The new school year is always filled with excitement. This year was no different but it was different. I decided that we would both get ready for the new teacher. Having enjoyed a wonderful summer - learning, fun, field trips, pool, pool and more pool, I created a way to ease the transition to the new grade.
For the normally developing child, sharing things about yourself perhaps come easy. For us, it's sometimes a little more challenging. She gets shy, withdrawn, and hesitant to speak. Every new teacher wants to know something about the children in the class so I would I help her conquer that social challenge?
The creative juices are flowing and I decide to make a booklet. What do I know about making booklets? I've seen, used, bought (and returned) enough of them to know what IS NOT helpful.
What an unanticipated success? She enjoyed working on the booklet...she took it so seriously I was impressed. She was thoughtful about what she wanted to say about herself. You never know what's going on in those little heads - she too wanted to be ready for the new teacher.
Booklet completed, I prepared my own "meet my daughter" snapshot. Again...who knew what a difference it would make. I took it to school this morning and the teacher was glad to receive the information since she was not overly familiar with the child, obviously, or the needs. What better way to know the child than to get an intro from the child herself?!
Do you remember how you felt when you started a new class? Maybe you didn't have the kind of social skill challenges that some Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) children have. Even as an adult, sometimes meeting a new person, is awkward. A new teacher means a new beginning not just for the child, but also for the parent.
This year, the transition, for both of us was made easier simply by using the principle - getting to know you, and getting to know me. Creating a smooth transition is always a gift to my child, to me, and to the teacher.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Super Summer Experiences
Every child needs experiences and they should be diverse. It is these experiences that form the hidden backdrop for understanding the world, experiencing the world and building background knowledge to support reading comprehension. It turns out that reading comprehension doesn't really start in Kindergarten they ask you about the facts of the story - who, where, when, why, how, what.
One familiar early childhood concept is transportation. You've seen the board book of trucks, cars, boats, trains, planes, bicycles...you've seen notice boards with all of the transportation pictures. You've probably even spent time yourself asking "what's this?" as you point to a car, trains, or a bus. The transportation topic covers how people move - land, air, water. We count the wheels and wings just to ensure that our children understand all of the many components that make up transportation.
When the opportunity to visit Florida presented itself, flying was the only option available to us. Having already done the train to Atlanta, we knew we weren't going that route again. Consequently, our first plane ride together.
The good news was that the flying was weeks after the surgery so all those weeks of restricted physical activity were 'rewarded' with a flight to another state. The excitement of having luggage especially for her with matching pieces; the fun of looking at a map to see where we were going; and the early understanding that we were flying and mommy was scared made the experience all the more delightful.
Even if she struggled to find the words to describe the experience, the feelings were there and they showed all over her face. Once in the air, she enjoyed the flight - the clouds, the seats, watching a DVD. I talked about the experience by describing my feelings, my thoughts, and what was occurring. It was only years later, after speech had improved, that she was able to refer to the experience. "Remember, mommy, like on the plane" That's always a reminder that even when I don't have the verbal evidence that the experiences are meaningful, being in the experience in and of itself is meaningful. As much as I want to make speech happen, I don't have control over that. What I do have control over is creating experiences that serve as a foundation for stimulating and using speech - whenever it comes in.
That summer, she enjoyed the flying experience. Met and played with new cousins. Began broadening her social skills as she engaged with new aunts, uncles, and cousins. To cap off the super summer experience, we were late for the flight going back. Actually, we weren't late. We were there in the airport on time but so busy chilling and getting the morning meal, we missed the first, second, and third boarding calls. The next thing I heard was final boarding call for flight XYZ. That was us!!! Since this was shortly after the introduction of the 'remove your shoes' security check-in, there we were, taking off shoes, getting stuff into bins, and trying to run full speed to the gate. It was exhausting! It was (mildly) embarrassing! It was hilarious! But most of all, it was a shared experience that she could draw from in the future. And, when she saw similar scenes in movies, she could point out that she had been through the same thing.
Super summers, whether they involve flying, trips to the beach, museum, or simple walks in the park are an opportunity to create experiences that children draw from. They need these experiences to delight themselves in the fullness of the universe....they need these experiences to stimulate their thinking and their speech...they need these experiences because they represent a gift from you to them.....
One familiar early childhood concept is transportation. You've seen the board book of trucks, cars, boats, trains, planes, bicycles...you've seen notice boards with all of the transportation pictures. You've probably even spent time yourself asking "what's this?" as you point to a car, trains, or a bus. The transportation topic covers how people move - land, air, water. We count the wheels and wings just to ensure that our children understand all of the many components that make up transportation.
When the opportunity to visit Florida presented itself, flying was the only option available to us. Having already done the train to Atlanta, we knew we weren't going that route again. Consequently, our first plane ride together.
The good news was that the flying was weeks after the surgery so all those weeks of restricted physical activity were 'rewarded' with a flight to another state. The excitement of having luggage especially for her with matching pieces; the fun of looking at a map to see where we were going; and the early understanding that we were flying and mommy was scared made the experience all the more delightful.
Even if she struggled to find the words to describe the experience, the feelings were there and they showed all over her face. Once in the air, she enjoyed the flight - the clouds, the seats, watching a DVD. I talked about the experience by describing my feelings, my thoughts, and what was occurring. It was only years later, after speech had improved, that she was able to refer to the experience. "Remember, mommy, like on the plane" That's always a reminder that even when I don't have the verbal evidence that the experiences are meaningful, being in the experience in and of itself is meaningful. As much as I want to make speech happen, I don't have control over that. What I do have control over is creating experiences that serve as a foundation for stimulating and using speech - whenever it comes in.
That summer, she enjoyed the flying experience. Met and played with new cousins. Began broadening her social skills as she engaged with new aunts, uncles, and cousins. To cap off the super summer experience, we were late for the flight going back. Actually, we weren't late. We were there in the airport on time but so busy chilling and getting the morning meal, we missed the first, second, and third boarding calls. The next thing I heard was final boarding call for flight XYZ. That was us!!! Since this was shortly after the introduction of the 'remove your shoes' security check-in, there we were, taking off shoes, getting stuff into bins, and trying to run full speed to the gate. It was exhausting! It was (mildly) embarrassing! It was hilarious! But most of all, it was a shared experience that she could draw from in the future. And, when she saw similar scenes in movies, she could point out that she had been through the same thing.
Super summers, whether they involve flying, trips to the beach, museum, or simple walks in the park are an opportunity to create experiences that children draw from. They need these experiences to delight themselves in the fullness of the universe....they need these experiences to stimulate their thinking and their speech...they need these experiences because they represent a gift from you to them.....
Then and Now (Pre School Year 1)
Some people are eager for their child to start school at 5. Some are even agitated when they have to start school a year later because the school cut-off and their child's birthday are not cooperating. We have a late birthday, 9 days after the cut-off point. That means we turned 5 after kindergarten started. Hardship for some; blessing for others. Instead of one year of preschool, we got two!
Our first year of pre-school, we attended private school. When I selected the school, I really had no idea of the impact a speech delay would/could have on school success. Like others, I thought "it's just a delay; she'll catch up." Well, half of that is accurate; the other half, not so.
In our case, catching up hinged on the quality of the early intervention and the support/resources the child as in other environments. We had the benefit of full day (private) pre-school AND early childhood intervention speech therapy services 2 days per week. In an earlier post, I talked about following the bus. (Aug 31, 09) By the time she started preK, she was used to riding the bus to go to therapy. This new arrangement allowed her to get therapy and as a wise special education professional said "she can learn the skills and then transfer those skills in the private school environment."
We were fortunate, her teacher - Ms. Lorenda Gordon - was good at what she did. One of the first things they did was give her a craft stick with two faces on the top. A happy face and a sad face. With a simple craft stick, she was able to communicate how she was feeling. Sounds simple enough but did I know that joining a group made her uncomfortable? Did she know how to communicate this discomfort? We learned alot about the social dimensions of ASD that year.
When we discovered that the noisy group on one day was too distracting for her, she was simply assigned to another group. I also learned many valuable lessons that year: 1) routine is good; 2) partnering with teachers is critical, 3) being open and honest with other parents is a choice, 4) advocating for your child sometimes means 'change in plan' and 5) my role is to provide experiences and support that stimulate growth. Speech will come in its own time.
Looking back - then and now - there are still only 26 letters in the alphabet. What they learn about in preschool is where to find the letters, how to say the letters, how to have fun as they learn the alphabet, and other new things about themselves and the world around them. If they need the extra time to strengthen their cognitive skills, the speech, and their social skills - take it and run!!
In the course of trying to understand what I was facing and how to cope, I came upon some interesting reading - research that identified some of the elements of sound early childhood education programs. Programs strong on reading, letter introduction, number concepts, science - exploring the world and of course playing well together. If our program - paid, public, faith-based, someone's basement, or a living room - doesn't have most, if not all, of these ingredients - ask yourself what impact that will have on readiness for school.
The difference between then and now is that then I wasn't sure of the benefit of an extra year of preschool. Now, we're on the honor roll routinely; high functioning in many areas; more receptive to transitioning and certainly able to stay on task. Making adjustments at the front end has paid off dividends...that's my gift to my child.
Our first year of pre-school, we attended private school. When I selected the school, I really had no idea of the impact a speech delay would/could have on school success. Like others, I thought "it's just a delay; she'll catch up." Well, half of that is accurate; the other half, not so.
In our case, catching up hinged on the quality of the early intervention and the support/resources the child as in other environments. We had the benefit of full day (private) pre-school AND early childhood intervention speech therapy services 2 days per week. In an earlier post, I talked about following the bus. (Aug 31, 09) By the time she started preK, she was used to riding the bus to go to therapy. This new arrangement allowed her to get therapy and as a wise special education professional said "she can learn the skills and then transfer those skills in the private school environment."
We were fortunate, her teacher - Ms. Lorenda Gordon - was good at what she did. One of the first things they did was give her a craft stick with two faces on the top. A happy face and a sad face. With a simple craft stick, she was able to communicate how she was feeling. Sounds simple enough but did I know that joining a group made her uncomfortable? Did she know how to communicate this discomfort? We learned alot about the social dimensions of ASD that year.
When we discovered that the noisy group on one day was too distracting for her, she was simply assigned to another group. I also learned many valuable lessons that year: 1) routine is good; 2) partnering with teachers is critical, 3) being open and honest with other parents is a choice, 4) advocating for your child sometimes means 'change in plan' and 5) my role is to provide experiences and support that stimulate growth. Speech will come in its own time.
Looking back - then and now - there are still only 26 letters in the alphabet. What they learn about in preschool is where to find the letters, how to say the letters, how to have fun as they learn the alphabet, and other new things about themselves and the world around them. If they need the extra time to strengthen their cognitive skills, the speech, and their social skills - take it and run!!
In the course of trying to understand what I was facing and how to cope, I came upon some interesting reading - research that identified some of the elements of sound early childhood education programs. Programs strong on reading, letter introduction, number concepts, science - exploring the world and of course playing well together. If our program - paid, public, faith-based, someone's basement, or a living room - doesn't have most, if not all, of these ingredients - ask yourself what impact that will have on readiness for school.
The difference between then and now is that then I wasn't sure of the benefit of an extra year of preschool. Now, we're on the honor roll routinely; high functioning in many areas; more receptive to transitioning and certainly able to stay on task. Making adjustments at the front end has paid off dividends...that's my gift to my child.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Leaps and Bounds
Where have I been? Let's see, I've been fully engaged in the learning challenges of the 2nd grade. When you look closely at the homework, the in-class assignments, and the curriculum, you have to wonder 'how are these children going to get it all if we don't invest time in them?'.
The Science Fair was the last big 'challenge'. Working with the school, we discovered that administrators had not thought about how the children receiving SpEd services would be supported. The first facet of the evaluation process was the 'interview'. Huh? Face to face and evaluated on the degree of 'enthusiasm'. (Based on some conversations I have with my co-workers, I would perhaps get zero for lack of enthusiasm...doesn't mean I don't know what's going on). That apart, the school, to it's credit, did a STELLAR job of thinking through appropriate support for the SpEd students. Many did quite well in their attempts at the science fair project. After surviving the Science Fear (oops, Fair), I discovered more 2nd grade learning was yet to be conquered.
Some of the early childhood concepts - more/less, before/after, more/fewer...continue to show up in mathematics and if the learning approach is not visualized and appropriately paced, we miss that one. I found however, that intentional, frequent, short review sessions, including the think-aloud aspect have had a significant influence on her progress. In fact, answering questions in reading comprehension has improved by leaps and bounds. I think it's because we've been working on the discrete sub-skills bit by bit.
Building comprehension skills is like learning a foreign language - because you know how to say 'hello', 'good morning' and 'see you later' does not mean you can carry an entire conversation. Likewise, because she can read 5th and 6th grade words and also spell multi-syllable words, it doesn't mean that there is comprehension. Comprehension is a learned skill - there are things we do with our minds and the material before, during, and after we read. These skills have to be taught.
I've spent my winter and part of my spring working the soil of the mind - focusing on discrete sub skills and how they are applied in different content areas. I watch with joy and pride now as she completes the 2nd grade reading comprehension assignments. Some still require talking through the thinking...but we are making progress by leaps and bounds.
Summer promises to be just as exciting...we'll review content, practice more skills and all in the context of a playgroup for friends. Learning is fun....and Fun is learning.
The Science Fair was the last big 'challenge'. Working with the school, we discovered that administrators had not thought about how the children receiving SpEd services would be supported. The first facet of the evaluation process was the 'interview'. Huh? Face to face and evaluated on the degree of 'enthusiasm'. (Based on some conversations I have with my co-workers, I would perhaps get zero for lack of enthusiasm...doesn't mean I don't know what's going on). That apart, the school, to it's credit, did a STELLAR job of thinking through appropriate support for the SpEd students. Many did quite well in their attempts at the science fair project. After surviving the Science Fear (oops, Fair), I discovered more 2nd grade learning was yet to be conquered.
Some of the early childhood concepts - more/less, before/after, more/fewer...continue to show up in mathematics and if the learning approach is not visualized and appropriately paced, we miss that one. I found however, that intentional, frequent, short review sessions, including the think-aloud aspect have had a significant influence on her progress. In fact, answering questions in reading comprehension has improved by leaps and bounds. I think it's because we've been working on the discrete sub-skills bit by bit.
Building comprehension skills is like learning a foreign language - because you know how to say 'hello', 'good morning' and 'see you later' does not mean you can carry an entire conversation. Likewise, because she can read 5th and 6th grade words and also spell multi-syllable words, it doesn't mean that there is comprehension. Comprehension is a learned skill - there are things we do with our minds and the material before, during, and after we read. These skills have to be taught.
I've spent my winter and part of my spring working the soil of the mind - focusing on discrete sub skills and how they are applied in different content areas. I watch with joy and pride now as she completes the 2nd grade reading comprehension assignments. Some still require talking through the thinking...but we are making progress by leaps and bounds.
Summer promises to be just as exciting...we'll review content, practice more skills and all in the context of a playgroup for friends. Learning is fun....and Fun is learning.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Science fair? Science fear
I'm standing one step away from the annual childhood ritual of the science fair and I have to say, it's really a strange rite of passage with (to me) fairly limited educational benefits.As it is, it seems to me that asking an 8 year old, to 'construct a hypothesis' is ridiculous in the extreme. It is entirely possible that my perspective is informed by the challenges of our second grader. Her problems with formulating and asking probing questions are a function of her ASD, but I'm fairly certain that she isn't the only child who, in the absence of sufficient teaching, can't figure out what a good scientific question might be.
The way the fair is set up, it seems only to serve two negative purposes: alienating children from science and from their parents who can't help them 'get it'.
My suggestion for any parent wondering how to deal with the dreaded Science Fair is talk. Talk to your child about what he/she is interested in. Talk to the teacher about what makes sense given your child's needs and talk to a librarian in your community library to find the books that can help you design an experiment that is age appropriate for your child.
If you do an experiment on something that already is interesting to your child, you'll have a good experience together AND your child will be interested in coming back for more next year. Since the fair is required, you better get to like it. The way to do that is to make sure your child is interested in the subject. Does he like frogs? Do something about frogs. Does she like rainbows? Study rainbows.
Science can be fun. Your gift to your child is to find the triggers that make it so.
============================>
The 6 steps of the Scientific Method:
- Ask a Question
- Do Background Research
- Construct a Hypothesis
- Test Your Hypothesis by Doing an Experiment
- Analyze Your Data and Draw a Conclusion
- Communicate Your Results
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