Developing Teamwork in Children
    

Benefits of Teamwork:

    When the word teamwork is mentioned, images of people playing sports come to mind. But Teamwork doesn’t just happen in sport.  Our kids engage in lots of activities that require teamwork.  In class, they’re usually asked to work on projects in pairs or in groups and they play games which require them to make teams.

 

Making and keeping friends:

  Being part of a team helps develop social skills in our children – listening to others’ opinions and ideas, conflict resolution, motivating others, and even supporting one another when there’s failure.  All these things help your kids make friends at school and at home. Sociable kids are usually popular kids and teamwork is a big part of that.

 

Benefits for life:

  The future holds big rewards for children who are team players.  Most enterprises acknowledge that the ability to be a team player is an essential skill, and often is a requirement of the job.  Those who display skills in being a team player will be more likely to get hired. 

 

Some ways we use team work in our classrooms:

 

Working together to build in the sand.

 

 Using teamwork to make playdoh.

 

Teamwork in block center.

 

Teamwork putting together a puzzle.

 

Cooking together.

 

Making airplanes as a team.  

 

 

Having children work together in the classroom is a life long learning skill!!

 

 

 

Amanda Marshall

 

 

 

 

Technology Workshop Highlights

We missed many of you during our "Using Technology with Children with Special Needs" workshop!

The four professionals who participated in the session shared iPad apps and other technology tips for working with young children. I feel so lucky to be part of such a high-quality child development center that is able to offer workshops such as these. Feel free to join us for any of our classes, you will probably learn something new and meet new people!

Here are some of the highlights from the App discussion.

Visual Aids/Behavior Issues

·         Clock App – Use the timer for a visual aid. Ex. “When the circle is green, it will be time to clean up.”

·         SoundingBoard (AbleNet) – Visual Aid for giving choices, such as Yes/No or Cars/Ball.

Baby or Finger Isolation

·         Light Box & Sound Box (Cognable) – Cause and Effect. Sensory Light/Sound Box. Finger Isolation

·         Sound Box (Sago) – Music. Finger Isolation.

·         Baby Finger (DJ International) – Fun for baby. Finger Isolation.

·         Laugh & Learn Where’s Puppy’s Nose (Fisher-Price) – Body Parts. Music.

·         Doodle Buddy (Pinger) – Drawing. Can use finger or stylus for pre-writing skills.

Speech Specific

·         Talking Ginger (Out Fit 7 Ltd.) – Speech. Follow Directions.

·         Camera App – Talk to self. Take picture and learn body parts.

Animals

·         Feed The Animals (Curious Fingers) – Animal habitats and foods.

·         Make a Scene: Farmyard (Innivo) – Animals. Creativity.

·         Animals iSpy Junior (ToyTek) – Puzzles with different habitats of animals. Spanish and English.

Identification & Therapy

·         Preschool Games-Farm Animals by Photo Touch (GrasshopperApps.com) – Identify correct animals.

·         Touch and Learn Emotions (Innovative Mobile Apps) – Older children, teaches emotions and feelings. Coping skills.

·         Things That Go Together (GrasshopperApps.com) – Match objects that go together.

·         Little Writer (Innovative Mobile Apps) – Tracing. Pre-writing skills.

·         VocabuLarry’s Things That Go! (BabyFirst) – Label vehicles in a story format.

·         AR Flashcards (Mitchlehan Media LLC) – Label and identify animals through augmented reality. *Must print off flashcards*

·         Injini (NCSOFT) – Puzzles. Tracing. Identify colors. Matching. Search and find. **Generally good OT/Speech App**

·         Dexteria & Dexteria Jr. (BinaryLabs) – Fine motor skill development. **Good OT**

Educational Games

·         AlphaTots & TallyTots (Spinlight Studio) – Mini-games with every letter or number. Teaches alphabet and counting.

·         My PlayHome (Shimon Young) – Pretend play. Virtual doll house.

·         Mr.PotatoHead Create & Play (Callaway Digital Arts) – Body Parts. Creativity.

·         Swapsies (Spinlight Studio) – Community Occupations. Mini-games.

·         Toca Kitchen (Toca Boca AB) – Creativity. Pretend to cook food. Follow directions.

·         Toca Train (Toca Boca) – I use as a reward, especially for boys who love trains.

·         Zoo Train (Busy Bee Studios) – Puzzle. Put train pieces together. Label animals.

·         Bugs & Bubbles/Bugs & Buttons (Little Bit Studio) – Mini-games for OT, Speech.

Autism

·         Autism and PDD Reasoning and Problem Solving (Linguisystems) – Problem solving

·         Going Places (Model Me Kids) – Social skills training. Real peers demonstrate appropriate behavior while going places.

·         AutismApps (TouchAutism) – Search apps by price and category that are great for children with autism.

·         IEPPAL (Perceptum Solutions) – Collect data easily during sessions.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE APPS TO USE WITH YOUR PRE-SCHOOL CHILDREN?

Katie Zink, Infant-Toddler Family Specialist/P

Why Family Time is so Important

Why is Family Time so important? Sometimes we get caught up in everyday flow and think, did I see and spend time with my family today? Every child needs and wants that family time. Not only do they want it but it benefits who they are as a person and who they may become.
 Some of these benefits include:
• Children learn about families from the time they spend in their own families.
• Children learn to share, how to stand up for their own rights, and how to love another person.
 • We help children develop positive self-esteem by communicating the value we feel for the child. Words of encouragement and love help provide children with the courage to try new things without worrying excessively about not being able to do them.
• Children learn about trust at home from their parents. They learn trust from being trusted. Spending time with our children can be fun and educational for us and for them. Much of the child's basic learning takes place in the many informal situations that occur daily in the life of the family.
 These informal occasions for learning include all the times the family members are together doing ordinary things, such as getting dressed, talking over the day’s happenings, dealing with problems, interacting with people outside the family, taking baths, eating, and so forth.
 The activity does need not be costly, but rather one that satisfies both the parent and the child.
 Some more ideas to spend family time without spending money:

                            Friday nights out are alway fun and most things are free......like face panting!

      Walks downtown or in the park, this is always free and a great way to spend time with the whole family.

                   Spend time doing little things at the house like coloring and talk about what you are drawing.

                   Going outside is always fun. Talk about the things aound you, get dirty and play in the mud.

We need to take this time and spend as much of it as we can, children grow up to fast and we need to be apart of every min. Before we know it, they will be going off to school and driving.....................and well lets hope this never happens :)


Amanda Marshall

Will you be a voice for our children?

Have you ever heard a quote that just really made you think?  This past week I attended the NC Center for Non-profit Conference.  The keynote speaker shared a wonderful quote that has had me thinking all week.  The quote was "Until the lion tells his side of the story, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter."  Zimbabwean Proverbs

I couldn't get the quote off of my mind and decided to research it a little more.  The articles talked

about how hunters are powerful and respected personalities in their communities. They are believed to have some supernatural powers. They often have great stories to tell that emphasize their achievements and their hunting skills. People often praise them and celebrate their exploits. This is especially true when they come home with big animals like an elephant or a lion. 

Even though people celebrate their stories, they are also aware that they will never know all that goes on in the forest. When a hunter brings home a lion (or any animal) it may very well be due to the hunter's skills, but it may as well be due to pure luck. The lion might have been sleeping or injured. No matter in what circumstances the lion is killed, a hunter will always tell a story that makes the hunter shine. Is the hunter telling the true story or just bragging? No one will ever know. 

This Ewe-mina Proverb refers to this unknown part of the struggle between the lion and the hunter because we Africans know well that a story is never complete until one hears from both sides. The one who does not have the voice is often the loser.

Many of the children that we serve have no voice.  Children who go hungry, homeless, abused, fatherless, sexually abused, abandoned, and it goes on and on......  



Erica Parson's case is evidence of the voiceless.  We may never hear her voice.  Who will be the voice for these children?  Who will hear their side?  I will!  Will you?

 Norma W. Honeycutt, Executive Director


http://www.afriprov.org/index.php/african-proverb-of-the-month/32-2006proverbs/224-april-2006-proverb-quntil-the-lion-has-his-or-her-own-storyteller-the-hunter-will-always-have-the-best-part-of-the-storyq-ewe-mina-benin-ghana-and-togo-.html

Using Technology with Children with Special Needs

Technology is a controversial and growing topic in education, especially with early education. While technology has many benefits, we need to limit and supervise it's use appropriately.

Technology includes TV, phones, tablets, etc. How often does your child watch TV during the day?

 

Appropriate use of these devices would include an interactive approach. You, as the parent, can make any screen time into an educational experience. While watching your child's favorite cartoon, sit down with them and ask questions about what you are watching. For example, ask "What color is the dog?" or "How many clouds are there." You can do the same thing with your phone or tablets; make screen time fun and educational while limiting it's use rather than using technology as a babysitter.

 What is your opinion of the use of technology with children? With children with Special Needs?

Come share your ideas at our "Using Technology with Children with Special Needs" workshop. Learn from therapists about techniques and programs to work with your child. We will demonstrate some great apps as well as the features that you want to look for in apps.

Come ready to share ideas with other parents!

Childcare and dinner will be provided.

Tuesday, September 24th from 6:00pm - 8:00pm.

 Please RSVP to ashlee@epartnersinlearning.org or 704.638.9020.
Facebook Event - Using Technology with Children with Special Needs

Katie Zink, Infant-Toddler Family Therapist

Happy 60th Anniversary NCaeyc

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Cutting the 60th year anniversary cake)

This years conference marks 60 years of a dedicated group of early educators that came together to form the North Carolina Kindergarten Association to "promote the professional growth of its members, to increase community understanding of the kindergarten child and to work toward the attainment of standards established by the state department of public instruction."  

 

 

This past weekend we had the great opportunity to go to this amazing conference. We got to recharge our batteries and pack our brains with great info to bring back to our classrooms.

Some of the great classes I got to take were:

• How Poverty Can Change the Brain and 25 Things Teachers Must Do.
• Building Positive Relationships is CLASSy
• Giggles & Wiggles! It's Circle Time.
• What is a Child's Identity Composed of?
• Creating a Foundation for Healthy Social Emotional Development

Along with all these classes we got to hear a keynote from Dr. Becky Bailey who is an award-winning author, renowned teacher and internationally recognized expert in childhood education and developmental psychology.

 

 

 

We had a great time and we cant wait to get back in the classroom, see our children and start teaching the new things we learned!  

Apples Apples Everywhere !!

Apples Apples Everywhere !!

This past week the children wanted to learn about apples. Why?? Well as we all know it is almost FALL and some of the teachers are starting to pull out fall stuff, within these fall items there was apples, so the teacher put the apples around the classroom. When the teacher asked the children what they wanted to learn about the children said APPLES. So that is what we have been talking about in the classroom.

Apple counting tree!!

 

Making apples in housekeeping!

 

Making apple pie playdoh!

 

Doing apple prints!

 

Having a apple race!

 

The children loved learning about apples and ALL the things you can do with them. Fall is very near and we can't wait to teach the children the different colors, smells and foods fall has to offer!!

 

 

Can't wait till fall,

 Amanda Marshall 



Benefits of Children helping in the Garden

Did you know it’s not too late to plant sunflower seeds? The children have been helping in the garden all summer. Why do we let the children help and how is it benefitting them?

Gardening provides different forms of engagement for children, including designing, planting, and maintaining gardens; harvesting, preparing, and sharing food; working cooperatively in groups; learning about science and nutrition; and creating art and stories inspired by gardens.

 

 

Last week Mrs. Kelly cut dry sunflowers out of the garden, she then let the children pick the seeds out of the middle and put them in a bowl. After the children did a counting game with the seeds she then let the children plant the seeds to make more sunflowers. As the children were planting, Mrs. Kelly was talking about the seed and how if we planted it, it would grow more sunflowers.

  

The children are picking out the seeds from the middle of the sunflower.

 

 

The children are now planting the seeds back in  the garden to watch the sunflowers grow.

 

 

 

A study of children with learning disabilities who engaged in gardening found that they increased their nonverbal communication skills, developed awareness of the advantages of order, learned how to participate in a cooperative effort, and formed positive relationships with adults.

Some more benefits of children helping in the garden would be:

Children who grow their own food are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables.

Children who garden are more accepting of others who are different from themselves.

 

Do you let your children help??

 

 

Amanda Marshall

 

Home Visits

Home visits are hands down one of the most influential aspects of any quality early childhood program.  The National Association for the Education of Young Children highly recommends them to be a part of any accredited program.   A home visit is arranged for every child that is enrolled in our program, regardless of the age.   It gives the teachers a chance to meet the child, begin a positive relationship with their family, and talk about hopes for the school year.   It is amazing what a difference these 30-45 minute home visits can make through the course of the school year!
First and foremost, it is wonderful as teacher to be welcomed into a family’s home.   Each of the children are so proud to have the undivided attention of their teacher.  In the picture below, a child enjoys showing their pot belly pig off to their new teacher. 

Second, these short visits establish a very powerful and important home to school connection. Having a glimpse into the home life of one's child helps immensely when working on their social and emotional development skills.  The teacher is able to discuss individual strengths and hopes that parents have for their child in an environment that is non-threatening and familiar. 

In the above photo, one of our NCPrek teachers interacts with a child in his home.  The child is so proud to show her how he can work a puzzle. 
 
Being invited into a family's home allows teachers to develop a rapport with parents and work as partners to help a child succeed. Effective home visits help parents understand why they should be involved with their child's learning at any age.  Our interactions in the home give parents a fresh look at why learning is important and how they can be involved. 

Home visits have the power to break down barriers, offer a positive and proactive parent-teacher relationship, and is an opportunity to let your expectations as a teacher be known. 

Norma Honeycutt, Executive Director