Attention Integration Parents
Transcription
Attention Integration Parents
March 2013 Attention Integration Parents If your child is enrolled as an Integration Child in a DART Classroom and you are planning to re-enroll your child for the fall, make sure to complete and return the parent survey that you received in the US mail from the DART Central Office. Your returned survey response will be our confirmation that you wish to reserve your child's spot again for the 2013-2014 school year. We will be enrolling new students soon, so please make it a priority to get your surveys in! Immediate Part Time Positions Available in DART!!! We are looking for energetic individuals to work on a part-time basis (Mornings 9:00-11:30 or Afternoons 12:303:00) in DART Early Intervention Preschool Classrooms and community preschools with children of mixed ability levels. Classrooms are located throughout Allegheny County. Immediate openings are in Sharpsburg, Sto-Rox, South Hills, Churchill, Woodland Hills and Moon. Qualifications: Associate’s degree or a minimum of 462 Parapro PRAXIS score required, some experience working with children, experience working with special needs children preferred. Starting hourly rate is $9.25. Act 114/151/34 current clearances are required prior to hire. Inside this issue: Artistic Expression Focus on Health and Safety 2 Parents Corner 3 Save the Date 4 Activity Calendar 5 Building Readers 7 Reading Extras 9 Autism-Friendly Family Photo Time with the Easter Bunny ABOARD's Autism Connection of PA has teamed with Ross Park Mall to provide an Autism-Friendly Family Photo Time with the Easter Bunny. The Mall will be closed to the public so that our children may have the opportunity to meet the Easter Bunny in a less stimulating environment. Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume to: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Victoria Dunlop, Human Resources Department Ross Park Mall Allegheny Intermediate Unit 100 Ross Park Mall Drive 475 East Waterfront Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15237 Homestead, PA 15201 OR Email: [email protected] (Please note DART in the subject line) 2 Sunday, March 10, 2013 You must RSVP for this event! Go to : http:// www.aboard.memberlodge.com/Default.aspx? pageId=260524 1 The DART Board March 2013 Allow Your Preschooler to Explore All Types of Artistic Expression Children learn so much through art. They practice problem-solving when they ask themselves questions like, "What color should I make the dog?" And when they move their crayon on paper to make a mark, they learn cause and effect. They learn their colors. And they learn new ways to express themselves. Children learn more from art if you give them freedom to create--if you let them make decisions on their own. Remember: The process of creating is more important than what your child ends up with. To help your child explore her world through art: Help your child get started. Say your child wants to draw a cat, but she doesn't know where to begin. Ask, "What does a cat look like? What's the biggest part of a cat's body? How many legs does a cat have?" Provide a variety of art supplies. Look for things around the house--glue, fabric scraps, coffee filters, egg cartons, catalogs, paper towel tubes, string and yarn. Don't just say, "That's pretty." Describe what your child has done. Talk about the colors and materials she used. Note what you like most. Give your child a chance to talk about what she made. What is it? How did she do it? How does she feel about it? Proudly display your child's work. Put it on the wall or refrigerator. Send it to relatives. Be patient and sensitive. If your child doesn't want to get her hands dirty, don't push her. Introduce materials slowly. Remember, art should be fun! Focus on Health and Safety There is a daily blog from Pediatric Alliance (www.thepediablog.com ), which focuses on topics which are unique to pediatrics. Their target audience includes parents (who seek helpful and accurate answers to their questions about pediatric health), children, grandparents (who may also be parenting) and anyone who is interested in children’s health. The editor of the blog is Dr. Ned Ketyer. He has special interests in developmental pediatrics and preventative medicine, specifically how nutrition and the environment affect health. Some of the past topics on the blog include ADHD, antibiotics, autism, bullying, chronic disease, infant feeding, choosing milk, influenza and vaccines. Each topic can be easily searched. Most include links for further information. 2 The DART Board March 2013 Parents Corner LICC – Local Interagency Coordinating Council The LICC welcomes families and professionals who share a common interest in the services and supports available for children involved in Early Intervention in Allegheny County. The next LICC meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6, 2013. The meeting will begin with a speaker from the Lawrenceville Family Care Connection Program from 10:00-10:30 a.m. and from 10:3011:00 a.m. a representative from the Pittsburgh Public Schools Early Intervention Program will talk about “Gross Motor Skills and Physical Therapy for Preschoolers”. A business meeting will follow from 11:00-12:00. (Everyone is welcome to attend the business meeting.) The meeting will take place at ACHIEVA, 711 Bingham St., Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (South Side). To arrange for childcare or for ques ons, contact Julie Hladio at 412‐885‐6000 x 3136. EI Families: An Education and Empowerment Workshop on the Basics of Early Intervention Training topics include: PARENTING A CHILD WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DELAYS CREATING A PLAN FOR YOUR CHILD AND FAMILY ADVOCATING FOR YOUR CHILD, THE PARENT MOVEMENT AND THE LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND OF EARLY INTERVENTION PROMISING PRACTICES: INCLUSION, FAMILY CENTERED PRINCIPLES, PARENT/PROFESSIONAL PARTNERSHIPS FINDING COMMUNITY RESOURCE One Day Workshop Date: Saturday, April 20, 2013 Time: 8:30 – 3:30 Place: UCP/CLASS (Formerly the Center for Creative Play) 1400 S. Braddock Ave. Edgewood, PA 15218 Free on-site parking, Child Care is provided at no cost on a limited basis. Continental breakfast and lunch provided. Evening Series Dates: Thursdays, April 25, May 2 & May 9 Time: 6:30 -9 p.m. Place: ACHIEVA 711 Bingham Street Pittsburgh, PA 15203 Free on-site parking Child Care is provided at no cost on a limited basis To register, make a reservation for childcare, obtain a training brochure or for additional information, please call Julie Hladio [email protected] at (412) 885-6000 x3136, or Elizabeth Strickland [email protected] at (412) 323-3979. Please RSVP 1 week prior to training. Camp Programs Searching for a camp for your child for the summer? Go to pittsburghparent.com to view the February 2013 magazine featuring summer camp programs for children. 3 The DART Board March 2013 Save the Dates for the DART Behavior Workshops for Parents Evening Workshops (6:30 – 8:30 p.m) East Area - Monday, April 29th – Monroeville Public Library South Area - Thursday, May 9th – Good Shepherd Lutheran Church/Scott Twp. West Area - Thursday, May 16th – McCormick Elementary School/Moon Twp. North Area - Monday, May 20th – Northland Public Library/McCandless Twp. Afternoon Workshop (12:45 – 2:45 p.m) North/East (Allegheny Valley) – Monday, May 13th - Community Library of Allegheny Valley/Harrison Branch. More information will follow in the April DART Board newsletter Questions? Contact Sue Vandervort at 412-394-5961 Allegheny Intermediate Unit DART Program The Allegheny Intermediate Unit is an equal opportunity education institution and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, age, handicap, or limited English proficiency in its educational programs, services, facilities, activities, or employed policies as required by Title IX of the 1972 Educational Amendments. Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended, Section 504 Regulations of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 204 Regulations of the 1984 Carl C. Perkins Act, the American Disabilities Act, or any other applicable federal or state statute. The DART Board is a publication of: Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU3) DART Program 475 E. Waterfront Dr. Homestead, PA 15120 Phone: (412) 394-5736 Fax: (412) 394-5967 We’re on the Web! Sources: “Focus on Health and Safety” created by Cindy Callaghan, DART Preschool Service Coordinator for Physical Health. “Allow Your Preschooler to Explore All Types of Artistic Expression” Reprinted with permission from the March 2013 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Early Childhood Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. "Parents Corner" created by Sue Vandervort, DART Preschool Service Coordinator. aiu3.net/dart The DART Board is created by Stefanie Cerminara, Special Education Teacher for the DART Program. The DART Board is edited by Debi Nuttall, DART Service Coordinator. 4 Debi Nuttall AIU/Dart March • April • May 2013 Parent & Child ® Activity Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday make the difference! Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 2 Practice naming the Watch an months of the year educational show with your child. with your child. Afterward, talk about what is real and what is pretend. March 2013 3 Make puppets by drawing faces on the bottom flap of a small paper bag. 4 Talk about animals you might see in a zoo. What do they eat? Where do they sleep? Are they dangerous? 5 Talk with your Discuss the child about things meaning of today, that are associated with yesterday and tomorrow spring (flowers, picnics, with your child. sunshine). 6 7 As you read a story, say, “This is the beginning.” “This is the middle.” And, “This is the end.” 8 With your child, estimate how many bowls of cereal you can pour from one box. Keep track until the box is empty. 9 10 Decorate a Encourage your Help your child shoebox to make child’s creativity. make a get-well a treasure chest. Fill it Ask unusual questions. card for a friend or with small treats. Hide “What would you bring relative who is feeling it and have a treasure to a picnic in space?” under the weather. hunt. 11 12 13 Measure and Give your child weigh your child a gift certificate today. Teach her about good for one special inches and pounds. activity with you. 14 15 Try fun ways to practice writing, like in salt or with glitter glue. 16 Trace your child’s hand on paper. Think of ways to be a helping hand. Write his ideas on the drawing. 17 Plan a week Help your of alphabet child learn to dinners—serve foods that identify coins. The start with the same letter. penny is easiest because Choose a different of its different color. letter each day. 18 19 Use a favorite book to play “peek-a-boo.” Take turns hiding behind it and then read the book to your child. 20 Place a piece of paper in a box. Dip a marble in paint, drop it in the box and have your child roll it around. 21 Watch or read Play a board the weather game as a family forecast together today. this evening. Locate the hottest and the coolest locations on a map. 22 23 24 31 25 26 27 28 29 30 Sing your child’s favorite song together. Hug your child, for no reason other than loving her! Have your child decorate a paper plate. Cut holes for your child’s eyes and mouth to create a mask. Have your child close her eyes. Make a sound, such as jingling keys. Ask her to guess what you are doing. Look in the mirror together. Ask, “What color are your eyes? Your hair? How many hands do you have?” Give your child an empty plastic bucket and a wooden spoon. Let him tap the beat to music on his “drum.” Have your child practice counting to five. If this is easy, count to 10 or 20. Go to a nearby park or running trail. Everyone run like the March wind! Make a pretend post office out of a box. Write a special note to your child and let her find it. Read it together. Make lemonade from eight lemons, two quarts of water, one and onethird cup of sugar and ice. © 2013 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. May be reproduced only as licensed by Parents make the difference!® Early Childhood Edition newsletter. 1-800-756-5525 5 Parent & Child ® Activity Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday make the difference! Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 Celebrate April Fool’s Day. Do something silly with your child. 2 Ask your child to tell you the three best things about himself. 3 Ask your child to draw a picture of herself today. Was she feeling happy, sad, confused, angry? 4 Read an ageappropriate joke book with your child today. 5 Have a “pattern” day. Ask your child to notice patterns around him, such as a striped shirt or a flowered sheet. 6 7 Try some “body arithmetic.” Ask your child how much his fingers, knees, toes and nose add up to. 8 Encourage some creativity. Ask your child unusual questions. “What if your hair were made of spaghetti?” 9 Start a made-up story. “A man went down the road and he met a ... .” Let your child finish the story. 10 Make a paper crown and let your child play “King” or “Queen” for a day. What rules would your child set? 11 Make a letter tree. Hang new letters from the tree as your child learns them. 12 Share something Go for a nature of yours with walk to celebrate your child today. It’s spring’s arrival. If the best way to teach allowed, pick some wild her to share with flowers to put in a vase. others! 13 14 Take your child by a construction site. Talk about what the workers are doing and the machines they use. 15 Teach your child the “Golden Rule”—treat others as you would like to be treated. 16 Read a story to Tell your child your child. Later we learn when ask him to retell it to we try new things. you from memory. Today, try a new food or take a new route home. 17 18 Put as many shoes as you can find into a pile. Mix them up. Encourage your child to sort them into pairs. 19 Have your child draw or paint a picture of the place where you live. 20 Set up a welllit corner with favorite books and pillows. Encourage your child to get cozy with books. After a bath, let your child make wet footprints on colored construction paper. What do they look like? 21 Encourage your child to try two motor tasks at the same time—for example, clapping hands while walking. 22 Cut out pairs of pictures (two dogs, two cats, etc.). Paste on index cards. Place face down. Match the pairs. 23 Help your child make a collage from odds and ends around the house— ribbons, string, buttons, etc. 24 Stand facing your child. Have her pretend to be a mirror and imitate all your movements. Trade places. 25 Draw or scribble to music. Give your child crayons and a large sheet of paper. Put on some favorite music. 26 Help your child look up facts about a favorite animal at the library. Use the Internet, nonfiction books or an encyclopedia. 28 29 30 Teach your Write a note to Ask your child, child the rhyme: your child to tell “What if your “April showers bring her you love her. Put it favorite animal lived in May flowers.” Have in a place where only your room?” him draw a picture of she will find it. rain and flowers. Praise your child for something she did today. Make your praise as specific as possible. 27 April 2013 © 2013 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. May be reproduced only as licensed by Parents make the difference!® Early Childhood Edition newsletter. 1-800-756-5525 Parent & Child ® Activity Calendar Sunday Monday Tuesday May 2013 make the difference! Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday 1 With your child, keep a record of the moon this month. Look at the moon every night and draw what it looks like. 2 Have a pretend phone call with your child. Talk about what he did yesterday and what he wants to do tomorrow. 3 4 What is your child’s Enjoy some outdoor favorite vegetable? physical activity as a Talk about different family today. ways to prepare it. Cook it together. 5 Drink your breakfast today! Blend fruit, fruit juice, ice and yogurt to make a smoothie. 6 Teach your child Ask your child to about uppercase and give you words lowercase letters. Show that rhyme with words her how each letter can you say: clap (tap), walk be written differently. (talk), cat (pat). 7 8 Help your child think of an imaginary land. Together, name it and make up a story about it. 9 Make a book about your child. Have him make handprints and footprints with paint. 10 11 12 Use sidewalk chalk to draw pictures outside with your child on a warm day. 13 Make unusual Look through prints by your child’s dipping flowers or baby book together. other objects into paint Let him know you love and then pressing them him more every year. onto paper. 14 15 Have your child fill a dishpan with water. Test an assortment of objects. Which will float? Which will sink? 16 Teach your child a favorite song from when you were her age. 17 Cut out shapes from paper (triangle, rectangle, square, circle). Your child can arrange them to form a boat. 18 Take your child to the library. Check out a book about animals. 19 Garden together Talk with your today. Pull child about weeds, spread mulch, families. Who is in plant flowers outside. your family? What do Or pot plants indoors. families do? 20 21 Go on a color shopping trip. Make a list of colors with your child. Try to find one item of each color in your house. 22 Ask your child Watch an to draw a picture educational TV of an imaginary garden. show with your child. How many different Then discuss a value colors can he use? or practice a new skill from the show. 23 24 “I’d love to!” Use these words when your child asks you to play, read or do a puzzle with her. 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Have a picnic today, either inside or outside. Go outside and blow bubbles. See if your child can catch one without breaking it. Write a letter together to a loved one. Have your child draw pictures. Sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands” with your child. Add some words of your own. Ask your child: “What if trees grew from clouds?” Let your child Cook breakfast play with a with your child rubber ball. Encourage for the rest of the her to bounce it and try family. Or invite to catch it. friends over! Help your child round up some friends and play a game together outside. Decorate a piece of lightweight cardboard. Cut a hole at the top and let your child use it as a door knob hanger. © 2013 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. May be reproduced only as licensed by Parents make the difference!® Early Childhood Edition newsletter. 1-800-756-5525 6 Reading Readiness • March 2013 ® How Families Can Help Children Get Ready to Read Early Intervention Program Wish Dr. Seuss a happy birthday this month March 2nd isn’t just Read Across America Day. It’s also Dr. Seuss’ birthday! Celebrate both by enjoying these Seuss-inspired activities with your child: • Sillier Stories. Switch up the rhymes in your child’s favorite Dr. Seuss book! For instance, try changing “the cat in the hat” to “the snake in the lake” or “the pup in the cup.” See how many new tales you and your child can invent. • Character Mix-Up. What would happen if the Lorax woke up in Cinderella’s castle? Or if Goldilocks turned into Horton? Read the Dr. Seuss original together, and then encourage your child to imagine the story with a twist (and then tell you about it). She’ll boost her creativity and her language skills! “A parent’s supporting role does not end when a child starts formal reading instruction.” —Jane M. Healy, Ph.D. Understand details of reading assessments ’s conducting brief Your preschooler’s teacher says she diness skills. This screenings of the class’s reading-rea ld’s teacher recognize chi r diagnostic will help you and you y literacy skills. earl if he is properly developing critical e areas: cor r fou Pre-reading assessments assess tify sounds. iden ity to • Phonological awareness, the abil ers. ess of lett • Alphabet knowledge, the awaren arate sentences and sep to ity abil • Concept of word, the words to text. phrases into words and to match ability to connect letters • Sound-letter correspondence, the to the sounds they make. understand what she Talk to your child’s teacher so you develop a plan to make sure finds in her screening. Together, ing success. that your child is on track for read Problems son, Ed.D., “Screening for Reading Source: J.L. Pool, Ph.D. and E.S. John RTI Action the s,” sure Mea t Selec of view Over in Preschool and Kindergarten: An ening-forential/assessment/screening/scre Network, www.rtinetwork.org/ess en. rgart inde nd-k ool-a esch reading-problems-in-pr Sharpen your child’s thinking with easy-to-do activities Solid cognitive skills can turn your child into a stronger reader and a better thinker. To hone her cognitive skills in a relaxed way: • Describe an object in the refrigerator “It’s round, red and has a stem”, and have her find it for you. • Test her memory. Before bed, ask her to recap what she did that day. Source:“How to Choose Activities for Cognitive Development,” eHow, http://tinyurl.com/8kcq82p. Read the whole rhyme! Classic nursery rhymes are longer than you think. So don’t limit your child to one or two verses! From time to time, look up the full-length versions of standbys like “Old Mother Hubbard” and “London Bridge” to share with your child. Source: S.A. Perry, Ph.D., The Complete Help Your Child Learn to Read Book, Parent-Assisted Learning Services. When do grammar skills develop? Kids develop grammar skills at different rates, but there are some agreedupon guidelines as to which ones blossom when. Studies show that, by the time your child is four years old, he’ll likely be able to understand and use: • Pronouns (he, she and they). • Past-tense verbs (“I went to school”; “We walked to the park”). • Prepositions (over, in and under). Source: “When Speech Grammar Is Acquired,” Markham Stouffville Hospital - Child Development Programs, www.beyond-words.org/expressive_ language_norms.htm. Follow us on Twitter @BuildingReaders • Copyright © 2013, The Parent Institute®, www.parent-institute.com 7 ® Use audiobooks to boost listening skills Audiobooks do more than sharpen your child’s language skills. They may also turn her into a more careful listener. The next time you and your child listen to an audiobook together: • Pause partway through. Take a moment to see how carefully she’s paying attention to the details. Say, “The kitten lost his balloon. Do you think he sounds sad, angry or scared?” If she’s unsure, go back and play that part again. • Review. When the story ends, ask your child to retell it in her own words. The better able she is to do so, the more you’ll know she was listening closely. Word games teach important language skills Classic rhyming games build many key skills. Not only are you boosting your child’s vocabulary, you’re also helping him with language acquisition, motor skills and conversation abilities. When you play: • This Little Piggy, your child is learning vocabulary words (like roast beef) as well as a math concept called one-toone correspondence. He is associating each item counted with a number. • Where is Thumbkin, you are demonstrating taking turns during conversations as well as developing fine motor skills that will later be used for writing. • One, Two, Buckle My Shoe, your child is practicing counting and listening to the way words rhyme. And he will be moving around, which builds his motor skills and keeps him active! Source: T. Geiser, “Learning through Play: What Rhyming Games Like Pat-acake Teach (and How to Play Them),” Education.com, www.education.com/ magazine/article/learning-play-gamespatcake-piggy/. Q: A: I printed out a stack of ABC worksheets for my preschooler, but she’s not interested in them. Should I force the issue? No! At this age, learning to read should involve play, not work. So never drill your child. Instead, let her explore and enjoy language. Where to start? Flip those worksheets over so she can color letters on the back. Do you have a question about reading? Email [email protected]. Reading Readiness • March 2013 Organize a preschool book swap You want to pitch in at your chi ld’s preschool, but your days are pac ked. Check with your child’s teacher to see if you might organize a class “bo ok swap” to encourage reading. With the teacher’s permission, ask fellow parents in your child’s class to bring in books that their kids no longer read. Put the m in a box in the classroom to create a small library. Invite the students to take home whatever titles look interest ing. Remember: One child’s “old, bor ing story” is another’s brand-new favo rite! Books to delight your early reader • Olivia and the Fairy Princesses by Ian Falconer (Atheneum). With so many frilly, pink princesses out there, how will the spotlight-loving piglet set herself apart? Oh, she’ll find a way! • Penny and Her Song by Kevin Henkes (Greenwillow). The sweet little mouse just has to sing her song to someone! But with the babies sleeping, will she ever get the chance? • Goldilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson (Nosy Crow). When a bear is taking a walk, he gets lost and all of a sudden is in the big city! See where he ends up when he finds just the right place to have a snack and take a nap. Building Readers® How Families Can Help Children Become Better Readers Publisher: John H. Wherry, Ed.D. Editor: Stacey Marin. Writer: Holly Smith. Copyright © 2013, The Parent Institute® (a division of NIS, Inc.) P.0. Box 7474, Fairfax Station, VA 22039-7474 1-800-756-5525, ISSN: 1531-4898 1533-3299 www.parent-institute.com Follow us on Twitter @BuildingReaders • Copyright © 2013, The Parent Institute®, www.parent-institute.com X02334255 8 Early Intervention Program Teaching your child to listen with respect Just as children must learn to speak, they must also know how to listen. To be successful in school, a child must pay attention to what the teacher says and then be able to act on what he hears. Help your child develop good listening skills by setting an example. Listen to your child. Make eye contact. Smile and nod. Restate what he says to show you’ve heard and understood him. Talk about listening respectfully. Explain why it’s not acceptable to talk while others are talking. Nor should he make sounds or jump around. To boost your child’s listening skills: • Give him multi-part instructions. “Go to your room. Get your shoes. Bring them to me.” • Combine words and actions. Talk about what you’re doing as you do it. Reading Readiness ® X02334255 Comstock • Listen to audio recordings of books and songs. • Tell longer and longer stories—as long as your child shows an interest. • Go to storytelling hours at your local library. • Speak in a voice that helps your child listen. Don’t speak too fast or too softly. • Play listening games. See if your child can guess sounds as he hears them. © 2012 The Parent Institute® www.parent-institute.com May be reproduced by Building Readers® newsletter subscribers. Reading Extras 9