Letter: Gg
Object: Goat
~Bo is 28 months old~
See Carisa's Tot School Printables for the printables for this unit.
~Bo is 28 months old~
See Carisa's Tot School Printables for the printables for this unit.
Dot Paint the Gg's
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| 4.15.13 |
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| I keep a package of wipes with Bo's markers and they come in handy! |
What Starts with Gg?
I love how focused he is on coloring the objects.
Then we scribble. : )
Colors with Markers
I showed Bo a circle again. He's showing more patience in coloring and matches up the colors some of the time, and he tried to draw a circle!
He also likes telling me what a color is not. He puts the marker on a color it does not match and says, "No, no, no," as he moves to each color.
Letter Gg Basket
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| 4.16.13 |
Snack today: apple peanut butter & chocolate chip sandwiches.
Letter G Painting
Letter Gg Lacing
Stringing Beads
Link Letter Match
ABC Find It! Letter Gg
Dot Painting
Bo hangs his work on the white board, but I am working on creating an alternate space for him (so I can use the white board).
Playing at the Park
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| Bo is a climber. : ) |
With warmer weather here and there (in between spring snow storms), Bo is enjoying being outside more. I want to make him a mud kitchen, a little garden, a water play area, and so much more. I can't wait for summer.
I'm also having to focus on the older boys as we wrap up school, so I'm finding it hard to stay focused on doing intentional tot school, but we are managing to do a little. When I finish school with the older boys, it will be easier.
Speech Therapy
I'm also having to focus on the older boys as we wrap up school, so I'm finding it hard to stay focused on doing intentional tot school, but we are managing to do a little. When I finish school with the older boys, it will be easier.
Speech Therapy
Bo had his first speech therapy session this week. At Bo's age, we have an IFP (Individualized Family Plan). When Bo turns three, they reevaluate and make an IEP (Individualized Educational Plan). So therapy at this point is focused on the family. They teach us how to teach him to talk (which I think is great!). Sessions are 30 minutes long.
Today she interacted with Bo using a spiral play tower using some of the techniques below.
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| 4.16.13 |
Say What Your Child Would Say
Use Target Level Talk if your child's vocabulary is:
- Less than 50 words use 1-word sentences (car, dog) {This is where Bo is at}
- 5-100 words use 2-word sentences (red car, big dog)
- 100-200 words use 3 word sentences (A red car. The big dog.)
It is very hard to use one word sentences knowing he understands more... Basically, when he communicates nonverbally, I say what he would have (should have) said and I try to get him to say it (see below).
I knew that all children learn through play, but I was given some practical advice on how to work with Bo while playing (and in daily life). . .
- give choices
- make it harder to access things
- give inadequate portions
- give insufficient materials
- set up unexpected events
- comment on what your child has or is doing
- expand their sentences
We want to see him:
- give a response
- solve problems
- ask questions
- make comments
- interact with other children
- interact with their environment
Oh Say What They See {Indirect Language Stimulation Techniques}
We learn language through receptive language (what we do when we listen) and expressive language (what we do when we talk).
A few techniques for now:
- we say the word for him - this doesn't put pressure on him to speak, but gives him the words to use later. We are "calling the action," describing what is going on, without interfering.
- we use Parallel Talk - we describe what he is seeing , hearing or doing as he does it. For example, "You have a ball. You rolled it." Key points to remember: 1. repetition is not boring to a young child and 2. to make repetition more effective, vary the tone of your voice as you repeat words and phrases
- Description - we provide word labels for the objects he is playing with, touching or seeing. It is different from Parallel Talk in that we are focusing on the object rather than the child. For example, "The ball is rolling." Key point to remember: follow the child's lead in commenting on actions or objects.
- Self-Talk - we talk about what we are doing while the child watches. "I'm tying my shoe. Tying my shoe. Tie the shoe." Key point to remember: use short simple sentences.
Learning New Words (paraphrased from a hand out by Leslie S. McClogin)
- choose meaningful, simple words
- use a gesture [or sign], and change your tone of voice and facial expressions with new words
- teach a word in its most natural context (this is going to be key with Bo)
- a word becomes more meaningful when he experiences it in a variety of ways (seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling). Using real objects is better than using pictures.
- which means we need to make a clear association between a word and what it represents - the object or experience must be present.
- use meaningful situations at home to develop language. When he wants something, he is more likely to pay attention to the word or try to say the word.
- Repetition is key. [And exaggerate the sounds.]
- Show him that language gets results. If he uses words to ask for something, reward him.
- Accept variations in pronunciation - just model correct pronunciation. We praise all efforts to say a word!
- He needs to know what a word is NOT. We naturally used this when doing the colors printable this week - he grabbed a marker and pointed it to the color it is not and says, "No."
Letter sounds to work on with Bo: (p, b, m) & (t, d, n). She left me with some activities to do with Bo for the letter sounds p and b and I will share those next week.
I decided NOT to rearrange the Tot School Printables to do these letters. Instead, I am adding them into our natural language. The reason why is that he may not get all the letters, but he will be exposed to them and tot school is about exposing him to concepts. Plus, he can say many of the sounds we will be covering, so I will just plug along. (For the record, he cannot say the /g/ sound, but it is usually a sound that comes later on).
I decided NOT to rearrange the Tot School Printables to do these letters. Instead, I am adding them into our natural language. The reason why is that he may not get all the letters, but he will be exposed to them and tot school is about exposing him to concepts. Plus, he can say many of the sounds we will be covering, so I will just plug along. (For the record, he cannot say the /g/ sound, but it is usually a sound that comes later on).
Delightful Links:
More Tot School with Bo:
Linking up with:
