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Saturday 15 December 2012

Planning for Difficult Christmas Situations


Holiday excitement and routine changes can be very difficult for children. This post focuses on three challenging areas families face during Christmas: giving and receiving presents, managing overstimulation and excitement, and understanding routine changes.

1. Present Giving and Receiving – The excitement of getting presents can be overwhelming for children. Help them understand polite giving and receiving of gifts with these strategies.

Involve Children in Giving – Let children help choose and wrap presents. By participating in the gift giving process, children become interested in seeing other people’s reaction to the present. Even young children can choose between two presents, wrap it up and decide where it should go under the tree.

Practice Receiving – Role play receiving a present and thanking someone for it. Make writing thank you cards part of your family routine so that children understand how to thank people politely for presents.

2. Festive Energy – Christmas celebrations often mean sugary foods and late bedtimes. Use the strategies below to manage energy levels and make bedtime more successful.

Keep Children Active – Playing games outside during the day can help children use their energy in a healthy and positive way. Keep children active during the day so they will be tired at night making bedtime easier.

Limit Sweets – Sugary foods and drinks are everywhere and plentiful during over Christmas and New Year. These foods are high not just in sugar, but also in caffeine. They cause children to be overly active and make falling asleep difficult. Set guidelines about how much and when these foods can be consumed and provide healthy alternatives.

Try to keep a sleep routine – Even when children are not at school, a consistent sleep schedule is important. Ensure that children wake up and go to bed at a regular time. Plan morning events such as shopping to motivate children to wake up and get ready for the day.

3. Holiday Routine Changes – Many children benefit from consistent routines and have difficulty with change. Make holiday routine changes less stressful with these simple tips.

Use Visual interventions – Have a holiday wall chart that lists events in writing, drawing, or picture format depending on the child’s level of understanding and needs. Refer to the wall chart to prepare children for the day’s events and help them understand what is going on and when.

Involve Children – Let children add new events to the wall chart. If there are important events the family must attend, explain why attending is important. If there are events that are debatable, include children’s input in decisions about attending the event.

Tuesday 23 October 2012

Trick or Treating Guidelines


Dressing up to go trick or treating is very exciting for children and it creates lasting memories for both children and parents. Help children prepare for trick or treating with these five strategies.

1. Select a Costume – Help children select a costume that fits properly and is safe. Children may be uncomfortable with anything on their face especially make up. Some children may not like masks because of sensory issues or limited vision. Keep these factors in mind when selecting an outfit. For children who have difficulties with masks, holding a mask rather than wearing it or not using one at all may make the evening more enjoyable.

2. Set Costume Guidelines – Children often want to wear their costume other times than trick or treating. Let them know if/when they can wear it besides trick or treating. Be sure to tell them this before they buy the costume and after it is purchased. Explain why they can wear the costume only at certain times. For example, “You can put it on in the evening for a few minutes to see how you look, but you can only wear it for a little while so it doesn’t get dirty before Halloween.”

3. Practice Going to People’s Doors – Role play going to someone’s door, saying “Trick or treat,” holding a bag out, and saying “Thank you.” Remind children to be polite, wait their turn, and take only one sweet when they are asked to select something. It is tempting to rush to a door and take a handful of things when offered a basket or bowl to select from so multiple opportunities for review are important. Be sure to practice other things that may happen such as someone not being home or someone complimenting them on their costume.

4. Establish Guidelines in Advance – Prepare children for factors such as: What time trick or treating starts and ends; How they know when it ends; Where they can trick or treat (e.g. only houses with lights on, only people the child knows etc.); and What the rules are such as staying with a sibling or parent. Be sure to review these guidelines days in advance with a story, visual cards, or written rules. Before trick or treating, review them again so children clearly understand expectations.


5. Set Sweets Guidelines– Children become very excited about getting sweets and other treats while trick or treating. Set rules in advance about eating sweets. Let children know before trick or treating that they need to bring all of the sweets back for you to check before they can eat it. Make sure children have dinner before trick or treating so they are not hungry. Have guidelines about the number of pieces they can eat per day and create a routine/timetable for when they can eat their sweets. Display the sweets plan where they can easily look if they have questions.

Monday 15 October 2012

Learning to Understand Facial Expressions


Learning to read facial expressions is important for social interactions. When children are able to identify how a friend, classmate, sibling, parent, or person in the community feels, they can respond appropriately. This post includes ways to help children practice identifying feelings based on facial expressions.

1. Role Play – Role play is a fun way to practice identifying feelings. Role play can be a group activity or a one on one game. Write down a list of feelings or use pictures or drawings of people showing different feelings. Take turns picking a card and acting out the feeling paying special attention to facial expressions. Ask questions like, “How do your eyes look when you are angry?” “How is this different from what your eyes look like when you are surprised?” Discuss each feeling by asking questions like: “When have you felt angry?” “What do you do if a friend is angry?” “How do you calm down when you are angry?”

2. Use a Mirror – Make a game of identifying feelings by letting children practice facial expressions in a mirror. Name a facial expression and get the child to look in a mirror and make the expression. Point out how their eyes, eyebrows, nose, and mouth change shapes as they practice different facial expressions. Change roles and let them pick the emotions while you make the expressions. While making the facial expressions, change different facial features and ask questions like, “If I am making a surprised face should my eyes be large and round or should I squint?”

3. Use Natural Opportunities – Children see a variety of emotions at school, home, and in the community. These natural opportunities are invaluable learning experiences. Take time to talk to children about what is happening around them. For example, if a child is smiling as they go down a slide, ask how they feel and what facial clues your student or child noticed that led them to that conclusion. If you see an emotion like sadness or fear ask the child what they can do to help the other person and then offer assistance. Another natural opportunity is when watching television or movies. Pause the program or film and discuss the character’s feelings and facial expressions.

4. Bring Out Their Creativity – Art is a fun way to learn about facial expressions. Children can draw or paint a picture showing people with different feelings. Another project is a collage of emotions. Assign each child or group a different feeling. Have children work in small groups or independently to find pictures of the emotion in magazines or print images from online. After the collages are finished let each child or group talk about the feeling and what facial cues they used to identify it.

5. Make a Game of Feelings – Cut out sets of eyes, eyebrows, mouths, and noses of people showing different emotions. Show only one feature at a time and discuss how this part of the face gives us clues about the feeling. After identifying different feelings based on individual parts of the face, put the face together and discuss times when people feel a specific emotion.


Wednesday 19 September 2012

Exploring Feelings


Children often struggle not only with understanding their feelings, but also relating to other people’s feelings. These skills are critical for personal well being and building relationships. This article includes steps for teaching children to understand and manage their feelings as well as identify and respond to other people’s feelings.

1. Identifying Feelings – Teach children to recognise when they have a specific feeling. Whether happy, sad, or angry the first step in coping with a feeling is identifying it. Help children identify feelings by discussing emotions when they occur. If a child is angry say, “I see you are angry. You have your arms crossed and are stomping your feet.” Another tool is to role play times when specific emotions surface. Use novel examples as well as recent experiences for the child. Discuss and write about different feelings in a feelings diary. Use the diary to write about events and the emotions, responses, and consequences the events elicited.

2. Planning for Strong Feelings – Help children cope with intense feelings by creating coping strategies. Have a quiet place for children to take a break when angry or sad. Give children tools and teach them how and when to use them such as a stress ball or a trampoline. These tools help children release energy in a positive way. Encourage children to use words or write about their feelings. Establish a phrase the child can use to remove themselves from stressful or upsetting situations. The phrase gives children a way to politely excuse themselves, regain control, and then return to the situation. Select a short phrase that can be used in a variety of situations such as, “Excuse me. I need a minute to think.”


3. Recognising Other People’s Feelings – Learning to empathise with other people and respond appropriately to another person’s feelings, is an important skill for building relationships. Show pictures and drawings or role play situations to discuss the words, body language, and experiences that indicate a person’s feelings. When discussing a child’s own feelings, incorporate the concept that peers and adults have similar feelings in the same situation. This helps children develop empathy. Read stories where characters experience events that are happy, sad, surprising, or frustrating. Discuss why the characters felt the way they did and what they said or did to indicate their feelings.

4. Responding to Other People’s Feelings – Not only do children have to identify other people’s feelings, but they also need to learn how to respond when someone is angry, sad, or excited. Teach children appropriate responses through role play and reviewing past events. Discuss how different people in the role play feel, how their body language and words show their feelings, and the best response for the situation. Also discuss how the child would feel if this happened to them and how they would like other people to respond. This helps children learn to empathise with other people.

Thursday 30 August 2012

Six Strategies for Making the Start of School Less Stressful: back to school 2


The beginning of the school year is an exciting time, but for many children and getting back into the swing of things can be difficult. Becoming familiar with new classrooms, classmates, rules, and teachers can be a difficult transition. Below are ideas for starting the new school year well.

1. Return to a School Sleep Schedule - Help children make the transition easier by getting them ready physically for early mornings. A gradual change is often more difficult than an immediate change. The first few days of getting up early and going to bed early may be difficult, but this will be helpful in the long run. Make getting up in the mornings easier by doing fun activities such as going on a walk, making breakfast together, or taking an early bicycle ride.

2. Introduce a New Environment or Re-Introduce a Familiar One: Six weeks go by quickly, but children often forget many important things about school. Make a book with your child to remind them of their classmates’ names, teachers’ names, school layout (dining hall, art room, music room, etc.), bus rules, classroom rules, and school rules. Children can help by drawing pictures or writing the text. For children starting a new classroom or school, hopefully the teacher will send information home that can be used to write a book.

3. Take Opportunities to walk past the School and point out key areas such as the bus stop, hall, playground,and sportsfield (anything you can see).

4. Involve children in preparation - Shopping for a book bag, new shoes, pencil case, and other school necessities can be a fun activity for many families. Help your child write a list of items they need for school. Take the list to the shops and let them pick out their own equipment. The list is a great way to practice reading and writing as well as planning. Give older children a budget to practice their numeracy skills and to learn about decision making and shopping.

5. Plan Ahead - Parents have many things to remember before the school year starts. Make a list and check things off so your stress does not become your child’s stress. Organising medical appointments, buying school equipment and working out the bus schedule in advance will make the days leading up to school more relaxed and less hectic.

6. Create Summer souvenirs – The end of summer can be very sad for many children. To remind them of the summer, get children to create a collage of pictures, objects (e.g. ticket stubs or magazine advertisements of films or places they attended), or drawings. They also can make something for people they will miss. Get them to write letters or make cards for people they will not see regularly during the school year such as relatives and friends from different areas.

Tuesday 14 August 2012

End of Summer Activities to Prepare for the School Year



The start of the school year is an exciting time but the transition back to school can be stressful for many children. Help children prepare for the new school year with these useful strategies.

1. Review Skills and Goals – Review school reports and goals and document progress towards goals. If teachers and support staff provided activities or ideas to address skills, take the time to focus on these prior to school starting. Even small reminders about skills can help prepare children for addressing these in the classroom.

2. Take Advantage of Natural Learning Opportunities - Use natural opportunities to address a wide range of skills such as asking a child to help count silverware while setting the table (counting skills) or asking them to read directions while cooking (reading skills). By keeping a child’s goals top of mind, natural learning opportunities can be easily identified.

3. Use a Calendar for Visual Reminders – Many children benefit from visuals. Mark important events leading up to the start of school on the calendar. Examples of activities to put on the calendar are the first day of school, shopping for school clothes, and buying school materials. Discuss how many days are left until each event and have children participate in planning by helping write shopping lists and decide where to shop.

4. Return to a routine – Summer breaks often are not very structured. Start getting back into a routine so children are more prepared for the school year routine. Sleeping, eating, brushing teeth, bathing, and bedtime rituals are examples of activities typically scheduled at set times in a child’s routine. Work on a consistent timetable to help transition back to school.

5. Use Art and Literature - Get children to draw, make collages, or paint things they remember about the previous school year. Encourage them to write about or discuss what things they like about school and what they are looking forward to in the new school year. Use these memories as visuals to discuss returning to school.

6. Play with Friends from School – Some children regularly see school friends over the summer while others only see school friends during the school year. Organise play dates or have a classroom party to help children become re-acquainted with each other.

7. Enjoy the Rest of the Break – Although planning for the school year is important, make the most of the last few days of summer. Create lasting memories by going on picnics, attending community events, and taking advantage of extra family time. Take pictures to remind children of summer experiences and create a ‘Summer Memory’ book to encourage communication and language. This is a perfect item for show and tell type communication activities at the start of the school year.

Thursday 12 July 2012

Using Visual Interventions to Help Your Child at Home


Independence is a goal all parents have for their child. This post addresses ways to help children independently organise items, help around the house, and follow a routine by using visual interventions.

1. Use Defined Containers - Toothbrush holders, toy boxes, and laundry baskets are examples of containers designed for a specific purpose. These containers allow for broad organisation concepts such as knowing dirty clothes belong in a laundry basket. Some items such as cutlery trays can be purchased with additional details. Select models that clearly define where materials belong. For example, cutlery trays with locations for spoons, forks, and knives help children sort cutlery correctly.

2. Give Containers a Purpose – Baskets, plastic containers, and decorative fabric bags can be used to hold a variety of objects. Place containers in a specific location for a specific purpose. This will remind children to complete tasks. For example, a basket in the hall can remind children to take off their shoes and put them in a specific location.

3. Use templates – If containers are not clearly defining a space, or children are having trouble recognising what goes in a location, create an outline/template of the object. Put the template in the location where the item should go. For example, use outlines of a plate, knife and fork on placemats so children learn to lay the table.

4. Use Photographs, Drawings, or Words - Another way to clarify where objects belong is to use photographs, drawings, or words depending on the child’s abilities. Use digital photographs, online images, or drawings to create visuals. For example, use drawings of food and water to indicate where a pet’s food and water bowls belong and to help children complete tasks independently.

5. Set Timers - Timers are a simple way for children to understand how long they have before they finish an activity and start a new one. Whether using a timer with sand, a dial, or digital numbers, children have a clear understanding of how much time is left. Dial and digital timers may also have bells which serve as an auditory reminder for children.

6. Create timetables – Understanding the sequence of steps for after school, bed time, and other routines can be difficult for many children. A photograph, drawing, or word timetable showing the steps is a helpful way to indicate expectations and maintain a consistent routine. Timetables help children become more independent through decreased verbal prompts.

7. Use Colours or Drawings on Items – For children who are working on skills, but have trouble with specific aspects of a task, use guides such as colour coding or drawn visuals to help them complete the skill independently. For example, a laminated circle with red on one side and green on the other that can be blue tacked to the dishwasher to show children if the dishes are dirty or clean. Another example is an arrow on a clear watering can to indicate how high to fill it.

Thursday 5 July 2012

Turning Stones for Madeleine


Dear Friends and Colleagues,
As you may know, People First Education have been proud to support the continuing search for Madeleine McCann.

I have recently received the following update from the team at Find Madeleine outlining ways in which we can all help with the search:

* Going on holiday? You can download a holiday pack of resoures specifically designed to help with the search for Madeleine.
* Are you or your friends attending London during the Olympics? Turning Stones for Madeleine are targeting people in and around London or anyone travelling to London for the Olympics and asking them to get shops/taxi’s anyone to display Madeleine posters so that overseas visitors can be made aware that she is still missing.

If you would like a holiday pack, or to access Turning Stones for Madeleine please click on the images on the right hand side of the web version of this page.

Thursday 28 June 2012

Autism/Asperger, Social Stories, Dislexia and ADHD Course Dates Announced



Dyslexia

Tuesday 2nd October 2012
Holiday Inn Lancaster
Caton Rd, Lancaster, LA1 3RA

Wednesday 3rd October 2012
National College for School Leadership
Learning and Conference Centre
Triumph Road, Nottingham, NG8 1DH

Thursday 4th October 2012
Toby Carvery, Nottingham Road, Chaddesden,
Derby, DE21 6LZ

Friday 5th October 2012
Holiday Inn Express, Vicar Lane, Bradford BD1 5LD

Friday 12th October 2012
Latton Bush Centre
Southern Way, Harlow, Essex CM18 7BL

Tuesday 16th October 2012
Big Sleep Hotel,
Wellington Street, Cheltenham,
GL50 1XZ

Wednesday 17th October 2012
The Source @ Meadowhall
300 Meadowhall Way, Sheffield, S9 1EA

Friday 2nd November 2012
Holiday Inn Express,
Norwich Sports Village, Drayton High Rd,
Norwich, NR6 5DU

Friday 9th November 2012
St Hild and St Bede’s College,
Durham, DH1 1SZ

ADHD

Tuesday 9th October 2012
National College for School Leadership
Learning and Conference Centre
Triumph Road, Nottingham, NG8 1DH

Social Stories

Monday 8th October 2012
Holiday Inn Lancaster
Caton Rd, Lancaster, LA1 3RA

Wednesday 10th October 2012
Premier Inn
Northern Perimeter Road, Netherton,
Merseyside L30 7PT

Wednesday 7th November 2012
Gateshead Swallow
High West Street, Gateshead, Tyne and Wear,
NE8 1PE

Tuesday 19 June 2012

How to Help Your Child Retain Skills over the Summer Holidays



Children often have a hard time retaining skills during the summer holidays. Many parents enrol children in kids’ clubs etc, but this often is an abbreviated and less structured version of the school day. Even when children are educated at home, summer often involves routine changes. Since many children rely on consistent instruction, these changes can result in regression. This post includes strategies for preventing regression and teaching new skills.

1. Know What Skills to Work On - To prevent regression know what skills your child is working on and their current functioning level. Be sure to review their school progress reports, IEP (if applicable), and information from their teacher on summer reading and work. For children working on self-care, independence, or behaviour skills, take data on their current progress. Ask their teacher what skills they are working on and exactly where they stand.

2. Find Opportunities to Practice Skills - Many skills can be integrated into a daily routine. Dressing, self-care, and behaviour naturally occur during the day. Take time to use these natural occurrences as learning opportunities. For example, help your child as needed to put on their shoes rather than doing it for them. It may take longer for them to do the skill on their own, but it teaches them the steps they need to be more independent. Academic skills also can be integrated into a daily routine. Have children help with any maths related problems and involve them in reading. For example, if you have a family picnic and 4 cousins, 3 aunts, 3 uncles, and 2 grandparents will be there, ask your child to help you count the number of sandwiches you need to bring. If you are making the sandwiches, work on literacy skills by asking your child to read out the recipe. Counting and fractions can be developed by gathering and measuring the ingredients. Children can work on motor skills by spreading butter, mixing ingredients, and pouring the batter into the tin. For children who need direct instruction, organise a time during the day specifically to work on skills.

3. Build on Existing Skills - When children master a skill continue to review it, but also expand on skills. For example, if your child is learning their high frequency words or spellings add additional words and phrases to their skill set. If they are able to count all the spoons the family has when helping to empty the dishwasher, add a serving spoon or two and teach them to count a little higher. Build on skills one step at a time so they are successful, enjoy learning, and do not become frustrated.

4. Appreciate Small Steps – It can be very frustrating for parents and professionals when children learn slowly or take a step backwards. Try to remember some skills take awhile for children to acquire. Sometimes children need additional examples of the skill or a new approach for instruction. Recognise that children become frustrated as well and teach them to be persistent and patient.

5. Remember It Is Summer – Whilst children need to learn, it can be easy to forget that the summer holidays are also for relaxing. Although working on skills is important, be sure to enjoy the fun things summer has to offer. Enrol kids in swimming lessons, go camping, play some sports, or just let them play outside. These kinds of activities are a way to stay healthy, learn new skills, and make new friends.

Tuesday 29 May 2012

Helping Young People Develop Friendships


Parents and professionals often struggle with helping young people learn to be good friends or to understand the complexities of social interactions. Below are a number of strategies that can help them to develop friendships.

1. Get Involved – Participate in community sports teams, art programs, and special events. These are wonderful opportunities for young people to engage in structured activities with peers. For young people with special needs, communities increasingly are offering events and activities geared towards their specific needs. Ask professionals and support groups for information on these programs or check your community newspapers, centres, and websites. Another great activity, for young people who benefit from very direct instruction, is social skills groups. These groups, which are offered in many communities, are a great way for young people to develop their social skills in a fun yet structured environment.

2. Consider the Child’s Interests – If the goal of enrolling a child in a program is to provide opportunities for making friends, look for activities the child enjoys. Some young people like the arts while others enjoy sports. If a child is particularly shy, look for activities that initially have less direct contact, for example swimming. Conversely sports like football and rugby involve more contact with peers. If young people start in activities they enjoy, they are more likely to join other programs.

3. Role Play Difficult Skills – Practicing social skills is a way to work on specific aspects of social interactions. For example, if you notice your child stands too close to peers or repeatedly asks the same questions, help them learn about personal space or conversational skills through role play. By practicing these skills in the home, young people can learn to improve their social skills and apply them outside the home.

4. Provide Examples – While reading books or watching television, explain social situations to young people. Point out how helping others, using kind words, and listening when friends talk are ways to be a good friend. When characters are being hurtful or invading someone’s personal space, point these actions out and ask the child what the character could do differently to be a better friend.

5. Model Being Good to Others – Part of being well liked and being a good friend is being kind. Demonstrate kindness by saying nice things about and to others whether they are the supermarket chechout operator or a neighbour. Point out when a colleague does something thoughtful and how this makes you feel about them. If your child is sympathetic or says something complimentary, tell them their actions made you happy.

6. Do Not Force Friendships – Just like adults, young people get along better with some peers than others. Teaching young people to be kind and to include everyone in activities is important, but they do not have to be best friends with everyone.

Tuesday 22 May 2012

Getting Ready for the Summer Holidays



1. Prepare Children – Prepare children for the summer holidays while they are still in school. Classrooms often have a countdown to summer, but including one in the home also is helpful. Discuss summer holidays with children including when they will go back to school and what they will do over the holidays. Read books about summer, and school holidays.

2. Make Cards – If children are concerned about not seeing their friends and teacher, have them create cards for everyone. The cards can have memories from the school year or a simple message, “Have a nice summer. See you in September.” Cards are a great way for children to share their feelings and learn about giving.

3. Don’t Forget School – Arrange summer play days with classmates before school ends so children know they will see their friends soon. Use the class photo as a way to discuss and remember classmates, or make a book about the past year, “Malcolm’s Year in Mrs Smith’s Class.”

4. Maintain Structure – The school day provides a significant amount of structure for children. A transition from a full day of planned activities to one with little structure can be very difficult for children. Have a routine so children have consistency in their lives. Set times for waking up, going to bed, eating, and other activities so children know what to expect during the day. If children have a routine with different activities on different days of the week such as swimming lessons Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and library time on Tuesdays, make a calendar showing these activities with words or pictures so children see the day’s activities. Some children may benefit from a very structured schedule. If children use a visual timetable at school, ask their teacher how to implement it at home. Besides including structured activities, remember a schedule can include periods of choice and free play while still providing support and structure.

5. Keep Activities Handy – Keep materials for art activities (paper, paints, buttons, glue, magazines) handy. Art activities develop fine motor skills and encourage creativity. Cooking lunch or snacks is a fun activity for children and it encourages reading, basic numeracy (fractions, counting), and turn taking.

6. Start Summer-Long Responsibilities – Give children activities for the summer. Gardening activities such as a small plot in the garden or a herb garden are a great opportunity for children to watch plants grow, care for them, and see the fruits of their labour. If children are not interested in gardening, give them responsibilities with a family pet (brushing, feeding, walking) or another household activity. These activities can be expanded upon by reading about the topic.

7. Ask the Teacher – If you have concerns about a child’s transition from school to summer, ask their teacher for suggestions. The teacher may have specific ideas for your child’s needs or they may know about activities your child would enjoy. They also can provide ways to help your son or daughter prepare for the next school year.

Thursday 10 May 2012

Ways to Increase Communication and Language


There are a variety of ways to increase communication depending on a child’s age and ability level. Below are some ideas for increasing language and communication throughout the day.

1. Expand Sentence Length – When children answer a question or request an item using one or two words, increase their sentence length by repeating their answer with an expanded phrase. For example, if you ask a child, “Would you like orange juice?” and they answer “Yes,” model a longer response. “Yes, I would like orange juice.” Then have the child repeat the phrase.

2. Use Books for Language - Reading stories is an excellent way to incorporate language into a fun activity. Ask questions about the pictures, the story, and the characters. Even very young children can identify colours, gender, words, or concepts (e.g. the boy that is the tallest/shortest) by pointing to pictures. Ask the children to predict what is going to happen next throughout the story. After finishing the book, review what happened in the story.

3. Create Situations that Promote Language - Favourite toys, clothes, and foods can motivate young children to use language. Store favourite items in eye sight, but out of reach, so children have to use their words to request the items.

4. Provide Choices – Give children choices in activities, stories, toys, and foods so they communicate their preferences. You can create an opportunity for communication even if you know a child is going to select a favourite story or game.

5. Find Time to Communicate – Many children like being entertained by technology, but opportunities for communication are lost when families spend a good deal of time watching television and playing video games. Turn off the television during meals and refrain from using portable video games in the car. Time spent together at the dinner table and in the car are wonderful opportunities for learning about a child’s day and increasing communication and language skills.

6. Be Supportive – Children are more likely to communicate if they feel valued. Encourage language by listening attentively to children and asking them questions. If children answer questions incorrectly, teach them the correct answers using kind, supportive words. Repeatedly asking a question a child does not know how to answer or condescendingly correcting them can hurt their feelings and decreases the chance they will answer questions in the future. Instead, encourage them to say, “I don’t know,” and use the situation as a learning opportunity.

7. Be a Role Model – Children learn from the adults around them. When adults speak in full sentences, use correct grammar, and articulate well, children hear and are reminded of how words and sentences should sound.

Tuesday 24 April 2012

New Course Dates Announced




Dyslexia Day Course

Wednesday 25th April 2012
The Big Sleep, Wellington Street
Cheltenham, GL50 1XZ

Thursday 26th April 2012
Holiday Inn Express, Norwich Sports Village
Drayton High Road, Norwich, NR6 5DU

Monday 30th April 2012
Holiday Inn, Woolston Grange Avenue, Warrington, WA1 4PX

Wednesday 2nd May 2012
Rougemont Hotel, Queen Street, Exeter EX4 3SP

Wednesday 9th May 2012
Premier Inn, The Haymarket, Bristol, Avon BS1 3LR

Friday 18th May 2012
The Collier Room, St Hild and St Bede’s College,
Durham, DH1 1SZ

Monday 21st May 2012
Holiday Inn Lancaster,
Caton Rd, Lancaster, LA1 3RA

Friday 25th May 2012
National College for School Leadership
Triumph Road. Nottingham, NG8 1DH

Monday 28th May 2012
Toby carvery, Nottingham Road, Chaddesden, Derby,
DE21 6LZ

Wednesday 20th June 2012
Fownes Hotel, City Walls Road
Worcester, WR1 2AP

Thursday 21st June 2012
Holiday Inn, St Quentin Gate
Telford, TF3 4EH

Social Stories Day Course

Tuesday 1st May 2012
Best Western Leicester Stage Hotel
299 Leicester Rd, Wigston Fields, Leicester, LE18 1JW

Monday 14th May 2012
Holiday Inn,
Caton Rd, Lancaster, LA1 3RA

Tuesday 15th May 2012
Novotel, 4 Whitehall Quay
Leeds LS1 4HR

Wednesday 16th May 2012
Holiday Inn Express, Vicar Lane, Bradford BD1 5LD

Thursday 17th May 2012
The Source @ Meadowhall, 300 Meadowhall Way, Sheffield, S9 1EA

Tuesday 29th May 2012
Toby carvery, Nottingham Road, Chaddesden, Derby,
DE21 6LZ

Thursday 31st May 2012
National College for School Leadership, Learning and Conference Centre
Triumph Road, Nottingham, NG8 1DH

ADHD Day Course

Friday 11th May 2012
Holiday Inn, Peartree Interchange
Oxford, OX2 8JD

Wednesday 23rd May 2012
Toby Carvery, Aigburth Road
Liverpool, L19 9DN

Thursday 14th June 2012
Holiday Inn, Hull Marina
Castle Street, Hull, HU1 2BX

Autism Asperger Day Course

Tuesday 22nd May 2012
Toby Carvery, Aigburth Rd,
Liverpool, L19 9DN

Wednesday 30th May 2012
Holiday Inn Tadcaster Road
York YO24 1QF

Promoting Positive Behaviour Day Course

Thursday 24th May 2012:
Gateshead Swallow, High West Street, Gateshead,
Tyne and Wear, NE8 1PE

Tuesday 19th June 2012
Holiday Inn Express
65 Lionel Street, Birmingham B3 1JE

All courses run 9:15 – 3:30

Not in your area? Get in touch and we'll see what we can do

Wednesday 21 March 2012

Using Activities in the Community to Develop Social Skills


Community activities are diverse, fun, and provide a wide range of opportunities for social skill development. Meeting people, maintaining conversations, collaborating with peers, following directions, and problem solving are a few social skills to practice in a community setting. Below are a few ideas on incorporating social skill development into your community activities.

1. Story Times and Plays – Community libraries, bookshops, and theatres often have book readings or short plays for children. These events are opportunities to practice attending, following directions, maintaining personal space, and asking and responding to questions in a group setting. For children working on attending, find out how long the event lasts, if there are frequent breaks, and if the event is interactive. Attend shorter, more interactive events then gradually increase the length of time so children are successful and are engaged in the event.

2. Parks - Although primarily thought of as a place for exercise, parks are a wonderful place to learn conflict resolution, problem solving, and communication skills. Children can practice asking to join an activity, helping peers, and working with friends to create and resolve game rules. Patience can be practiced waiting for a swing or the slide.

3. People of Authority in the Community - The ability to socialise with people of authority is important for school, community, and future work environments. Doctors, dentists, and teachers are examples of people who should be addressed more formally. Use these interactions as opportunities to practice formal introductions, greetings, conversations, and good-byes. Prepare children by letting them know who they will be seeing and practicing short conversations.

4. Frequent Interactions – Addressing people at a shop or n eighbours involves less formal interactions. These meetings are an opportunity for greeting someone by name, asking questions about their interests, and ending the conversation appropriately. Practice at home in advance and remind children, if necessary, how to respond when they see the person. For example, ‘Alex, you remember Mrs. Smith who lives across the road and has a dog called Buster.

5. Leisure Centres - Leisure centres frequently have summer team activities such as football or netball. These teams are opportunities for children to learn good sportsmanship, meet with children their age, and learn to follow rules and regulations associated with an activity. Other activities offered at community centres, libraries and museums include art and storytelling which teach fun skills while providing social interactions. Children learn to work collaboratively with children their age on projects or share materials for completing activities.

Marking Guidelines and Suggestions for Making Marking More Effective


Praise and target
Marking is about gaining a balance of setting and guiding future progress and building self-esteem based on children’s achievements. A good marking policy should reflect this. Children should be made aware of what they have done well, any achievements or successes they have made. However, more importantly, to facilitate their future progress they need to be given targets on where to go next with their learning. In some cases they need to be sensitively told they are getting things wrong.

Only praise
Like all things, in marking there are exceptions to the rule of praise and target. If a child is particularly proud of a piece of writing for example, it may not be helpful to set a target or point out any errors as this may be counterproductive. It may be better to praise only, ignore any areas for development until the next time that child is working on a similar piece. In this instance the target could be set at the beginning of the piece, based on the areas for development in the previous piece and addressed in a very positive way such as “You remember that lovely piece of writing you did? Wasn’t it great? Now you’re older I bet you could do an even more amazing one if you …….”

Only target
Sometimes children (and adults) don’t do their best, other times they do very little. In general, children like to know where they stand when it comes to expectations. If you are marking a piece of children’s work and you can’t find anything good to say about it, that is probably because there is nothing good to say about it. So be honest with the child, set their targets and then, instead of scrambling around trying to refer to something good in the piece in front of you, use the praise element to refer to some previous submission i.e. “You are usually really good at extended writing, perhaps we should have another look at the recount you wrote about the school trip last week, that was very well written” (personal retrospective praise).

Is the marking focussed to the objective?
Have a balance of focussed and unfocussed marking. It is often helpful for the child if they are aware of what is being marked, for instance; using apostrophes. Indeed, it is useful for a teacher to have a clear focus and can make marking a lot quicker. However, we are back to the magic f word in education; flexibility. If you notice any glaring errors, particularly repeated, don’t be afraid to break the rules and mention them. Even more importantly, if you notice that a child is attempting something to extend their learning i.e. using colons in sentences, mention it.

Don’t over mark,
Are the teachers writing too much? Are the teachers up all night marking? Praise and target marking is hard work. If there are three pieces of work in a day per child in a class of 30, that is 90 pieces of marking. At two minutes each (conservative estimate), that is three hours’ work Consider how much written marking that a teacher is doing in a day. Even two pieces would take two hours. Marking is a crucial part of a teacher’s role, but should only be a part of the role. Maybe we should only thoroughly mark one piece in a day. Furthermore, some marking should be done with the learner during the day, allowing them to address their targets immediately.

Have the children read it? Have you made time for the children to read it? Do they understand your feedback?
Make time to analyse the marking with the children. Just because you have marked and annotated a piece doesn’t mean that they will read it. In a busy curricular ethos here may not be time to read it in class. Sometimes, they may read the feedback but not understand it. A good marking policy is an essential part of the overall academic plan. Therefore time to reflect should be integrated into the timetable, this can be done sensitively as a whole class activity, in small groups or in certain circumstances one to one. Just because we set a target, doesn’t mean it will be acted upon. Under these circumstances provision is made for next steps.

What does the child think?
Ask the child what they would do if they were the teacher. “Imagine that you are the teacher. What would you say about this piece of writing? What is good about it? What needs improving next time? You will be astounded at how insightful many children can be given the opportunity.

Tuesday 21 February 2012

Correct Date For Cheltenham Dyslexia Training

Please note the correct date for Dyslexia Training at the Big Sleep in Cheltenham is:

Wednesday 25th April

Thank you

The Dyslexia Team

Thursday 9 February 2012

Teaching Young People to Understand and Respond to Feelings


Young people often struggle not only with understanding their feelings, but also relating to other people’s feelings. These skills are critical for personal well being and building relationships. This post includes steps for teaching children to understand and manage their feelings as well as identify and respond to other people’s feelings.

1. Identifying Feelings – Teach children to recognise when they have a specific feeling. Whether happy, sad, or angry the first step in coping with a feeling is identifying it. Help children identify feelings by discussing emotions when they occur. If a child is angry say, “I see you are angry. You have your arms crossed and are stamping your feet.” Another tool is to role play times when specific emotions surface. Use novel examples as well as recent experiences for the child. Discuss and write about different feelings in a feelings journal. Use the journal to write about events and the emotions, responses, and consequences the events elicited.

2. Planning for Strong Feelings – Help children cope with intense feelings by creating coping strategies. Have a quiet place for children to take a break when angry or sad. Give children tools and teach them how and when to use them such as a stress ball or a trampoline. These tools help children release energy in a positive way. Encourage children to use words or write about their feelings. Establish a phrase the child can use to remove themselves from stressful or upsetting situations. The phrase gives children a way to politely excuse themselves, regain control, and then return to the situation. Select a short phrase that can be used in a variety of situations such as, “Excuse me. I need a minute to think.”

3. Recognising Other People’s Feelings – Learning to empathize with other people and respond appropriately to another person’s feelings, is an important skill for building relationships. Show pictures and drawings or role play situations to discuss the words, body language, and experiences that indicate a person’s feelings. When discussing a child’s own feelings, incorporate the concept that peers and adults have similar feelings in the same situation. This helps children develop empathy. Read stories where characters experience events that are happy, sad, surprising, or frustrating. Discuss why the characters felt the way they did and what they said or did to indicate their feelings.

4. Responding to Other People’s Feelings – Not only do children have to identify other people’s feelings, but they also need to learn how to respond when someone is angry, sad, or excited. Teach children appropriate responses through role play and reviewing past events. Discuss how different people in the role play feel, how their body language and words show their feelings, and the best response for the situation. Also discuss how the child would feel if this happened to them and how they would like other people to respond. This helps children learn to empathise with other people.

Wednesday 25 January 2012

Teaching Young People to Practice Acts of Kindness


Being kind to other people and yourself is important for being a good friend and being happy. Modeling kindness, reflecting on kind actions, and practicing acts of kindness can help children develop this skill. This article includes strategies for helping children learn to be kind to other people and to themselves.

1. Be a Role Model – When adults say unkind things about other people or themselves, children learn this is acceptable behavior. Be a role model and say kind things about co-workers, neighbours, people in the community, and yourself.

2. Use Lists – Have children write lists or make collages representing what they like about their friends, family members, and people in the school. Hang the lists or art projects where classmates and friends can see them. Have a separate activity where children make a parallel list or art project that includes things they do well and why they are a good person.

3. Read and Write Stories – Read stories about kindness and respect in school and at home. Discuss how being kind makes the characters feel. Ask children to share times when they were kind and times when people were nice to them. Also encourage children to write stories about being kind to other people.

4. Practice and Discuss Small Acts of Kindness – In addition to having children write and say things that are kind, have them practice little acts of kindness. Teach children to help other people in day to day situations such as when someone needs help carrying an item, they can’t reach something, or they drop an item. Create a set of pictures or make short stories with opportunities for small acts of kindness. Encourage children to role play what they would do to be helpful in these situations.

5. Learning to Do Kind Things for Yourself – encourage children to write or create a collage about things they like to do or activities that make them feel good about themselves. Discuss how taking time to participate in these activities can make them feel better and decrease stress.

6. Pick a Cause or Charity – A long term investment in a volunteer or charity activity teaches children that even a small amount of time and energy makes a big difference. First create a list of volunteer opportunities then let the class or family select an activity to join. Whether it is collecting food for a food bank, donating toys, or cleaning up a community area, these activities demonstrate how working collaboratively with other people can make a big difference. Discuss or have children keep a journal about the experience. Ask them to include how they felt and how they think the people benefitting from their time and effort felt.

Wednesday 11 January 2012

Helping Children Develop Friendships


Parents and professionals often struggle with helping children learn to be good friends or to understand the complexities of social interactions. Below are a number of strategies that can help children develop friendships.

1. Get Involved – Participate in community sports teams, art programs, and special events. These are wonderful opportunities for children to engage in structured activities with peers. For children with special needs, communities increasingly are offering camps and activities geared towards their specific needs. Ask professionals and support groups for information on these programs or check your community newspapers, centers, and websites. Another great activity, for children who benefit from very direct instruction, is social skills groups. These groups, which are offered in many communities, are a great way for children to develop their social skills in a fun yet structured environment.

2. Leverage the Child’s Interests – If the goal of enrolling a child in a program is to provide opportunities for making friends, look for activities the child enjoys. Some children like the arts while others enjoy sports. If a child is particularly shy, look for activities that initially have less direct contact. Tumbling and swimming are examples of individual sports while soccer and basketball involve more contact with peers. If children start in activities they enjoy, they are more likely to join other programs.

3. Role Play Difficult Skills – Practicing social skills is a way to work on specific aspects of social interactions. For example, if you notice your child stands too close to peers or repeatedly asks the same questions, help them learn about personal space or conversational skills through role play. By practicing these skills in the home, children can learn to improve their social skills and apply them outside the home.

4. Provide Examples – While reading books or watching television, explain social situations to children. Point out how helping others, using kind words, and listening when friends talk are ways to be a good friend. When characters are being hurtful or invading someone’s personal space, point these actions out and ask the child what the character could do differently to be a better friend.

5. Model Being Good to Others – Part of being well liked and being a good friend is being kind. Demonstrate kindness by saying nice things about and to others whether they are the grocery store employee or your neighbor. Point out when a co-worker does something thoughtful and how this makes you feel about them. If your child is sympathetic or says something complimentary, tell them their actions made you happy.

6. Do Not Force Friendships – Just like adults, children get along better with some peers than others. Teaching children to be kind and to include everyone in activities is important, but they do not have to be best friends with everyone.

Friday 6 January 2012

Strategies for Returning to School after the Christmas Break


The transition from a break back to school can be difficult for children. Professionals and parents can make the return easier with a few simple strategies.

1. Review Classroom Rules and School Policies - One of the first things to do when children return to school is to review all of the classroom and school rules. Time spent focusing on classroom structure and schedules can reduce problems later. Remind children of expectations for how to treat classmates, complete work, and follow schedules. Remind children of any reward system and let them know where rules are displayed and who to ask if there are questions about the rules.

2. Introduce Any Changes – Clearly explain any changes that have happened since the break. Examples are staff changes, schedule changes, or even room arrangements that may surprise children. Be sure to indicate how the change affects them. Introducing changes helps prepare children and reduce stress related to new situations.

3. Let Children Play a Role – Children can help review the rules by participating in activities. For example, they can help create a new rules poster by writing or drawing examples of how to follow the rules. Another activity is to assign a rule or school policy to small groups of students and have them write and perform a short play about it. By participating in the process children are reviewing and taking ownership in the rules.

4. Review and Reinforce Repeatedly – Children can be very excited to see friends and be back in school. Be sure to set time aside to review rules repeatedly the first few days back after a break. Children may need extra reminders in written or picture format if they have a hard time remembering specific rules. When children are doing a good job completing work, following a schedule, or acting appropriately, reinforce their behaviour. Clearly indicate what they did correctly so they can continue the behaviour. For example, “James, I like the way you remembered to raise your hand to get my attention.”

5. Keep Everyone Informed – Parents and professionals should make each other aware of changes in settings so children have consistent support and understanding across environments. Professionals should send a set of classroom and school rules home for parents to review with children and prepare them for returning from break. Parents also should be aware of any significant school policy changes or classroom changes. Parents should keep professionals informed of any significant changes at home such as health issues, sleeping changes, or family difficulties that may affect how the child performs in school. Information sharing can ensure children have the understanding and support they need between environments.