Archive by Author

Seasons Across the World

17 May

by Joy Lubawy

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Here in Australia we are in the midst of autumn, and while most of our native trees are not deciduous, we have a lot of exotic trees (our word for foreign) in neighborhood landscapes and gardens, especially in the south of the country.

Right here at home we have an amazing Chinese Tallow Tree in the front garden and each year it brings delights, but this year, I have begun to really look at it and notice something interesting that makes me wonder.

Some of the leaves are deep red, some are still green, some yellow, and some are orange; but I think that the smaller leaves are the ones that are changing color first. Could this be right? Once again, close observation and data collection is at the core of good  hypothesizing.

There are so many conversations we can have about leaves, and autumn in general! One friend who lives further north in the country (where it’s warmer) asked the children if they were noticing anything a little different, and the children came up with 15 indicators of the changing seasons: wearing socks, shutting the doors at night, not going to the beach, their mothers making pumpkin soup, having to wear long pajamas, and so on.  One child added–almost as an afterthought: “Oh, and one of the trees in town has started to turn yellow!” These conversations are a far cry from the usual, “Let’s do a theme about autumn, and give the children a stencil of an oak leaf to color in.” There are so many conversations to have about the changing seasons.

I know that in the Northern Hemisphere right now, spring is busy doing its thing, but measuring, weighing, collecting, classifying, and wondering about leaves can happen year-round!

Head outside and start wondering with the children. There are great ideas in Preschool Math to get you started.

 
LUBJJoy Lubawy has 30 years experience in the classroom with young children and now travels Australia and New Zealand, providing professional development in the areas of curriculum, imagination, creativity, and documentation. She has several other books and two music CD’s to her credit as well. She currently is writing distance education packages for Ballarat University in Victoria.

She lives in Wagga Wagga, NSW Australia.

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Thoughts for Exceptional Children’s Week

8 May

by Clarissa Willis, PhD

According to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), May 5-11 is Exceptional Children’s Week. This is a time when we can renew our efforts on behalf of all the exceptional children in our homes, our communities and our schools. With that in mind, let’s review some of the ways we as educators, parents and community members can celebrate children with exceptionalities.

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First, it is important to honor those with special needs by using People First language. That means that we name the child first and his special need second when we are referring to someone with special needs. For example, Amber is a child with Down Syndrome—not a Down Syndrome child.

Second, we can show our respect by honoring every child’s family. Families of children with special needs often face tough obstacles- financially, socially, emotionally and internally. Support families by empowering them with knowledge about local support groups, sources for respite care, and organizations that sponsor events such as Special Olympics. In addition, remember to let families know about sibling support groups as well.

Teachers and caregivers can use this week as an opportunity to feature stories about individuals with special needs and some of their accomplishments. For example: Karen Gaffney was the first person with Down Syndrome to swim the English Channel; Matt Savage, a well-known jazz musician, has autism.

There are other ways we can honor exceptional children with our time and efforts. Volunteers are always needed at local schools and events. Spending a few hours a week can provide you with a lifetime of memories and the opportunity to make a new friend. Students should also be encouraged to respect and support children with exceptional needs in their classroom and community. Statistics show that children with exceptionalities are often targeted by bullies. Stand up for your friends with special needs and recognize that anytime they are being  made to feel unwanted or ridiculed, you as a peer have the power to show zero tolerance for this type of bulling behavior.

Exceptional Children’s Week is a great opportunity for all of us to renew our commitment to a philosophy and an attitude of full inclusion for all people. The best way to show that commitment is to act, communicate, and incorporate a respect and a tolerance for all people. This is also a great opportunity for teachers to show all children in their care that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and by working together we are all stronger, more productive, and more resilient in what we do and what we say.

This post was contributed by Clarissa Willis, Ph.D. Clarissa has worked for the past 20 years on behalf of children with autism spectrum disorder and their families. She is the author of five books including the award-winning titles Teaching Young Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Inclusive Literacy Lessons. Her articles on child development and early childhood special education have been published both nationally and internationally.

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Look for the Helpers

2 May

by MaryAnn F. Kohl

Rather than sharing my usual process art ideas, I would like to share a childhood memory of being bullied in grade 1. I was a year younger than the other children in my class, which heavily influenced my social maturity and survival skills. I share this because I believe if we hear from the child’s voice, that voice that remains within us, and we can be better educators and teachers. I like to say, “Remember your child self.” If you do, you will reach children “as they are” in their maturation spectrum. Most of all, this story reminds me that as teachers, we must listen to children and help them when they are frightened.

Sometimes you handle your own bullying, even if it takes years. I was five and in first grade, a year younger than my classmates. The 5th grade girl “twins” were ruthless bullies at our school, and decided to torment me for some reason known only to them. Perhaps it was because I wore a green suit for picture day, I thought then. I had been gently teased about being the only first grader who wore a suit. Since nothing made sense, this was as good a reason as any.

At recess, the twins threw me in a concrete stairwell where there was “spit” and “polio” and “dead things”. They told me I would not see my mother for three days and three nights. I was ill equipped for their harassment. They kept me in the stairwell for the entire recess and did not let me out when the bell rang. When everyone had left the playground, I ran for my first grade room hoping for sanctuary. I was late, and soon punished without discussion.

For the next week, they continued their torment. One recess, a Friday in 1952, they said if I could tell them the name of the 11th president of the United States, they would let me go. Of course I had no answer, and their response was something I had never dreamed of: they promised they were going kill me on Monday. The weekend was a quiet one for me. I told no one my fears and stayed inside coloring and playing with my dolls. My mom was worried about me, but I said I was fine. I was too frightened to tell.

Monday came. The twins did not kill me, nor did they ever resume their bullying. Even so, I was deeply frightened for many nights and days following that Monday, and yet, was never was able to tell anyone of my fears. I saw the twins teasing other kids, and considered telling my teacher, but she didn’t like tattling, and I wasn’t sure what was tattling and what was appropriate to report. So I kept out of the way feeling powerless.

Fast forward to grade five. I was at the orthodontist’s office, and who should come in and sit in that waiting room but “the twins”, now lovely high school teens. I sat there feeling adrenaline prickling my neck, scared – but angry too. I had courage now, no longer the scared first grader. It was time to speak. I said, “I remember you from Phelps School in Agawam.” They nodded with friendly smiles. “You kept me in the stairwell and promised to kill me.” They stopped nodding and looked shocked. “That was cruel and I’ll never forget it. You should be very sorry.” They looked at each other, then at me, and one finally said quietly, “I’m sorry.” The other looked down at her shoes. I was shaking from my bravery and for putting these demons to rest. In many ways I was fortunate that they had become normal, nice girls, but their cruelty was experienced by many little children who never had the chance to settle up. I believe I settled it for all of us.

In the car on the way home from getting my new braces, I told my mom about the twins. She had tears in her eyes and said, “Never, never be afraid to tell me your fears. I love you and I will protect you and help you as best I can.” There were to be more experiences in my future that tested me and frightened me, but from then on, my mom was the first to know. I found that having someone who would listen to me, truly listen, was the gift of this childhood experience. I learned to confide in people I trusted, and passed this on to my own daughters. As Mr. Rogers said so wisely, “Look for the helpers.” As teachers, we are the helpers. We must listen.

 

This post was contributed by MaryAnn F. Kohl. MaryAnn is the renowned author of over 20 books about art for children. Her books are published both by Gryphon House and by her own company, Bright Ring Publishing. MaryAnn invites you to connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, and her own blog.

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April Showers, May Flowers!

26 Apr

May is just around the corner! May 1st is May Day, and what better way to commemorate the occasion with your children than talking about all the different kinds of flowers you might see growing outside? Incorporate math into this flower discussion with this activity from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities.

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Materials

  • construction paper (five different colors)
  • scissors
  • plastic water pail
  • chart paper
  • glue

What to Do

  1. Cut out five types of flowers, and cut out five for each type (for example: five daisies, five roses, five tulips, and so on). Place them in the pail.
  2. Show the children the flower cutouts and talk about each type of flower.
  3. Ask one of the children to pull out a flower from the pail and identify the flower.
  4. Next, glue it on the chart paper.
  5. Repeat, gluing each matching flower in a row and starting a new row for each different kind.
  6. When everyone has chosen a flower to glue on the chart, count the number of flowers in each row. Compare the numbers and discuss more, most, less, least, and equal.

More to Do

  • Outdoors: Go on a walk and look for flowers of various types.
  • Science: Plant flower seeds.

Related Children’s Books

  • The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss
  • Growing Vegetable Soup by Lois Ehlert
  • The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle

 

This activity was taken from The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities. This activity was originally contributed by Susan Oldham Hill from Lakeland, FL. For more activities (like the one above), you can purchase your own copy of The GIANT Encyclopedia of Monthly Activities on the Gryphon House website.

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Recycling Adds Up!

19 Apr

Monday is Earth Day! And on top of Earth Day, this month is National Math Education Month–so we’ve found a great activity you can do to celebrate both!

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In this activity, children will learn recognition, as well as become familiar with sorting, sets, and counting.

Materials

  • variety of plastic objects with recycling symbols and numbers stamped on them

Vocabulary

  • count
  • numbers
  • recycle
  • reduce
  • reuse
  • sets
  • sort
  • symbol

Preparationteachertips1

  • Ahead of time, discuss the symbol/numbering system with the children. Show them images or examples of recycling symbols.
  • Set the plastic objects on a table for easy sorting. Record the correct amount for each sorted number set so you can check the children’s work.

What to Do

  1. Ask the children to sort the objects by the recycling number stamped on the side or the bottom.
  2. Once they are finished, help them count the number of items in each set and compare this to the list you made.
  3. After that, help them count the total number of items. The children can do this project independently or in a group.

Assessment

Consider the following:

  • Are the children able to look for the symbols and numbers? Are they able to sort the plastics?
  • Do the younger children practice number recognition, sorting, set formation, and counting?
  • Are the older children able to solve any of the equations?GH_12015

This activity was submitted to Learn Every Day About Our Green Earth by Monica Shaughnessy from Katy, TX. For more fun activities for Earth Day festivities, check out Learn Every Day About Our Green Earth, available in paperback format.

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Encouraging Children with Autism to Play

11 Apr

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Children with autism do not follow a typical pattern when they play. Because many children with autism become obsessed with objects in non-typical ways and do not socialize easily, their play is not as socially interactive as that of their peers. In addition, many children with autism are often repetitive in their movements, have communication issues, and are not interested in the world around them, which makes it challenging to encourage children with autism to play with others. Although children with autism may manipulate objects or engage in some form of experimental play, it is usually very different from that of their peers.

While children with autism tend to be somewhat involved with materials and objects that involve the senses, they often show a marked preference for only one type of play material. For example, Sam will build a road for his cars, but he only uses square blocks and he only plays with red cars.  Also, since children with autism are usually very literally  they do not always understand or show any desire to participate in symbolic or pretend play. In addition, make-believe and imaginative play, especially if it involves role play or interaction with others, is very uncommon.

It is very difficult for children with autism to understand the social relationships involved in playing successfully with others.  Even if they are interested in such interactions, most children with autism do not know how to engage themselves in a play activity with someone else. For this reason, they become even more socially isolated. While their peers are learning to build relationships in play groups and play activities, children with autism are often left sitting alone, absorbed in a favorite toy. Jerome, for example, enjoys making a collage out of bits of fabric, string, and colored paper. However, if you ask him to make a kite with a peer, he turns his back on you and walks away.

Ideas for Encouraging Your Child to Play

When trying to encourage your child, keep the following in mind:

  • Focus on the interests of the child.
  • Make interactions with others as natural as possible.
  • Recognize that your child may have difficulty adjusting to new play situations and new play materials.
  • Explain activities that involve more than one step, and provide picture cues to help your child know what to do next.
  • Allow your child to leave a play activity if it becomes too overwhelming.
  • Honor your child’s need to play alone; he may not be ready to play with other children.
  • Avoid upsetting your child; let him know ahead of time that it will soon be time to stop playing, so that he has time to accept that there will be a change.

General Suggestions for Teaching Play

Use the following suggestions  to help your child learn to play:

  • Introduce one new toy or activity at a time. Too much change can be overwhelming.
  • If you are teaching your child to do something for the first time, break it down into a few simple steps.
  • Start off with very short periods of structured play. Then, make the time longer as your child learns to tolerate the activity.
  • Make sure every play activity is fun and rewarding for your child. Remember, the main reason children play is because it is fun!

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For more suggestions, activities, tips, and knowledge about children on the Autism Spectrum, check out My Child Has Autism: What Parents Need to Know by Clarissa Willis, PhD., available on the Gryphon House website in paperback format.

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Copycat Patterns

5 Apr

One of the many celebrations of April is National Math Education Month! Here’s a fun activity from Math and Science Investigations by Sally Anderson with the Vermont Center for the Book to help you celebrate.

In this activity, you and your children will create patterns with blocks and other objects. Children learn to look carefully at someone else’s pattern, as well as how to copy that pattern.

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What’s Needed

  • collection of objects, such as colored blocks, linking cubes, toy trucks, buses, and wooden or plastic shapes

Things to Consider

  • Patterns are the sequenced or repeated organization of objects, sounds, or events. Use the word pattern often with children as you do this activity. When grouping children for “Copycat Patterns,” think about the children’s past experiences with pattern play.

Step By Step

  1. Engage the children in a discussion about patterns by looking for patterns on clothing, in the room, or in a book. Begin by pointing out a pattern. You might say: I see a pattern on Conner’s shirt. Red square, yellow circle, red square, yellow circle… what comes next?
  2. Place the blocks and other objects on a table. Continue your discussion of patterns by showing the children how to make a pattern by taking objects and arranging them in a sequence or a repeating way. For example: red, blue, yellow; red, blue, yellow; red…; truck, car, car; truck, car, car; truck…
  3. Challenge one child or group of children to identify patterns as you make them. Ask the children to make predictions about what shape or object will come next in a pattern.
  4. Once making patterns becomes easier, suggest playing “Copycat Patterns.” One child makes a pattern, then another copies the pattern. Be sure that everyone has many experiences making and copying patterns. Encourage the children to think of as many different patterns as possible.

Talk with Children

  • Encourage the children to talk about their patterns. Ask, “What is your sequence? How can you make a pattern different by adding more colors, shapes, textures?”
  • Encourage the children to look at and describe each other’s patterns.

Observe Children

  • Which children sort first and then make pattern rows? Do some children skip the sorting stage?
  • How do the children decide which shape comes next in their pattern? Is it by saying the pattern aloud or by looking and thinking? Do some ask you or a friend?
  • How do different children copy their partners’ patterns? Do they copy it exactly? Do they add extra shapes? Do they leave some shapes out?
  • Listen to the children as they make patterns with shapes. Are the children naming the shapes they are using for their patterns? Do some children chant their patterns (square, square, circle, square, square, circle, square, square…) as they build them?

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For more ideas and activities to help children explore math and science, check out Math and Science Investigations (available in paperback format) by Sally Anderson with the Vermont Center for the Book.

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Chores, chores, chores!

27 Mar

by Kathy H. Lee

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In our house of nine, it seems the chores never end. I am always asking someone to clean the kitty litter, start their laundry, pick up their shoes, or unload the dishwasher. Many times I just want to do the chore myself to save time or avoid a pout or complaint. However, I have always believed that teaching children to help around the house will pay off.  And this week, it has!

A few days ago I hurt my back, and I have been unable to manage daily “mom” tasks since then. My children have had to carry a heavier load—literally!  I am happy to say that even though I have been unable to help, dinner has been cooked, the kitchen has been cleaned, the laundry has been washed, and the kitty litter has been emptied. As I am typing this blog post, my oldest son is mopping our wood floors. Woohoo!

If I am being honest, chores can be incredibly frustrating to me. I have a hard time understanding why my children do not automatically complete their chores without asking (yeah… I know; that is not even rational!). Over the years, we have tried different chore charts and chore methods, and we are always tweaking our system. Even though our method is not perfect, we have discovered some tricks that help get those chores accomplished.

Mopping races!

  1. Turn on some music and sing along.  Just today, two of my children sang the theme song from Tangled as they cleaned the kitchen.
  2. Make a game of it. Mopping races get a floor clean in no time.
  3. Encourage working together. Many hands make light work!
  4. Divide and conquer.  Make sure everyone has a job to do, no matter how small. Some of our younger kids dust, replace toilet paper, and wash tables. The older ones help with cooking, washing the dishes, taking out the trash, cleaning their bathrooms, and more.
  5. Set a timer. Our children love the challenge of finishing a chore in a certain time. Celebrate a clean house by playing a family game or making a special treat together.

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The bottom line is, chores can be a burden or an opportunity to make memories with our children.  Let’s make memories (and enjoy a cleaner house).

This post was contributed by Kathy H. Lee. Kathy facilitates the training of early childhood teachers, administrators, and parents worldwide and is the Executive Director at Early Childhood Resources in Canton, Georgia. She is the mother of seven children (biological and adopted) and home schools them all. Kathy is the author of two Gryphon House favorites, 101 Easy, Wacky, Crazy Activities for Young Children and Solutions for Early Childhood Directors. Her newest title, The Homegrown Preschooler (co-authored with Lesli Richards) is available for pre-order now on the Gryphon House website. Connect with Kathy online and via Facebook and Twitter.

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Long Strides and Short Strides

21 Mar

by Joy Lubawy

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Many adults these days use a pedometer to measure their goal of 10,000 steps a day, but how do we measure the length of these steps so what we have at the end is reasonably accurate?

My husband Pete and I wondered about this—and then the penny dropped. We made a lovely big puddle on the cement and walked through it, making some footprints as we went. We measured from toe-to-toe (or heel-to-heel) and took one set of measurements.  But then we wondered: if we walked across a piece of pathway and measured where we began and where we ended, counted how many steps we had taken, and divided the distance by the steps taken, could we compare that with our water-born results?

Interesting stuff! Peter asked me if the length of our legs made a difference to the length of our stride—he is much taller than I am—so we compared that as well. We are still measuring, experimenting, and adjusting the pedometer until the distance mine says I have walked and the distance his says he has walked are almost the same.

It is a work in progress. We are having a wonderful time measuring, thinking, and having fun—and getting fit at the same time! 10,000 steps a day is quite a lot!

Try doing this with your children and see the difference it makes based on their foot size and stride! It will be fun to see the variety in measurements!

You can see some other ideas about measuring footsteps in More Mudpies to Magnets  (“Forty Footprints” on page 181). This adventure was created by me when Dr. Bob Williams was visiting Wagga Wagga, Australia—where I live!

LUBJ

Joy Lubawy has 30 years experience in the classroom with young children and now travels Australia and New Zealand, providing professional development in the areas of curriculum, imagination, creativity, and documentation. She has several other books and two music CD’s to her credit as well. She currently is writing distance education packages for Ballarat University in Victoria.

She lives in Wagga Wagga, NSW Australia.

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St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Run

13 Mar

Looking for some fun ways to extend St. Patrick’s Day play? Here’s a fun activity for children to practice color recognition and large motor skills! Who knows–maybe they’ll even find a pot of gold at the end of this rainbow run! Happy St. Patty’s Day!

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Rainbow Run

The children will identify colors, listen for directions, and improve their large motor skills in this activity!

Vocabulary

  • blow
  • flag
  • move
  • run
  • streamer
  • wind

Related Children’s Books

  • Red, Blue, Yellow Shoe by Tana Hoban
  • Why is the Sky Blue? by Chris Arvetis

What to Do

  1. Invite the children to line up on one side of the playground.
  2. Hand each child a colored streamer.
  3. Stand on the opposite side of the playground and call out, “Red run over.”
  4. Children holding the red streamers raise their streamers high in the air and run to the other side of the playground.
  5. Repeat the command using a different color name.
  6. Children will enjoy running with the streamers blowing in the wind as they move across the playground.
  7. Continue until every color group has come across. Repeat the activity several times, allowing children to exchange colors with classmates for each round of the game.

Song
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See Our Colors Fly by Mary J. Murray

(Tune: “Here We Go ‘Round the Mulberry Bush”)

This is the way we run across, run across, run across.

This is the way we run across to see our colors fly.

Assessment

  • Observe the children to see if they recognize their color when you call it.
  • Display an assortment of crepe paper streamers. Ask one child to pick up a specific color and wave it in the air.
  • Place the streamers end to end. Invite the children to walk along the length of streamers and name each color as they pass by.

This activity was submitted for inclusion in Learn Every Day About Colors by Mary J. Murray from Mazomanie, Wisconsin. For more activities about colors, you can purchase your own copy of Learn Every Day About Colors on the Gryphon House website.

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