Are you teaching the early years biology strand and looking for some engaging and educational science provocations to help your students learn about Living Things? In this blog post there are 5 engaging living things provocations to inspire you. There are also tips and ideas to help you set u
Sensory Integration Strategies and Tips are useful for children with sensory processing disorder. Check out these strategies that can help kids cope with sensory processing disorder.
Attachment, Developmental Trauma and ACEs What is Attachment? Attachment refers to the emotional bond that we share with others. It “may be defined as an affectional tie that one person or animal forms between himself and another specific one – a tie that binds them together in space and endures over time” (p. 50, Ainsworth…
A veteran PBL instructional coach shares 6 skills teachers need to coach students effectively.
I’ve been getting lots of requests to add the wh- digraph word wheel to our growing collection, so here it is! This printable is part of a large series of free activities focusing on learning math and literacy when your child only has a minute or two. Wh- Digraph: What you need Download the Wh- [...]
20 learning theorists you must know
This past fall we made the decision to seek out occupational therapy (OT) for Caroline. She was struggling a great deal with the act of writing and we also suspected she had some midline issues. With her permission, I'm going to write about our experience with occupational therapy for dysgraphia or writing problems. We strongly
Your child's brain hierarchy determines how your child learns and develops. How they develop when they are young determines their learning in the classroom.
What are the different types of bilingualism in children, and separating the bilingualism Facts from Fiction
Digital Cameras: Theories Reinforced with Digital Photography “multiple theoretical frameworks to give a rationale for using photographic images in early childhood education” (Good, 200…
What is Inquiry Based Leaning in Kindergarten? In simple form, inquiry-based learning is more of a student-directed way of learning rather than teacher-directed. In some cases, the teaching team may set the general framework for learning, but for the most part, the learning is based on the students questions, ideas and passions. This is similar to the emergent curriculum if that is a term you are more familiar with. Rather than working off set lesson plans that are theme-based and not necessarily developmentally appropriate for all children, your teaching is guided by the students interests thus making the learning more meaningful to them. We know from research that children achieve optimal learning when they are given plenty of opportunities to become fully engaged in their play. Most often while children are engaged, their natural curiosity of the world around them comes forth. They take notice of everything and have a beautiful sense of wonder about people, places, objects, and nature. Through noticing and wondering, the children come up with questions and observations about their thinking. It is important that children are given the opportunity to investigate their inquiry, gather information, make observations and share their findings with others. It is the role of the teaching team in kindergarten to act as facilitators. We use these opportunities of inquiry to help guide the children with more open-ended questions allowing them to extend and clarify their thinking and make connections, while modeling the inquiry process. We provide the children with the tools, materials and resources they need to investigate these inquiries. What is the Inquiry Process? The Full Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program clearly defines the inquiry process in the curriculum document and I have included the table for you below: There is also an article I enjoyed named "The Plan: Building on Children's Interests" by Hilary Jo Seitz through NAEYC, that you can read here, that offers a very interesting perspective on the inquiry process. It has many similarities to the one in the Full Day Kindergarten document, but I enjoyed the way Hilary explained her four step process. I also now love the term SPARKS which refers to anything that promotes deeper thinking. Open-Ended Questions to Promote Inquiry The key to open-ended questions is that they promote further thinking and explanation. Questions that begin with "what, why, how, if etc." are usually open-ended questions. Anything that can be answered with yes or no are typically closed-ended questions and a lot of the time may begin with "can, do etc." I created the sheet above to carry with me on my clipboard when I am doing observations during the day as a reminder or suggestion. Very quickly these just became natural for me and it is just part of my normal conversations throughout the day with the children. This certainly won't be my last post on inquiry, but I hope this answers some questions for those who were wondering just what inquiry-based learning is.
What is Executive Functioning? Executive functioning, or what I like to call the conductor of the brain, is the process of the mind gathering together and making sense of all the information we receive from our instruments or senses. Helping us to create meaning from what we see, hear, touch, taste and experience, executive functioning also allows us to focus our attention, think about new information, and make connections to what we already know. People Have Trouble Understanding Executive Functioning Problems Many teachers and parents have trouble understanding how simple tasks such as remembering appointments, using an agenda or turning in assignments can be difficult, but unfortunately these and other similar tasks can be extremely challenging for some individuals. However, the good news is the part of the brain that manages executive functioning, which is called the frontal lobe, continues to develop through high school and college. Therefore, many kids that struggle with executive functioning can significantly improve their abilities. Come Learn about the Executive Functioning Screener! CLICK HERE You Might have Executive Functioning if: Here are 11 common signs of executive functioning disorder: You have trouble maintaining a planner or agenda for recording assignments. You have trouble planning long term projects and often complete them at the last minute.You often forget papers, notebooks and other materials needed for school or homework. You have a hard time estimating how long a task or project will take. You have trouble starting your homework independently. You are easily distracted. You have a hard time keeping track of your possessions and often lose important materials. You have trouble listening to and following multistep directions. You have trouble transitioning from one task to another. You have trouble keeping appointments. You have trouble keeping your bedroom and book-bag organized. Come Learn about the Executive Functioning Screener! CLICK HERE What are Some Common Myths and Truths? Myth: Kids with executive functioning weaknesses are lazy and unmotivated. Truth: Most of these kids are motivated and hard-working, but they have trouble maintaining attention and stamina. As a result, these students are often misread and misunderstood. It is important to realize that weak executive functioning skills are NOT the result of laziness, lack of effort, or carelessness. In fact, criticizing these learners and providing negative feedback and pressure often worsens these difficulties and can trigger feelings of helplessness. Myth: ADHD and executive functioning issues are the same. Truth: Attention is only one small piece of the executive functioning skills that the brain performs. Therefore, some kids with executive functioning challenges do not have ADHD. Likewise, there are some kids with ADHD that do not struggle with other areas of executive functioning such as planning, time management and organization. What the research is discovering, however, is that there is a positive correlation between those with ADHD and executive functioning disorder.Myth: All kids should be able to learn executive functioning skills.Truth: Just like some kids are blind or paralyzed, other kids have learning disabilities that make executive functioning extremely difficult. In fact, some individuals have such a difficult time with executive functioning skills, they require support from technology and people (such as personal assistants or secretaries) throughout their life. Myth: Kids can't get school accommodations for executive functioning problems. Truth: With proper testing, many of these kids are diagnosed with a learning disability or ADHD. With a diagnosis, students can get an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan that can offer reasonable accommodations. What Can be Done to Assist These Capable Learners? 1. Maintain a structured, daily routine. 2. Teach them how to set priorities. 3. Generate a consistent homework plan. 4. Break large assignments into manageable tasks. 5. Make to-do lists. 6. Demonstrate time management skills by generating self imposed deadlines. 7. Teach study skills and test taking strategies. 8. Provide incentives and positive reinforcement. 9. Utilize graphic organizers for planning ideas and writing. 10. Teach metacognitive skills by thinking through thought processes aloud. 11. Be patient and supportive. Where Can I Get Ready Made Materials and Exercises that Help Develop These Skills? The Executive Functioning Cognitive Remedial Bundle offers a comprehensive approach to improving a student’s planning, time management and organization abilities. This bundle offers a discounted suite of downloadable activities, games, and handouts that were designed to help learning specialists, educational therapist and even parents assist students in developing executive functioning skills. To get a free sampling of activities from Planning, Time Management and Organization for Success (one of the publications in the bundle), CLICK HERE If you would like a free copy of the images in this blog, CLICK HERE Please note that these images are copyrighted and should not be used on your own website without prior permission. Cheers, Dr. Erica Warren Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses. · Blog: https://learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com/ · YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1 · Podcast: https://godyslexia.com/ · Store: http://www.Goodsensorylearning.com/ & www.dyslexiamaterials.com · Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/ · Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/69400
Researchers at UCSF have found that children with sensory processing disorders have decreased structural brain connections in specific sensory regions different than those in autism, further establishing SPD as a clinically important neurodevelopmental disorder.
At my school, we use Kath Murdoch’s Inquiry Cycle. Many of our staff are new the PYP and new to inquiry-based teaching and learning, so we find this inquiry cycle provides some structure to t…
Project-Based Homeschooling is based on the Reggio Emilia philosophy. If you're interested in encouraging deep, complex learning, read this!
If you're an occupational therapy practitioner or student looking for cognitive intervention ideas, check out our article covering the all the basics here.
What is a retained spinal Galant reflex and why does it look like ADHD in my child?
You will receive 33 plural nouns puzzles in color and 33 plural nouns puzzles in black and white. The puzzles cover words that add -s and -es to the end to make them plural. There are also recording sheets included to help with accountability and grading. Let Your Students Practice Plural Nouns, Reading, and Writing Your students will practice multiple skills on one puzzle. They will match the singular noun to the plural noun, read the words on each side of the puzzle, and write their answers on the recording sheet. Quickly and Easily Set Up This Center Print out each puzzle and laminate for durability. Then, cut them out and your center is ready to go! Ideas for Use These pages work well in: ● Literacy centers ● Small groups ● Homework ● Morning work Print-and-Go Materials All Create-abilities resources are designed with ease-of-use in mind. Don’t have a color printer? No problem. Pages that do not render well in black-and-white have black-and-white copies included. Be classroom-ready with a quick print. Check out my preview for a closer look at this product! Feedback is greatly appreciated!! ★★★★You Might Also Like★★★★ ●Literacy Centers YEAR LONG BUNDLE for Kindergarten ●Literacy Centers YEAR LONG BUNDLE for 1st Grade ●Word Attack Strategies Poster and Card Set ●Reading Comprehension Questions for Literature and Informational Text EDITABLE Enjoy!
Attachment theory is not boring at all. Find out why every parent should know the importance of it to child's development and future life.
Chinese Tongue Diagnosis Poster 24" X 36" Custom designed healthcare poster. Printed on heavy weight HP satin finish paper. Available laminated. Chinese tongue examination is much, much easier to master than Chinese pulse examination. The basics of this art can be learned in a single day or less. Therefore, many students of Chinese medicine place more emphasis on the tongue than the pulse during the early years of their practice, effectively using the tongue to teach themselves the pulse over time. Because the tongue is inspected visually, interrater reliability is quite good. It is relatively easy to agree whether there are teeth-marks on the edges of the tongue or cracks down its middle. Likewise, it is relatively easy to agree on color, thickness and color of tongue fur, and the moistness of the tongue. Key Features • Images showing normal & abnormal tongue conditions • Descriptions and indications for color, coating and shape • Effective diagnostic tool that requires little training • Ayurvedic tongue map Shipping UPS/USPS to USA addresses. USPS first class international mail.
These ABA therapy activities for kids with autism spectrum disorder will give you heaps of ideas you can use at school, in therapy, and at home!
Research based teaching strategies you can use today with a free printable chart.
When you enter into the world of Early Childhood Education it’s no doubt just about play and teaching! Educator’s alike would agree that observing and documenting children’s learn…
Jean Piaget's Stages of Cognitive Development outlines four stages (sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, formal operational) in a child's cognitive development from infancy to adolescence.
A few days ago, I posted a picture on my Instagram account that got a really positive response. You guys saw my self-directed learning progression and you all said you wanted it! Since you wanted it, it's up for free in my Teachers Pay Teachers store, so grab it now before you forget!! Click here or on the picture below to grab your copy. I like this learning progression because it helps the students to assess where they are in three areas: academics, problem-solving capabilities, and social-emotional development. The rubric is also growth mindset-friendly because it moves from "Not Yet" all the way to "Wow!!!" I used my school's poster maker to make a big copy of this progression. It hangs on our wall next to our class rules. We refer to it often. I also use these with students sometimes--they just circle the one they feel best describes where they are at a given moment. I have two versions of the rubric, one that mentions "CARES" (a Responsive Classroom idea) and one that just mentions "good classroom citizenship." Pick the one that works for you and start using it! If you don't discuss CARES in your classroom, I absolutely recommend introducing it at the beginning of the year. These social skills are all-encompassing. If you've got these 5 qualities under control, you're in a really good place! I always mention these to my students and say that one of our class goals will be to develop these qualities as individuals. Did you download the learning progression yet? If not, what are you waiting for?! Click here to grab it! By the way, if you haven't already subscribed, we'd love to have you! Join our community by signing up in the box right under my bio to the right. That way, you won't miss any blog posts. I promise not to clutter your inbox! Make sure to follow me on Instagram for more classroom ideas than I put on my blog.
Visual memory is a vital pre-reading skill that should be developed early. Here are some simple visual memory games to play with your kids.
How to bring STEM to your English Lesson in the Early Years - introduce coding in kindergarten during play. FREE printable coding cards to download | you clever monkey
CHCECE010 Holistic Development of Children In Early Childhood-Open Colleges Australia assignment is to prepare a set of child development charts that summarise major achivement under each developmental area for children
Maria Montessori Quotes - If you're considering homeschooling, you MUST consider the Montessori method! These Maria Montessori quotes will inspire you!
How can you support the development of self-regulation in kids? This huge resource is full of self-regulation games, information, books, and more!
👶❤️ And most importantly, how cognition affects communication skills? 🗣 Find some kids activities to boost your child's cognitive development! 💪
Inclusive education is still not widely practiced in schools across the United States. As a result, only the lucky few have seen what inclusion really is. Those that haven’t, are...
Help kids learn impulse control skills using these practical strategies to support development of executive functioning.
If you are in education, it’s likely you encounter terms and abbreviations for just about everything possible, everyday. One of the more common ‘buzzwords’ in education today is the idea of project-based learning, or PBL. Today we’re going to discuss how to bring together Google apps and project based learning. What exactly is project-based learning? It […]
Reducing Problem Behaviour using a function based intervention. Here I combined the first and then with the three star reward token boards and came up with this Behaviour Management Tool. Everythin…
Item specificsCondition
What is Executive Functioning? Executive functioning, or what I like to call the conductor of the brain, is the process of the mind gathering together and making sense of all the information we receive from our instruments or senses. Helping us to create meaning from what we see, hear, touch, taste and experience, executive functioning also allows us to focus our attention, think about new information, and make connections to what we already know. People Have Trouble Understanding Executive Functioning Problems Many teachers and parents have trouble understanding how simple tasks such as remembering appointments, using an agenda or turning in assignments can be difficult, but unfortunately these and other similar tasks can be extremely challenging for some individuals. However, the good news is the part of the brain that manages executive functioning, which is called the frontal lobe, continues to develop through high school and college. Therefore, many kids that struggle with executive functioning can significantly improve their abilities. Come Learn about the Executive Functioning Screener! CLICK HERE You Might have Executive Functioning if: Here are 11 common signs of executive functioning disorder: You have trouble maintaining a planner or agenda for recording assignments. You have trouble planning long term projects and often complete them at the last minute.You often forget papers, notebooks and other materials needed for school or homework. You have a hard time estimating how long a task or project will take. You have trouble starting your homework independently. You are easily distracted. You have a hard time keeping track of your possessions and often lose important materials. You have trouble listening to and following multistep directions. You have trouble transitioning from one task to another. You have trouble keeping appointments. You have trouble keeping your bedroom and book-bag organized. Come Learn about the Executive Functioning Screener! CLICK HERE What are Some Common Myths and Truths? Myth: Kids with executive functioning weaknesses are lazy and unmotivated. Truth: Most of these kids are motivated and hard-working, but they have trouble maintaining attention and stamina. As a result, these students are often misread and misunderstood. It is important to realize that weak executive functioning skills are NOT the result of laziness, lack of effort, or carelessness. In fact, criticizing these learners and providing negative feedback and pressure often worsens these difficulties and can trigger feelings of helplessness. Myth: ADHD and executive functioning issues are the same. Truth: Attention is only one small piece of the executive functioning skills that the brain performs. Therefore, some kids with executive functioning challenges do not have ADHD. Likewise, there are some kids with ADHD that do not struggle with other areas of executive functioning such as planning, time management and organization. What the research is discovering, however, is that there is a positive correlation between those with ADHD and executive functioning disorder.Myth: All kids should be able to learn executive functioning skills.Truth: Just like some kids are blind or paralyzed, other kids have learning disabilities that make executive functioning extremely difficult. In fact, some individuals have such a difficult time with executive functioning skills, they require support from technology and people (such as personal assistants or secretaries) throughout their life. Myth: Kids can't get school accommodations for executive functioning problems. Truth: With proper testing, many of these kids are diagnosed with a learning disability or ADHD. With a diagnosis, students can get an individualized education program (IEP) or 504 plan that can offer reasonable accommodations. What Can be Done to Assist These Capable Learners? 1. Maintain a structured, daily routine. 2. Teach them how to set priorities. 3. Generate a consistent homework plan. 4. Break large assignments into manageable tasks. 5. Make to-do lists. 6. Demonstrate time management skills by generating self imposed deadlines. 7. Teach study skills and test taking strategies. 8. Provide incentives and positive reinforcement. 9. Utilize graphic organizers for planning ideas and writing. 10. Teach metacognitive skills by thinking through thought processes aloud. 11. Be patient and supportive. Where Can I Get Ready Made Materials and Exercises that Help Develop These Skills? The Executive Functioning Cognitive Remedial Bundle offers a comprehensive approach to improving a student’s planning, time management and organization abilities. This bundle offers a discounted suite of downloadable activities, games, and handouts that were designed to help learning specialists, educational therapist and even parents assist students in developing executive functioning skills. To get a free sampling of activities from Planning, Time Management and Organization for Success (one of the publications in the bundle), CLICK HERE If you would like a free copy of the images in this blog, CLICK HERE Please note that these images are copyrighted and should not be used on your own website without prior permission. Cheers, Dr. Erica Warren Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses. · Blog: https://learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com/ · YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1 · Podcast: https://godyslexia.com/ · Store: http://www.Goodsensorylearning.com/ & www.dyslexiamaterials.com · Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/ · Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/69400
Theraputty Exercises - UWMC Health On-Line - University of ...
