Child loses focus

Question:  When my child loses focus, what is the best way to get him back on track?

Response:

This really depends on your child’s age.  The minds of children younger than five are amazing little things that are working at the speed of light.  Everything is intriguing to them and the senses are working over time to process all of the new information around them.  This is a hard time to expect kids to consistently focus and definitely not a time you can expect them to display self-control.

As they grow older, focus is an important part of being a member of a group, class or family.  If your child is struggling with focus and is above the age of four try some of these strategies:

1.  Break tasks down into smaller pieces and have your child repeat what you said in the order you said it.

2.  Turn background noise off when you need your child to focus.  If he won’t focus to get dressed because  Spiderman is on the television, turn it off.

3.  Make visual charts to provide more order in her life.  Visuals are stimulating to children who have a hard time focusing and accomplishing tasks.

4.  Use a timer to help him stay focused and to show him how long tasks are taking.  Encourage him to beat that time in the future for the same event.

Preschool or homeschool for preschool-age children?

Question:

Is it better to homeschool at child when they are three and four years old or send them to a preschool program?

Response:

From the perspective of a kindergarten teacher, it is better if children go to an organized preschool for at least their four year old year.  This is assuming the child will be going to a public or private school during his schooling years.  I say this because kindergarten has become so academic in the last eight to ten years.  No longer can teachers spend the entire day working on social and emotional skills.  If children have been in a preschool program for at least one year, they will understand structure, working with a group and will have less anxiety about school and the processes involved in learning.

If you can’t afford preschool and must home school during these critical years, don’t worry.  You can work on skills with your child to prepare him/her for school using programs like the one at Wiggle Giggle Learn for a smoother transition.  You will need to plan lots of play dates and take your child to other organized activities where children must share space and an adult’s time (i.e. – church, baseball team, etc…).

What are early intervention services for infants and toddlers?

First of all, every state has a department that controls early invention for the children in its care.  Typically, a child is considered eligible for early intervention services if he or she is under the age of three and has at least a  delay in one or more of the developmental areas listed below:
• Physical; including gross motor, fine motor, and sensory (vision and hearing)
• Cognitive
• Communication
• Social or emotional
• Adaptive

Eligibility for these services is usually determined using clinical opinion, parent questionnaires, and standardized evaluation/assessment and criterion referenced measures.

Depending on your state, early intervention services can include one or a combination of any of the following services:
• Assistive Technology – Provision of equipment, including adaptive assistive devices,
which have been designed or altered for special use by children with developmental
delays or disabilities.
• Audiology Services – Testing of the child’s hearing and referral for further services, as
needed.
• Developmental Intervention – Designing learning activities that promote the child’s
acquisition of skills in a variety of developmental areas.
• Family Training and Counseling - Guidance for the family, such as help from
trained personnel in understanding the special needs of the child and enhancing the
child’s development.
• Health Services
• Medical Services
• Nursing Services
• Nutrition – Individual assessment, development, and monitoring of plans to address
the child’s nutritional needs.
• Occupational Therapy – Services to assist children to learn skills needed for play and
daily living; designing and providing assistive devices.
• Physical Therapy - Services to identify and help prevent or reduce movement
problems.
• Psychological Services – Assessment and psychological counseling for children,
parents, and family. Consultation on child development, child behavior, parent
training, and educational services.
• Social Work Services – Assessment of the child in the home and family environment.
Individual and family group counseling and activities to build social skills.
• Speech/Language Pathology – Identification, referral, and provision of services to
assist children to understand and respond to communication.
• Vision Services – Evaluation and assessment of vision, referral for medical or other
professional services necessary for the habilitation or rehabilitation of visual functions,

Can video games be educational for kids?

Yes… many video games that are marketed as “educational” games can be great learning tools for young kids.  However, trouble comes when it is the PRIMARY learning tool for a child.  Children learn by active participation, problem solving, communicating and thinking critically about situations and new learning.  Educational video games are predominantly designed for one player and that contributes to less communication (the mode by which children process and retain new information).  Therefore, limiting the time spent on educational video games is far more important.  Allow your child to use these types of entertainment/educational devices no more than 30 minutes at a time (twice a day maximum).

The American Pediatric Association also warns of the correlation between “screen time” (video game, computer and television) and the rising obesity rate in our youngest children.

Tracey Bryant Stuckey

Chief Creative Learning Officer

www.wigglegigglelearn.com

Sesame Street gets better all the time

I am so excited about the newest website by Sesame Street – www.SesameStreet.org

SesameStreet.org is in BETA form right now, which means it is just getting started, may have a few bugs, run a little slower sometimes or have pages down for repair but your use and feedback will help clear all technical issues and your child will have lots of fun, too!

They have some very cool features, including over 3,000 Sesame videos and 1,000 Sesame playlists, parenting and caregiver tips, over 400 Flash-based mini-games and almost 90 full games, educational interactive activities, and a free weekly newsletter for parents offering information on upcoming events.

Go check it out and bookmark it for lots of future learning fun! Oh yeah, and tell your friends about it too! Who doesn’t love Sesame Street? I’ve been a Big Bird fan my whole life! If you want to see the Sesame Street characters live, plan your next family vacation to Sesame Place – what a cool place to take the kids!