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Jul 09 2024

Summertime Social-Emotional Learning Routines

Summertime Social-Emotional Learning Routines

As the summer sun calls and school doors close, parents, you have the perfect opportunity to focus on nurturing your child’s social skills in the comfort of home. Social skills are essential for navigating the complexities of human interaction, fostering meaningful relationships, and thriving in various social settings. In this blog post, I’ll explore practical and engaging ways you can cultivate social skills in your child during the summer break.

Encourage Playdates and Social Interaction:

  • Arrange playdates with friends, neighbors, or classmates to provide opportunities for social interaction.
  • Create a conducive environment for play by offering toys, games, and activities that encourage cooperation and communication.
  • Supervise play sessions and intervene when necessary to teach conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.

Model Positive Social Behaviors:

  • Be a role model for your child by demonstrating kindness, empathy, and respect in your interactions with others.
  • Use everyday situations as teaching moments to illustrate social norms, such as taking turns, sharing, and listening attentively.
  • Provide verbal praise and reinforcement when your child exhibits positive social behaviors.

Practice Active Listening:

  • Teach your child the importance of active listening by maintaining eye contact, nodding, and responding appropriately during conversations.
  • Engage in active listening exercises where you and your child take turns sharing stories or experiences, demonstrating empathy and understanding.

Promote Emotional Awareness:

  • Help your child identify and label their emotions using simple language (e.g., happy, sad, angry).
  • Encourage open communication about feelings and emotions, validating your child’s experiences and providing support when needed.
  • Use books, videos, or visual aids to explore different emotions and discuss how to cope with them in healthy ways.

Role-Play Social Scenarios:

  • Role-play common social situations with your child, such as introducing themselves to new friends, asking for help, or resolving conflicts.
  • Take on different roles and encourage your child to practice appropriate responses and problem-solving strategies.
  • Provide feedback and positive reinforcement to reinforce desired behaviors.

Engage in Cooperative Activities:

  • Participate in cooperative activities that require teamwork and collaboration, such as cooking, gardening, or building a fort.
  • Emphasize the importance of working together, sharing responsibilities, and respecting each other’s ideas and contributions.
  • Reflect on the experience afterward, discussing what went well and how each person contributed to the task.

Explore Social Stories and Role Models:

  • Read social stories or watch videos featuring characters who demonstrate positive social skills and behaviors.
  • Discuss the lessons learned from these stories and how they apply to real-life situations.
  • Encourage your child to emulate positive role models and incorporate their behaviors into their own interactions

Celebrate Social Successes:

  • Celebrate your child’s social successes, no matter how small, to reinforce their confidence and motivation.
  • Keep a journal or visual chart to track progress and acknowledge achievements along the way.
  • Encourage a growth mindset by emphasizing effort, perseverance, and continuous improvement in social skills.

Summer is the perfect time for you to focus on nurturing your child’s social skills in a supportive and enriching home environment. By incorporating these practical strategies into everyday activities, you can help preschool and elementary-aged children develop the social competence they need to thrive in school, relationships, and life. Remember, building social skills is a journey that requires patience, consistency, and encouragement, but the rewards are immeasurable.

 

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

Written by Alison Whiteley · Categorized: Early Childhood Parenting, Elementary School Parenting, Parenting Adolescents, Social-Emotional Health, Special Needs Parenting, Teaching successful students · Tagged: children with special needs, Educating children, Family health, family values, Parenting, parents as teachers, social-emotional learning, Special Education, summer activities, teachable moments

Jun 25 2024

Summer Play Options for Kids

Summer Play Options for Kids

It’s summertime and our children are excited about laying around and relaxing for endless days. They may run outside and ride their bikes, garden, or explore creeks and nature. Or they may glue themselves to television reruns and computer screens. Each summer, parents struggle with ensuring that their children have sufficient stimulation without getting lost watching television shows or playing computer games. Other parents struggle with overscheduling their children to participate in various camps. This ensures that children have proper supervision while parents are gone from home with jobs and family obligations. [Read more…]

Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert

Mary Ann Burke, Ed.D., Digital Education Expert, is a substitute distance learning teacher for Oak Grove School District in San Jose, California and the author of STUDENT-ENGAGED ASSESSMENT: Strategies to Empower All Learners (Rowman & Littlefield: 2020). Dr. Burke creates digital language arts and substitute teaching K – 12 activities for teachers and parents. She is the Cofounder of the Genparenting.com blog. Burke is the former Director II of Categorical & Special Projects for the Santa Clara County Office of Education that supports 31 school districts serving 272,321 students in Santa Clara County. She is also a previous Director – State & Federal Compliance for Oakland Unified School District, the former Director – Grantwriter for the Compton Unified School District, and was the initial VISTA Director for the Community Partnership Coalition in southern California. Much of her work focuses on creating innovative digital trainings and partnership programs for teachers and families to support students’ learning. These programs were featured as a best practice at a National Title I Conference, California’s Title I Conferences, AERA Conferences, an ASCD Conference, the NASSP Conference, and statewide educator conferences.

Written by Mary Ann Burke, Digital Education Expert · Categorized: Academic Support and Play Activities, Elementary School Parenting, Parenting Adolescents, Special Needs Parenting · Tagged: #finding jobs for kids, #parenting teens, children with special needs, children's play, college and career planning, Educating children, kids summer jobs, middle schoolers, parenting elementary kids, summer play, teachable moments

May 28 2024

Behavior Intervention Plans Ensure Student Achievement

Behavior Intervention Plans Ensure Student Achievement

A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is a personalized and structured strategy developed to address and modify challenging behaviors in children. It is a proactive approach used in special education to promote positive behavior and provide support for children who may exhibit behaviors that interfere with their learning or social interactions.

Supports Improved Student Behaviors

A Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) is a carefully designed plan that outlines specific strategies and interventions to address and improve a child’s behavior. It is developed based on the findings of a Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) and aims to create a positive and supportive environment that helps the child succeed academically and socially. The BIP is tailored to the unique needs of the child and focuses on promoting positive behaviors while addressing the underlying causes of challenging behavior. [Read more…]

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

Written by Alison Whiteley · Categorized: Elementary School Parenting, Parenting Adolescents, Secondary School Parenting, Special Needs Family Health, Special Needs Parenting, stuggling students, Teaching successful students · Tagged: #parenting teens, #problem solving #parenting teens, academic success, children with special needs, Educating children, Special Education, special needs, Special Needs Parenting, student behavior plan

May 14 2024

Behavior Assessments Support Children’s Learning Successes

Behavior Assessments Support Children’s Learning Successes

A Functional Behavior Assessment (FBA) is a process used in special education (and sometimes in general education)  to understand and analyze the reasons behind a child’s challenging behavior. It’s a systematic and individualized approach that helps educators and other professionals identify the underlying factors contributing to a student’s behavior while at school and provide tailored support for their behaviors. An FBA is NOT completed for all students. [Read more…]

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

Written by Alison Whiteley · Categorized: Elementary School Parenting, Parenting Adolescents, Secondary School Parenting, Social-Emotional Health, Special Needs Parenting, stuggling students, Teaching successful students · Tagged: #problem solving #parenting teens, #struggling students, academic success, children with special needs, Educating children, Parenting, parents as teachers, Special Education, special needs, student school behaviors, teachable moments

Feb 13 2024

Understanding Parent Participation in Special Education

Understanding Parent Participation in Special Education

As part of this series, I wrote about the special education law IDEA. One of the key principles of IDEA is “parent participation.” Parent participation, as outlined in IDEA, refers to the active involvement of parents of children with disabilities in the special education process. The law recognizes that parents are essential partners in their child’s education and aims to ensure that they have a meaningful role in decision-making and planning for their child’s education. Here are some key aspects of parent participation under IDEA: [Read more…]

Alison Whiteley

Alison Whiteley has been a special education teacher for over 15 years, spending most of her time working with elementary students and families. After graduating from the University of Colorado with a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education and Psychology, she continued her education with a Masters in Reading from Walden University. In addition, she has achieved endorsements supporting Early Childhood Special Education and Diverse Learners which she uses to help identify needs across all learners.

Ms. Whiteley is trained in Wilson Reading System and Yoshimoto Orton-Gillingham. She believes all students can learn to read and be successful. She has served as a Special Education Coach and Mentor to fellow specialists and teachers, facilitated the creation of her elementary school’s Response to Intervention/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (RTI/MTSS) process and helped parents through the Special Education process as IEP Coach for parents. In 2013 she completed the National Boards of Professional Teaching in Exceptional Needs with recertification in 2022. Her areas of expertise involve working with students with learning disabilities, supporting stakeholders moving through the special education process, and helping parents and teachers understand what they can do to support struggling learners in the public school settings.

She is a founding member of the Colorado Reading League and a member of the International Dyslexia Association in Colorado. Alison has two greyhounds and two nephews who keep her busy outside of school. She is the CEO of Toad-ally Exceptional Learners at http://www.toad-allyexceptionallearners.com. Alison is a valuable source of information to support teachers and parents, although she is not a lawyer and does not give legal advice. Her services support families through the IEP process and how they can be an equal member of the team through positive interactions. She focuses on collaboration and using tools to take IEPs to the new level of helping students achieve.

www.GenParenting.com

Written by Alison Whiteley · Categorized: Elementary School Parenting, Parenting Adolescents, Special Needs Family Health, Special Needs Parenting, stuggling students, Teaching successful students · Tagged: children with special needs, IDEA, Special Education, special education parent particpation, special education parenting, special needs, Special Needs Parenting

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