Hang out for day with a child, and you realize that Valentine’s Day is everyday–filled with love and hugs overflowing. Capture the spirit with a fun picture book, whether chasing a kiss through the forest, freely dispersing hugs through a carnival, or laughing out loud at Rapunzel’s new love twist. Take time to read and talk about the book, enriching your child’s experience as you expand on the story and relate it to your little one’s life.
Babies and toddlers:
Won’t you Be My Hugaroo? By Joanne Ryder
Join this mom and tot zebra pair as they journey through the carnival, offering hugs tailored to their friends’ needs. A “calming hug,” “twirly hug,” or “cheer-up hug” are just what the pig, elephant or bunny needs to face the scary slide, the spin until you grin teacup ride or a lost balloon. Your toddler will feel the energy and love these pals share as they hug their way through the day in Won’t You Be My Hugaroo?
Language and Literacy Tips:
Name your hugs as you go through the day, teaching your toddler new vocabulary like “twirly,” “calming” or “excited hug” when you are anticipating
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Read the rest of this entry »
Now that all the lists are out–Parents Magazine, Parenting, Toywishes, Amazon and others–for the best new toys for holiday giving, parents are asking what to buy? All these lists are helpful but what I have assembled is a list of my favorite toys, many new but some old favorites, based on their value in building speech and language skills. I’ve added tips to build language to increase the educational value of the toy.
Halloween brings on excited anticipation in children as they plan the character they will “be” for the night and search for that perfect costume. I’ve already been privy to a 3 year-old’s Dorothy costume, complete with her basket and Toto. It resides on a high shelf so it won’t be worn out before October 31st.
Why not take advantage of the buzz around Halloween and introduce some new books around the theme that can capture your child’s interest and build his language through rhyme, vocabulary and clever plots to spark conversation.
Getting teenagers to talk and confide in their parents is a hot topic. But face it. These communication skills should be modeled and practiced from the time your child is very young.
Don’t we all want to hear about our child’s day–that she was included on the playground, had someone to sit with at lunch, understood what was going on in class, and most importantly had a “good” day? Recently I heard a mom’s conversation with her kindergartner after his first day of school. Her line of questioning went something like this, “Did you have fun today? Who did you play with at recess?” “Nobody?” “Wasn’t Jimmy there?” “How about gym class?” And so on, while her little one relayed his side of the story which sounded like he was a loner all day. In reality he was happy and enjoyed his first day and mom was a wreck because of his answers.
As a speech language pathologist, I have had to start and keep conversations going with kids from 1-18 (both ages have their challenges!) for over 30 years. So I want to offer some tips for getting your preschool and elementary-aged child to open up about school when she comes home:
- Ask open-ended questions. Surely, “How was school today?” does not bring about the most conversation. For many young children it is too vague and they need a more specific question to help them remember their day. Avoid questions that can be answered in one word–especially “yes” or “no.” Rather try some open-ended questions like, “Tell me about the game you played at recess today” or “That’s a beautiful picture of the farm. Tell me about it.” or “I wonder what you had for lunch today.”
- Use their artwork or take-home papers to start conversations. A research study by Marvin and Privratsky (1999) showed that when 4 year old children brought home objects from preschool including their art projects, the children referred to recent school activities significantly more than when they did not. Take advantage of these masterpieces, asking open ended questions of your little artist and don’t forget to listen. . Showing interest in their work can increase their self-esteem as well as link school and home. Recently a mom picked up her kindergartner’s two papers. One had a few identifiable drawings of sea creatures and the other was scribbly lines. She started describing the recognizable crab and fish and then pointed to the other drawings, pausing to let her son fill in. He proudly identified the drawings in question and went on to talk about how he made them. When asked about the scribbles he said, “Oh that just says I love you!”
- Know their school schedule so you can start talking about library day, gym or art class. “What kind of books did the librarian show you today?” or “What did you find at the library?” “Tell me about the books that you chose.” Take the time to sit down and read the books with her, affirming her choice, and encouraging reading.
- Know the themes they are learning--apples and farms, communities, the seashore, China or the rain forest. Have fun exploring the topics on the internet together, learning new facts to expand on her knowledge and discussing the themes.
- Model sharing about your day. “I had a great day today. I talked to grandma and grandpa about…” or “I met a new friend and we had coffee at the beach.” It is important to share your interests, friends, challenges and joys with your kids so they see that communication modeled for them. There is nothing quite so rewarding as when my grown sons say to me, “How was your day today, Mom?”
- Take time at the dinner table to talk about a good and bad thing that happened that day. Knowing that the family gathered at dinner is a safe place to share joys and disappointments, is comforting. Recently a mom of a 1 year-old told me that at her daughter’s first year check-up, one of the many questions the pediatrician asked her was, “Do you eat dinner as a family and talk about your day?” That pediatrician gets it! If parents start modeling communication with their one-year-old on a daily basis, they are more likely to have a teenager who knows how to share her day. Make it a game of thinking of a good and bad, happy and sad, or fun and challenging event that day. By encouraging your young child to talk about a hard thing that happened that day, you can provide emotion words to help her express herself such as, “You must have been disappointed when Sally didn’t let you join the game.” or “I bet you were frustrated when they were out of your favorite dessert at lunch.”
- Use books as conversation starters. Choose a book about school and see what conversation unfolds. For a laugh out loud, read What a Day it was at School! by Jack Prelutsky. His collection of poems about school–tipping over with a heavy backpack, throwing food in the cafeteria, hopelessly competing with a classmate in gym, or emitting an accidental noise during class–is outrageously silly, getting a child laughing and connecting the stories to her school experience. After reading the book to a second grader, I asked her what happens in her school if someone throws food at lunch? She went on to tell me the rules, and all about Cody and Will when they made a mess in the cafeteria.
- Take advantage of your child stalling at bedtime. One mother shared with me that if she lingers with her first-grade son after stories are read and the bedtime routine is over, she can count on about 10 minutes of chat about his day. He’s smart–he knows what mom likes and how to stay up longer!
- Listen, listen, and listen. Once your child gets started talking about her day, hold off more questions and let her go. As parents, we tend to jump in with more questions, but pausing is important. A child gains confidence as she relates her day and you affirm her.
It’s summer. School is out, so grab a book, cuddle up with your child and take a cool break .
Reading to your child sets the foundation for emergent literacy skills—what children need to know before they actually read and write. With each story read, you are building your child’s vocabulary, phonemic awareness (understanding that words are made up of individual sounds), knowledge of letters and the sounds they represent, and narrative skills or story telling. Reading to your child not only prepares him for academic success but also says I have time for you, strengthening the special bond you have with your child.
These new picture books will spark discussions with your child about feelings, reactions, situations, or predictions. The beautiful, intricate illustrations can encourage your young artist to illustrate their thoughts or reactions to the story. Help your child to relate her experiences to the story and the story line to her world, building language skills in the process.
Trainstop by Barbara Lehman
Climb aboard this train, but be sure to sit next to the little girl rather than her parents who are engrossed in the newspaper and fall asleep, missing the whole adventure. Her face is pressed against the glass of the train car window, anticipating the new world she will enter after passing through a tunnel. Stepping out of the train into a world of tiny people, she is asked to help retrieve a toy airplane and pilot from the apple tree. Friendships develop, but it’s time to hop back on the train to return to the city. The magic comes full circle when upon arriving home, the girl looks up to see her little friends flying by to deliver a tree of thanks.
Tips to Build Language and Literacy:
How can so many story possibilities be packed into a wordless book? That’s the point. Beautifully illustrated wordless books provide a platform for creative story telling and writing. Encourage your child to examine the drawings and describe characters, contrast them, predict what they will do, describe their emotions and give them dialogue. Look at the parents versus the little girl—engrossed in their paper, falling asleep, indifferent to their surroundings while the child is anticipating adventure.
Your child becomes the author-story teller as she orally illustrates each page and gives words to the drawings. Try collaborating by alternating as the storyteller—you describe the action on a page and let your child add on to the story on the next page. Or each invent your own story, share them and see how they differ. Make this a family activity, assigning one member to write down the story as it unfolds or illustrate it as a group.
Try these strategies to enhance language development with other magical wordless books:
Rainstorm by Barbara Lehman
Hogwash by Arthur Geisert
Lights Out by Arthur Geisert
Max’s Dragon by Kate Banks
Max’s earnest search for rhyming words, sends him through a croquet game, rainstorm and adventures with his dragon. Initially an annoyance to his brothers, Max keeps up his lines, “If my dragon isn’t faster, there’ll be a big disaster” until brothers Karl and Ben are contributing too. When the dragon is threatened there is only one thing to do—create another rhyme to save the day.
Tips to Build Language and Literacy:
What a delightful introduction to poetry and rhyme! Since the understanding of rhyme is a precursor to reading, it is important to play with rhyming words with your child. Read the rhymes to a younger child, emphasizing the changing first sound (the “f” in faster and “d” sound in disaster), and then just repeat the two words: faster, disaster. With a child 4 years old and up, create your own one-liners. Start them off with a phrase such as “I can’t wait or I’ll be (late).” Look at a fun illustration and create rhymes based on the pictures. Throw out a word and see how many rhyming words you and your child can generate. A first or second grader can write his own poem based on a favorite activity, imaginary friend, or object. Sometimes starting with an illustration will help generate the language.
The Rubber-Legged Ducky by John G. Keller
Watch out what you eat when you are expecting! Mama duck nibbled a rubber band along with a clump of grass before giving birth. When she hatched her brood, the fifth duckling bounced rather than waddled, and cried, “Bing-boing” instead of the typical “Quack, quack.” This delightful tale is all about being different, or special with true potential, as only a mother could declare. Five’s rubbery legs were good for strumming accompaniments to sing-alongs and lassoing bullies but his greatest act of bravery was to stand against the fox, using his special talents to protect his family.
Tips to Build Language and Literacy:
Take the opportunity to discuss with your child how friends are different, what special talents we all have—maybe a good listener, helper or storyteller–and celebrate the differences.
The Best Story by Eileen Spinelli
Take the challenge to write the best story and win the first prize ride on a roller coaster. This little girl sought her family’s advice and one by one wrote a draft according to their suggestions. First she packed her story with action—pirates, sharks, and tornados—to please her little brother, Tim. When Dad said good stories had plenty of humor, she put the pirates in pajamas and revised her draft. Aunt Jane countered that the best stories have to make you cry. The little girl’s revisions to cause tears didn’t seem right either. Finally, Mom, the source of all wisdom, said, “I think the best story comes from the heart. Your own heart.” The little girl began pulling her story out of her own heart and it was a winner, contest or not.
Tips to Build Language and Literacy:
Summer is a great time for your child to keep a journal and write from her heart. Write about the best thing that happened that day, a new word learned and explain it, a favorite storybook, or all about a beloved relative. If your child is too young to write her thoughts, you be the scribe and take down her words. Draw an illustration with special markers and make it into a book.
The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen
Being grumpy is a lot of work. Mr. Fish can’t seem to be cheered up by his convincing pals, Ms Clam, Mr. Jelly (Fish), Mrs. Squid or Mr. Eight (legged octopus). In spite of the efforts by his best-intended buddies, this dreary, sulking fish is convinced he is doomed to a life of mope. An unexpected visitor appears to plant a kiss on our prince to get this grump out of his slump. This charming tale is filled with strong vocabulary, rhythm and rhyme with stanzas to be sung with your little one.
Tips to Build Language and Literacy:
Model putting words to your emotions throughout your daily experiences. “I’m frustrated, I can’t get this lid open” or “I’m tired and grumpy. I need a nap.” “Please be patient, I can’t help you right now.” Identify and name emotions in stories that you read aloud to your child. “The little girl is selfish—always wanting her own way” or “Grandma is disappointed in her behavior.” Brainstorm words that describe the main character and see how many you can list. After reading a story to a first grade class, I collected fourteen words to describe the “bossy, impolite, ungrateful” little girl. Our little pout pout fish is “glum,” “mopey,” “dreary,” with an “unattractive trait.”
Point out repeated words that are isolated in the text, “Blub, Bluuuub, and Bluuuuub!” Your child will begin to associate the sound with the letter as you stretch out the word and even “read” the word next time you encounter that page.
As parents enter the world of special education, the PPT meeting, to plan for your child’s Individual Educational Plan (IEP) can be daunting. I have had the opportunity to be on “both sides of the table”, representing the school district as their speech-language pathologist, and representing the parent as their private therapist. In both cases, I want the process to be productive for the parent. Here are some tips to lead to that end:
• Be positive. Don’t approach the school as the enemy. So many times I’ve seen parents anticipate a negative response from the school team when in fact the professionals are there to hear the facts and formulate the best educational plan for your child. School personnel can’t and won’t promise a program until it is agreed upon at a meeting with you. It has been my experience that school personnel want the best for your child, just as you do. Go in with a positive attitude and you will likely get a better result.
• Be your child’s advocate. You know your child better than anyone. Don’t be intimidated by a team of professionals around the table. You are part of the team and your input is vital. If you come to a meeting prepared and with some goals in mind, be strong in your commitment to seeing them implemented.
• Be prepared. Write down your observations to share with the team. This is invaluable. It’s one thing to say your child’s attitude has changed about school. It is more helpful to be specific such as, “He cries every morning and doesn’t want to go to school.” Or “He’s being teased by his peers for being slow to answer.” Or “She’s frustrated because she misses directions when she leaves the room for special help.” As a professional on a team, I find specific information from home a crucial piece of the puzzle. Often children can keep it together at school but will let out their feelings at home. Have a list of possible solutions to present to the team such as “increase his reading instruction” or “decrease his pull-out therapy and have it delivered in the classroom.”
• Be educated on your options. As a parent new to the world of special education, you can be overwhelmed by all the programs available—speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy or behavior plans—and all the variations within each discipline such as pull out and push in programs. Make an appointment with the director of your program or principal and take the time to understand all the services available to your child. Often parents address the most obvious area of need whether it is speech, motor or cognitive difficulties, while behavior issues arise related to their child’s frustration and delay.
• Be open. Now that I am working in private practice, I have had a number of parents that don’t want me to communicate with the school, partly so their child won’t be labeled and also parents think if they don’t say anything, no one will notice. Honestly, good teachers pick up on problems right away. They benefit from all the information to best serve your child. You aren’t helping your child by holding back information. If your child is having attention difficulties and medication is not an option for you, then be honest and tell the team that. Now they will go forward and look for other strategies to help you child.
• Be flexible. A good team will come up with different recommendations. Be open to trying the strategies that they recommend. If something works for your child, such as preferential seating, or having directions written down as a reminder, then that is great. Maybe it will take trying a few strategies before the best results are seen.
• Be patient. It can take some time. Children are dynamic human beings, always changing and surprising us. Each year is a new challenge academically as they progress through the grades. It might take some time to accurately assess your child and get the best plan in place. You can be patient as long as you see professionals implementing the plan for your child.
• Be persistent. Follow up. Even with the best of intentions, some pieces of the educational plan might fall through the cracks. Since you are your child’s strongest advocate, you need to follow up and make sure that the recommendations are being implemented. If an occupational therapy consultation was recommended and two months have passed, check and see that it occurs in a timely fashion.
• Be connected. Seek out a local group of parents of children with special needs. Many districts have a PTA just to serve you, offering educational programs and the opportunity to learn from other parents who might just be a step ahead of you, in processing your child’s diagnosis or understanding the programs available.
• Be a communicator. Set up a method with the team to insure communication between the professionals working with your child, parents and any outside therapists. Weekly e-mail, phone calls or written communication—whatever is most efficient and helpful to disseminate information–should be part of the plan. Knowing the classroom themes for the week or science or social studies curriculum, helps a parent or therapist carry over concepts, vocabulary and reinforce goals. Parents reporting on the weekend such as “He went to a birthday party and was able to transition without tears” or “She had a fight with her friend and was able to tell me what happened” provide valuable feedback to therapists and teachers working on these skills.
