this year’s annual National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) conference the need for developing and maintaining a relationship with the parents and families of non-native English speakers. You might think this concept is rather obvious; however, several barriers exist to prevent this relationship from blooming.
Barriers
Oftentimes, there is a perception that these parents lack interest in their child’s education and growth. However, this perception can often be misguided. In many cultures outside the United States, teachers are revered and getting involved in the classroom is seen as interfering with the teacher’s expert intentions and processes. Therefore, parents try to stay out of the way of their children’s teachers. You see that as lack of interest and involvement; they see it as respect.
Also, the notion of family involvement differs for social classes. Just because a parent is not at a bake sale doesn’t mean they are not involved in their child’s education. Work may prevent them from attending; however, they may still be reviewing their child’s homework every night.
Immigrant families also face unique needs than other families in America. Not only may there be a language and culture barrier, but also family tensions can exist as each member adjusts and adapts to their new life in America. Their identities as a member of a group before may have now changed to one of an outsider—an “alien”. Perhaps they were a leader in their hometown and now they are a laborer trying to climb the socio-economic ladder. Further, they may have to rely on their children as their English improves more quickly, which degrades their role as provider in the family. These adjustments can cause tension in the family that may prevent as much involvement as they’d like in their child’s education. Think about the time you studied abroad in college. Imagine moving there by yourself, without the school’s help, without your host family there to meet you at the airport. Imagine trying to figure everything out on your own, in a foreign country with a language you thought you could speak. Imagine doing so with your family there too, all looking to you for guidance. Do you think you could have done it? Perhaps, but with a whole lot of stress involved, too!
For instance, what do the following symbols mean to you (assuming you don’t speak Chinese)? 优, 良, 中, 可, 差。If your child brought home these symbols on their report card, would you know what they mean? One presenter at NAEYC told a story of how a Chinese father was disappointed in his daughter because she brought home a grade of “S” (for Satisfactory). He thought grades went in order from A all the way down to Z—because it does seem that way since it starts off A, B, C, D…—and so S seemed pretty bad. We must remember that nearly everything may be unfamiliar to immigrant families!
The Importance of Developing this Relationship with the Family
The school or childcare center is a key location in cultural transition. This place may often be the first place children are exposed to cultures other than their own (this goes for all children). It may be the first place a child realizes he is “different.” Further, it is the place that will help prepare him to succeed in America. If there is not enough language support for her to learn, she will associate school as something that doesn’t do anything for her.
Parent involvement is a critical component in a child’s success in school and in society. We must do what we can to remember that inability to communicate does not mean a person is incapable or uneducated. In fact, new legal immigrants are as well educated as native-born citizens, on average. We must discover and overcome whatever may be preventing a relation
0 Comments on NAEYC Themes, Part 3: 10 Ways to Develop Meaningful Relationships with the Parents and Families of Dual-Language Learning Children as of 1/1/1900
Recently, we have collaborated with some Minnesota author friends to open a retail store over the holiday season that featured our products. The store was the brain child of our friend, Kelly Lucente, author of “Bye Bye Monster.” We are honored and humbled that Kelly calls us her friends and mentors. The story ran on the front [...]
0 Comments on Minnesota Authors Team Up to Open a Retail Store for the Holidays as of 12/14/2009 9:41:00 PM
A Safe Environment The first common theme I gathered from the sessions I attended at the National Association for the Education of Young Children Annual Conference is that it is absolutely imperative that teachers build positive relationships with DLL children. Help them to feel safe and included.
Have you ever been in an environment where you didn’t feel safe? Heard some strange noises at night? In the car with a reckless driver? In a heated argument with someone physically stronger than you? Or how about simply watching a scary movie?
Think about what was going through your head, the first thing you thought you needed to do. Getting to safety, right? Grabbing that bottle of mace, getting out of the car, calling the police, covering your eyes and hiding behind the friend sitting next to you. Anything to get you out of that situation. You focused on saving yourself, on self-preservation.
Some of these examples may seem extreme and unrelated to a child in a classroom (hopefully). My point is that regardless of the situation, when you don’t feel safe, your first priority and thoughts focus on self-preservation, on getting to a place of safety. The same feelings occur in a child who is in an unfamiliar environment, especially when they cannot communicate in your language. If you’re in an environment where you don’t feel safe, you close down and only focus on self-preservation. How can a child learn and prepare for kindergarten if she doesn’t feel safe?
Additionally, behavior issues can stem from this inability to communicate. Think back to a recent meeting or presentation during which you did not pay attention. The topic didn’t apply to you. The presenter was wretchedly boring and just kept droning on and on. Or maybe it was a good presentation, but you were thinking about a looming deadline instead or what groceries you needed to get on your way home that night. What did you do? Pretended to listen, nodded in agreement during regular intervals and acted as if your grocery list were really notes from the material?
It’s okay, we’ve all done it! John Gunnarson from Napa Valley College calls this “procedural display.” We as adults know how to act like we are paying attention. Children have not yet learned this technique. If a child does not speak the language used in the classroom and, therefore, does not understand what is being said, what will he do? Act out? Pursue activities that are interesting to him? Can you blame him? Over time, what message are we sending to DLL children who do not receive enough language support? We are telling them that school does nothing for them. Think about the long-term implications for this message.
Thus, teachers should focus on helping DLL children to feel safe and included by building a positive relationship with each one. If a child feels safe in a classroom, she’ll take risks, like trying a new language. Would you be more willing or less willing to jump out of an airplane if you were 100% sure the parachute would work? How about 50% sure? Helping a child to feel included and valued will encourage her to try new things such as speaking a few words in English.
Cognitive Growth The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction. In our last blog, we mentioned how Secretary Duncan stated we can no longer ignore the evidence that social development and academic development are “inextricably linked.” Academic development through social interaction becomes an even bigger hurdle for dual language learning children. As a teacher, take the extra steps to show—and model—that you value the DLL children in your classroom.
Tips Now, how do you go about doing this? Of course myriad of tips and ideas exist. Here are some gene
0 Comments on NAEYC Themes, Part 2: Build Positive Relationships with Dual-Language Learning Children as of 1/1/1900
Before I get to discussing the four themes mentioned in the last post by specifically looking at the various sessions I attended at NAEYC this year, I wanted to dedicate a blog posting solely to Secretary Duncan’s keynote speech at NAEYC. His passion for early education was very evident. It seemed clear to me that he was very serious and not just offering a speech that pandered to the audience. Indeed, he is the first Secretary of Education to ever speak at NAEYC.
Secretary Duncan started off his presentation with a quote from President Franklin Roosevelt: “The destiny of American youth is the destiny of America.” He focused a lot on the issue that has plagued us for a long time: closing the achievement gap that exists before children even start kindergarten. He referenced President Johnson’s vision to reach a day when “each child goes as far as his talents will take them.”
“Getting out of the catch-up business” represented a central theme in Secretary Duncan’s speech. He spoke of the Department’s development of a birth through age eight plan. Modern research makes it clear that the most important years of child development is from birth through age three. Yet our current approach has been to start focusing at age five in kindergarten. Now the Department is making a major change since its World War I when it added kindergarten to every child’s public school education. It seeks to align Early Childhood Education (ECE) with the K-12 programs. Up until now, ECE has been highly fragmented and non-standardized, leading to unpredictable quality and further exacerbating the achievement gap. But several programs have shown ways to succeed and offer scalable solutions that can be expanded throughout the country.
Secretary Duncan and the Department of Education (along with NAEYC and others in the education field) recognize that care and education cannot be thought of as separate entities in the education of young children. He stated it’s time we acknowledged the evidence that social development and academic development are “inextricably linked.” As a result, the Department of Education has entered into a serious partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services and Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to integrate their foci on early child development and school readiness.
Secretary Duncan presented a huge task that he, the Department of Education, Early Childhood Educators and K-12 educators face today. Finally, though, he is leading the way to face this problem. He outlined to fundamental challenges that we face in closing the achievement gap that starts before kindergarten. 1) There must be a coordinated system of early care that transitions to the K-12 program. 2) They must accelerate the shift from judging quality based solely in inputs to also basing it on outcomes. Secretary Duncan made sure to insist that inputs would not be ignored because they are important. However, he wants to add outcomes to be a part of the criteria.
Finally, Secretary Duncan expressed his excitement about the changes underway in early education and child development. He acknowledged that mistakes will be made, but then he said, “I hope we never let the perfect become the enemy of the good.”
I personally was moved by Secretary Duncan’s speech and am excited about this unprecedented attention and energy toward early childhoo
0 Comments on NAEYC Themes, Part 1: Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan’s Presentation as of 12/5/2009 9:32:00 PM
I attended the annual NAEYC conference just before Thanksgiving in Washington D.C. I learned a lot more about the strategies, techniques and trends for teaching dual language learners. I also got to see some friends and make some new ones who are involved in early education. Moreover, I got to see Secretary of Education Arne Duncan speak live! Over the next few blog postings, I’ll be recapping some of the presentations I attended. For this particular posting, I’d like to discuss four overarching themes that seemed to repeat throughout the various sessions. I will expand on these themes through the specific postings that will follow.
Common Theme #1: Teachers need to build positive relationships with dual language learning children. Help them to feel safe and included. Oftentimes, every single thing is new to them since they have just moved here. Even their parents are stressed as they try to get settled in a new country. With everything so new and different (read: scary), a safe and inviting environment will help them to open up more in school.
Common Theme #2: Teachers need to develop meaningful relationships with parents and families. Parents and families from different countries display their involvement with their children’s education in various ways. Also, sometimes their current circumstances prevent them from being as involved as they’d like. This does not mean they are not interested. Furthermore, language need not be a barrier for a teacher to communicate with the families. These meaningful relationships help to eliminate misunderstandings and further create a safe environment for the child.
Common Theme #3: Be deliberate, intentional, integrative and committed with your communication strategies. I’ll offer suggestions in following postings. But certainly determine what your policy is for incorporating dual language learners and then set about creating a strategy to do so. This process will include research and can even mean hiring a consultant.
Common Theme #4: Support the home language and culture. Dual language learning children do not come to your school as a blank slate. By supporting their home language and culture, you maximize their potential to learn, send them a message that they are not different, help create that safe and inclusive environment, and lay the foundation for a strong relationship between them and their parents.
I look forward to sharing with you specific details from the sessions as well as expanding upon these four themes. In the meantime, Happy Holidays and don’t forget to check out our bookstore, where all the books are bilingual: www.bububooks.com.
–Laura
0 Comments on Themes from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Annual Conference as of 1/1/1900
This post is third of a series of three posts written by Sarah Simons, Doula and mother of 7 about her experience having a special needs child with autism
Many parents plan for their children’s extracurricular activities: our situation differs only in that many of Garret’s activities are prescribed because of his autism. It is as [...]
1 Comments on First, A Child: A Mom’s View of Autism and Hope (Part 3 of 3), last added: 4/18/2009
It has been wonderful reading various perspectives of autism stories on this site and others. I have been researching autism for many years from the perspective of an educator who is a sponge wanting to learn more and more about these wonderful children with autism. I’ve been blessed by various internet sites where moms accept me into their internet autism families and teach me so much more than I can learn from books.
I have been working as an Instructional Aide or Paraprofessional or Independence Facilitator (whatever you want to call me) for 9 years. About 7 years ago, I was transferred into a class that focused on students with severe autism. Not having much experience with students on the spectrum, I felt so lost that I physically felt like I had to run away screaming or run towards them (figuratively) and embrace them. So, I quickly learned that my lack of knowledge about autism was not something I could pick up quickly by simply observing others. I went to my local library and picked up every book I could on autism and devoured them. I also took the time to get to know each child as an individual and tried to see beyond the autism. Everyday was a huge challenge both physically and mentally, but something about these students kept on leading me back to the classroom. Every day I learned something new and I quickly found that kids with autism teach me more than I could ever teach them. I soon found that looking at them through lenses of love helped me see their unique and wonderful personalities.
Some days I would come home with bruises and bite marks and friends would ask, “how can you work with those kids?” My thoughts were the opposite, “how could I not?” I continued to read more and more and spend a lot of quality time with one student. By looking beyond his challenges, I found a child who taught me so many life lessons about unique friendships, unconditional love and forgiveness.
I spent several years working directly with students diagnosed with severe autism and continued to read and watch any materials I could get my hand on. By the fourth year, I started to consider how important peers were to these kids and yet finding a way to connect peers with these kids on the spectrum seemed to be its own challenge. As a district employee, I was unable to share much about autism with kids on the playground as sharing this information was considered a breech in confidentiality for these students with ASD. So, one day I sat down to create a sort of presentation where someone could share the information in general with typical peers in hopes that they might be more open to interacting with ASD kids on the playground. Long story short, my writings took on a life of their own and a fictional character sort of popped onto the pages and began to tell “her story” about having autism. I was blessed to be accepted by a publisher that specializes in autism material and now my character, Chelsea, is “alive” in A Is for Autism, F Is for Friend - A Kid’s Book on Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism. I have also created a YouTube video so schools, sports teams or churches can use this character to introduce autism to typical peers.
In the meantime, I have been blessed with a second book, IN HIS SHOES - A SHORT JOURNEY THROUGH AUTISM which bumps up the lesson a little higher to upper elementary and middle school. Again, the goal being teaching typical peers about autism in hopes of creating a more welcome community for these awesome kids on the spectrum.
I am so grateful for the internet and blogs like this that showcase autism awareness. Everyone who has interacted with an individual with autism has a story to be told. I am blessed to have worked with students diagnosed with severe autism (most effectively non-verbal) with ages ranging from 8 to age 22…each a wonderful individual…each with unique challenges…and each a blessing in my life.
Her brain had finished its self-assigned task. By the time I finished the book for the second time (a week or two later), she was reading very well on her own.
The first app available through the First Book Marketplace is Mickey’s Magical Math World, which includes five app-based experiences in one large app that immerses children in key math-focused activities and games, including count along, sorting, add and subtract, shapes and problem solving.
.jpeg?picon=1058)
It has been wonderful reading various perspectives of autism stories on this site and others. I have been researching autism for many years from the perspective of an educator who is a sponge wanting to learn more and more about these wonderful children with autism. I’ve been blessed by various internet sites where moms accept me into their internet autism families and teach me so much more than I can learn from books.
I have been working as an Instructional Aide or Paraprofessional or Independence Facilitator (whatever you want to call me) for 9 years. About 7 years ago, I was transferred into a class that focused on students with severe autism. Not having much experience with students on the spectrum, I felt so lost that I physically felt like I had to run away screaming or run towards them (figuratively) and embrace them. So, I quickly learned that my lack of knowledge about autism was not something I could pick up quickly by simply observing others. I went to my local library and picked up every book I could on autism and devoured them. I also took the time to get to know each child as an individual and tried to see beyond the autism. Everyday was a huge challenge both physically and mentally, but something about these students kept on leading me back to the classroom. Every day I learned something new and I quickly found that kids with autism teach me more than I could ever teach them. I soon found that looking at them through lenses of love helped me see their unique and wonderful personalities.
Some days I would come home with bruises and bite marks and friends would ask, “how can you work with those kids?” My thoughts were the opposite, “how could I not?” I continued to read more and more and spend a lot of quality time with one student. By looking beyond his challenges, I found a child who taught me so many life lessons about unique friendships, unconditional love and forgiveness.
I spent several years working directly with students diagnosed with severe autism and continued to read and watch any materials I could get my hand on. By the fourth year, I started to consider how important peers were to these kids and yet finding a way to connect peers with these kids on the spectrum seemed to be its own challenge. As a district employee, I was unable to share much about autism with kids on the playground as sharing this information was considered a breech in confidentiality for these students with ASD. So, one day I sat down to create a sort of presentation where someone could share the information in general with typical peers in hopes that they might be more open to interacting with ASD kids on the playground. Long story short, my writings took on a life of their own and a fictional character sort of popped onto the pages and began to tell “her story” about having autism. I was blessed to be accepted by a publisher that specializes in autism material and now my character, Chelsea, is “alive” in A Is for Autism, F Is for Friend - A Kid’s Book on Making Friends with a Child Who Has Autism. I have also created a YouTube video so schools, sports teams or churches can use this character to introduce autism to typical peers.
In the meantime, I have been blessed with a second book, IN HIS SHOES - A SHORT JOURNEY THROUGH AUTISM which bumps up the lesson a little higher to upper elementary and middle school. Again, the goal being teaching typical peers about autism in hopes of creating a more welcome community for these awesome kids on the spectrum.
I am so grateful for the internet and blogs like this that showcase autism awareness. Everyone who has interacted with an individual with autism has a story to be told. I am blessed to have worked with students diagnosed with severe autism (most effectively non-verbal) with ages ranging from 8 to age 22…each a wonderful individual…each with unique challenges…and each a blessing in my life.
Thank you for this blog.
Joanna K-V
http://www.AisForAutism.net