Read With a Purpose

Adapted from the blog www.learning-through-play.com by Cari Ebert, SLP

I have always said that parents are a child’s first and most important toy, but I believe books are a close second.  Long before a child can walk, talk or use a spoon, we can introduce books and expand our child’s world.  One of the primary goals for parents should be to instill a love for books in our children.  As a pediatric speech-language pathologist I often hear parents say that their young child doesn't like books or doesn't like to be read to.  There are many strategies we can implement early on to facilitate a life-long love of books and reading.  Below are strategies that will help parents become intentional play partners and facilitate pre-literacy skills by learning how to Read with a Purpose.

• Be sure to select books that are appropriate for your child– think about board books vs. paper books and storybooks vs. picture books.  Many very young children do not have the attention span for a storybook yet and will do better with simple picture books.
• Teach your child to respect books.  If your child tears the pages, then 2 things need to happen.  First, no more paper books – board books only. Second, book time needs to be a shared activity so you can show your child how to interact appropriately with books. 
• Introduce touch and feel books to encourage pointing and use books with flaps to make reading time more interactive.
• Follow your child’s lead when choosing books.
• Future learning depends on your child’s ability to read, so make books a part of your child’s daily routine from a very young age.
• If your child doesn't like to be read to, choose picture books instead of story books and remember that you don’t always have to read the words on the page.  Instead just talk in an animated way about the pictures. 
• When looking at picture books, you can look at the pages in any order so this allows your child to stay “in control.”  Don’t worry about looking at every page in the book.  Strive to make book time a positive interaction time and your child will likely want more of it!
• Try having your child sit or stand in front of you when looking at books and hold the book near your face so she can watch your face as you talk.  This will help keep your child engaged and focused on you.
• Produce a variety of sound effects and use an animated voice to capture and maintain your child’s attention.
• Convey emotion in your voice when you read.  Your happy voice should sound distinctly different from your sad voice.
• Clearly articulate each word as your read.
• When reading predictable storybooks be sure to pause and allow your child the opportunity to complete the phrase.  “Brown bear brown bear what do you _______ (see)?  I see a purple cat looking at ________ (me).” 
• If your child is having difficulty producing certain speech sounds, be sure to select books that incorporate that specific sound into the story.  So if your child has difficulty saying the “sh” sound then pick out books about sharks, ships and shadows.
• Make sure books are available all the time.  Keep a book bag in the car next to the car seat, keep small books in your purse or diaper bag, and place book baskets in different rooms of the house. 

Avoid Sickness this Winter

^{This blog post was submitted by Joan Littleford, a nurse with Davis Early Intervention.}

^{Managing Viral Infections}

Coughs, runny and stuffy noses, and other cold symptoms can make your child miserable — but they usually aren’t serious. Most are caused by viruses, and get better with time and rest. Antibiotics are rarely needed, and may do more harm than good.

Understanding your child’s symptoms

When viruses infect your child’s respiratory system (nose, throat, and chest), they can cause any or all of these symptoms:

                        runny or stuffy nose • headache

                        coughing • body aches

                        sore throat • fever

                        sneezing • chills

                        watery eyes • tiredness

It’s normal for the symptoms of viral infection to last up to 14 days, sometimes even longer. For most children, the worst is over in about 10 days, although the cough may last for 3 weeks. Remember, antibiotics won’t make a viral illness get better faster. Usually, they just need to run their course. It’s best to just wait and watch

What can I do to help my child feel better?

A viral infection usually lasts only a week or two. But when your child is feeling rotten, this can seem like a long time! Here are some tips to help ease symptoms and help your child get better faster:

                        Rest. Resting is one of the best things your child can do to get better. Keep your child home from school or day care.

                        Drink lots of water and other fluids. Water thins mucus and helps ease coughs, stuffy noses, and sore throats. Other fluids — even milk — are usually okay too.

                        Use a humidifier. Use a cool mist humidifier around children

                Stay away from smoke. Smoke worsens symptoms and slows recovery. Don’t let anyone smoke in the house. And if you smoke, try to take a break for a few days, or smoke only outside.

How can I keep my family from getting sick?

Colds and other viral infections are common. Almost everyone has at least one cold a year — and kids often have as many as 12! To help limit the number of colds your family gets, follow these tips:

                Wash your hands often or use a sanitizing hand cleanser. And remind your children — and their caregivers — to wash their hands often, too. This is one of the best things you can do to stay well and prevent the spread of viruses.

                        Avoid crowds. If your child goes to day care, try to find a day care with fewer children in a room. And if you can, avoid crowded public places during cold and flu season.

                        Get a flu shot every year. Make sure everyone in your family does, too. It doesn’t prevent common colds and coughs — it only prevents the flu. But avoiding the flu has been proven to prevent both common and serious complications.

                Avoid smoke. If you smoke, do everything you can to quit. And avoid second-hand smoke

                 

Call your doctor about worsening symptoms or symptoms that are not getting better by 14 days.  A doctor can make sure nothing is seriously wrong, prescribe medicine if needed and explain what to do to feel better. 

(Taken from Intermountain Health Care website)

If you or your child are sick please remember to cancel your visit with your early intervention provider

Criteria for Choosing a Good Store-Bought Toy

This information is taken from a workshop by Cari Ebert called The Power of Play: Effective Play-Based Therapy and Early Intervention.  Cari is a Speech Language Pathologist who works in the field of Early Intervention in Kansas City.  Her passion is to "empower parents and pediatric therapists who want to gain an appreciation of the power of play in the development of young children."  Consider these criteria as you look for Christmas presents for your little ones.

Top 10 Criteria for Choosing a Good Store-Bought Toy

1. Select toys without batteries.  The more the toy does, the less the child does.  battery operated toys limit creativity and imagination.  We want the child to provide the power and the imagination.
2. Choose simple toys that can be used in a variety of ways.  These toys are more likely to grow with the child.  For example, nesting cups can be used to stack, to nest, in the tub or sand box, to match like colored items, as a hat, etc.
3. Look for toys that encourage active play instead of passive entertainment.  Is the toy entertaining or does it have actual play value?
4. Select toys that are safe and durable.  We want toys that are constructed well and will hold up to lots of use.
5. Choose toys that can be easily manipulated.  We want the child to be successful during play time while challenging his abilities just enough.
6. Seek out toys that are made of natural materials. Children need a break from cold, hard plastic toys.
7. Select toys that are interesting to your child, but expose him to new toys as well.  
8. Look for toys that allow the child to learn naturally through exploration and encourage problem solving.  Avoid toys that force-feed academics.
9. Select toys that spark the child's imagination.
10. Choose toys that are interesting to the adult too so cross-generational play can be fostered.

Traditionally Recognized Good Toys for Toddlers

Blocks                                       Stacking towers                  Balls

Wooden puzzles                      Shape Sorters                      Pegboards

Pounding sets                          Activity Boxes                    Lacing Beads

Musical Instruments             Push-pull toys                     Ride-on toys

Chalk and Chalkboard           Art supplies                         Fisher Price Barn

Toy Vehicles                           Toy tools                              Play figures

Household objects                  Puppets                                Toy food and dishes

Baby doll and accessories      Stuffed animals                   Books

Cari's Favorite Toys for Toddlers

Velcro Food                                                         Muffin tins                           

Empty bottle and wooden clothespins            Hot Wheels cars and a wrapping paper tube

Basket and balls                                                 Container "blocks"

Small cookie sheet and magnets                      Mickey Mouse paint samples from Home Depot

Random objects/manipulatives                       Tub of dry beans, lentils, macaroni, or rice

Toy animals                                                        Large cardboard boxes (big enough to get inside)

100 piece cookie cutter set & play dough       Any activity based on the premise "put in, dump                                                                               out and do it again"

Toys with multiple identical pieces                  Car ramps

Memory Game cards and mailboxes              Empty containers (Huggies wipes, yogurt, etc.)

Crocodile Dentist game                                     Bubbles

Tunnel and Parachute                                      Magna Doodle

Puzzles with doors                                             Board books with flaps

Soft blocks                                                          Wooden blocks

Buckets                                                               Non-plastic toys

Dollhouse                                                            Flashlight

Mirror

Two Things

New Parent Breakfast
The New Parent Breakfast for parents and grandparents of children with Down Syndrome is Saturday, November 16th at 10:00 am at the Intermountain Medical Center Doty Education Building.  In addition to a light brunch and meeting each other, we will have a presentation by Mandy Zeschke from the Davis School District, Davis Early Intervention.  She will talk about the importance of early intervention and related issues.  Please RSVP by email to newborn@usdf.org or on our Facebook Invite.  Hope to see you there!

There is also a volunteer opportunity.  Volunteers are needed to help with the Newborn Breakfast.  These are held once a quarter in Salt Lake.  Responsibilities would include working on invitations, organizing location and food, attending the event and helping with clean-up.  If you are interested, please contact info@usdf.com

Play…it’s all about the relationship

by CARI Ebert on NOVEMBER 20, 2012

With the holidays right around the corner, parents are busy looking for the best deals on electronics and toys for their kids.  Most adults tend to believe that young children benefit most from high-tech educational toys.  However, young children learn best through play and we do not need to force-feed academics to toddlers and preschoolers, despite what the ads on TV say.  What really matters most is the interactions that occur during playtime.  As adults we should strive to spend more time and less money with our children.  Sitting down on the floor and playing is the key to building a happy, successful playtime experience.  We can foster a lifetime love of learning by providing young children with positive playtime experiences because playtime experiences = learning experiences.  This is true because very young children do not learn best through “direct instruction” but rather through play that is relevant and meaningful to their life. 

Follow your child’s lead by playing with things that are of interest to him/her.  Try not to take over the play by being the teacher, director, or conductor, but rather nourish playtime by being a play partner.  Put your phones, tablets and other electronic devices away for a few minutes while you play with your child – I promise those devices will still be there in 15 minutes.  By doing this, you are saying “I want to be truly present with my child” and not allow technology to interrupt your time spent together. 

Allow your self to play like a kid again and you will be amazed how your young child will respond.  People have always made playtime all about the TOY, but it is the RELATIONSHIP that is fostered during the play exchange that really matters most.