This link and the following links from stimr.com was published from videos shot in my classroom. William Crandell, my paraprofessional is a creative man who finds multiple ways to play and interact with each child.
He begins with a playful attitude and the faith that each child is an inttelligent and worthy individual. It makes me smile that his approach to the children comes from the fact that he is a musician, he is playful and he is a father. He brings creative energy to the class, always trying different ways to elicit responses in the children.
stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...: "As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect ..."
About Me
- MARI
- When we do the best we can, we never know what miracle is wrought in our life, or in the life of another. -- Helen Keller (1880-1968) American Writer
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...
stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...: "As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect ..."
stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...
stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...: "As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect ..."
stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...
stimr.com: Playing with Severely Impaired Special Needs Kids ...: "As professionals working with children that have severe disabilities we have found that there are ways to play with common toys and connect ..."
Sunday, January 2, 2011
More on reading!!!
Since language is very difficult to acquire for a child with severe disabilities, reading is extremely important. I read to my children as infants, toddlers, young preschoolers, elementary aged and up to age 10. This not only encouraged them to read, but created a rich living vocabulary and imagination that allowed them to express themselves and more ably explore their universe.
We don't know the mental capabilities of these children with severe disabilities. We do know that sensory and intellectual stimulation on a daily basis is vital for the development of any child.
A fun way to incorporate language learning into book reading is to incorporate objects, puppets, switch operated toys, smells, and motions. You can then create a kit that will enrich the reading experience as well encourage language development.
Remember, books are always available at your local library for free. All you have to do is provide proof of residency. Extremely low cost books are available at books sales, yard sales and thrift shops. In this category you have to be patient and it is the "luck of the draw".
An idea for activities and kits:
The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt
A well written book that I like to read during the winter time to add to my winter themes. It is based on an old folk tale, involves themes and concepts of winter time dressing, sharing, winter animals and smaller/ bigger, inside/outside, warm/cold. The book uses repetitious language and the pictures are simple with clear outlines. There is another book out based on this folk tale by Jan Brett with beautiful illustrations, but the illustrations are too cluttered for children with possible visual limitations.
Materials:
In order to illustrate some of the concepts used in this book:
*I would have on hand oversized winter cap, boots, mittens... Two mittens in the same color that are child - sized; and one that is adult sized.
*Small stuffed animals or miniature plastic toys that are similar to the animals in the story
*for children with visual impairments, recorded sounds from the animals in the story as well as tactile samples of furs similar to the fur of the animals in the story; this would also work for children who are visually/auditorially impaired
*Optional - a pan of snow or ice cubes
How to do it:
You act the story :
Talk about cold and the weather outside. Allow the children to interact with the snow or ice cubes; at least allow the cold to briefly touch a child. Vocabulary: Winter, cold, ice, snow, BRRR
Talk about what we wear in the winter: vocabulary: hat, mittens, boots, coat scarf
When you introduce the word, allow the child to feel the object, play with it. Place the object on the child so they know what you do with it. Help them feel where it is.
When you read the story, use the objects to enhance the reading of the story. Start the story with all of the children wearing two mittens, when the child loses a mitten, have the children "lose" one of their mittens.
Continue reading the story to the end, using the miniature animals, allowing the children to feel before placing them in the mitten. Children can help to place the animals in the mitten. Have them feel the mitten get bigger and bigger. At the end of the story, pop a balloon and have the animals fly all over the place.
You can add to the story by reading extra stories about the different animals, introducing them one by one, having the children touch good quality representations of the animals, as well as fur types from the different types of animals. Online videos are excellent for this.
For further language development, add one or two step push button talkers that allow the children to "read" the repetitious parts of the story.
Use your imagination, have fun. You can even write your own version of this story using your child's name and the animals they wish to use. You can do this online or with paper and pencil and crayons or cutout pics from magazines or the internet.
We don't know the mental capabilities of these children with severe disabilities. We do know that sensory and intellectual stimulation on a daily basis is vital for the development of any child.
A fun way to incorporate language learning into book reading is to incorporate objects, puppets, switch operated toys, smells, and motions. You can then create a kit that will enrich the reading experience as well encourage language development.
Remember, books are always available at your local library for free. All you have to do is provide proof of residency. Extremely low cost books are available at books sales, yard sales and thrift shops. In this category you have to be patient and it is the "luck of the draw".
An idea for activities and kits:
The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt
A well written book that I like to read during the winter time to add to my winter themes. It is based on an old folk tale, involves themes and concepts of winter time dressing, sharing, winter animals and smaller/ bigger, inside/outside, warm/cold. The book uses repetitious language and the pictures are simple with clear outlines. There is another book out based on this folk tale by Jan Brett with beautiful illustrations, but the illustrations are too cluttered for children with possible visual limitations.
Materials:
In order to illustrate some of the concepts used in this book:
*I would have on hand oversized winter cap, boots, mittens... Two mittens in the same color that are child - sized; and one that is adult sized.
*Small stuffed animals or miniature plastic toys that are similar to the animals in the story
*for children with visual impairments, recorded sounds from the animals in the story as well as tactile samples of furs similar to the fur of the animals in the story; this would also work for children who are visually/auditorially impaired
*Optional - a pan of snow or ice cubes
How to do it:
You act the story :
Talk about cold and the weather outside. Allow the children to interact with the snow or ice cubes; at least allow the cold to briefly touch a child. Vocabulary: Winter, cold, ice, snow, BRRR
Talk about what we wear in the winter: vocabulary: hat, mittens, boots, coat scarf
When you introduce the word, allow the child to feel the object, play with it. Place the object on the child so they know what you do with it. Help them feel where it is.
When you read the story, use the objects to enhance the reading of the story. Start the story with all of the children wearing two mittens, when the child loses a mitten, have the children "lose" one of their mittens.
Continue reading the story to the end, using the miniature animals, allowing the children to feel before placing them in the mitten. Children can help to place the animals in the mitten. Have them feel the mitten get bigger and bigger. At the end of the story, pop a balloon and have the animals fly all over the place.
You can add to the story by reading extra stories about the different animals, introducing them one by one, having the children touch good quality representations of the animals, as well as fur types from the different types of animals. Online videos are excellent for this.
For further language development, add one or two step push button talkers that allow the children to "read" the repetitious parts of the story.
Use your imagination, have fun. You can even write your own version of this story using your child's name and the animals they wish to use. You can do this online or with paper and pencil and crayons or cutout pics from magazines or the internet.
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