Archive for May 2011

Early Childhood Standards

I am currently working on a committee for my state to see how closely our preschool standards are aligned in preparing children for the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for kindergarten. It is always delightful to work with a group that is in tune with what is developmentally appropriate for early childhood children. A number of times during our meetings we have come to the conclusion that it is most appropriate for a certain skill to begin in kindergarten, not preschool. It has also been a pleasant discovery to find that our state preschool standards are providing adequate preparation for most kindergarten skills that are in the CCSS.


While serving on this committee, I have expressed my desire that we provide a usable document that an early childhood teacher can use "at a glance" to prepare her lesson plans. Sometimes we create large documents that many teachers do not take the time to read completely or we use terminology that is not always easy to understand. While I think it is critical for us to create a solid complete document, I also think it is important to have a simpler road map for teachers to use on a daily basis. Unfortunately, teachers don't always have access to complete professional development to help them 'decipher the code' of a government document. Hence, my request that we make a document usable for the masses. We must do that if we want the standards taught regularly in the classroom.

El juego de las prendas del revés

"Me he puesto la prenda del revés y no me enfado"

Erik ya hace mucho tiempo que se desviste (ver Yo solito) y se viste solito. Incluso le gusta elegir la ropa que se quiere poner y, salvo con el color negro, no tiene problemas. Ah, bueno, dice que el rosa es “de chicas”, pero que también es un color bonito.

Sin embargo, a veces se pone las prendas del revés. Bien la parte de atrás hacia adelante, o bien con las prendas dadas la vuelta. No le damos mayor importancia, simplemente le pedimos que vuelva a quitársela y ponérsela bien. Y ahí a veces surge el problemilla de la protesta o la frustración. Digamos que se enfada un poquito por no haberlo hecho bien.

Nuestro objetivo es que cada día sea más autosuficiente. Así que, en vez de colocarle siempre las prendas “listas para poner”, he ideado un juego que hemos puesto en marcha en el grupo de juego. Ha sido muy divertido hacerlo con tres niños, y la verdad es que nos ha funcionado.

Necesitas una cesta grande y dentro colocas muchas prendas: calcetines, camisetas, jerseys, pantalones (mejor al principio que no sean vaqueros, pues son más duros de manipular), etc. Algunas de las prendas están de la cara, y la mayoría del revés. Ten también preparados otros dos cestos ( o cajas de cartón) , en uno se colocarán las prendas de la cara, en el otro las del revés (puedes identificar esas cestas con un picgtograma o con un dibujo; nosotros usamos los de Arasaac que reflejan “bien” o “mal”):



Colocas la cesta en medio de los niños, que se sientan alrededor a una distancia prudente. Y más allá las otras dos cestas con “bien” o “mal” Cada vez le toca el turno a un niño. El primer objetivo es “identificar”. Va a la cesta y toma una prenda, entonces le preguntas:

- ¿Está de la cara o está del revés? – El niño contesta “de la cara” – Genial (refuerzas) esta prenda está de la cara. Ponla ahora en la cesta de las prendas de la cara.
Después el siguiente niño:
- ¿Está de la cara o está del revés? – El niño contesta “del revés” – Genial (refuerzas), esta prenda está del revés. Ponla ahora en la cesta de las prendas del revés.

El siguiente paso, cuando todas las prendas están clasificadas, será trabajar las prendas del revés. También por turnos: un niño saca de la cesta “del revés” una prenda y le da la vuelta para ponerla bien. Si él no puede solito, le ayudas en lo que necesite y le vas orientando: primero una manga, luego la otra, etc.

En siguientes sesiones daremos un paso más,  y se le pedirá al niño que se ponga la prenda a la que le ha dado la vuelta. Nosotros aprovechamos para jugar a los disfraces, y para ello usé prendas de mi marido y mías que los peques se podían superponer.

Además de este juego, hemos trabajado con Erik el “no importa que la prenda que llevas esté al revés, te la quitas y le das la vuelta porque no pasa nada” con una historia social y con diferentes dibujos. Lo subiré al blog en cuanto lo traduzca, espero poder hacerlo prontito.

¡Que os divirtáis!

New DfE Research

The Department for Education tends to release a batch of research reports at the end of each month, and the latest ones have just been published. There are too many to list all of them here, but some of the new material which seems particularly useful is linked below. Remember that if the prospect of reading a 100+ pages report is too daunting, then the executive summary will give you a quick flavour of the content!

The complete Publications section of the DfE website can be found here.

Childhood and Education on Twitter

I've recently set up a Twitter account, and so to the right hand side of this page you'll now see an area entitled 'Twitter Updates'. This displays recent tweets from my account (UCBChildEd) which will typically contain links to useful articles and other information relating to childcare and education. So in addition to the in-depth posts on this site which will continue, you'll also be able to get quick access to other items which will hopefully be relevant. Be sure to check these regularly, as there's likely to be something new every time you return!

Foster Care Fortnight

Monday saw the beginning of Foster Care Fortnight, which seems as good an excuse as any to post some resources about fostering, as it's a topic which I sometimes get enquiries about. Foster Care Fortnight is an annual event held by UK charity the Fostering Network, which aims to raise the profile of fostering and attract new carers. It is particularly timely this year, after the recent launch of the Foster Carers' Charter.

The Fostering Network website has an area called the Resource Centre, which is as good a place as any to start researching the subject. This contains details of a large number of reports, podcasts, newsletters, statistics and other publications, many of which are free to download. The site also has a fairly comprehensive Useful Links page, to point you towards other useful organisations and relevant legislation.

Two other websites which you should visit are the British Association for Adoption & Fostering (BAAF) and The Adolescent and Children's Trust (TACT). Both of these charities provide detailed information on fostering and help to link children with prospective foster families. TACT's 2009 report Aspirations: the Views of Foster Children and their Carers is also an invaluable introduction to many of the issues surrounding fostering, and there has recently been a follow-up report entitled Aspirations Three Years On.

For further research about fostering, Ofsted has released several publications on the topic over the last few years. Being Fostered (2005), Children's Experience of Private Fostering (2008) and Care and Prejudice (2009) are all worth a look.

Finally, to bring us up to date, the Guardian has today published 3 articles in its Society supplement, to tie in with Foster Care Fortnight. Foster Care: 'The Best Job I've Ever Done' examines a shortage in the number of available foster families, Reaping the Rewards of Fostering relates the experiences of a carer who fosters teenage boys, and Foster Providers Need to Make Long-Term Plans Sooner highlights the importance of stable placements in providing successful outcomes for fostered children.

Excellence in English

A new report from Ofsted argues that creativity in the classroom allows for better teaching of English. The publication, entitled Excellence in English, examines 12 primary and secondary schools which are rated outstanding in their teaching of English, to explore how their approaches to the subject can be adopted by other institutions. Arranging for theatre trips and setting up reading groups are just two of the initiatives which impressed inspectors.

To access both the full report and a summary version, click here.

Estimulación Fonológica


Juego online que estimula la discriminación auditiva y el ritmo

Estamos con el Autismo 4

Portada de Miguel Gallardo

Estoy muy contenta: acabamos de regresar de unas merecidas vacaciones por una isla del Báltico - muy pronto contaré detalles- y ya tengo entre mis manos el nuevo especial Estamos con el Autismo 4que publicamos con la revista literaria En sentido figurado.

Me gusta imprimirlo en papel, encuadernarlo, releer y acariciar todos y cada uno de esos pedazos de vida que son tan grandes historias. Sólo tengo palabras de agradecimiento para todos los que habéis participado, además de sentirme orgullosa de mis compañeros de revista que desde hace cuatro años hacen posible que nuestro día a día llegue a tantos anónimos con el autismo.

Va un besote enormermente especial para José Gutiérrez-Llama, nuestro editor, así como para Judy García Allende y Ana Isabel Alvea Sánchez, por el cariño con el que me han echado una mano.


Aquí tenéis los enlaces para descargar en pdf:
Revista literaria de mayo y junio
Especial Estamos con el Autismo




Portada: Miguel Gallardo.
1 Testimonio. Duelos y visión positiva, por Fátima Collado. Foto: Mikel y Fátima.
2 Cuento. Los días no vuelven, por Anabel Cornago. Foto: Erik
3 Reflexión. Hablemos de sobrevivir, por Betzabe Zurita. Foto: Dieguito y Betzabe.
4 Poema. El desorden de tus sentidos, por Ana Luengo. Foto: Niklas.
5 Reflexión. El derecho a saber quiénes son, por Delfy Mara. Foto: Daniel.
6 Reflexión. Pieza a pieza, por Maite Navarro. Foto: Cartel para el 2 de abril.
7 Artículo. Cuentos para aprendices visuales, por Miriam Reyes. Foto: Aprendices visuales.
8 Testimonio. Un desconocido llegó a nuestras vidas, por Yanina Ledesma. Foto: Lauti.
9 Cuento. Caballeros y dragones, por José Gutiérrez-Llama. Foto: Adriá.
10 Ilustración de Santiago Ogazón Fernández.
11 Artículo. Realidades preocupantes, por Esther Cuadrado. Foto: Arturo y Esther.
12 Reflexión. El fin de la incertidumbre, por Marina Gotelli. Foto: Constantino y Salvador.
13 Poema. Sombra, por Menchu Gallego. Foto: Álvaro y Menchu.
14 Artículo. La espinita, por María Palacios. Foto: Lámina de Higorca Gómez.
15 Cuento. Su hermano Mauro, por Ana Fondevila. Foto: “Relojes” de Elia Fuentes Fondevila.
16 Artículo. Hop’ Toys, soluciones para niños excepcionales, por Rebeca Pérez Robles. Foto: Actividades sin fronteras.
17 Testimonio. Las cosas que me has enseñado, por Natali García. Foto: Santiago Isaac.
18 Poema. Asomándome a ti, por Ana Cortijo. Foto: Unai.
19 Cuento. El cisne negro, por Higorca Gómez. Foto: “El cisne”, por Higorca Gómez.
20 Reflexión. Una vida en sensaciones, por Elisa Salamanca. Foto: Alhambra y su papá.
21 Testimonio. Escenas de una vida, por Gemma Domínguez Muñoz. Foto: Dibujo de Erik.
22 Reflexión. Las cosas no pasan porque sí, por Mar Lozano. Foto: Júlia y Mar.
23 Ilustración de Gema Laura Díaz.
24 Reflexión. El autismo no es un problema en mi vida, es el reto de mi vida, por Luz Mariela del Pozo. Foto: Juan Diego.
25 Cuento. Luces de colores, por Carol Martínez. Foto: Dibujo de Niklas.
26 Poema. A mi hijo, por Francisca B. Foto: Cuadro de Merello.
27 Reflexión. Pensamientos de una madre, por Dana Horodetzky. Foto: Darius.
28 Reflexión. Lo que aprendo de ti, por Cristina Ruiz. Foto: Migue.
29 Testimonio. Yo vivo allí, por Anna Olle. Foto: “El esfuerzo de uno se une al apoyo de todos”.
30 Testimonio. Prefiero que preguntes mi nombre, por Ángela Corredor. Foto: Sebastián.
31 Testimonio. Experiencia de vida desde Colombia, por Ana Milena Jiménez Quintero. Foto: Juan Felipe con mamá y con papá.
32 Reflexión. Por qué quiero tanto que te parezcas al resto del mundo, por Rosanna Saraco. Foto: Dibujo de Thiago.
33 Testimonio. Tan parecidos, tan diferentes, por Manuel. Foto: Joaquín y Manuel.
34 Cuento. Carta a mi hija Sofía, por Mónica Briones. Foto: Ilustración de Santiago Ogazón.
35 Cuento. El perrito que imitaba a los niños, por Eusebio Freire Bargados. Foto: Sebastián.
36 Testimonio. Te tendría infinitas veces, por Choni de Olózaga. Foto: Pablo y Mario.
37 Reflexión. No somos tan diferentes, por Sarah Hernández Pérez. Foto. Andrea.
38 Reflexión. Enredándome contigo y tu autismo, por Eva Reduello. Foto: Gloria.
39 Artículo. Carta a mis nuevos profes, por Almu G. Negrete. Foto: Almu.
40 Ilustración de Santiago Ogazón.
41 Testimonio. Natalia y todas las cosas que ella nos enseña, por Cristina López García. Foto: Los deseos siempre encuentran un camino.
42 Artículo. La necesidad de una respuesta educativa y pedagógica más adecuada para niños con autismo, por Puri González Serrano. Foto: Las señales del autismo.
43 Testimonio. Todo es según el color del cristal con que se mire, por Frances Vega. Foto: Fernando.
44 Artículo. ABA, análisis del comportamiento aplicado, por Jazmín Menéndez. Foto: Guido.
45 Testimonio. Entre descubrimientos y canciones, por Karina Insaurralde. Foto: Valen.
46 Testimonio. Nuestro camino hacia la educación inclusiva, por Rosio Rojas. Foto: Mika.
47 Reflexión. En busca de la felicidad, por Fernando Ovelar. Foto: Cristina.
48 Testimonio. Carta de Catalina, por sus papás. Foto: Lámina de Higorca Gómez.
49 Poema para mi hijo con autismo, por Jez Luna. Foto: Peke y Jez.
50 Micro. Sin título, por Juan Antonio Pizarro. Foto. Dibujo de Thiago.
51 Reflexión. Sí vale la pena, por Betzabe Zurita. Foto: Uno para todos.
52 Poema. Variaciones del amor, por Ana Luengo. Foto: Dibujo de Niklas.
53 Micro. Era él, por Higorca Gómez. Foto: “Alas”, por Higorca.
54 Reflexión. Aprendiendo a entenderte, por María Palacios. Foto: Javi y María.
55 Poema. Cometas al aire, por Elisa Salamanca. Foto: Cometas.
56 Poema. Este mundo tuyo y mío, por Menchu Gallego. Foto. Álvaro.
57 Ilustración de Santiago Ogazón.
58 Poema. Ellos son los verdaderos pacificadores, por Eusebio Freire Bargados. Foto: Dibujo de Darius.
59 Artículo. Una evolución hacia el reconocimiento y la inclusión de las personas con autismo en Colombia, por Ana Milena Jiménez. Foto: Fundación Rompiendo Barreras.
60 Artículo. Nueva Guía de estilo para medios de comunicación, por Manuel Rincón. Foto: Manuel.
61 Artículo. Las diez cosas que le pediría a un médico un niño con autismo, por Cristina Ruiz. Foto: Miguel.
62 Poema. Soy distinto, soy igual, por Higorca Gómez. Foto. Joaquín y Marta.
63 Ilustración de Santiago Ogazón Fernández.
64 Micro. Principito de ojos limpios, por Rogger Alzamora. Foto: Nachete.
65 Artículo. Plataforma España Inclusión, por Cuca Da Silva, Esther Cuadrado, Eva Reduello e Inma Cardona. Foto: las autoras.
66 Poema. Sueños renovados, por Juani Luque. Foto: Juanlu.

A New Beginning



I just watched 23 of my student teachers graduate last week. Now they are actively interviewing for jobs as the local school districts are slowly posting their openings. Five of these soon-to-be new first year teachers already have a job. I was thinking recently about my first year of teaching back in 197... I always tell my students that everything I learned in college about teaching I did the first week. Subsequently, everything I said I would never say to children I had said by the end of the second week out of desperation. Then, I had to learn to be a teacher.



The teacher preparation programs are so much better now. I like how my students spend almost an entire school year in a classroom. They get to see, participate in and create procedures and curriculum from the beginning of the school year until almost the end. At the same time, they learn and plan classroom strategies in college courses and then return with that information to the classroom. This scenario worked well for my wonderful cohort group this year. There were several who actually surpassed their site teachers ability to create an even more efficient classroom.



Yes, times have changed. Teacher preparation programs are much better now. The breakdown in the system now comes when a new teacher does not receive the strong support necessary to continue the growth she started as a student. Even the best new teacher needs continual support and advice to be successful. I am hoping that each new teacher leaving my program will receive that support. I feel much like a parent sending my child out into the world. I hope each one will become the successful teacher I can see inside her/him today.

Return of Teachers TV

A couple of weeks ago (see previous post) I mentioned that the Teachers TV website would no longer be available. Since then, two separate websites - SchoolsWorld.TV and teachersmedia - have both been set up with the promise of providing free access to the entire archive of 3500 programmes very shortly.

It's a little confusing as both sites claim to be run by people who were behind the original Teachers TV website! Anyway, it seems as though fans of the original service will once more be able to view the programmes. There is also the promise of possible new videos being created so keep watching this space...

How Quiet Helps at School

Regular readers of this site will know that while most of the posts on here deal with new reports and research, I occasionally try to introduce some variety (and fun!) by looking at materials which date back a little further. So below is a charming short US film from 1953 entitled How Quiet Helps at School, which is descibed as a "social guidance film for young children suggesting that they take their noise out to the playground."

After teachers recently complained about pupils' lack of discipline, would there still be a place for a film like this in a modern classroom? What sort of advice do you think a remake might include in 2011? Leave your comments below.

The Munro Review of Child Protection

Today sees the publication of the final report of the Munro Review of Child Protection. The review was launched in June last year, with a brief to examine current procedures for safeguarding children and the role of social workers (see previous post for details). Since then there have been two interim publications.

The final report states that local areas should have more freedom to design their own child protection services. There are also recommendations to reduce bureaucracy, and a call for frontline social workers to have more say in deciding what is best for at-risk children. The appointment of a chief social worker to liaise between the government and the wider profession is another of the report's recommendations.

You can read the full text of The Munro Review of Child Protection Final Report: A Child-Centred System by clicking here. Further information and all documentation relating to the review is available from this site. In conjunction with the review, the Department for Education has also today published Safeguarding Children Across Services, which is an executive summary of a research programme which helped to inform the Munro review.

Anti-Bullying Strategies

The Department for Education has recently published The Use and Effectiveness of Anti-Bullying Strategies in Schools. This project was conducted by the Unit for School and Family Studies at the University of London, and examined how successful different schools in England have been in their approach to tackling episodes of bullying.

Best Behaviour

The Policy Exchange think tank has recently published Best Behaviour: School Discipline, Intervention and Exclusion. This is a report which proposes new discipline and exclusion policies to protect pupils whose education may be harmed by the misbehaviour of other children, as well as taking a broader view of the issue of discipline in schools.

Childhood & Education on YouTube

Similar to my recent post on useful Twitter feeds, today's update looks at which YouTube channels are available that have direct relevance to the children and education sectors. Of course, there are literally thousands of videos on YouTube which might be useful to you, but the links below will take you to channels which focus primarily or wholly on children, education and family issues.

All of the Twitter and YouTube links I have posted can now also be found on the 'Links' section of this site (see top of page).

The list of channels is below. If you know of a good one that I've missed, please share it with other users of this site by leaving a comment.

Barnardos

Becta

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP)

Children's Society

Community Care

Department for Education

Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)

Family and Parenting Institute

National Children's Bureau (NCB)

National Literacy Trust

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC)

ParentChannelTV

Save the Children UK

School Food Trust

Social Care TV

TESConnect

UNICEF

UNICEF UK

Young Minds

Comprensión de historias 6 - gracias, Patricia Mardones

Esquema visual para Caperucita Roja: Caperucita debe llevar la cesta a casa de la abuelita al otro lado de un bosque, donde vive un lobo y está también un cazador.




Hace ya casi dos años que comenzamos a trabajar la comprensión de historias con Erik (ver comprensión de historias 1). Hoy en día puedo decir con orgullo que Erik no tiene problemas de comprensión cuando leemos y trabajamos los cuentos. Prácticamente ya no utilizamos pictogramas de apoyo y con ilustraciones y algunos esquemas visuales es suficiente. Solamente incidimos en pasajes que tienen que ver con teoría de la mente y estados emocionales complejos (engaño, culpa, etc.) con explicaciones adicionales.

El hada mala le dice a la Bella Durmiente, ¿quieres probar el huso, no pasa nada? Cuando la Bella Durmiente lo prueba, cae dormida por cien años. El hada mala ha engañado a la Bella Durmiente.

Patricia Mardones ha preparado para su hijo unos materiales estupendos para seguir trabajando la comprensión de historias, y quiere compartirlos con todos nosotros. Mil gracias, Patricia, y espero que os vengan a todos muy bien:



Counting the Laps



I was brainstorming with one of my former student teachers about a child she is working with who exhibits violent behavior when everything doesn't go smoothly in class. During the conversation I was reminded of a student I taught a number of years ago. He had been the 'terror of the school' prior to coming into my 2nd grade class. I was baffled how a K-1 student could cause such problems in a school setting.
Jimmy had a violent temper and when angry he would hit anyone in his path, including adults. He was a little leery about me at the beginning (his first male teacher), but soon settled into his usual routine. Since he was so physical, I decided to capitalize on that energy. Our classroom was near an outside door that led to a large playground. I made a deal with Jimmy and told him that he could have some fresh air time if he ever felt angry and wanted to hit something. I told him that from that point on I wanted him to excuse himself, go outside and run to the fence and back until he calmed down and felt like he could re-enter the room. I made sure he knew this wasn't a punishment, but an opportunity to calm down. For this particular child, it worked and by December he could calm down by putting his head on his desk.
In the meantime, I found out a little more background about Jimmy and found there were violent episodes in his home. It makes sense that children who observe violence may react in the same way. With the social worker also involved in teaching Jimmy coping skills, he lost the title of 'terror of the school' and became a successful student.
Talking with my student teacher reminded me of the steps that I go through when working with a 'challenging' child:
1. Work on building a positive relationship with the child.
2. Try to find out the root of the problems.
3. If necessary, replace physical aggression with physical exertion.
4. Keep working on the problem. It may take 20 different procedures to find one that works for that child. Don't be cynical, be systematic.