In a recent article in Newsweek, “The Creativity Crisis,” it is reported that for the first time American creativity scores are declining. Children have been tested for creativity and then followed by scholars to see if there is a link between original scores and future proof of creativity lived out in their adult accomplishments. According to the article, “the accepted definition of creativity is production of something original and useful.” Professor Paul Torrence uses a creativity index to predict kids’ creative accomplishments as adults–artists, entrepreneurs, etc. He found that “the correlation to lifetime creative accomplishment was more than three times stronger for childhood creativity than childhood IQ.”
So are our kids destined to be less creative adults since our kids’ scores are declining? How can we encourage more creativity?
I work with parents every day, encouraging them to provide great toys and open-ended props for play–a blank cardboard box and markers, a scarf, a stick or a Kleenex box. I love when I come to a home and am greeted by a child in a home-made costume by the child himself. Duncan had watched a TV show about a disc jockey and had a Kleenex box taped to a belt around his waist, which was his boom box. Yesterday I was with Christopher who loves Toy Story characters and looked at me in the middle of play and said, “We need the rocket!” He went over to the dining table and brought back a lantern that he unlatched to open and let Buzz and Woody in for a ride!
If parents allow kids to have more unstructured time, give them some props and even play a little along side them to get the play going, we may see some creativity scores on the rise.
Many times our goal in speech therapy is for children to learn to build stories, adding details, descriptive words and generating a beginning, middle and end. We can use picture cards, photographs, objects and now “Rory’s Story Cubes” to generate ideas as kids add to their stories. Here is my review:
Kids love to roll dice–now they can toss nine picture cubes with clever images on each of the six sides and tell a story using the face up images. Set a theme ahead of time–”On our vacation we…” or just take turns adding to the story. The creative fun begins when kids choose a cube’s picture and start the story, interpreting the drawing as a concrete object or a more abstract concept. Kids chose the flashlight to continue their story on a more concrete level–”He grabbed the flashlight for the walk in the woods,” or to represent a more abstract concept–”The power went out.” The image of a hand represented “strength,” the cartoon bubble became “He had an idea,” and the eye conjured up “a three-eye alien.” There was no limit to the ingenuity that these cubes elicited. It was fun to sit back and watch childrens’ minds create. Many of the drawings are slightly obscure so a child can extrapolate as the abacus became a fence or a door and a co-centric series of arrows became a compass. With 54 possible images to use, there is unlimited potential for creative language learning with Rory’s Story Cubes. I have successfully used this storytelling game with kids younger than the recommended age of 8, and even had fun with kids on the autism spectrum as they learn to be more flexible and abstract with language.
Recommended age: 8 and up although younger kids can play
The opinions expressed are soley those of the author. “Rory’s Story Cubes” were provided for review by Gamewright.
Games make speech therapy fun but carefully selected games can also advance a child’s progress toward their IEP goals. “Order’s Up” by Gamewright, is not only loads of fun, but it can have language benefits too: kids learn categories of food–entrees, drinks, and how to apply wild cards like “Special of the Day” which can be hard for a child with more concrete language abilities. I have played this with children on the autism spectrum and one little boy didn’t want to use the “Special of the Day” card because he didn’t understand its advantage. As with all games, turn taking and following directions are great skills to learn with “Orders Up.” Here is my review:
Things are hopping at the Ring-A-Ding Diner as players compete to quickly fill their orders before their opponents do. A game of fast reactions, “Orders Up” builds excitement as players race to ding the bell, winning the right to add a card to their array of yummy dishes. Select two food cards filled with delectable delights like ice cream floats, spaghetti, or a banana split for you to match. Roll the dice and follow the options to try to be the first one to cover all the food dishes on the card to fill your order. Wild cards like “Special of the Day” or “Free Entree” add to the strategy of the game. Kids hope for the dice to land on the picture of the silver bell, so they can be the first to ring it, even if their hand gets smashed by others, competing to be first.
The opinions expressed in this review are solely of the author. “Order’s Up” was provided for review by Gamewright.
Children with Language learning disabilities benefit from reading and discussing good literature.
Yesterday I read, Peter’s Place by Sally Grindley–a beautifully illustrated story about a young boy who’s place is his clifftop home above the ocean. He befriends the birds and animals but his world changes when an oil tanker crashes into the cliff one night, spilling the black oil everywhere. The story is filled with great vocabulary–”ravaged cliff face,” “turbulent ocean,” and “snug in their haven.” There are many opportunities to discuss inference and explain figurative language. Here are the segments from the book and a 10 year-old’s responses:
“seals and otters played and feasted on the sea’s riches”
They had a lot of good food in the sea.
The animals were “snug in their haven”
The animals were comfortable in their homes
“Leaving the tanker to fight its own battle”
The tanker couldn’t steer and had to fight the ocean.
“The seal’s once soft gray fur, now matted with oil, could no longer hold in its body’s warmth.” He will get cold, sick or maybe die.
“A guillemot plucked furiously at its matted feathers, poisoning itself.”
He is poisoning himself by eating the oil.
Why did the oil keep it from flying?
The oil keeps it from flying because the oil is heavy so the bird can’t fly.
Why is Peter crying?
Because many of his birds can’t fly and he loved the ducks.
“Peter marvels at the birds’ survival.”
He is amazed how the birds stayed alive through the oil spill.
“Between the rocks are ugly black scars that can never be washed away.”
Between the rocks, there is some oil that they can’t get off and it reminds them of what happened.
Compare Compare before and after the oil spill:
· Before the spill, the birds flew easily and after the spill the birds couldn’t fly because the oil got into the feathers and it would be heavy to fly
· Before the spill, the cliff was pretty and after the spill, the cliff was ravaged with oil
· Before the spill, the sky was nice and cool and after the spill, the sky was dark
· Before the spill, the water was calm and blue, pink and purple. After the spill, the water had oil in it and it was pitch black
· Before the spill, Peter enjoyed the free time with the birds, calling to them. After the spill, Peter was anxious because his favorite place was ravaged.
· Before the spill, people were fishing but after the spill, people were saving birds and animals
· Before the spill, the tanker was way out in the far ocean and after the spill, the tanker was up close and destroyed
Summarize the whole book:
This book is about a boy who loved a place which got destroyed by a tanker and oil spill and how he saved many bird’s lives.
When I find a book I really like for using with my speech and language special needs kids, I usually see what else that author has written.
My journey with author and illustrator Valerie Gorbachev, began when I grabbed Red Red Red from the library. It was a prefect book to use with a language delayed child as well as a child on the autism spectrum–the illustrations were colorful and simple, the story was engaging but not complicated, and there was a simple action on each page that invited wh-questions. Turtle is in a hurry to find something read and as a result, all the friendly forest animals start a line behind him guessing what could be his red prize–maybe racoon’s roses, goat’s red socks, fox’s red roof or a firefighter’s truck. This little parade of animals finally arrives at Turtle’s destination, a beautiful red sunset. The book lends itself to prediction questions, why? questions, brainstorming other red items and descriptions.
In Chicken Chickens Go To School, our little chicks are a bit timid about their first day at school. As they venture toward friendship by saying hello to classmates, they are stopped with a “Sssssssh” from Beaver, Rabbit and Frog who are busy making a tower, listening to a story and trying to sing respectively. These responses lend themselves to talking about emotions and brainstorming on what the chicken’s might do to gain a friend. Finally, during a trip to the meadow, the chicks are faced with crossing the stream alone. Guess which 3 animals offer assistance? Again, before reading the page, ask your child to predict how the animals might help the chicks get across. Talking about the beginning, middle and end and how the characters changed is a good activity for sequence and memory.
Chicken Chickens introduces the chicks to their first day at a playground. All the fun action drawings are great for description–mother hen rocking her babies, the pigs swirling on the merry-go-round, and the cats swinging high. Talk about cause-effect in regard to the chickens’ fear of each piece of equipment. They might get dizzy on the merry-go-round or fall off the swings. Finally, let’s solve the problem of their fear of the slide. How could the different animals help them down? What could they say to the chickens? How did Beaver solve the problem?
Other favorites are:
The Big Trip
That’s What Friends Are For
What authors of picture books do you like for using with kids with special needs? Let’s get a list going to help others.
Some kids work harder in a less structured setting, moving and learning as they go. Summer is a great opportunity to take these kids outside to explore and work on speech and language goals on the move.
My friend, Nathan, is such a kid. He is so happy to explore, expecially with Duke, my dog, and will practice his articulation, language structures, answering questions and following directions best in a less restricted environment.
Last week we discovered that when we walked down to the creek to view water bugs and look for frogs, we actually found little tree frogs hopping out of the leaves under our feet. We could only detect them from their movement but managed to catch one in a cup and watch him climb out. Our next outing was the pond. No frogs there but 
we identified cattails, and were visited by a beautiful butterfly who followed us along the edge of the pond. We spotted an elegant egret and family of geese.
When we returned we wrote Mom an e-mail letter, including pictures of our outings. Nathan had to supply the words under each picture to recall what we had done. This is hard for him but with the visual cue, it was made easier.
Honestly, it’s fun for me to get a change of scenery too.
As a speech language therapist, I use commercial board games all the time–sometimes to teach language concepts and sometimes as a reinforcer to take a turn after articulation practice. Since I have a relationship with fantastic companies who are coming out with new games all the time that are fun and educational, I like to share them with parents, therapists and teachers. Here are two new games introduced by Gamewright that are loads of fun and winning awards for their creativity:
“Orders Up” is all about the race to get your guest check filled with food cards while eating at the Ring-a-Ding Diner. Everyone gets two cards to fill with matching food selections, so roll the die and see if you get a match. Kids love to roll the image of the bell so they can race to hit it and take a turn. You do have an opportunity to discuss language concepts as you talk about categories of food–desserts, main courses and drinks. Even the concept of a wild card, “Special of the Day,” that can be used for any match, is abstract for some kids with language disabilities. I was playing this with a child on the autism spectrum and he didn’t want to use that card (the most cherished card in the deck) because it was outside of his concrete realm of understanding. You could use the bell to expand play after the game and create a little pretend diner with your food cards. Get some play money and you are set to go. (Age 6 and up)
“Take the Cake” is a great starter game for preschoolers who will love to decorate their colorful cupcakes. Simple but inviting, this game reinforces shapes, colors, and 
numbers. Roll the dice and see how many times you should shake the sprinkle shaker filled with colorful shapes to decorate your cupcakes. Place the sprinkles on your cupcake cards when there is a match. When all the sprinkles are covered on a card, you get to keep that cupcake. Yum! Expand on the game by making and decorating your own cupcakes, adding sprinkles or using tubes of frosting to decorate with shapes or objects. Take pictures of your sequence of making the cupcakes, put the pictures in order, and narrate a caption to Mom or Dad under the pictures. Using words like first, next, and last builds language skills. (Age 4 and up)
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. These games were provided for review by Gamewright.
Wow, Toy Story 3 has only been out a few weeks and I am seeing products everywhere. I even went to the grocery store and saw Toy Story cookies and cakes. How do parents sift through all the offerings and get toys that will have staying power and encourage an afternoon of play? What toys can children with special needs use to encourage language development? Here are some of my recommendations to start your child telling their own story:
Buzz, Woody and other poseable figures: Probably the most flexible toy for play are the figures. After seeing the movie, I have watched my little friends clutch the figures and take them everywhere they went–the beach, grocery store, park and of course, nap. Buzz and Woody saved the day, rode in cars, went to a Play-doh beach, and camping. The figures represent a persona that the kids can activate, using dialogue and building their language skills.
“Toy Story Ultra Blast Gauntlet:” Little Buzzes strap on their wrist blaster, press the red laser button and surprise–a triple shooter with side weapons pops up, ready for action. Equipped with 5 darts with suction tips, a sight scope, and laser blasting sound effects, this space weapon will scare any alien. Pull on the purple ring and your weapon snaps back in place, ready for the next battle. The darts project far, so take care in setting up rules for use.
I kept being surprised by kids rounding the corner and setting off the laser zapping noise. Intended for kids 5 years and up, this toy can be adapted to the younger three and four-year old if you remove the darts. There was plenty of fun for preschoolers, just pushing the red button and acting out Buzz’s amazing feats. Again, pretend play builds creative thinking, story telling and language. (Age 5 and up)
“Toy Story 3 Action Link Stunt Sets”: At first I wondered if these “links” of action that can be mixed and matched were open-ended enough for repeated play, but kids convinced me otherwise. I tried out “Jessie to the Rescue,” “Buzz Saves The Train,” and “Junkyard Escape.” Set Jessie loose on her scooter and she hits the railroad sign, which flips open the sides of the train car. Attach the 
next set and as the runaway train falls into the canyon, and Buzz flies to the rescue. The garbage set lets Woody ride the conveyor belt and tosses Lotso from the the garbage tower to set off the stunts in this set. Kids quickly learned that the stunts can be connected in a different order before activating the chain reaction. After completing our first run through, a five-year-old boy said to me, “Do you mix it up? I wanna mix the whole thing up!” He even realized that some reactions were quicker and some slower (the conveyor belt) and designed the order so things didn’t happen too fast at the start. Note: the garbage set does not include all the characters to complete the stunts. Adding extra Buddy Pack Figures will enrich play as children have more opportunities to animate characters and expand their story.The trick is getting the links set up and pieces cocked before someone accidentally pushes a blue button and starts the action! (Age 5 and up)
“Toy Story the Great Train Chase” by Lego Duplo:All aboard for some fun with Duplo’s chunky figures–Buzz, Woody and Jessie–as they save the day. With movable and interchangeable parts, this set continues to offer new play options. The tops of the train cars swing open so Woody and gang can peer out or sit down. Combine this theme with more Lego blocks and make the houses, a train station or deli for a snack. There is unlimited fun and opportunity to be creative and build language skills. (Age 2-5 years)
Buzz Lightyear Costume: Children feel empowered when they put on a costume an assume the role of a hero, like Buzz. This costume designed for toddlers, lets the little siblings get right into the act, re-
living the story and becoming fearless as they save the day. Buzz’s costume was slipped on first thing in the morning over pajamas! When I saw my little friend breeze by, I pressed his red button and Will’s arms shot up, ready for takeoff “to infinity and beyond!” Comfortable for takeoffs and landings, this costume took a little boy through rescues and adventures, tumbles and flights.
The opinions expressed in this review are solely those of the author. “The figures, Ultra Blast Gauntlet, and Action Links” were provided for review by Mattel. “Buzz Lightyear costume” was provided by Jakks Pacific.
Once again, I saw the advantages of having a ittle Play-doh on hand.
One of my more creative players, Duncan, was setting up his Playmobil boat, van and trailer, As he was requesting the Mom figure and then the Dad to be seated in the front of the van, he started to ask for a CD. I looked at his mom since this was totally out of context. No one had been talking about a CD, but Duncan listens to them in the car so he wanted one in his pretend sequence.
His mom who is a wonderful “producer” of his play disappeared and returned with a can of Play-Doh, a large piece of paper and some crayons. She said, “Duncan, would you like to make your CD out of paper or Play-Doh? He chose the Play-Doh and went ahead and took a little square of it and mashed it against the dashboard! He had inserted his CD for playing:)
Later the Play-Doh was used to make a lake and a pile of rocks when the family disembarked from the boat to collect rocks.
Once again, my favorite toy added to the story line and allowed expansion to new themes for play.
This is part two of my blog about the advantages of having a typical peer join your speech therapy session. Yesterday I talked about the impact a typical peer can have on a child with autism in play. In my speech therapy sessions, I always try to include a time of reading books, as soon as a child will tolerate it and displays joint attention so they can follow the story.
I find that my kids that I work with who have autism, tend to show more interest, stay with the book longer and get more engaged with a typical peer in on the lesson. Last week we were reading, When Dinosaurs Came with Everything by Lise Broach. In the story, to the little boy’s delight, everywhere he goes on errands with his mom-to the bakery, the doctor, the barber–he gets a dinosaur as a reward. Mom is terrified and the boy is thrilled. The story gets more complicated as he brings his new pets home. At first they are unintentionally destructive, but then mom sees a more useful tact as she deploys them to “cut” the grass and clean the gutters. With lots of opportunity to predict, and infer, this story builds language concepts. My little client often becomes less attentive about half way through the story, but his typical peer kept answering my questions and helped keep him engaged. He seemed to catch her enthusiasm and want to take his turn in talking about the story.
