Social Success- A Language Infused Day of FUN!!

8/16/2016

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FaBOOlous Pumpkin Ideas

10/27/2015

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Five New & Creative Pumpkin Ideas

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FaBOOlous Pumpkin Ideas

What to do with all those pumpkins? Here are some faBOOlous ideas beyond the standard jack-o-lantern!

1. Make a Pumpkin Head
Use Potato Head pieces to create your very own silly face! Talk with your child about pushing each of the pieces.

2. Make a Mummy
Explore the best materials to make your mummy, and what it means to "wrap" the pumpkin. Can he/she think of other things that we wrap?

3. Plant Flowers in a "Pumpkin Pot"
Talk to your child about digging, pouring water/dirt, or sequencing the steps to make a pumpkin pot.

4. Make Pumpkin Seeds
To put a twist on roasted pumpkin seeds,
try sprinkling them with cinnamon and sugar! This is a great opportunity to talk to your child about washing, pouring cinnamon/sugar, spreading, and baking.

5. Pumpkin Bowling
Work with your child to figure out which pumpkins roll best and what other household items you can turn into bowling pins.

Talk of The Town wishes you a fun and safe Halloween!

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Surviving Holiday Stress

12/1/2014

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5 TIPS TO DE-STRESS THIS HOLIDAY SEASON

A family friendly guide for your child with special needs.

The holiday season is upon us! Along with bringing much joy, families with children of special needs face special challenges. Below are 5 tips to help make the holiday calm and peaceful for you and your child.

Allow yourself to feel anxious and uneasy. It's ok
Send an email to family members ahead of time to help them understand your child (ie: how to talk to your child, how to greet your child, and anything that might scare your child).
Let your child know what to expect. Review the guest list so they know who will be there, and create a schedule for the day.
Let go of traditions that don't work.... at least for now. Some traditions can be modified to meet your child (and your) specific need.
Be flexible. Give your child a break if he or she needs one. Talk with the host of the party to create a safe space for your child to retreat to.

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5 ways to get your kids involved in food shopping

10/21/2014

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Give them their own list of ingredients for common items they love to eat. Draw pictures next to the words if necessary and review it before going into the store. Enjoy watching them locate the items and cross them off their "list".
Split the job- You get the items off the shelf and they put the items in the cart. Talk about a good place to put small items vs big items, where to put the eggs vs the laundry detergent.
Have fun with produce! Add number concepts. For example, we need "3 apples". Help them count out the number of items and put them in a bag. Discuss what it means when food is bruised, rotten, or unripe.
Introduce and explain functional categories- frozen food, produce /fruits and vegetables, canned food, cleaning products etc.
Unpack together! Split the job- you hand them the items and tell them where they go (fridge, pantry, cabinet etc). Then switch! And have them hand you the items and tell you where they go. (start with only 1 bag of common items, so the child feels successful)

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Apples!!

9/29/2014

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Here are some ways to embed language into fun apple activities!

Apple Heads

Use potato head pieces to make an apple head! Hide the pieces around the house, and let the child talk about where they find each piece.

Apple Sauce

Have your child recall each of the steps to making home made apple sauce. Use drawings or photographs to help them remember each step and organize their language if needed.

Apple Stamps

Use this activity to encourage your child to talk about what they are doing (I paint/push/wipe, etc). For a fun extension of this activity, stamp apples onto a fabric bag and bring it apple picking!

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Red, White, and Blueberries!

7/2/2014

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Beginning language learners at the 1-3 word level:

Talk about what you are doing at the 1-3 word level (ex: peel, spread, Daddy wash blueberries, I cut banana, etc.)
Put your fingers in the jelly and explore how sticky they feel.
Take pictures of the steps (spread cream cheese/jelly, peel banana, cut banana, etc. Review the pictures with your child to help them talk about each step after the activity is complete.

For higher level language learners:

Show your child the picture above. Work together to figure out what ingredients and what steps are needed to make your very own fruity flag.
Discuss how the jelly helps the fruit stick on the bread. What other foods are sticky? Why wouldn't it be a good idea to stick the fruit on with glue?
Think of other foods that you could use to make colorful, fruity flags! (think watermelon, strawberries, raspberries, apple slices, pear slices, blackberries, etc.)

ENJOY!!

*For a GFCF alternative, use gluten free bread.

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Growing an egg-head

4/3/2014

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Planting in an eggshell is a fun and educational activity for kids of all ages! Here is how you can help your child's language (and egg-head) grow!

Beginning language learners at the 1-3 word levels:

Talk about what you are doing at the 1-3 word level (ex: Mommy wash egg, Daddy break egg, I pour dirt, etc.)
Talk about your hands or the table being dirty.
Take pictures of each step (breaking the egg, pouring the dirt, pushing the seed, spraying/pouring the water). Review the pictures with your child to help them talk about each step after the activity is complete.

For higher level language learners:

- Show your child a picture of a plant in an eggshell. Work together to figure out what steps you need to take to make your very own egg-head.
- Discuss with your child what type of egg you should use-- a raw egg? Hard boiled egg? Why?
- Talk about the egg shell being fragile. What does that mean? Can (s)he think of other things that are fragile?

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Oozy fun with oobleck!

3/15/2014

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Addition ideas:

Make rainbow oobleck
How long you can make the ooze drip?
Roll a large ball. What happens when you stop rolling?
Does the oobleck splash when you hit the surface?
What happens if you put a coin on the surface?

What other fun ideas can you think of??

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The Eyes Have It! Promoting Eye contact

2/27/2014

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Eye contact is an important skill for communication, social and emotional development in all children. Below are some simple ideas to get kiddos of all ages 'looking in the right direction'....

Newborns

Try propping your baby along your forearm, and cradle his/her head in your hand for support. With your face 8-10 inches from baby, smile, sing songs, and enjoy those beginning moments of gazing into each others eyes and falling in love

0-6 months

While on your back with knees to chest, lay your baby on their tummy, along your shins. Slowly raise and lower your legs in a a game of "elevator," while making funny faces and sounds.
Place your baby tummy down on a blanket. Lay in front of your baby, talking gently, singing songs, and encouraging your baby to lift their head and hold themselves up.

Ages 1-3

When your child brings you an item, get down to eye level. Make comments and use a lot of facial expressions.
If you're trying to get your child's attention and they are looking at or playing with something else, try this-- Touch their hand, wait for them to look up at you, and then talk to them.

Ages 4+

If you're having trouble getting your child to look away from a device, the computer or TV, try answering yes and no questions without talking using a simple head nod/shake. Doing this will encourage your child to stop what they're doing and look up at you to get their answer.

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Sound Development Chart

2/19/2014

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There are 44 sounds in the English language, which are developed at different times. Some sounds are harder to make than others. The easier sounds are learned earlier than the more difficult sounds. The chart below can be used as a general guideline for ages that most children are able to say the consonant sounds. The left edge of each bar represents the age that children begin to master the sound, and the right edge represents when 90% of children will master the sound. If you have any concern about your child's speech development, it's best to seek the guidance of a speech and language pathologist.

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Social Success- A Language Infused Day of FUN!!