How Young Children Learn

A Potty Training Solution!

2011-10-17T17:16:00.001-05:00

Potty training can be trying for both parent and child. One young mother we know read the parenting books and tried the interventions. But her son was just not interested.

Finally, after his third birthday, she came up with a plan. Since everyone in the home had a job (Daddy's was at a certain business, Mommy's was in the home office, etc.), it was time for the little boy to have a job too. His job - for which HE was paid - was to use the potty.

Every time he remembered, he was given a nickel for the "potty bank." On the following Saturday, he could fill his pockets with all the money he had earned and go to a dollar store. Within a week, he was potty trained!

Summer Literacy

2011-06-02T16:32:00.003-05:00

Summer is here! We made it!!!! Below are a few tips on how you can encourage literacy this summer:

"Tuesday is Library Day."

Visit your local library on the same day every week so that your children can anticipate the joy of reading.
Bring book bags and let each child choose his/her own books. (Children thrive when they are allowed to take ownership over their own learning).
Be sure not to judge their literary choices. Easy-reader books build confidence in struggling readers so even if the child is older, let the choices be his/hers.

"Architecture Day"

On our website, under the heading "This Weekend," we list a variety of activities (6) that strengthen neural connections. "Cityscape" encourages observation of one's environment, provides opportunity for learning about local history, can be enjoyed by a variety of ages at the same time, and strengthens visual memory.

To Do Lists, a Summer Journal, even Secret Messages that are passed under the door all help to encourage summertime literacy. Below are a few more suggestions to keep the language neural synapses firing:

"The No Talking Hour" - (write notes, learn American Sign Language, or read!)
"Cafe Day" - Everything on the menu that day begins with the first letter of the child's name. Or, take 5 weeks (Monday through Friday) to cover the entire alphabet. Have the child plan and write the menu, including illustrations and the name of his/her cafe.
Read to your child every day, on purpose. The impact this one simple act can have on your child's learning is immeasurable. Visit our website article "Reading with Your Child" for more information on brain development and reading.

Art Teacher Training

2011-04-18T14:44:00.007-05:00

School budgets are tight. Cutbacks touch everyone. However, there is no need for children to miss out on quality art instruction. Here's a way to prepare classroom teachers to fill in the gaps ...

We just completed, as students, 24 classes

(48 clock hours) of online instruction in

"Paint Stunning Landscapes from Photos."

The workshops were sponsored by F&W Media, publishers of NorthLight Books and The Artists Magazine.
Taught by veteran artist Johannes Vloothuis - this teacher of teachers shared it all.
Classes were online live, interactive, and progressive. In other words, each week we built on the skills we learned the previous week.
Now available from NorthLight Books, classes are bundled into 12 segments of 2 classes each (4 hours) for $9.99 per download.

This summer, interested classroom teachers can learn online how to teach art instruction from the world's largest publisher of art media. What a wonderful solution to constrained budgets and limited personnel!

For questions, you can email the artist, Johannes Vloothuis, directly at info@improvemypaintings.com.

Happy Birthday Dr. Seuss!

2011-02-27T20:03:00.003-06:00

On Wednesday, March 2, we will celebrate Dr. Seuss' birthday.

Known for creating over 44 children's books, Dr. Seuss focused first on teaching children to think. And then to read. Green Eggs and Ham, which uses fewer than 50 different words, is his best selling title, followed by The Cat in the Hat.

Born Theodor Seuss Geisel in 1904, his family and friends called him "Ted." Although educated in literature, his love for drawing led him to an early career creating cartoons and then writing successful advertising campaigns, which became his main source of income.

Twenty years after publishing his first book, And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street (1937), he published The Cat in the Hat. That book changed his career and the lives of children forever more.

This week, as we celebrate the gifts Dr. Seuss left behind, encourage your children to create words and characters of their own.

Then visit our website for more information on the value of illustrating. http://www.thelibrarylady.net/The%20Imagination%20Station/imagination_station_intro.htm

(contributing source: http://www.seussville.com)

The Skill of Classification

2011-02-18T08:57:00.008-06:00

One morning I was reading to a group of mature 4 year olds. When I introduced the book title and was explaining its meaning, a hand in the back row shot up.

I called on the young girl and she asked with a worried look, "Is that a GOOD word or a BAD word?" After I explained the definition, gave examples and reassured her that the word was indeed a good one, she relaxed.

She had obviously been instructed in appropriate vocabulary and was developing an organizational system about the word's proper use. This skill, known as Classification, is predominantly a math skill. We see it in toddlers as they sort blocks by shape or color. And we see it in children as they line up cars according to some common characteristic.

To read more about classification in reading, visit our webpage - to a reference about "teaching genre."
http://www.thelibrarylady.net/Questions%20&%20Comments,%20Ask%20TLL/faq_for_teachers.htm

Teaching Children Honor

2011-01-12T09:49:00.003-06:00

The other day I heard a preschool child mock her parent. It was not the first time. The parents and nearby adults laughed, thinking the child's feisty attitude showed spunk. In truth, the disrespect revealed the beginnings of a path filled with trouble.

In the Bible (Ephesians 6:2&3) we read the following counsel: "'Honor your father and mother.' This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, 'things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth.'"

We can conclude from this that the opposite is also true: if a child does not honor his/her parents, things will not go well and they will not live long on the earth. This is a hard truth to consider. However, if we are to raise up a generation of strong, committed children of God, we must not succumb to the popular misconception that a child with "attitude" is a child who will succeed.

As we demonstrate honoring one another in our homes and families, let us take the time to explain to our young children why. Respecting one's elders is not an old fashioned idea. It is the means by which we obtain a rich and rewarding life.

Speech Delays in Young Children - Part 7

2010-11-29T17:57:00.005-06:00

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

concludes ...

One of our associates has a two year old son who was not talking. In an effort to move the process along, she put her family on a gluten-free/dairy-free diet. In the last few posts, we began to publish an anecdotal record of her family's journey into the world of GF/DF living. We continue ...

Days 16 - 21, which ends this anecdotal record:

- Early one morning our associate was in the kitchen and her son was watching PBS cartoons. When she came into the room, she asked "What are you watching?" Her son replied, "Car." Then she looked at the cartoon about ... a car!

- New words: "Behave, and Up-eee" (after daddy throws him in the air).

- Our associate served a controlled Thanksgiving meal with GF/DF stuffing and pie crust.

- Said "Apple" clearly. Then "Kiwi!"

GF/DF chocolate chip cookies! Can't taste difference!

Conclusion:

Our associate's three week experiment has yielded significant results in jump-starting her son's speech. For the first time, he has developed a small vocabulary consisting of one and two-syllable words.

Initially, our associate was disappointed that she did not see more progress in his speech the first week. It took that long for the gluten and dairy/casein antibodies to leave his system. However, after that, steady progress was evident in his speech patterns and newfound ability to make more vowel and consonant sounds.

When he is tired, he tends to revert back to pointing rather than speaking. But this is more a matter of habit than it is ability. He's come a long way in twenty-one days. In the past two weeks, he has plainly spoken 22 new words - on his own. And this is just the beginning!

Speech Delays in Young Children - Part 6

2010-11-15T08:55:00.001-06:00

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

continues ...

Day 11: New phrase: "Ut oh!" When he drops a toy "Ut oh!" When he spills juice "Ut oh!" This is significant because it demonstrates his new ability to control sound. Also, son was listening to his parents discuss a recipe and when Daddy said "cocoa," the son repeated it. This further demonstrates his emerging ability to speak at will.

Days 12 - 15:
- Our associate's quest for tasty non-dairy cheese has finally succeeded - RICE CHEESE!
- Coconut milk ice cream in yummy! And very rich.
- In the past week, son has spoken five new words including "Bable" for "Bible," which is a two syllable word. He is demonstrating more control over sounds, continuing to generate specific consonants and vowels at will.
- When playing blocks with Daddy, he repeated the word "airplane" very clearly, another two syllable word.
- He found the "g" sound and has been babbling it, practicing it at will.

More to come ...

Speech Delays in Young Children - Part 5

2010-11-10T11:00:00.007-06:00

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

continues ...

One of our associates has a two year old son who was still not talking. In an effort to move the process along, she put her family on a gluten-free/dairy-free diet. In the last post, we began to publish an anecdotal record of her family's journey into the world of GF/DF living. We continue ...

Day 10: Son is sleeping less. Continues to have a good appetite. His palate is expanding and he is enjoying a more wide variety of foods. Very happy. Babbling more. Continually verbal as long as he is awake. Mother can tell words are forthcoming.

Tips and Observations

Weekend tradition: Getting ice cream with Daddy at Chick-fil-a has been changed to getting waffle fries and lemonade, both of which are GF/DF.

Fast Food Choices: After an online search of area fast food restaurant nutrition/ingredient disclosures, our associate made a list of everything that CAN be ordered at each restaurant. One copy is kept in the diaper bag, one in the glove compartment, and one in her purse.

Trial and Error:
- Allowing for personal taste, both mother and son prefer "Silk Chocolate Almond Milk."
- Soy milk products have been avoided because of their effect on thyroid function.
- Calcium fortified orange juice is a must since dairy has been eliminated.
- With the GF waffles, use real maple syrup or other healthful topping. Artificial syrup contains caramel color, the source of which may be in question.

Lollipops: It is important to present the GF/DF diet as a regimen that is more fun than a normal diet. So keeping a bag of 60 all natural, organic, GF/DF toddler lollipops on hand (available at most health food stores) is a must. The same mindset applies to snack time at church nurseries: send GF cookies with your child. It is important that he develop, early on, the perception that his nutrition regimen is great.

Minimize Interruption of Family Normalcy: Menus have remained normal with only minimal adaptations like eliminating cheese and butter. For example, last night's dinner was meat, baked potatoes, and vegetables.

Unintended Side Effect: The whole family is eating better. Eating cookies in the evening has been changed to Newman's all natural popcorn, tortilla chips, or rice crispy treats made with GF cereal and Campfire marshmallows.

Play-doh: I spoke with a Hasbro Customer Service Representative about the disclaimer on the package of their play-doh stating that it contains wheat. She confirmed that the compound consists of water, salts, and wheat flour. An internet search reveals several companies who manufacture GF/DF play dough. However, we have posted below a recipe for homemade dough.

Homemade Play Dough:

Ingredients
2 cups rice flour.
2 cups salt (makes it unpalatable to eat).
1 tbsp cream of tartar.
2 tbsp sunflower oil.
1 cup water.
3 tablespoons of oil (any cheap cooking oil).
A few drops of food colouring (optional).

How to make it

Mix the flour, salt and cream of tartar in a saucepan.
Add the oil and gradually blend in the water and food colouring, if using.
Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until mixture is stiff and leaves the sides of the pan clean.
Leave until cool enough to handle, then knead gently on the work surface until smooth. Store in airtight container.

(taken from http://foodallergies.about.com)

More to come ...

Speech Delays in Young Children - Part 4

2010-11-08T14:04:00.070-06:00

THE GREAT EXPERIMENT

We have an associate whose son crossed the 2 year/3 month threshold and still was not talking. After reading our Speech Delays - Part 1 article, she decided to temporarily put the family on a gluten-free(GF)/dairy-free(DF) diet.

She began by writing a menu containing some of her son's favorite foods. Because this diet change was an experiment, she did not want to invest a lot of money into specialty foods. So she bought a few staples to supplement their meat/potato/vegetable/fruit diet - enough to take her through a few weeks: almond milk(vanilla flavor); almond flour; GF frozen waffles; corn tortilla chips; rice cakes; GF cereal; rice or corn pasta; a few GF/DF frozen dinners ...

Below is a brief log of her findings to date:

Day 1: Day was normal until around 5:30pm. Son did not want to watch his favorite video or any TV. He just wanted to play quietly. At 7:30pm, he signaled that he wanted to go to bed. Quietly. Without any meltdown or resistance.
Day 2: Same as Day 1.
Day 3: Son said "DaaDee." Only said "DaaDaa" before.

Day 4: Son's appetite increased. Liked ground beef and ate it! Less picky about food choices.

Day 5 & 6: Accidentally ate wheat gluten in some McDonalds' hash browns and sausage. Slept fitfully for two days but slept for 12 hours each night.
Day 7: Mother noticed that SHE was thinking more clearly - increased cognitive function.

Day 8: Son said "Na Na," as in "No."
Day 9: Son said "HaDau" as in "Hot Dog."* Said "Bir" as in "Bird" while watching a children's video with a bird in it. Mother also noticed improved behavior. Story time at the library went well. Son is more patient. Gets less frustrated.

* Note: Keep in mind that speech development begins with initial sounds - the first letter and vowel sound of a word. Ending sounds do not arrive until sometime later. See our website for more info about this process:

http://www.thelibrarylady.net/Literacy%20Education/a_rhyme_in_time.htm

More to come ...

Speech Delays in Young Children - Part 3

2010-10-14T14:46:00.000-05:00

QUICK and FREE: Here is a quick tip to help relieve the frustration that occasionally erupts in your toddler when he cannot communicate his wants or needs.

American Sign Language: The following site offers a free online dictionary where you can pick and choose the words you want your child to learn. In addition to the Main Dictionary, there is a link called "ASL for Babies." The list is shorter and includes most of the words you will need for toddler communication.

http://www.aslpro.com/cgi-bin/aslpro/aslpro.cgi

A little advice: when signing, be sure to also say the word aloud. In that way, when your child's speech does emerge, he will already know how to express that need verbally and well as in sign.

Speech Delays in Young Children - Part 2

2010-10-11T15:59:00.003-05:00

In an earlier posting, we discussed the complex issues involved in speech delays. In that article, we included a few links to further add to a parent's resources. And even though scientifically developed time-tables and research can be helpful, there is another factor to consider.

Think about this: speech is only one form of communication. For most people, it is the dominate vehicle through which thought is shared. But for a few of us, speech takes third place. If given a choice, we would rather express what our hearts are saying through music and art.

For example, when no words can express a certain adult's emotion, passion driven fingers on piano keys can say it all. The same is true for a sculptor. Or for the painter whose communication best takes place with a paint brush and canvas.

So while you are waiting for your child's words to emerge, give him a "free expression day." Allow him to communicate with a paintbrush, as you discover the beauty he has been hiding within.

10:30am

10:33am

11:13am

11:30am

Art by Anthony, age 2 yrs., 2 months! Amazing!

Speech Delays in Young Children - Part 1

2010-09-12T13:56:00.004-05:00

Every parent looks forward to the time when his or her baby says his first words. Then strings of words. Then whole sentences. But what happens when the words don’t come? What happens when recognizable toddler-sized verbal expressions allude them? Often parental worry sets in as the child’s second birthday approaches. “What’s WRONG with my child?” they think.

At that time, we often see parents begin to self-diagnose their child after spending time on the internet. And although much research is available online, some of it is interspersed with factual inaccuracies. Parenting.com has published a simple, brief overview of what you can expect in speech development. It is a good benchmark with which to assess the progress of your toddler. http://www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Development/Speech-Delays

If you have already become familiar with delayed speech issues and are on the verge of fear, before you panic or declare that your child has a certain disease or malady, consider the following.

Some children with extremely high mathematical aptitudes often have delayed speech. Many second born children experience speech delays because an older sibling does all the talking for them. Some children are deficient in some enzyme or cannot effectively metabolize a certain nutrient. The list is as diverse as the population.

In spite of all this variation, however, there seems to be one constant suspect. Toxicity. For many reasons, some children are especially sensitive to some nutritional or environmental components. So, before declaring any diagnosis or lack thereof, it is important to give your child’s immune system assistance through an easy detox program.

Simply stated, allergies to dairy and wheat can produce antibodies that can hinder development, such as speech. Add to that the food coloring and chemicals in a child’s diet, and soon his immune system is overwhelmed. What happens next includes a host of behavioral red flags and diagnostic markers for a plethora of childhood afflictions. And before you know it, right or wrong, your child has been officially labeled.

First things first: First, for a month, experiment with his diet and environmental exposures noting any changes in his speech or behavior. If you have already planned to schedule a diagnostic intervention, put your child on a strict dairy-free, wheat-free, all natural diet at least four weeks before your appointment. No food dyes. No chemicals. No MSG. If that sounds overwhelming, read some success stories here: http://www.feingold.org/overview.php.

We have followed the Feingold Program professionally for 40 years and can attest to the precepts upon which the regimen is based. Spend time reading some of their referenced research. You do not have to buy their materials. Simply study the principles discussed throughout the website.

We are not guaranteeing dramatic changes in your child’s speech or behavior. But we are recommending that this easy and healthy first step will end some of the confusing red flags that may hinder a correct analysis of your child’s awesome development.

Bean Bags

2010-07-24T08:49:00.015-05:00

Younger children have an innate desire to test the aerodynamic qualities of all things. In other words, they like to throw things! One grandmother solved the problem by making bean bags from scrap fabric.

The liner bags are made from pillowcase fabric because of the tight weave. For filler, after evaluating the weight and feel of rice and dried beans, she chose to fill the liners half full with dried split peas. They provided the softest landings. However, if you think that split peas may present a choking hazard, rice can be used. There are also commercial fillers available.

Got a child who likes to toss toys? Problem solved!

Flash Card Carousel

2010-07-13T13:34:00.006-05:00

"Where's the blue circle?"

Dollar store flash cards can be excellent tools for developing pre-reading skills in young children. In the picture above, one young mother punched holes in the cards and added a key ring. She brings them along when traveling, sitting in church, etc.

Note about the beginning reader: On our website, we have posted a printable set of flash cards containing high-frequency words. Click on the link below. The link to the flash card set is at the bottom of that page. Print on card stock or photo paper for best results.

http://www.thelibrarylady.net/Literacy%20Education/i_can_read.htm

The Sculpture Toy

2010-06-24T15:38:00.013-05:00

Recently we were asked to test market a new product - The Sculpture Toy - from Becart Custom Products. So we gave it a test run with the help of a toddler named Anthony. To our surprise, as advertised, Anthony could "disassemble the 6-piece puzzle, play with the parts, and redesign it to his liking." We could almost see his thought process as he problem-solved, invented new ways to use the parts, and recalled the original assembly. In short, we were impressed!

Hand-crafted in Morganton, North Carolina, the cherry, walnut, and pecan woods are finished with the same oil that is used on quality cutting boards.

You can read more about this product and the company that manufactures it here:

http://the-master-craftsman.blogspot.com

Reading with Young Children

2010-06-08T00:15:00.013-05:00

... "I want my 16 month old daughter to enjoy books but when I try to read to her, she isn't interested. Is it too early to introduce books?"

Elizabeth, great question! We receive a lot of emails about this very issue. As you know, board books with simple pictures are available for children your daughter's age. They serve well for when she is alone and wants to hold it without tearing the pages. She is learning many pre-reading skills already such as left-to-right progression, where the book title is placed, and that words and illustrations correspond.

When you read with her, however, she may find it more interesting if you choose a book with more detailed illustrations - something with characters she is familiar with or a more intricate plot. You won't read the story per se, - not word for word - but you will be talking with her about the illustrations and perhaps later on, the story line. Many books labeled for 3 or 4 year-olds will fit this category.

When you go to the library, let her pick out the books that interest her. She may be attracted to the picture of an animal, a cartoon character she can identify, or a child in a funny dilemma. Remembering that one of the reading skills an older child learns is how to interpret picture cues (or clues) in order to anticipate what will happen next, learning to pay attention to visual detail now builds an excellent foundation for literacy later.

For examples of books with interesting illustrations, check out our book list.