Supporting students with
special needs “From Blocks to
Diploma.”
Issue 1
January 2012
Welcome to the first
issue of the 20112012 Parent Newsletter. We hope you
gain some helpful
information.
Contents:
Contact Corner
Parent Points
Homework Helps (part 1)
Reading Review (part 1)
Contact Corner:
Joan Ferrara, EC Director
[email protected]
828-456-2400 ext 2124
Brandi Stephenson, EC Program
ExCeptional News
News for Parents of Exceptional Children
Parent Points
Kids do all kinds of inappropriate things that deserve a
reaction from parents. Sometimes it is hard to find a consequence that makes sense for
every one of these. Consequences teach the most when
they are connected to the
behavior that needs correcting. Try this generic consequence: The Energy Drain!
Imagine your kids are bickering with each other. When
they bring their disagreement
to you, you say sadly:
"Man, it really drains my
energy to listen to you guys
arguing. I am going to need
you to do something to put
that energy back. You can do
one of my chores, do something nice for me, or something else that you think will
give me my energy back.
Then I should feel refreshed
and be able to help you with
your problem."
Can you imagine the look on
their face?
Or what if your child is making disrespectful comments?
You smile and say:
"Listening to you talk that
way really drains my energy.
I'm not going to be able to
make dinner until you do
something to put that energy
back. Do you have an idea or
do you need me to give you
one?"
You could develop a whole
economy based on "energy!”
Imagine all the work that will
get done around the house!
Using the Energy Drain gives
you a ready consequence for
almost any situation, and
teaches your child the important lesson that his/her actions
affect the way others feel.
By: Emily Fleenor
Haywood County Schools
Behavior Consultant
Source: Love & Logic
Homework Helps (part 1)
Coordinator
[email protected]
828-456-2400 ext 2125
Haywood County Schools
Exceptional Children Department
Website:
http://teacher.haywood.k12.nc.us/
exceptionalchildren/
Three tips to use when developing home work strategies
are: use checklists, prioritize
homework assignments and set
a designated study space.
Homework Tips for
Parents
By: National Center for Learning
Disabilities
The primary purpose of
homework is to reinforce the
information and skills your
child learns at school. It has
been reported that teachers of
all grades are increasing the
amount of homework they
assign. This makes homework
time-consuming both for parents and children. It is helpful
when parents can help their
children develop strategies to
complete homework assignments in stress-free and learning-friendly ways. It is important that parents and children
find a plan that works for
their family and stick with it.
Here are some tips to use
when developing homework
strategies:
Use checklists
Help your child get into the
habit of using checklists for
keeping track of homework
assignments. A small pad or
notebook could be dedicated
to listing homework assignments. Once assignments
have been completed, crossing off items will help children feel a sense of accomplishment. Some children
prefer using a calendar or
even a personal digital assistant (PDA) to keep track of
due dates and to help prioritize assignments.
Prioritize homework assignments
Before beginning a homework session, encourage your
child to number the assignments in the order in which
they are to be completed.
Some children prefer to start
with one that's not too long or
difficult. Others prefer saving
the easy ones for last and
starting on the longest or
hardest assignments. Be sure
to set realistic goals and stop
along the way to check progress.
Set a designated study space
Children often find it helpful
to study in the same place
every night where supplies
and materials are close at
hand. This space does not
have to be a bedroom, but it
should be a quiet, well-lit
place with few distractions.
Make sure that the television
is turned off and that if music is requested, it does not
create a distraction.
Page 2
ExCeptional News
50 Ways to Encourage a Child
Wow! Way to go! Super! You’re
Special! Outstanding! Excellent!
Great! Good! Neat! Well done!
Remarkable! I knew you could do
it! I’m proud of you! Fantastic!
Super Star! Looking good! You’re
on top of it! You’re incredible!
You can do it! Now you’re flying!
You’re catching on! Now you’ve
got it! Bravo! Hip, Hip Hurray!
How did you do that? You’re fantastic! Dynamite! You’re improving! I love you! Hurray for you!
You’re way cool! You’re a joy!
How nice! Good job! Hot dog!
Let’s try again. You’re beautiful!
Good for you! Nothing can stop
you now ! You’re a winner!
Spectacular! I respect you! You’ll
make it! Beautiful work! You’re
precious! Great discovery! You’re
making progress! You understand! Nice work! Superb!
Reading Review (part 1)
In each newsletter we want
to highlight one of the five
“big” areas of reading for
children: 1-Phonological
Awareness, 2-Phonics, 3Fluency, 4-Vocabulary, and
5-Comprehension. In this
newsletter we share Phonological Awareness. Phonological Awareness is the
ability to notice, think about
and work with word structure in one’s own language.
This includes awareness at
the word, syllable and sound
level. (See graphic below)
Children with good phonological skills have a huge
advantage when learning to
read.
Some family fun activities
for practicing these skills
include:
Play sound games.
Phonological Awareness
family fun activities include:
play sound games, use the
sounds and letters in your
child’s name, trace and say
letters, watch my lips, read
it and experience it and let
your child choose.
Relate reading to life
experiences.
Sing songs, read rhyming
books, and say silly tongue
twisters.
Give your child practice
blending individual sounds
into words. For example,
ask, "Can you guess what
this word is? m - o - p." Say
the sound each letter makes
rather than the name of the
letter. Hold each sound
longer than you normally
would. This will help your
child recognize the different
letter sounds.
Use the sounds and letters
in your child's name.
Draw your child's attention
to the letters in his or her
name. Point out the link
between letters and sounds.
Say things like, "John, the
word jump begins with the
same sound as your name
does. John, jump. And they
both begin with the same
letter, J."
"Can you feel how your
mouth moves the same way
at the beginning of the
words mouse, mom, and
man? Watch my mouth
while I say them. Now you
say the words and feel your
lips make the mmm sound."
Remember to make just one
m sound that you hold for
longer than you normally
would.
Trace and say letters.
One way to help your child
learn letter sounds is to have
him or her use a finger to
trace a letter while saying
the letter's sound at the same
time. You can do this on
paper or in a sandbox or on
a plate filled with sugar.
Involving touch, sight, and
speech in this way has a
powerful effect on learning.
Another option is for you to
draw the outlines of a letter
using dots and then have
your child connect the dots
while also saying the letter
sound out loud.
Read it and experience it.
Help your child make the
connection between what he
or she reads in books and
what happens in life. If
you're reading a book about
animals, for example, relate
it to last month's trip to the
zoo.
Watch my lips.
This may feel odd at first,
but encourage your child to
watch your lips and mouth
while you make certain
sounds. Have your child
think about how his or her
own lips and tongue move.
You can say something like,
**Phoneme is another word for “sound”
Let your child choose.
Give your child the chance
to pick his or her own
books, even if the reading
seems too easy. Easier
books build confidence and
letting children choose their
own books nurtures independence and their own
interests.
By: Carolyn Cole
Exceptional Children
Instructional Coach
Source: Put Reading First
and Reading Rockets:
Launching Young Readers
http://reading.uoregon.edu