All together now!

              Natural Environments
Fall 2005 Vol. 11, No.3
Quality care and education for all children
TOC
All Together Now! is published three times per year.
Letters, contributions, subscription requests, or reprint
requests should be sent to
All Together Now!
521 South Greensboro Street, Suite 100
Carrboro NC 27510
919.966.0059 • FAX 919.843.5784
email: ATN_editor@mail.fpg.unc.edu
www.fpg.unc.edu/~atn
24,000 copies of All Together Now! were printed at a
cost of ___¢ each.
3 Concept Routines-based assessment
by Sherri Britt
6 Policy Update Changes in the star ratings
by Peggy Ball
8 Research Benefits of bilingual learning
by Dina Castro
10 Books Reviews
by Brady Fowler
12 Contact Latest PFI contact info
plus contacts for CDSAs statewide
14 Family Focus The circle of friends
by Lisa Figueroa
16 Feature Independence Day is every day
by Caroline Butler
20 Ask PFI Developing skills in natural ways
by Libby Wilson
22 Spotlight Encounter at the puppet show
by Brady Fowler
24 Programs Reaching the 5 Stars
The latest programs to receive 5 stars
Editor’s Notes
Summer has come and gone. The scent of fall wafts
past us in parking lots and playgrounds, even on hot
days. Leaves drop and spin as the light changes from
bright sun to warm gold. Every few days a cool wind
blows through; soon enough winter will be here.
Fall is the time for transitions,when infants join a new
child care center, or a toddler steps haltingly into
preschool, when a child has grown so big they can go to
kindergarten! Every parent plans for these transitions, and families of
children with special needs know how important these transitions are
to the success of their child’s development.
It’s been my privilege to learn about the world of inclusion: the parents,
providers, service agencies,professionals and educators who make that
world possible. I’m glad I had a chance to meet you, to meet your chil-dren
and tell your stories in this magazine.As ATN! moves into a new
era, and I make my own transition to a new home on the West Coast, I
am proud to have been your ATN! editor. Thanks everybody.
A publication of
Partnerships for Inclusion
Pat Wesley, Director
Editor Brady Fowler
Designer Gina Harrison
Photographer Don Trull
Proofreaders Sabrina Tyndall
Editorial Board & Contributing Agencies
Kathy Baars NC Public Schools Early
Childhood/Exceptional Children
Karen Chester NC Interagency Coordinating Council
for Children Ages Birth to Five with
Special Needs
Mabel Dillard Family Support Network
Karen Ferguson NC Division of Child Development
Gina Harrison FPG Child Development Institute
Katherine Laveck NC Division of Early Childhood,
a division of the Council for
Exceptional Children
Ron Moore Head Start
Sherri Britt Early Intervention Branch
Pat Wesley FPG Child Development Institute
Brady Fowler
Nathaneal Bottoms smiles and
looks around as Cindy and Brenda talk to
him. He really seems to like the toy that
Brenda holds way up high, and he turns his
head as she dangles it from one side to
another.Nathaneal’s mother,Debbie, laughs
and picks him up.He looks up at her as she
talks about their last trip to the doctor and
his very first visit to their family’s church the
day before. Debbie talks about all of the
things she has learned as a new mother.She
shares several of her techniques for keeping
things organized, including her “file”just for
Nathaneal’s important information and an
organization chart on the refrigerator to
help the whole family keep up with his
medication schedule. Nathaneal’s grand-mother
and grandfather are nearby. They
smile adoringly as he pulls his hands up to
his mouth.His tiny fingers finally slip inside
his mouth as he coos contently.Nathaneal’s
father, Stevie, proudly points out the bird
feeder he placed just outside the window
beside Nathaneal’s bed and talks about how
much his son enjoys watching and listening
to the birds. Stevie mentions his hopes for
Nathaneal, including his anticipation of the
day when they will be able to play ball in the
backyard and cheer on Stevie’s favorite
team, the UNC Tarheels.
To most this would sound like a typical
family gathering, perhaps a welcome home
party for Nathaneal or an afternoon cook-out.
Actually, it is a developmental evalua-tion
in Nathaneal’s home, provided by the
Rocky Mount Children’s Developmental
Services Agency. Cindy is a Family Nurse
Practitioner, and Brenda is an Educational
Diagnostician.
The reauthorization of the Individuals with
Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 2004
and the recent redesign of North Carolina’s
Connnecting evaluation to a child’s daily life
Routines-based assessment
by Sherri Britt
Regional Consultant,
NC Early Intervention Branch,
Division of Child Development
Concept
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 3
How do we best assess an infant with complex, multiple medical prob-lems?
In this article we see how a multidisciplinary team of child serv-ice
professionals works together to create a new kind of developmental
evaluation, based in the home and centered around the family.
Early Intervention System have stimulated
renewed emphasis on providing services to
children with special needs in the natural
environment.Most families and profession-als
involved in the NC Infant-Toddler
Program already have experienced the
benefits of receiving developmental and
specialized therapy services into their daily
routines and settings. Now attention is
being paid to how children are assessed.
Early Intervention services are required
under federal law to “…enhance the capac-ity
of families to meet the special needs of
their infants and toddlers with disabilities...”
and to include assessments identifying
these unique family needs (IDEA, 2004).
Since assessments are an integral part of the
intervention planning process, a routines-based,
family-centered approach is encour-aged.
Research supports the efficacy of
conducting evaluations in this way. When
assessment happens in a setting that is
comfortable and familiar to the child, fami-lies
become active participants, and can
understand the relevance of the assessment
process to their child’s daily life.
Approaches to assessment
Research shows that traditional assessment
of children, particularly in a clinic-based
setting using only standardized tools, is not
conducive to obtaining an accurate, overall
picture of a child’s development and ability
to cope and function in the context of
everyday routines and family life (Linder,
2003). Often, children and families are
anxious in clinical settings with unfamiliar
people. They don’t see the connection
between the testing experience and their
daily lives and concerns. When assessment
instruments isolate developmental skills
and domains without examining the child’s
level of functioning in other developmental
domains, it is difficult to develop meaning-ful
plans to help families function effec-tively
in their unique daily routines and
interactions.
Functional assessment, on the other hand,
provides insight into the typical settings,
interactions and routines of a child; it
targets everyday opportunities which
already exist as established, meaningful
events in the family’s life (Bailey & Wolery,
1984). An effective assessment identifies
the family's concerns, priorities, resources,
successes and challenges in daily life
(Berman & Shaw, 1997).
The NC Infant–Toddler Program supports
this family-centered assessment approach
based upon and guided by family settings
and routines. Conducting assessments in
the natural environment makes it easy to
design and deliver interventions for chil-dren
with special needs. “Providing early
intervention services within the child’s
typical daily living activities increases the
4 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
number of learning opportunities and
enhances the meaningfulness of what is
learned (Growing Up Naturally, 2002).
Who provides evaluations?
As local lead agencies, the Children’s Devel-opmental
Services Agencies (CDSAs) in NC
are responsible for the provision of the
Infant-Toddler Program. As part of that
responsibility,these CDSAs are charged with
determining eligibility and planning serv-ices
for the families involved with our state’s
early intervention program. As a result,
Rocky Mount CDSA,along with the other 17
CDSAs in NC, has restructured the evalua-tion/
assessment process so that it can
become a truly integrated and meaningful
process.
Rocky Mount CDSA, under the direction of
Pat Adams, began their planning by having
selected staff attend training which
focussed on the philosophy of natural envi-ronments
and the concepts of routines-based,
family-centered, and functional
assessments.
The agency brought in NC Regional Physical
Therapy Consultant Karen Haas, NC
Regional Early Intervention Consultant
Sherri Britt, and NC Early Intervention
Branch Quality Assurance/Quality Improve-ment
director Sherry Franklin to facilitate
staff and team conferences and workgroups,
and to provide technical assistance in the
Can you hear my heart beat?
interpretation of policy and recommended
practices.
Rocky Mount CDSA decided to address the
goal of providing 100% of entry evaluations
within the natural environment by starting
with a “pilot” team that works out of the
Halifax-Northampton satellite office of the
Rocky Mount CDSA.This multidisciplinary
team is composed of:
w Service Coordinator Supervisor
w Physical Therapist
w Family Nurse Practitioner
w Psychologist
w 2 Educational Diagnosticians
w 2 Clinical Social Workers
w 3 Early Intervention Service
Coordinators.
The team worked diligently to devise a
process for scheduling, planning, and
conducting assessments that naturally lead
to service planning—with families actively
involved throughout the process. The team
has revised the format of the evaluation
report so that it reflects the active role of the
family by addressing their concerns in the
context of their daily lives.
The team admits that the new report format
and structure for assessment planning with
the family was an evolving process as they
learned how to focus on the specific needs
of the families they worked with. The hard
work and research have paid off as the team
and families work together to come up with
a relevant, functional plan.
Families’ reactions
What do families think of this approach?
The Bottoms family thinks that it “makes
more sense” to discuss concerns, observa-tions,
and suggestions about Nathaneal
where he spends most of his time. It’s more
comfortable and natural to discuss their
baby in a familiar setting with familiar
people.Stevie and Debbie also like the idea of
being able to stay at home without interrupt-ing
their family’s routine to pack up all of
Nathaneal’s necessities and travel to yet
another appointment.
Rocky Mount CDSA currently is working
toward implementing this same approach in
the remaining counties they serve. Their
Halifax/Northampton pilot team has been
asked to present their approach at regional
conferences and meetings; and the staff
serving Edgecombe,Nash,Wilson,and John-ston
counties have already been involved in
training, research and planning for the
unique areas and families they serve. It has
been a rigorous shift from one model to
another; but as team leader Cindy Clayton
put it, “After seeing the results and benefits
for the family through this new approach, I
wouldn’t do it any other way.” ATN!
References
Bailey, D.B., & Wolery, M. (1984). Teaching infants and
preschoolers with handicaps. Columbus, OH: Charles E.
Merrill.
Berman, C., & Shaw, E. (1997). Family-directed child evalua-tion
and assessment under IDEA: Lessons from families and
programs. Chapel Hill, NC: National Early Childhood
Technical Assistance System.
Linder,T.W. (2003). Transdisciplinary play-based assessment:
A functional approach to working with young children.
Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human
Services. (2002). Growing Up Naturally: Early Intervention
in Natural Environments. Raleigh NC: Department of
Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health,
Women’s and Children’s Health Section, Early Interven-tion
Branch.
The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, P.L. 108-
446, 118 Stat. 2647 (2004).
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 5
Nathaneal relaxes in his crib.
6 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
North Carolina’s five-star rated
license is five years old,the first quality rating
system in the nation to apply to all licensed
child care programs. A 1-star rating indi-cates
that a child care facility meets basic
licensing requirements. Ratings of 2-5 stars
are earned by meeting higher voluntary
licensing standards. Since the star system
began in 2000, there has been a significant
increase in the number of programs earning
ratings of 3-5 stars,allowing more children to
be served by programs of higher quality.
The current system
Under the current system, child care programs
earn points for their star ratings in three different
areas:
w Program Standards (including lower
staff/child ratios,parent involvement,
more activities or assessments of the
classroom environment)
w Staff Education (teachers and directors
have more education and experience)
w Compliance History (a percentage
score that measures the number of
violations found in programs during
the past three years).
National research has shown that Program
Standards and Staff Education are the keys to
quality. And after five years of implementa-tion,
our state results support that conclusion.
For example, child abuse and neglect does
not occur as often in programs where the
staff have more education,but it still occurs in
programs that have high scores for compli-ance.
It is true that a lot of child care programs
currently achieve many of their licensing
points in Compliance History. In fact,90% of
providers now maintain a Compliance
History of 80% or higher. Since the Compli-ance
History score is based on violations
found during monitoring visits, it often
depends on the number of visits made.
The new system
This year, legislation (House Bill 707) was
passed to revise North Carolina’s star rating
system. The new law becomes effective
January 1,2006 and makes these changes to
the rating system:
New standards for quality
Changes in the Star Ratings
by Peggy Ball
Director, Division of Child Development
North Carolina Department
of Health and Human Services
Policy
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 7
w Compliance History will no longer count
toward a star rating. It will become the
basic requirement for getting and keeping a
license.
w The star rating of a child care program will
be based on points earned in Program
Standards and Staff Education.
w The minimum level of compliance to
maintain a license will increase from 60%
to 75%. However,the length of time for
which compliance is calculated will
decrease from the previous three years to
the previous 18 months.
As of January 1, 2006, new child care
programs that open and apply for ratings of 2-
5 stars will earn star ratings under the revised
system. The law allows child care programs
currently operating to transition to the new
rating system by January 1, 2008. In the
meantime, existing programs scheduled for a
three-year rating reassessment may choose to
be evaluated with the revised rating system,or
they may wait until the January 2008 deadline.
The Division of Child Development views
these as positive changes to the star rating
system. Parents will be able to look at star
ratings with more confidence, since they will
be based on truer measures of quality.
Removing the compliance component from
the star rating means that more options will
be proposed for providers to earn points in
the Program Standards and Staff Education
components. In addition, shortening the
timeframe for assessing compliance history
will help providers working to improve their
records accomplish this faster.
Now that the new standards have been
passed into law, the NC Child Care Commis-sion
will work to develop specific rules to
govern the modified licensing system. The
Commission will solicit input from the
general public on any proposed changes,and
based on this feedback, the Commission will
finalize the new star rated license system’s
rules. This process has already started and is
likely to continue through the fall.
The Division of Child Development
welcomes the opportunity to work with
child care programs as the rating system is
revised. Once the changes are completed,we
want to help providers plan for achieving the
highest ratings possible. Child care
programs in North Carolina are known
nationally for their commitment to quality,
and we appreciate the opportunity to
continue efforts to improve services for
North Carolina’s children. ATN!
0 300 600 900 1200 1500
Sept '00
June '05
1 Star
2 Stars
3 Stars
4 Stars
5 Stars 638
94
1219
234
1485
1272
66
71
419
1470
0 300 600 900 1200 1500
Sept '00
June '05
1 Star
2 Stars
3 Stars
4 Stars
5 Stars 638
94
1219
234
1485
1272
66
71
419
1470
1042
53
1602
96
44
1
1436
5176
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Sept '00
June '05
1 Star
2 Stars
3 Stars
4 Stars
5 Stars 373
39
Number of Family Child Care Homes
with Star Rated Licenses (September 2000, June 2005)
Number of Child Care Centers
with Star Rated Licenses (September 2000, June 2005)
Of the children who are in child
care centers, 77% are now
enrolled in centers with ratings
of 3 to 5 stars.
Of the children in family child
care homes, 75% are now
enrolled in homes with ratings
of 3 to 5 stars.
Data provided by NC Division of Child Development
The process of learning a second language is
influenced by many factors related to the child,
family, early childhood setting, and community.
One important factor is the age of the learner.
There is a common assumption that the younger
the child, the more quickly he will learn a second
language. The literature in this area does not
support this claim, though (see, for example,
Bialystok & Hakuta, 1994; Long, 1990). It seems
that older or mature learners have more cognitive
skills to help them learn a second language.
Younger learners, however,may end up speaking
with more of a native accent.
Positive effect of bilingualism
Studies over the last four decades have shown
positive effects of bilingualism on children’s
cognitive abilities. Children who speak two
languages perform at a more advanced level than
their peers who speak only one language on the
following tasks:
w comparing words by their meaning
w identifying repetition and contradictions in
a statement
w judging the grammatical correctness of
sentences in their two languages
(Bialystok, 1991; Hakuta, 1987; Galambos
& Goldin-Meadow, 1990)
Dina Castro, PH.D
Scientist, FPG Child
Development Institure
Working with young English learners
Benefits of bilingual learning
Research
8 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
The diversity among the nation’s popula-tion
continues to increase and the rapid growth
of the Latino population is contributing to this
phenomenon.Latinos are now the largest minor-ity
in the United States and Spanish is the
language spoken at many of their homes (U.S.
Census, 2003).
In North Carolina Latinos grew by 394% in the
1990-2000 decade.Their average age was 26 years
– a young population.Latino births are now up to
26% of total births in some counties, which fore-casts
a tremendous increase in the number of
young Latino children needing child care. There
are also immigrant and refugee families with
young children arriving in the U.S. from other
parts of the world. These new demographics
mean that many early childhood professionals
need new knowledge and skills related to teach-ing
children of different cultures for whom
English is not their home language.
How children learn a second
language?
Sometimes children learn two languages at the
same time,beginning at birth or soon after.Other
children may first learn their home language and
then, after about age 5, begin to learn a new
language. In some cases children who learn two
languages retain both of them and become bilin-gual.
In other cases children end up forgetting the
first language they learned.
Should young children who are learning English as a second language become bilingual? What is the
influence of learning a second language on cognitive and literacy development? What strategies willl
assist young English learners and support their development?
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 9
w concept formation
w reasoning by analogy
w problem-solving
(Bialystok & Majumder, 1998; see
Reynolds, 1991, and Lee, 1996 for reviews).
Impact on literacy
Children who are English language learners
are more likely to become readers and writers
of English when they are already familiar
with the concepts in their home language. For
example,phonological awareness has been found
to be one of the strongest predictors of the speed
and efficiency of reading acquisition (Scarbor-ough,
1989). For English learners, some studies
have shown that phonological awareness skills
transfer from the first to the second language
(Chiappe & Siegel, 1999; Cisero & Royer, 1995).
With respect to other literacy skills, the alpha-betic
principle, concepts of print, and syntactic
knowledge may transfer from the first to the
second language, but only if these skills have
been developed sufficiently in the primary
language (Nagy,McClure,& Mir, 1997).
When children lose the home
language
For children whose primary language is not
English, studies show that strength in the
home language not only promotes school
achievement in the second language,but also
ties the children to their families and
communities (Sánchez, 1999; Tabors, 1997;
Wong-Fillmore, 1991). When children lose their
home language,they lose all the positive effects of
bilingualism and possibly the connections to
family traditions and heritage.The consequences
can be devastating for the child’s social and
emotional development and self-esteem.
Implications for practice
The family plays a crucial role in helping immi-grant
children develop and keep their home
language.This is especially true for those attend-ing
early childhood programs in which only
English is spoken. But there is much early child-hood
programs can do to encourage the develop-ment
of the home language while also teaching
English to the young child.Most experts support
the idea that learning two languages at the same
time does not cause confusion or language delays
in young children.Teaching both languages actu-ally
makes learning English easier (August &
Hakuta, 1997; Bialystok, 2001). Although many
programs are finding ways to hire or access bilin-gual/
bicultural teachers, additional strategies
that can be used by both, bilingual and non-bilingual
teachers to support development of two
languages are:
w Provide a language and literacy-rich class-room
environment with written materials
and activities in both languages; encour-age
verbal interactions where children may
use either their home language or English.
w If you speak only English, learn a few
words in the child’s home language to
welcome, congratulate, or celebrate.Ask
young English learners or their parents to
teach you some!
w Encourage children to teach some words in
their home language to their English
speaking classmates.
w Invite the parents of the young English
learners to participate in activities that
involve the use of their home language
w Explain the positive effects of bilingualism
to parents of young English speakers.
Encourage them to support the develop-ment
of their child’s first language at home
Language and culture are so closely related that
we cannot address one without affecting the
other. Developing an appreciation for bilingual-ism
should happen in the context of a multicul-tural
curriculum.
Teachers need to learn effective practices to
support language and literacy development in
young English learners. There is a need for inten-sive
professional development on this topic,
including revising teacher preparation programs
in the state colleges and universities to ensure
that all early childhood teachers are prepared to
offer our young English learners the opportunity
to succeed in school and in life. ATN!
References
August,D.,& Hakuta,K.(Eds.).(1997).Improving schooling for language minority
children:A research agenda.Washington,DC:National Academy Press.
Bialystok,E.(1991).Metalinguistic dimensions of bilingual language proficiency.
In E.Bialystok (Ed.) Language Processing in Bilingual Children (pp.113-40).
Cambridge:Cambridge University Press.
Bialystok,E.(2001).Bilingualism in development:Language,literacy,and cognition.
Cambridge,UK:Cambridge University Press.
Bialystok,E.& Hakuta,K.(1994).In other words. New York:Basic Books.
Bialystok,E.& Majumder,S.(1998).The relationship between bilingualism and
the development of cognitive processes in problem-solving.Applied
Psycholinguistics,19,69-85.
Chiappe,P.,& Siegel,L.S.(1999).Phonological awareness and reading acquisi-tion
in English and Pujabi-speaking Canadian children. Journal of Educational
Psychology,91,20-28.
Cisero,C.A.,& Royer,J.M.(1995).The development and cross-language trans-fer
of phonological awareness.Contemporary Educational Psychology,20,
275-303.
Galambos,S.J.& Goldin-Meadow,S.(1990).The effects of learning two
languages on levels of metalinguistic awareness.Cognition,34 (1),1-56.
Hakuta,K.(1987).Degree of bilingualism and cognitive ability in mainland
Puerto Rican children.Child Development,58 (5),1372-88.
Lee,P.(1996).Cognitive development in bilingual children:A base for bilingual
instruction in early childhood education.The Bilingual Research Journal, 20
(3 & 4),499-522.
Long,M.H.(1990).The least a second language acquisition theory needs to
explain.TESOL Quarterly,24 (4),649-666.
Nagy,W.,McClure,E.,& Mir,M.(1997).Linguistic transfer and the use of
context by Spanish-English bilinguals. Applied Psycholinguistics,18,431-452.
Reynolds, A.(1991).Bilingualism,Multiculturalism,and Second Language Learning.
Hilldale,NJ:Erlbaum.
Sánchez,S.Y.(1999).Issues of language and culture impacting the early care of
young Latino children.Vienna,VA:National Child Care Information Center
Publications.Retrieved on April 19,2000 from
http://www.nccic.org/pubs/sanchez99.html
Scarborough,H.S.(1989).Prediction of reading disability from familial and
individual differences.Journal of Educational Psychology,81,101-1008.
Tabors,P.O.(1997).One child,two languages:A guide for preschool educators of
children learning English as a second language.Baltimore:Paul H.Brookes.
U.S.Census Bureau.(2003).United States Department of Commerce News.
Washington,DC.Retrieved July 24,2003 from
http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-100.html
Wong-Fillmore,L.(1991).When learning a second language means losing the
first.Early Childhood Research Quarterly,6,323-346.
Grandpa’s Angel
by Jutta Bauer
Candlewick Press
ISBN 0-7636-2743-7
Award-winning
artist
and animator
Jutta Bauer has
been writing for
German audiences
for more than
twenty years. Using
a simple cartooning style and very
little text, Bauer shows us how
Grandpa grew and survived the misad-ventures
of childhood, the political
danger of the Nazi period, the World
War and adult life, all through the
continual help of a kindly guardian
angel! At face value this is a simple
illustration of the ups and downs of
an entire life, drawn in pictures chil-dren
and adults can understand. More
deeply, this is a statement of faith, a
reminder that life frequently is diffi-cult,
but full of joy. Highly
recommended.
Black
Meets White
by Justine Fontes
illustrated by Geoff
Waring
Candlewick Press
ISBN 0-7636-1933-7
A fantastic new color book with only two
colors? Justine Fontes brings us a wonder-ful
toddler’s introduction to two of our
favorite colors, black and white.Accompa-nied
by a pink mouse, B&W get together
to make Polka Dots, Checkerboards,
Stripes, Wiggles, and more. But the last
combination is the best, and it’s a surprise.
This high quality book design has peek-through
pages, cut-out pages, and surprise
pages. It’s wonderful to look at, and
constructed for plenty of use.
Look Both Ways
by Diana Z. Shore
illustrated by Teri Weidner
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
ISBN 1-58234-968-1
This charming book is
called “a cautionary tale.”
Filbert the Squirrel is
told by his mama to “look
both ways” before he goes out in the
crisp fall afternoon to play soccer with his
friends. Later, on his way to his grand-mama’s
house for more acorns, he forgets
her advice while crossing the street and
nearly runs into trouble! Your children will
love the illustrations in this well-drawn
book. The text is easy to read, and the
book is rich with the feeling of fall color.
Illustrator Teri Weidner brings squirrels to
life in the jackets, caps, and scarves of
another era.This is a timeless book with a
practical message. It’s a good lesson and a
treat, especially if you like acorn soup !
Earth Mother
by Ellen Jackson
illustrated by Leo & Diane
Dillon
Walker & Company
ISBN 0-8027-8992-7
This outstandingly
beautiful fable is set
in a mythical African savan-nah.
We see the Earth Mother awaken and
visit each of the creatures there: the Man,
the Frog, the Otter, even the Mosquito. She
listens to their needs and hears their
complaints about the other creatures.
Effortlessly she glides across the vast fields
and mountains, dives deep into the ocean
to swim with whales, hurls lightning into
the sky! Reminiscent of African and
Oceanic creation tales, this slyly humorous
story allows children to see that each
person, animal, and bug in our world is
part of a greater perfection. The illustra-tion
style is partly African, partly Ameri-can,
and all beautiful. A great introduction
to new cultural concepts! books 10 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
Tumbleweed
Stew
by Susan Stevens Crummel
illustrated by Janet
Stevens
Green Light/Harcourt
ISBN 0-15-204870-7
When Jack Rabbit
wakes up in the morn-ing
at the ole Two-Circle Ranch, the
first thing he thinks of is food! So he hops
on down to rustle up some grub, in this
case a big pot of Tumbleweed Stew. But
there’s no such thing as Tumbleweed Stew!
The clever Jack persuades the Armadillo,
the Buzzard, the Deer, and the Skunk to
contribute vegetables to add to the soup
pot. Even the Rattlesnake slides by with
some celery! The stew smells better every
minute, and when it’s done, they have a
feast. This tale is written in rhyme, and is
very engaging to read aloud to toddlers.
Young readers will get a kick out of the
western twang that just naturally goes
with Tumbleweed Stew!
Three Feet Small
by Michael J. Rosen
illustrated by Valeri Gorbachev
Gulliver/Harcourt
ISBN 0-15-204938-X
Being a little bear
isn’t easy when all
the world around
you seems to be
built for Big
People! In this
warm look at the
trials of being small, Rosen’s
subtly rhymed text is fun to read and believ-able.
Pen and ink illustrations bring a whole
family of bears to life: mother, father, sister,
uncle, and grandfather all show up to help
the little guy understand that he might—
just might—be growing bigger! We see the
little bear attending school,learning to swim,
riding his bike, going shopping for new
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 11
by
Brady Fowler
To check out books
reviewed in
All Together Now!
contact
the NC Early
Intervention Library
517 West Fleming Dr,
NC School for the Deaf
Morganton NC 28655
828.432.5267
email
ncei.library@ncmail.net
www.ncei-eclibrary.org
clothes, and playing games. In each activity
we see his confidence increase, and in the
end he is convinced he will someday be a Big
Bear too.
Where Did That Baby
Come From?
by Debi Gliori
Harcourt
ISBN 0-15-205373-5
Asking a question that ranks
high in the list of “hard ques-tions
to answer,” Debi Gliori’s
little tiger cub muses on all the
places his parents could possibly
have found their new baby cub.
With drawing so funny it can make you
laugh aloud, she explores the possibili-ties—
from the reaches of outer space to
the rose garden next door. Along the way
we hear some observations about what
babies seem to be best at, and what they
clearly cannot do.Written in rhyme from a
child’s perspective, this read-aloud book is
wonderful for children who have younger
siblings. Best of all, the ending of the book
affirms that babies are loveable and fun,
and definitely from the same planet as the
rest of us—although some days their
parents may not think so!
Look!
by Kyra Teis
Starbright Books
ISBN 1-59572-022-7
Young painter Kyra Teis uses
watercolor, paper collage and
other mixed media to create a
lovely color book for toddlers.
Bound in 6x6 board for easy
page-turning, this is a read-aloud book
for children learning their colors, and
features a minimum of text. Teis’ artwork
is abstract and fluid, full of shapes and
bright colors to be interpreted and learned
by each child. A very creative book!
12 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005 Contact PFI
PFI regions and inclusion specialist information
Cherokee
Graham
Clay
Macon
Haywood
Tran-sylvania
Henderson
Buncombe
Madison
Mitchell
Yancey
McDowell
Burke
Caldwell
Ashe
Watauga
Avery
Wilkes
Alleghany
Surry
Yadkin
Iredell
Alex-ander
Catawba
Lincoln
Cleveland Gaston
Davie
Forsyth
Stokes
Davidson
Rowan
Cabarrus
Mecklenburg
Union
Stanly
Anson
Montgo-mery
Randolph
Guilford
Rockingham Caswell
Alamance
Chatham
Moore
Lee
Richmond
Orange
Person
Durham
Wake
Granville
Vance
Franklin
Harnett
Hoke
Scot-land
Robeson
Cumberland
Bladen
Columbus
Brunswick
Pender
New
Han-over
Duplin
Sampson
Johnston
Wayne Lenoir
Onslow
Jones
Carteret
Craven
Pamlico
Pitt Beaufort
Greene
Wilson
Nash
Edgecombe
Martin
Bertie
Halifax
Warren
Northampton
Hertford
Gates
Washington
Hyde
Tyrrell Dare
Currituck
Camden
Pasquotank
Perquimans
Chowan
Rutherford
Polk
Jackson
Swain
Libby Wilson | 828.231.6720 | libby.wilson@ncmail.net
Rhodus Riggins | 919.966.8915 | rhodus_riggins@unc.edu
Susan Deans | 910.642.4343 | susan.deans@ncmail.net
Brenda Dennis | 919.962.7359 | brenda_dennis@unc.edu
Sandy Steele | 252.328.2940 | steele@mail.fpg.unc.edu
PFI Director
Pat Wesley | 919.962.7356 | pat_wesley@unc.edu
www.fpg.unc.edu/~pfi
8/2005
Regions and
Inclusion Specialist Contact Information
PFI Inclusion Specialists
Pat Wesley, Director 919.962.7356 pat_wesley@unc.edu
Partnerships for Inclusion
521 South Greensboro St., Suite 100
Carrboro NC 27510
919.843.5784 (fax)
Libby Wilson 828.231.6720 libby.wilson@ncmail.net
33 Baker Place
Arden NC 28704
Rhodus Riggins, Jr. 919.966.8915 rhodus_riggins@unc.edu
Partnerships for Inclusion
521 South Greensboro St., Suite 100
Carrboro NC 27510
919.843.5784 (fax)
Susan Deans 910.642.4343 susan.deans@ncmail.net
Whiteville CDSA
106 Memory Plaza,
Whiteville NC 28472
910.642.3871 (fax)
Brenda Dennis 919.962.7359 brenda_dennis@unc.edu
Partnerships for Inclusion
521 South Greensboro St., Suite 100
Carrboro NC 27510
919.843.5784 (fax)
Sandy Steele 252.328.9333 steele@mail.fpg.unc.edu
Irons Bldg-CDSA-ECU
Oglesby Drive
Greenville, NC 27858
252.328.0839 (fax)
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 13
CDSA
State Courier #53-51-12
919-662-4600
Fax: 919-662-4473
Tim.Pritchard@ncmail.net
ROCKY MOUNT (Edgecombe, Halifax, Johnston,
Nash, Northampton, Wilson)
Pat Adams, MS, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
141 Storage Drive
Rocky Mount NC 27804
252-443-0318
Fax: 252-443-5079
Pat.Adams@ncmail.net
SANDHILLS (Anson, Harnett, Hoke, Lee,
Montgomery, Moore, Richmond, Scotland)
Kent Haywood, MSW, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
DEC of the Sandhills
110 South Hancock Street Suite 200
Rockingham NC 28379
State Courier #03-81-32
Wadesboro: 704-694-5186
Wadesboro Fax: 704-694-7803
Rockingham: 910-997-9240
Rockingham Fax: 910-997-9115
Kent.Haywood@ncmail.net
SHELBY (Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, Polk,
Rutherford)
Kay Yarboro, MA, CCC-SLP, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
1429 East Marion Street Suite 5
Shelby NC 28150
State Courier # 06-52-07
704-480-5440
704-480-5480
Fax: 704-480-5477
Fax: 704-480-5507
Kay.Yarboro@ncmail.net
WILMINGTON (Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New
Hanover, Pender)
Sandra Sink, Acting Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
3311 Burnt Mills Drive, Suite 100
Wilmington, NC 28403-2654
State Courier #04-19-43
910-251-5817
Fax: 910-251-2652
Sandra. Sink@ncmail.net
WINSTON-SALEM (Davidson, Davie, Forsyth,
Stokes, Surry, Yadkin)
Donald Goldstein, PhD, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Amos Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital
3325 Silas Creek Parkway
Winston-Salem NC 27103
336-774-2400
336-774-2402
Fax: 336-760-3018
dgoldst@wfubmc.edu
ASHEVILLE (Buncombe, Henderson, Madison,
Transylvania)
Gene Perrotta, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
119 Tunnel Road Suite D
Asheville NC 28805
State Courier #12-51-02
828-251-6091
Fax: 828-251-6911
Gene.Perrotta@ncmail.net
BLUE RIDGE (Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell,
Watauga, Wilkes, Yancey)
Doug Galke, MA, MPA, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
150 Den-Mac Drive
Boone NC 28607-6543
828-265-5391
Fax: 828-265-5394
Doug.Galke@ncmail.net
CHARLOTTE (Mecklenburg)
John Ellis, PhD, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
Carlton G.Watkins Center
3500 Ellington Street
Charlotte NC 28211
704-336-7100
Fax: 704-336-7112
ellisjl@co.mecklenburg.nc.us
CONCORD (Cabarrus, Iredell, Rowan, Stanly, Union)
Gale Coor, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
342 Penny Lane
Concord NC 28025-1216
State Courier # 05-06-04
704-786-9181
Fax: 704-792-9198
Gale.Coor@ncmail.net
CULLOWHEE (Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood,
Jackson, Macon, Swain)
Gloria Lockman, M.A., M.S.W., Acting Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee NC 28723
828-227-7488
Fax: 828-227-7142
glockman@email.wcu.edu
DURHAM (Chatham, Durham, Franklin, Granville,
Orange, Person, Vance,Warren)
Dana Baldwin, RN, MSN, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
115 Market Street, Suite 201
Durham NC 27701-3221
State Courier # 17-28-03
919-560-5600
Fax: 919-560-3018
Dana.Baldwin@ncmail.net
ELIZABETH CITY (Camden, Chowan, Currituck, Dare,
Gates, Hertford, Pasquotank, Perquimans, Tyrrell,
Washington)
Gregory A. Michael, D.Ed., Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
PO BOX 189
Elizabeth City NC 27909
252-338-4044
Fax: 252-338-4365
gam@ppcc.dst.nc.us
FAYETTEVILLE (Bladen, Cumberland, Robeson, Samp-son)
Ann Crane, MS, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
1211-A Ireland Drive
Fayetteville NC 28304
910-486-1605
Fax: 910-486-1590
Ann.Crane@ncmail.net
GREENSBORO (Alamance, Caswell, Guilford,
Randolph, Rockingham)
Nancy Norman, M.Ed., Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
Self-Help Public Interest Center
122 North Elm Street Suite 400
Greensboro NC 27401
336-334-5601
Fax: 336-334-5657
Nancy.Norman@ncmail.net
GREENVILLE (Beaufort, Bertie, Greene, Hyde, Martin,
Pitt,Wayne)
Gary Stainback, PhD, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
East Carolina University
Irons Building Charles Blvd
Greenville NC 27858-4354
State Courier # 01-42-08
252-328-4480
Fax: 252-328-4486
stainbackg@mail.ecu.edu
MORGANTON/HICKORY (Alexander, Burke, Caldwell,
Catawba, McDowell)
Wilson Hamer, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
517-E West Fleming Drive
Morganton NC 28655
828-432-5430
Fax: 828-432-5545
Wilson.Hamer@ncmail.net
NEW BERN (Carteret, Craven, Jones,
Lenoir, Onslow, Pamlico)
Wendy Chapman, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
2842 Neuse Blvd., New Bern, NC 28562
State Courier #16-60-02
252-514-4770
Fax: 252-514-4773
Wendy.Chapman@ncmail.net
RALEIGH (Wake)
Timothy Pritchard, CPM, Director
Children’s Developmental Services Agency
319 Chapanoke Road Suite 101
2074 Mail Service Center
Raleigh NC 27699-2074
Children’s Developmental Services Agencies
From NCEI website updated July 27, 2005
14 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
My son Jacob was diagnosed with
autism a few weeks after his second birthday.
I've always wanted to believe that his diagnosis
was a surprise, but in my heart I knew that he
was different.Because Jacob is a fraternal twin, I
could not escape the fact that his development
was not following the same path as his twin
brother. As a pediatrician I found myself
observing him constantly,when all I wanted was
to be his mother.
After his diagnosis,Jacob received all of the early
intervention services provided by our county.
The support I received from so many therapists
and other service providers was wonderful.
When Jacob was ready for preschool it became
clear to our family that a developmental
preschool or a classroom consisting only of
autistic children was not enough. We wanted
Jacob to be included in typical settings, not self-contained
settings. There were very few oppor-tunities
for a child with autism to interact with
typically developing children. We realized that
we would have to create these opportunities and
experiences for Jacob.
I enrolled Jacob and his brother in the Child
Development Laboratory (CDL) at the local
university. All of their peers at the CDL were
developing in a typical fashion.While Jacob was
there he required an assistant and also received
various therapies. It was an opportunity for him
to learn from his peers. It was not only a great
experience for Jacob, but also for the other chil-dren
who gained a lot from being with a “differ-ent”
child at such an early age. Jacob's participa-tion
in the CDL was such a success that since
then, other children with special needs have
gone through the program.
Entering school
When Jacob started kindergarten at South
Greenville Elementary School, he went into a
regular classroom with a personal assistant.
Although he was able to keep up with the
academics, the gap between his communication
and social skills was noticeable. I wanted to
address this gap to help him be successful in an
inclusive classroom. The other children were
very curious about Jacob.They were interested in
his use of pictures for communication and
thought that all his “ adapted materials” were
very cool. I realized that although my initial
focus was helping Jacob fit in with his peers and
their world, the children were also eager to learn
more about Jacob's world.
Although I met with the children at the begin-ning
of each school year to talk with them about
FamilyFocus
The circle of friends
by Lisa Figueroa
Lisa is a pediatrician
in Greenville NC.
ance dressed as a clown when we had our first
dress-up play group with a circus theme.
The impact on Jacob's twin brother Nicholas has
been the most dramatic. Nicholas has always
been kind, loving and patient with Jacob.
However, it was clear to me that he really didn't
see his brother as a fun and interactive playmate.
But, I think that seeing how the other children
interact and play with Jacob—how much fun
they have together—has given Nicholas an
entirely new perspective of what they can do for
fun together.It brings tears to my eyes when they
seek each other out to play.
Learning and friendship
The Circle of Friends is actually “a circle within a
circle.”The outer circle is made up of the friend-ships
Jacob brings into our home, the experi-ences
he shares with others in the natural envi-ronment
of his home, in the presence of his
personal things and family. An inner circle
grows through relationships cultivated at school
where Jacob and his peers learn from each other.
The integration and connection of these two
circles is what makes The Circle of Friends a
bond of learning and friendship. ATN!
Jacob, his wonderful abilities, and the challenges
he faces, I wanted to do more.
I thought of ways to address his social interac-tions
with his peers and their knowledge and
comfort around an autistic classmate.Why not
incorporate some of Jacob's academic goals into
a play group? It could be fun and provide other
opportunities to reinforce learning goals for
Jacob. By focussing on learning through play all
these elements could be integrated to benefit all
the children.
The Circle of Friends
When Jacob entered first grade I began an after-school
play group called:“The Circle of Friends.”
This play group allowed Jacob to play and learn
with classmates in our own home.We held play
group monthly. The four children who were
designated as Jacob's “peer helpers” each week
were invited to participate. By the end of the
school year the entire class of 20 – 23 children
had all participated in The Circle of Friends.
Each play group session had a literacy activity, a
cooking activity, and a craft activity. I chose
activities related to what was being taught in
school. This allowed me to take a topic, adapt
materials for it so that it met Jacob's IEP goals,
and then present it to Jacob and his friends as a
play activity.
The structure of the play group didn’t detract
from fun and play. Within each activity the chil-dren
always had the flexibility to move around,
choose where to sit, create their own work and
express themselves.
Back to the classroom
I took digital pictures at every play group and
made memory books for all the children. They
would use the books at school in their writing
centers. In Jacob’s memory book, the narrative
has evolved over time, beginning with my writ-ing,
then evolving to Jacob's using his Pixwriter
software, and finally to Jacob's own writing in
second grade. In order to share the play group, I
created E-books the whole class could see with a
web browser on the classroom computer.
Signs of success
The Circle of Friends has just completed its
second year. We have had 11 play groups and I
have seen their remarkable effect on Jacob, his
friends and the school community. The parents
and teachers have all been very receptive to the
idea and look forward to its continuation. I am
very pleased and plan to continue the play group
as Jacob moves through the grades!
Jacob has learned to communicate in a variety of
settings, to participate in interactive and turn-taking
activities, and has developed an interest
in learning from his friends by watching them
and imitating their actions when we do crafts
and cooking activities. These skills of coopera-tion
and imitation transfer to his shared activi-ties
in school.
The children have learned to be patient with
Jacob and have learned quite successfully to use
the picture exchange communication system
(PECS) to “speak” to Jacob. What they learn
about Jacob at the play groups contributes to his
positive inclusive experience at school.Jacob and
his friends have learned to play with each other
and enjoy each other!
Impact on family
An unexpected benefit from The Circle of
Friends has been the involvement of my whole
family. It’s a joy to look back at the pictures and
see my husband baking bread with the children
or my teenage son making a surprise appear-
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 15
16 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
by Caroline
Butler
Caroline is an early
childhood consultant
and former
preschool teacher.
Feature
area.Beside the church that in 1972 first gave
it a home, the preschool now resides in the
attractive contemporary building that was
built just for them in 1992.
When approaching Summer Moore,my eyes
are drawn to the ornamentation: a large
wooden sun rising above the windows out
front.As I move towards the entry, the side-walk
changes color from grey to sea blue
with brightly painted fish swimming
together toward and around the entrance of
the preschool.I'm immediately impressed by
these images.
A cool place to be
As we begin our tour of Summer Moore,
director Gwen Miller doesn't hesitate when
asked what about the program makes her
most proud.“The quality of care we provide,”
she responds, “and our incredible staff who
Greenville in steamy eastern
North Carolina feels warmly familiar. Home
to my college alma mater East Carolina
University, it's where I started my work in
the field of early childhood. Through simul-taneous
experiences in East Carolina Univer-sity's
School of Education, and with my then
infant son, a fascination with child develop-ment
began.
Now, thirty-plus years later, I'm back, this
time to learn about a NAEYC Accredited,Five
Star center in Greenville that has a reputation
among developmental day centers for its
excellence in program quality and inclusive
practices. We want to find out how Easter
Seals UCP Summer Moore Children's Center
fosters children's development and learning
and accomplishes inclusion with such
success.
Attention to details
Summer Moore sits near the southern edge
of ECU's campus in a wooded residential
Independence Day
is every day
The Easter Seals UCP Summer Moore Children's Center
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 17
are totally committed to our mission of fully
including children.” Off we go to have a look.
First stop is the Infant/Toddler classroom,
where quality indicators abound. Summer
Moore has figured out how to provide a safe
and healthy program for its youngest
students while it supports them emotionally
and cognitively. We see through the floor-level
windows that the Sweet Peas are playing
right outside of their room.
Gwen leads me outdoors to a large enclosed
playground with a shaded portico. "Infants
and toddlers in diapers,playing with water!,”
I exclaim.Then I notice the play areas's cush-ioned
blue surfacing where physical play and
sensory motor activities are happening
safely and with no fuss about messes.
Instead, three cheerful adults play with chil-dren,
supervising responsively. One of them
is teacher Jackie Reed who’s a born nurturer.
Having worked here for 13 years,Jackie offers
a dependable relationship that research
shows young children need.
Little ones with and without special needs
play together using miniature active play
equipment.My excitement is hard to repress.
This is what we came to see.
Beliefs guide practice
Gwen has directed Summer Moore for four
years. A dedicated spokesperson for her
program and for inclusion, she tells me “We
believe in inclusion and make that happen,”
in part, through NAEYC recommended
lower child-staff ratios and extensive staff
training.As an inclusion specialist for a total
of 18 years, Gwen knows first hand the link
between high quality child care and positive
outcomes for children. That's why she and
her staff work so hard to provide a program
with a top notch learning environment.
What's seems unique here is that the
program goes beyond child care standards
for quality, and beyond developmental day
standards for its specialized services.There’s
an ongoing reflection by staff that guides
program practices.
“Our challenge,” says Gwen,“is (for staff) to
evaluate daily how children can participate.”
That means evaluating,planning, and moni-toring
how to address children's goals and
special therapies within the natural routines
and activities of a preschool. To this end the
preschool environment, activities,materials,
and adaptive equipment are considered.
Especially important, staff and therapists
discuss how they can foster all children’s play
and interactions with each other.
Does this require special training for staff?
Gwen shares,“We've found that the best way
for staff to learn is to show them and include
them.” With this in mind, the therapy team
(a speech therapist, occupational therapist
[OT], and physical therapist [PT]) develops
lesson plans that imbed children's goals into
regular classroom activities,and work along-side
staff to support their implementation
Independence Day
Today, decked out in red, white, and blue
costumes,the therapy team is ready for what
they call their “Road Show.” The whole group
of Little Explorers gather in their classroom
to join a July 4th celebration while therapists
lead related activities.
“We're putting it on,”models speech thera-pist
Alison Lehman as she places some tape
on a paper roll,making a streamer.Later she
asks the group, “What color do we have in
this flag?” “What color is your favorite?”
Savannah waves her flag and responds “My
color is red.” Occupational therapist Jane
Kester discretely shows teachers how to
stabilize Shaheen’s shoulders so he can wave
his flag too.
Physical therapist Janice Hill monitors AJ in
his stander as a friend helps him to put
beans in his shaker. Children want to be
helpers, but need guidance. “So,” Gwen
explains “typically developing children are
coached to be helpers,then it becomes natu-ral.”
There seems to be a synergy between
Summer Moore's therapy team and teach-ers.“
We all know child development and are
experienced generalists” explains Janice,
“This means we consider the whole child,”
when providing therapy services. They take
into account the child’s interests as well as
strengths and needs in all of the develop-mental
areas.
If you listen, you can hear the ocean!
Quality & Leadership
Easter Seals UCP Summer
Moore Children’s Center is
accredited by the Council for
Quality and Leadership(CQL).
CQL was founded in 1969, as
a council of the Joint Commis-sion
on Accreditation of
Hospitals. CQL has evolved
to an independent accrediting
organization, and an interna-tional
leader in defining, meas-uring,
and evaluating quality of
life for people with disabilities.
“We believe in a world of
dignity, opportunity and commu-nity
inclusion for all people. In
fact, our commitment to this
belief is renewed and strength-ened
each day as we work to
provide vision and leadership to
human services organizations
world wide.Through our serv-ices,
publications and public
presence, we establish real
connections between disabilities
theory and practice and help
those who work with people
with disabilities and people with
mental illness take the impor-tant
step from innovative ideas
to everyday action.”
If you’d like to learn more
about the CQL and the certi-fication,
training, accreditation,
and resources it offers, look at
their comprehensive website
at: www.thecouncil.org
Their approach as generalists began when
the three worked together for many years
providing arena assessments at the area's
Developmental Evaluation Center (now
called Children’s Developmental Service
Agency). They've worked together here for
about 10 years.What keeps these great staff
at Summer Moore? “The work situation is so
good!”says speech therapist Alison Lehman.
Belief in personal outcomes
The program practices what it believes as
stated in the center's parent handbook,
“What we believe: All children have the right
to learn and play together. Families are the
most important members of our team. Fami-lies
know their needs and choose their goals,
working as a team with families and profes-sionals
to assist in the child's successful devel-opment.”
Parents aren't just repeating what they've
read when they say “I feel like the most
important member of the team,” Gwen
assures.
Summer Moore is proactive in its methods
of empowering parents (and staff). The
number one strategy is building relation-ships.
Everyone participates in a process to
develop personal outcomes for children and
families based on their identified hopes and
dreams.The center offers support to families
to achieve these personal goals. Summer
Moore does so well at helping families to
meet their personal outcomes that the center
recently became reaccredited by the Council
on Quality and Leadership (CQL).
Parents are involved in policy decisions,
serve on Summer Moore’s advisory board,
and meet with staff to develop goals for their
children.It isn’t just children with disabilities
who have goals. Children with more typical
development have developmental screenings
and goals if their parents choose.
Tone of creativity
Busy Bees Christopher, Braden, and Sandra
roll red paint, totally engaged. "Mui bonita,"
admires Gwen as Sandra proudly shows her
painting. Sandra, whose home language is
Spanish, often corrects staff who take Span-ish
classes.
Summer Moore staff tailor curricula for the
children,ages 3 months through 5 years,who
attend its five classes. This requires constant
and ongoing curriculum development using
a mix of curricula, such as the Creative
Curriculum (Dodge, 2002; Dombro, 1999)
and Conscious Discipline (Bailey, 2000).
Lots of the Crayola Kids will soon enter
kindergarten. Public school staff praise the
Summer Moore program. They notice how
independent the children are and their abil-ity
to solve problems. While playing a flag
picture game,Carly and Christina communi-cate
their wants and needs to each other.
What they've been coached to say now
comes spontaneously. This skill will serve
them well as both children make their way in
big school.
Made in the shade
Following the Crayola class,we move directly
out their door onto the 3-5 year old play-ground.
A sidewalk from each of the 3 class-rooms
forms a trail for wheel toys, wheel
chairs, and foot travelers. Like a village path
18 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
Definitely a cool place to be!
piqued our interest in Summer Moore.’’As it
turns out, she's taken the position of educa-tion
coordinator for the preschool!
Today Rene gently rocks new student, three-month-
old Delany. On her first day in the
infant–toddler class, Delany will begin
school gradually by spending a few hours a
day with her mother nearby.This important
transition has been planned carefully by her
family and staff.
Here's another example of values that lead to
quality. Summer Moore places what's best
for children and what families want above
convenience. It embraces creative solutions.
We now understand why after her first visit
to Summer Moore, Rene thought, "I just
have to work here."
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 19
it leads to outdoor activities that delight the
senses, encourage children to move and to
interact with friends.
We come to a colorful multilevel climber
made accessible with a ramp. Marta and
Michael, however, together choose to take on
the challenge of using their upper body and
leg strength to navigate the steps. Reaching
the top of the low platform, they cross over
the bridge hand in hand.
In another designated area, helmeted chil-dren
zip by as they ride or push wheel toys,
or as a teacher pushes their chair.Swings and
trikes are adapted for children with disabili-ties.
Children are helped to access activities.
As temperatures rise, players (child and
adult) take refuge from the sun in activities
under canvas canopies and trees. A favorite
shaded area cools the sandbox, fully
equipped for digging, scooping, and moving
earth. It is nice to see a playground designed
to promote all children's physical activity, in
sun and shade.
Parent and teacher
We find Rene Bowden with the Sweet Peas. A
parent of two children here and an inclusion
specialist for the preschool's ECHOES
program, Rene's previous ATN! article
A wish for the future
As I departed, floating through my mind
were thoughts of infants and toddlers
splashing in water; children learning hand in
hand; happy, busy, creative staff; families
who experience their true importance and
power.
Standing on the blue sidewalk,fish at my feet,
I gaze back at the outdoor play area designed
for infants, toddlers and twos. I remember
the director's hopes and dreams for the
future of Summer Moore, “That we can
sustain this program during these challeng-ing
fiscal times.” And so do we, I thought.
With a glint of pride in her eyes, Gwen
reflects, "Such wonderful things happen
here." And so they do. ATN!
References
Bailey, B.A., (2000). Conscious Discipline: 7 Basic Skills
for Brain Smart Classroom Management. Oviedo,
Florida: Loving Guidance
Dombro,A. L., Colker, L. J., & Dodge, D.T. (1999).
The Creative Curriculum for infants & toddlers (Rev.
ed.).Washington, DC:Teaching Strategies Inc.
Dodge, D.T., Colker, L. J., & Heroman, C. (2002). The
Creative Curriculum for preschool.Washington, DC:
Teaching Strategies, Inc.
Independence Day is under way!
Marta and Michael explore the playground
20 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
Beginning as far back as the
early 1980s, early childhood educators
have emphasized the value of using
naturally occurring activities as teach-ing
opportunities. Naturally occurring
activities can be daily routines, an
activity that a child initiates, or an
activity planned by a teacher.
Research shows that learning opportu-nities
are likely to be more meaningful
when they take place within familiar
events in the child’s life, rather than
when they are formally structured by
an adult.When the task is meaningful
to the child, the child is more likely to
be motivated to attempt a new skill or
practice to improve. In addition, when
a child learns a skill in a naturally
occurring activity, he or she is more
likely to use that skill again.
In the “old way” a teacher, parent or
therapist might begin by thinking, “I
need to work with Sara on using a
pincer grasp. What activity can I plan
for her that will provide opportunities
for her to use a pincer grasp?” In the
“new way” the adult would be more
likely to think,“Sara can participate in
more play and self-help activities if
she learns to pick up small objects.
What activities occur during the day
or in natural activities, during which
picking up small objects using a
pincer grasp will be useful and
rewarding to her?”
Adults working with children on skill
development often ask…
How can I work on indi-vidual
skills with one child
without pulling that child
aside to work one-on-one,
especially when the other
children don’t need to
work on that skill?
Consider the following:
AskPFI
by Libby
Wilson
Libby is PFI’s Western
Region inclusion
specialist.
Developing skills
in natural ways
Why is it important to embed instruction within naturally occurring activities?
w Is the skill going to be useful and
meaningful to the child right
away?
w When during the day is that skill
most likely to be used/needed?
w When do other children who have
the skill use it?
w When (what time of day or during
what activity) will the child be
most motivated to use the skill?
When a skill is useful it is likely that
other children already use the skill or
they are also learning the skill. This
makes it more likely that an activity
the children already do involves that
skill. Think about when that skill is
likely to be useful to all of the children.
When other children are participating
in the activity there will be more
opportunities for you to work with
individual children without planning a
separate activity or time to do so.
Another question often asked is…
What if opportunities do
not occur naturally? How
do I provide enough
opportunities without
going back to adult-directed
activities?
Consider the following:
w What activities occur naturally in
other settings that could be incor-porated
into your setting?
w What typical child interests, activ-ities
or games require that skill or
an approximation of it?
w Could an activity be expanded to
incorporate that skill in a way that
would be meaningful and moti-vating
to the children?
In their book An Activity-Based
Approach to Early Intervention, Third
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 21
Edition, Kristi Pretti-Frontczak and
Dianne Bricker say,“learning opportu-nities
need to be relevant or meaningful
to children for them to benefit from the
learning opportunity. Useful learning
opportunities should match the child’s
current developmental abilities, be
tailored to his or her interests and
prompt the child to practice target goals
within the context of authentic activi-ties
or transactions.” This book is avail-able
at the North Carolina Early Intervention
Library : (www.ncei-eclibrary.org.) It���s an
excellent resource with clear descriptions,
practical examples and suggestions, as
well as reproducible forms! ATN!
Spotlight
Encounter at the puppet show
Iwas sweating. I struggled to untan-gle
the marionette while I tried to
converse calmly with the nice librarian.
You always have to make it look easy, even
when you’re a little frazzled. There’s No
Business Like Show Business. My last
puppet show in NC—I’ll be on the West
Coast in six weeks—was shaping up to be
a challenge.
Ten minutes inside the building and
already in a hurry! I got the string puppet
straightened out and rushed to set up my
little touring theatre. First, arrange the
playboard and front drape. Unload the
hand puppets and place them and their
props within reach. Check the sight lines.
Test the sound quality in the room.Hmm,
lots of echoes. This would be a noisy audi-torium,
a real challenge.I took five minutes
for rest and a drink of water and we
opened the doors.
It was a scorching Sunday at the local
library when I began my show for a
hundred or so children and parents. On a
hot day in a bouncy acoustical space, I
really had to concentrate to get the
performance to work for all the different
ages and levels of interest in a group of
kids from preschool to second grade!
22 Vol. 11, No. 3 • Fall 2005
My show is a highly interactive demonstra-tion
of all kinds of puppets: slap-happy
carpenters, rough ‘n ready cowboys, and a
little marionette who talks like a pint-sized
stand-up comedian. But the one they all
love is Rory the Lion, the long-time star of
my show “A Lion in My Lunchbox,” and of
course, as in every show since 1983, Rory
steals my lunchbox while I am talking to the
audience and hides it in the theatre’s base-ment.
Guess what Rory finds when he’s
down in the basement? A big green dragon
with fangs and bulgy eyes!
The show gets pretty funny at this point.
Rory runs around panicking, and I faint
from fear,but the dragon, a nice guy named
Lewis—he claims to be from Hoboken—
ends up closing the show with a warm wish
to everyone in the audience to “Have a great
Life,and remembuh to use yer Imagination
every day...�� At the end of the show I come
out from behind my stage and the kids line
up to see the how the puppets work.
But at this show I had a new experience.A
little boy about 5 years old stood in line to
meet the puppets. In fact Lewis even gave
him a little “dragon bite”on his outstretched
hand. Then I called it quits and went back
by Brady Fowler
ATN! editor and
professional puppeteer.
Brady Fowler toured North Carolina from 1983 to 1990 as Lead Puppeteer and
Artistic Director of his own theatre company, Puppet Express.He appeared in 30
counties across the state and played for 75,000 children, parents, and teachers.
Beginning in October he will be appearing exclusively in San Diego.
to put the puppets away and take down my
stage.
A moment later the same boy tugged at my
sleeve.
“Excuse me,my brother wants to meet the
dragon too.”He told me his brother’s name
and pointed him out.
I looked up and saw another boy, a year
older perhaps. He was standing apart,
hugging himself and looking at us. I
thought about everything I have learned
working on this magazine—I had a feeling
about this child. With the dragon on my
arm I moved to a quiet corner and got on
my knees. I looked into his eyes.
“Would you like to meet the dragon too?”
He nodded and moved a little closer. He
was shy but very interested in the big green
dragon. Lewis said hello to him and very
politely (dragons are always polite) offered
to bite his hand. I watched the boy closely
and asked him if he would like the dragon
to bite him. He nodded again and I asked
him to stretch out his arm.
His eyes got big as he watched the dragon
nibbling on his fingers. Gently I pulled
Lewis back from him and looked at him,
checking to make sure he wasn’t afraid.
“Did you like meeting the dragon?”
For a moment his eyes met mine and he
nodded emphatically. Then he hugged
himself a little more and stepped away to
where his mother was standing nearby. I
had been so preoccupied I hadn’t seen her.
Rory and Brady
ATN! moves to
online format
After 10 years of producing ATN
as a paper magazine and mailing
it to 25,000 readers, staff at PFI
are now thinking of a change.
In response to limited funding for
2005-2006, we hope to transform
the magazine into an on-line
publication only, available exclu-sively
through the PFI website at
www.fpg.unc.edu/~pfi
As you know, previous copies of
ATN! are available as download-able
.pdf files on our web site
now.We plan to rebuild ATN! into
a genuinely web-based maga-zine—
easy to access and easy to
read online. We will work to
launch the new online version of
ATN! next spring.
So, although this is not a farewell,
this is the last paper version of
ATN! Due to the time it takes to
develop our web-based product,
there won’¡t be a Winter edition.
So look for a notice in your mail
after the new year announcing
the next ATN! issue—live on the
World Wide Web!
I was about to ask about her older son when
the younger brother stepped up and looked
directly at me.He had a calm clear gaze,and
he said,“My brother really liked your show
a lot! But sometimes it’s hard for him to tell
you, because he has autism.”
I told him how happy I was to meet him
and his brother, and the older boy looked at
me again, then looked away and spoke as
his mother picked him up. I didn't under-stand
what he said, but his mother told me
it was a phrase he used when he enjoyed
something.
My work had made him really happy, and
his little brother knew that he could tell
me—that he ought to tell me. I had taken
part in a moment of real inclusion, and I
knew again how great it feels to make a
child feel special.
They trailed out with the rest of the audi-ence.
The space emptied to a still, quiet
room, and I had a moment to think about
the remarkable interaction that took place
between me, my puppets, and a boy with
autism. ATN!
News
ALLTOGETHERNOW! 23
Ash Jessie Mae Monroe Preschool
Bessemer City Perfected Praise Child Care
Boonville Boonville Out-Of-School Time
Brevard Brevard Elementary More At Four
Cary Bright Horizons At Preston Corners
Bright Horizons Family Solutions
Chapel Hill Estes Hills School-Age Care Program
Frank Porter Graham School-Age Care
Program
McDougle School Age Care Program
Paul Yazejian's Home Day Care
Charlotte Oaklawn Elementary ASEP
The Jewish Preschool On Sardis
Ida's Child Development Center
Hawk Ridge Elementary ASEP
Neighborhood Day Care Home
Tae Boo Kiddie
Sand's Day Care
Cherryville Home Away From Home
Climax A Special Place...For Infants And
Toddlers
Clinton Precious Child Day Care
Concord A. T. Allen Kids: Plus
Dallas Cline Learning Center Of Dallas III
Little Angel's Preschool
Kennedy's Kids Kare
Willie's Development Home For Kids
Dobson Dobson Elementary School Pre-K School
Ready
Durham Brown's Day Care
Yates Baptist Child Development Center
Bright Beginnings
Gray's Small Wonders Daycare
Eden Patricia's Precious Moments
Edenton Pasquotank / Camden Head Start
Gastonia Children Of Excellence Christian Child
Care
Greensboro Lindley Elementary Preschool
Joey's Room (Room At The Inn Of The
Triad)
Hendersonville Glenn Marlow PSam-PSpm-Plus
Hickory Shuford Elementary Kid Connection
Bugs And Butterflies Child Care
Indian Trail Porter Ridge Elementary After School
Jacksonville Kiddin' Around
Above Average Childcare
Luv 4 Kids
Jefferson Mountain View Elementary Pre-K
4-H Westwood Afterschool
Jonesville Jonesville Out-Of-School-Time Program
Kings Mountain Brown's Little Shepherds
Step By Step Development Child Care
Lexington Pickett Primary School
Lincolnton Mrs. Peg's Care For God's Precious Gifts
Lumber Bridge Sandy Grove Elementary Pre-K Program
Midway Park D & S First Step Daycare
Monroe Marshville Elementary Afterschool
Mooresville Shepherd Prime Time For Kids
Lakeshore Prime Time For Kids
Lake Norman Prime Time For Kids
Morven Loving Care Day Care Home
Newton Longview Elementary Kid Connection
Startown Elementary Kid Connection
St. Stephens Elementary Kid Connection
Southwest Elementary Kid Connection
Clyde Campbell Elementary Kid Connection
Pendleton Willis Hare Elementary School
Raleigh Edenton Street United Methodist Child
Dev. Ctr.
Randleman Level Cross Elementary School Pre-K
Red Springs South Hoke Elementary Pre-K Program
Salisbury Troy Head Start Center
Shelby Chosen Ones
Siler City Goldston Head Start
Siler City Head Start
Spindale Carver Head Start
Statesville Sharon Prime Time For Kids
Tarboro Roberson Elementary School
Trinity Honeycomb Kids
Winston Salem Children's Choice Learning Center
Children First
Unique Wonders Child Care
Yadkinville Yadkinville Out-Of-School-Time Program
Non-Profit Organization
US Postage
PAID
Permit 177
Chapel Hill, NC
Addressee: Please share ATN! with your colleagues.
Reaching the 5 Stars New 5-Star Programs
Programs awarded April 2005 through August 2005 or not previously listed.
Please note: Partnerships for Inclusion does not compile this list. It comes from the Division of Child Development.