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Arts HESE TYPES OF EXPERIENCES are a natural part of the world of a preschooler who is full of curiosity and the need to express what he hears, sees, and feels. As educators, we know that young children learn best through multi-sensory experiences that are based on chil-dren’s interests. Teaching practices that integrate the arts—creative movement, drama, music, visual art—provide numerous opportunities for multi-sensory experiences. Such experiences stim-ulate children to express themselves openly and, at the same time, enhance skill development. The flexibility of the arts provides a natural link for supporting the participation and develop-ment of children with disabilities. Moving or dancing to a favorite recording might mean wiggling toes, tapping fingers, nodding the head, clapping, or turning one’s wheel chair round and round. By modeling a non-judgmen-tal, non-competitive atmosphere that respects individual ability and self-expression, we can help the children in our care develop a positive self-concept and mutual respect for others. If someone asked you to draw a picture, what would you say? Many adults respond by saying, “I’m not creative. I don’t know how to draw. I’m not talented.” However, there are those who would argue that every person is creative. All of us, through our mere existence, solve the challenges of everyday life creatively. We are given parameters from which we must go forward. This is especially true for educators who are challenged constantly to meet the diverse needs of the children in their care— creatively. As you consider integrating the arts into your daily curriculum, remind yourself that you are creative! Remember, the arts can provide a natural method to help children • practice making choices • learn risk-taking skills • learn to feel proud of their own expressions and creations • explore new materials and ideas • learn to appreciate and respectfully accept the expressions of others by Belinda Hardin, director of special projects for Chapel Hill Training Outreach and author of numerous early childcare publications Vol. III, 3 Providing Quality Care & Education for All Children Imagine… Looking at clouds and seeing dinosaurs racing across the sky. Singing your favorite song as you jump, hop, and run around the room. Pretending your doll is eating lunch with you. She prefers pizza. See “Methods,” page 3 Tools for Learning T 2 • All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 from the Editor’s Pen BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS ISSUE of All Together Now!, people all around the globe will be reading it too—via the World Wide Web. ATN! will become Partnerships for Inclusion’s first venture into cyberspace. You can access ATN! by pointing your browser to <http://www.fpg.edu/alltogethernow>. By incorporating a wonderful new technology called portable document format, or PDF, what you see on your computer screen will look just like what you see on paper. When you go to the ATN! page for the first time, you’ll be offered the oppor-tunity to download a free application called Adobe Acrobat Reader. This application will open All Together Now! (and any other PDF files you encounter in cyberspace). Later, a search engine included in the program will allow you to look for key words or phrases to find articles quickly. Hot links will take you to other articles with just the click of a button. Pretty cool, huh? We’re excited about it! The training calendar will include a hot link that will take you to Check-It- Out!, where you can find even more up-to-date training events than are listed in ATN! Eventually you’ll be able to register for those events on-line—or at least indicate an interest. Read Jennifer Ray’s article about Check-It-Out! on page 18 for more information. Partnerships for Inclusion will soon translate at least some of the articles in ATN! into Spanish for our largest-growing ethnic group in North Carolina. We are eager to provide information about quality child care to our new Spanish-speak-ing neighbors, and ATN! is proud to be an early vehicle. Let us know if you have a need in your community for Spanish translations of ATN! articles. ATN! Hits the Road I’ve been fortunate to be able to visit many of you in your workplaces across the state. Now I’m meeting even more of you as I travel to conferences—Early Intervention in New Bern, NCAEYC Annual Study Conference in Greensboro,the Second Annual Cultural Diversity in Durham, the B–K Coordinators Conference here in Chapel Hill, and the Leo Crogan Conference in Raleigh. Drop by the ATN! and PFI booths—I’d love to say howdy in person! What’s Inside When Bad News Is Best . . . . . .Parent . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 Five Star Folkmoot . . . . . . . . . .Feature . . . . . . . . . . . .6 Dreams to Reality . . . . . . . . . . .Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 Combining Arts . . . . . . . . . . . . .Activity . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Training Events . . . . . . . . . . . . .Calendar . . . . . . . . . .10 QuickNotes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Announcement . . . . .13 Healthy Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Research . . . . . . . . . .14 Early Connections . . . . . . . . . . .Announcement . . . . .15 SibKids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Help on the Web . . . .15 Books . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Reviews . . . . . . . . . . .16 Tell Us Why . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Parents . . . . . . . . . . .18 Check-It-Out . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Interactive Calendar . .18 Kids ‘n Computers . . . . . . . . . .Reviews . . . . . . . . . . .19 Arts & Artists on the Road . . . . .Schedule . . . . . . . . . .20 Editor, Molly Weston Designer, Gina Harrison Editorial Board & Contributing Agencies Kathy Baars NC Public Schools Early Childhood/Exceptional Children Kathy Brownfield NC Division of Maternal & Child Health Susan Byerly NC Public Schools Instructional Services Karen Chester NC Interagency Coordinating Council for Children Ages Birth to Five with Special Needs Shirley Geissinger Family Support Network of NC Mike Mathers Head Start ,Chapel Hill Training Outreach Ron Moore Head Start Duncan Munn Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services Robin Rooney NC Division for Early Childhood, a division of the Council for Exceptional Children Tom Vitaglione NC Division of Maternal and Child Health Pat Wesley Partnerships for Inclusion, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, UNC-CH All Together Now! is published quarterly on recycled paper. Letters, contributions, or reprint requests should be sent to All Together Now! 521 South Greensboro Street, Suite 100 Carrboro NC 27510 919/966-0059 FAX 919/966-0862 email Molly_Weston@unc.edu 14,000 copies of All Together Now! were printed at a cost of 60¢ each. Photo Credits 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Don Trull 3, 5–7, 18 . . . . . . . . . . .Molly Weston 10–12, 14, 19 . . . . . . .Gina Harrison 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Pat Wesley All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 • 3 Different areas of the arts benefit young chil-dren. Included below are suggestions for inte-grating the arts in planning daily activities for young children in group care. Creative Movement Through body movements, children can express their unique feelings or interpretations as inspired by music, ideas, or concepts. Movement increases body awareness and supports motor development. Although music or a drum beat may provide the rhythm, each child decides on the amount of muscular force she will put forth and the movements that feel most comfortable to perform. Body awareness is heightened during movement activities as a child learns about the parts of the body, how they function, and the ways the body can be moved. Spatial awareness—how the body relates to the environment—also increases. This includes awareness of the different directions the body can move (backwards, forwards, sideways), the levels at which movements can occur (low, high), and the range in which the movements can be done (small muscle movements, large muscle movements). When integrating creative movement activities into your daily planning • Look for natural opportunities to include move-ment such as when the children are making a transition from one activity to another. • Make sure there is enough space for each child to move comfortably. • Predetermine a cue for stopping and starting, such as “freeze,” a drum beat, holding up a sign (red light/green light). Practice the cues several times before beginning the activity. • Provide closure by winding down with a simple exercise such as melting to the floor. Drama Drama is participation in an imaginary environ-ment. When actively involved in an imaginary environment, each child expresses her own dramatic interpretation and response to various stimuli. Listening skills, conceptual abilities, and communication skills are reinforced through drama activities. Drama can occur as an unstructured, improvised activity or as a rehearsed performance. Improvised drama can be an especially effective method of introducing preschoolers to new concepts. For example, children can learn the items needed for tooth care by using puppets that are visiting a store. As the teacher, you can provide lead-in sentences to stimulate the puppets’ responses. Providing props for dress-up play so children can act out their observations of the world is another form of drama. When integrating drama activities into your daily planning • Supply plenty of props for imaginary play that represent a variety of the children’s interests. • Make sure there is adequate play space. • Encourage, but do not force, participation in dramatic activities. Channel energetic or shy students appropriately. • Video tape the children’s imaginary play for a family night event. • Keep a supply of puppets on hand. Almost any subject can be made into a puppet story simply by asking lead-in questions. Music Music is creative expression through sound. As sounds are presented, each child experiences a unique world that includes moods, pitches, rhythms, and a form of communication with oneself and/or others. Through singing, playing instruments, or listening to music, children develop auditory memory skills and thereby expand their capacity to memorize words, phrases, or whole passages. By listening to instrumental music, children may also increase their nonverbal memorization skills by internal-izing pitches and rhythms. Playing instruments and/or moving to music provides opportunities for interactive group participation as well as motor skill development. When integrating music activities into your daily planning • Adapt familiar melodies with new words that reflect the children’s interests. • Teach a new song to students by saying the words and melody one line at a time, rhythmi-cally, and asking the children to repeat them. • Make a variety of multicultural rhythm instru-ments readily available to children. • Encourage children to bring music from home to share. This is a good opportunity to support the cultural heritage of all children in your class. Methods…continu…ed from …page 1………………………… See “Visual,” page 4 Art, music and motion—all together now! 4 • All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 Visual Arts Through visual arts, children can create a symbol or group of symbols that express an idea or feel-ing. As children enjoy cutting, pasting, drawing, painting, and manipulating objects to design their creations, they are reinforcing fine motor skills. They also learn about spatial relationships, shapes, colors, and size discrimination. Pictures, sculptures, and other artwork may provide insight about the child’s feelings, acceptance of self, and relationship to others. When integrating visual arts activities into your daily planning • Make sure the children have choices of colors and materials. • Provide adequate space and time for doing the activity. • Encourage exploration and experimentation as the children use art materials. • Ask the children about their finished creations. • Display artwork at the children’s eye level. • Display artwork attractively and with care. The care you take will help children feel good about their creative work and help them develop a sense of art appreciation for other people’s products. One of our most important jobs as educators is to provide a positive role model for young chil-dren. Because the arts are, by their definition, expressions of self, they provide numerous opportunities for us to demonstrate respect and acceptance of individual differences. In the words of Socrates, “Education is the kindling of a flame.” Through the arts, we can support each child (each flame) to be confident and positive about who they are and what they think. Activities Invite children to pretend to be… • a paintbrush using their heads as the tip of the brush. Have fun moving in circles and lines of different sizes. • wearing magic shoes (or socks) that go to a land where everything moves sideways. • melting ice animals—such as flamingos, monkeys, and elephants. • instruments or machines— such as staplers, scissors, or a computer mouse. • make magic potions. Children will have fun suggesting different colors, substances, tastes, and smells as they pretend to stir their potions. Dim the lights and project a bright light on a wall for shadow dancing to multicultural music. Supply large pieces of shiny fabrics for capes, sunglasses, and brightly colored hats to pretend to go on a space adventure. Meet the sock family puppets and learn about family members as the children describe similarities and differences. Visual…continu…ed from… page 3………………………… Marbled-paper painting by Charlotte, age 3 All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 • 5 Preparation Read our file before you talk to us. After my daughter was born, my husband and baby went to ICU and I went to recovery. Very soon, a nurse came to my bedside and asked if anyone had told me that something was wrong with my baby. I had known for fourteen weeks about the micro-cephaly and hydrocephalus, so I assumed she meant something other than that—something worse—something life threatening. Fortunately, my mother was there to ask the right questions and figure out that the nurse just thought the baby didn’t look right. If she had taken thirty seconds to check my chart she could have seen my history—and I wouldn’t have had to live through one of the worst moments in my life. She meant well. She meant to inform, but she didn’t do her homework. Assurance Be sure that I understand what you are telling me—otherwise I may have heard only what I wanted to hear. When the neurosurgeon examined my newborn daughter’s cat scan, he told me that the area of her brain where cysts of cerebral fluid replaced brain tissue was the area of the brain where vision is controlled. Did I hear that the rest of her brain was small and malformed—or that brain function can shift around so as to be unpredictable? No! I heard: If she can see, she’s OK. Because my daughter was tracking objects with her eyes, I went happily to her next checkup fully expecting to be told that she was going to be just fine. Boy, was it tough driving two and a half hours from the hospi-tal back home. I felt my heart breaking all over again for the little girl sound asleep in her car seat beside me. It was like I fell off a cliff, and halfway down I managed to grab on to a tree limb, claw my way back up to the top, only to have the branch snap in two just before I got to safety! I’m still free falling—still looking for branches. Please, if you have one to offer, make sure it is strong enough to hold. Sometimes child care providers are the first to recognize developmental delays or disabilities in young children. Sometimes a medical professional identifies special needs at birth or during early infancy.Nobodywants to tell parents their child may have developmental disabilities. Parents don’twant to hear about difficulties with their child—but good parenting means accepting children for whoever they are—and doing everything possible to help them succeed.Raleigh mother Lee Ann Manausa reinforces this theory in her story. When Bad News Is Best by Lee Ann Manausa WHEN I WAS TWENTY WEEKS PREGNANT, my husband and I did not want to hear that our baby had hydrocephalus. We did not want to hear that the odds were only one in three that a baby with hydrocephalus was normal. We did not want to hear, at the subse-quent ultra sounds sessions, that the prognosis was getting worse as our daughter’s head size slipped further; but, had we not been informed, prepared, and counseled, we would have had an even more difficult time making decisions on the course of treatment when she was born. So—what do we want to hear? We want to hear that our daughter’s brain has miraculously healed itself. My guess is that we’re not going to hear that particular news. The question then shifts from “what do we want to hear?” to “how is the best way to tell us what we have to hear?” As profes-sionals, the news you have to share may not always be good. As a parent, I expect four things from you as you deliver that information to me. Honesty You won’t help me by softening or skirting around the truth in an effort to spare my feelings. I have to provide for my child’s needs. The only way I can do that is to know what are her abilities, needs, and strengths. Sure, I didn’t want to hear that my two and a half-year-old was at a sixth month level for oral language. But hearing that information motivated me to push harder for speech therapy and to acquire augmentative communication to, hopefully, help her learn to speak. Explanations Qualify what the information you are sharing means. Give me a worst and best case scenario. This will prepare me for the worst—while allowing me to hope and work for the best. I have never been told what I may or may not expect from my daughter as she becomes a teenager or young adult. It is my responsibility to plan for my child’s future. I need to know the range of what to expect so that I can plan adequately for her needs. I do not ask you to predict her future in specific terms; however, we all know children who accomplish much more—and much less—than expected. Giving me an idea of the range of her needs will help me accept what I need to do to give her the brightest possible future. 6 • All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 costumes as college-aged dancers got into place for their entrance. Suddenly, a welcoming static burst from the loudspeakers—Folkmoot ’97 sprang to life! Elizabeth Feichter, a Haywood County music teacher, welcomed the groups and introduced the collaborating sponsors. She then identified the local children’s groups and they, in turn, performed the contemporary American welcome dance—the Macarena—in which the laughing young Polish dancers quickly joined. Exotically dressed dancers glided, stomped, and kicked their way through Polish folk dances���from the polonaise to the polka. After each demon-stration, dancers chose partners from the children sitting around them, matching their own long steps to the youngsters’ shorter ones. Soon, however, most of the visitors gath-ered their small partners in their arms, holding them aloft as they whirled gaily around the floor. Laughter and squeals marked time with the instruments from the six-piece Polish band. While the actual visit by the dancers and musicians was the focal point of the event, Folkmoot was a very real learning experience for the children. With help from the Folkmoot investi-gators, who developed a children’s program much like an international coloring book, teachers coordinated curriculum plans well in advance of the event. “Everybody began listening to folk music from Poland, tasting Polish foods, and making costumes. Children love making things to wear, and the paper hats they’re wearing are replicas of some the dancers will wear,” Shelia Hoyle, executive director of Southwestern Child Development explained. “We all learn differently,” Sulina added. “Some children will remember their best geography lesson from dancing with these young people today. Others will think about Poland and its food whenever they drop powdered sugar in their laps,” she laughed. Indeed, the lessons were well learned— the visitors were delighted when the children shouted answers to ques-tions about Poland in a game. An eleven-day international festival draws folk dancers and musicians from all over the world to converge in Haywood County each July. The mountain community offers thousands of volunteer hours to make the festival a true melting pot of arts, humanities, and cultural heritage. Named one of the Top 20 Events by the Southeast Tourism Society for eleven consecutive years, Folkmoot USA is a prime example of collabo-ration of foundations, businesses, communities and organizations. Five-Star Folkmoot OLKMOOT IS A WELL-ESTABLISHED TRADITION in Western North Carolina, but the fourteenth international festival was special indeed. Jedliniok, a lively dance troop from Wroclaw, Republic of Poland performed for Haywood County children in a gala event hosted by the First Methodist Preschool in Waynesville. Preschoolers, typi-cally developing school age children, and children with special needs attended their own special festival in the church’s gymnasium. Other children who participated included those from two of Southwestern Child Develop-ment’s developmental day programs, private preschool programs, and the Haywood County foster care program children. Children who might not be able to attend Folkmoot—whether because of lack of funds, transportation or other reasons—became part of the festivities for one glorious day. Sulina George, developmental disabilities coordinator of the Southwestern Child Development Commission, virtually bubbled with enthusiasm about the project. “I grew up in India in a family that celebrated diversity—and learning new experiences. We wanted to include every child in our program in this marvelous cultural exchange.” With funding from a community foundation grant from the Asheville Community Foundation, and cooperation from Haywood County Public Schools, Southwestern Child Development, Folkmoot International Society, volunteers, and parents, an intense Children’s Folkmoot became a reality. Barely suppressed excitement snapped in the air as two hundred preschoolers from across Haywood County formed a half circle on the floor of the gymnasium. Whispers ignited the youngsters who glimpsed fur-trimmed velvet Folkmoot is old English for “meeting of the people.” Sulina George whirls her partner! Many of the visitors, too, were impressed with the inclusion of children with disabilities into the child care setting. Several of the young people stopped to ask Nancie and Shelia more about inclusion. They were glad to have the opportunity to explain. “We’ve found that many other coun-tries are not as progres-sive as we in inclusion,” Shelia said, “their chil-dren [with disabilities] may be institutionalized. Many of the visitors asked, ‘Are these kids just here—not put away?’” The women were obviously glad to share the joys these children bring to their families and caregivers! They were glad, too, to brag about the collaboration that works so successfully in their area. “Everybody wears a lot of hats—if we didn’t, we’d never in a lifetime get an opportunity like this,” Nancie confessed. Sulina added, “One thing that happens in a rural community with a small base of resources—folks are willing to cooperate to get a job done. We at Southwestern Child Development act as a clearinghouse for all sorts of children’s services. In our community this approach helps us stretch our resources further. We really do practice the collaborative model that North Carolina’s Smart Start program fosters. Our relationships with larger agen-cies— NC Division of Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities/Substance Abuse, local developmental disabilities and mental health agencies, public schools, and private preschool providers—are important to us, and we work hard to foster them.” The work is hard indeed when the object is an international festival in a rural community, but the collaboration and cooperation bring new mean-ing to the old phrase, “many hands make light work.” And the glowing faces of the children—and those of the young visitors from Poland—are true rewards for a job well done. – by MollyWeston All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 • 7 Children soon learned that many customs and games are universal—it’s just that their names are different in other languages. They learned a new circle game, “The Old Bear Is Sleeping,” very quickly—perhaps because it was very simi-lar to “The Farmer in the Dell.” The visitors encouraged everybody to participate in the games, but never embarrassed anyone who was hesitant. While only the most outgoing children volunteered early, soon it was hard to find an audience on the floor! There were plenty of on-lookers available though. Community volunteers brought Polish cookies and other refreshments. They walked through the groups serving their goodies, but occasionally stopping to twirl a child for part of a dance. A small group of elderly ladies came early to claim good seats in the center back. “No, we’re not part of any organization, my aunts just read about this in the newspaper and wanted to come,” the youngest of them responded to my question. One father followed his frolicking son, urging him to get ready to leave. He explained his appreciation for the day “Our son has autism, and we’re just delighted how he has responded to this—look, he’s really having a great time!” After a full morning of presentations, the dancers visited nearby St. Johns Learning Center, a developmental day center operated by Southwestern Child Development. Director Nancie Mehaffey and her staff provided a delicious sandwich buffet—and a huge welcome cake. The day of the visit corresponded with one of the dancer’s birthday. Nancie made a photo of the dancer and some of the children with her digital camera and later presented a copy to the birthday boy. All the visitors were impressed with the high-tech equipment available at a preschool. Program Feature All good things must come to an end! Making friends—and memories! 8 • All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 Tuesday evening’s opening session celebrated teachers and children. UNC Alumni Distinguished Professor of English Doris Betts, one of North Carolina’s most treasured authors, spoke of the influence of North Carolina’s teach-ers on many of its most famous citizens. She reminded the audience that we all share in the education and welfare of our children. Sonny Watts, a Winston-Salem artist whose woodblock drawings are featured throughout the Guide, was recognized for these contributions to the work. The Guide addresses four questions common to classroom teachers everywhere How do I get to know the children in my classroom? What do I teach? How do I teach? How do I assess the children in my classroom? Copies of the North Carolina Guide for the Early Years are available from DPI Publication Sales. Call 919/715-1018. Duplication of the document is encouraged with source citation included. The North Carolina Guide for the Early Years replaces Circle of Childhood. Input from literally hundreds of practitioners and educators across the state helps create the NORTH CAROLINA GUIDE FOR THE EARLY YEARS. Dreams to Reality by Becky Johnson Becky Johnson is a consultant on the Early Childhood Team with the NC Department of Instruction. Written for teachers of children in the state’s preschool and kindergarten programs, the Guide provides information to help teachers establish and maintain high quality programs for the children in their classrooms. Though the primary audience is early childhood teachers, the Guide also addresses principals and local administrators who supervise early childhood programs, as well as educators who provide inservice and teacher preparation programs. The Guide is the culmination of a process initiated by the Early Childhood Team of the Department of Public Instruction that began in 1994, when fifty educators met at Tanglewood, just outside Winston-Salem, to develop a guide for teachers in preschool programs. They reviewed curriculum mate-rials, the needs of children and their communities, and related research findings. From these discussions they developed position papers. Subsequent smaller groups reviewed the papers for alignment with the policies of the State Board of Education and synthesized the initial work. Three years later, after many versions, several revisions, and multiple changes suggested by literally hundreds of practitioners and educators, the North Carolina Guide for the Early Years emerged. Because the orientation session in Greensboro reached only a small portion of the early childhood audience the Early Childhood Team from DPI will provide one-day regional orientations throughout this year. THREE YEARS OF DEVELOPMENT ENDED when the orientation conference for the North Carolina Guide for the Early Years convened August 5–7 at the Holiday Inn–Four Seasons in Greensboro. More than four hundred teachers, child care providers, and other early childhood educators attended the three-day event introducing the Guide. All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 • 9 Painting Music Materials • watercolors, tempera or acrylic paints • paintbrushes • paper, matte board or canvas board • source of music, on tapes, CDs, or records Process 1. Select a special piece of music. These well-known classical pieces are great for painting. A librarian will help order and check out cassette tapes from a public library. Any kind of music is for painting—from contemporary rock music to jazz or traditional music from around the world to children’s favorite sing-alongs. • Bach – Brandenberg Concertos • Copeland – Appalachian Spring • Wagner – The Ride of the Valkyries • Saint-Saëns – Danse Macabre • Ravel – Bolero • Grofé – Grand Canyon Suite 2. With eyes closed, listen to the music selection for 5 or 10 minutes with-out doing anything else. Stretch out on the floor, if desired. Try to imag-ine what colors, lines and shapes can be used to show the feelings that the music creates. 3. Now listen to the music again while painting a picture of the sounds. Use lines, shapes and colors without trying to draw any particular object. Create an abstract design that is made up on the spot—an improvisation created without planning or sketching ahead of time. 4. Change the music selection and paint again. Look at the different results to different kinds of music. Reprinted with permission from Discovering Great Artists by MaryAnn F. Kohl and Kim Solga, Bright Ring Publishing, Inc., Bellingham WA 1997. Combining Arts Discovering Great Artists MaryAnn F. Kohl Kim Solga ISBN 0-935607-09-0 Bright Ring Publishing, Inc. OK, so you’ve visited the art museum. What now? This incredible hands-on guide offers ideas for young children to create art in the style of the great masters. Using a thumbnail biography and a pen and ink portrait, Kohl and Solga introduce more than seventy-five great artists to children. The authors have devised an activity in the style of each artist, and the activities are icon-coded for experience level, art technique, planning and prepara-tion, and artist style. A wonderful glossary and helpful charts round out this essential teaching tool. The authors graciously allowed ATN! to reprint an activity using both music and painting. This activity is rated easy to beginning, for artists with little art experience. It requires little planning and preparation from adults. The art technique is painting, and the style is abstract. We hope you’ll enjoy combining the arts in your classroom. Wassily Kandinsky 1866-1944 Kandinsky (can-DIN-skee) believed that simple pictures were like little melodies and complex paints were like grand symphonies. Wassily Kandinsky took music and art lessons as a child in Russia, but he did not become a professional artist until he was 30 years old. He gave up his job as a law professor and moved to Germany to study art. In those days, people thought that a drawing or painting had to look like its subject—the more realistic, the better. The Impressionist painters started to paint pictures that didn’t look exactly real. Kandinsky was the first artist to take the final step away from realism: he painted the first totally abstract pictures, paintings that were pure designs, and believed that colors and forms had meanings all their own. He was a musician as well as a painter, and thought of colors as music. Simple pictures were like little melodies to him. Complex paintings were like symphonies. He called many of his paintings “Improvisations,” mean-ing a song made up on the spot, not planned ahead of time. Young artists can enjoy the music of colors by letting imaginations fly while painting to music! review by MollyWeston Training Events 1997 DECEMBER 1 Winter Activities (20TA) Raleigh, Asbury Preschool Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) DECEMBER 1–2 Leo Croghan Conference Raleigh DECEMBER 2 Observing the Demo. Preschool at Project Enlightenment (21T) Raleigh, Project Enlightenment Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) DECEMBER 4 Winter Activities (22T) Raleigh, Project Enlightenment Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) DECEMBER 4 Helping a Child Develop Healthy Self-Esteem Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 TBA (D, F) DEC. 3, 10 Our Stories, Our Selves: Autobiographical Storytelling (12TC) Cary, Methodist Children's' Center Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) MARCH 3–4 Best Practices with Developmental Disabilities Conference Chapel Hill Contact: 919/966-5463 MARCH 5 Gender, Race, Culture & Giftedness Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 MARCH 5–6 PAIR Module I Winston-Salem Contact: Pam Chappell 919/966-3638 MARCH 6 Positioning/Mobility Gateway MARCH 12 The Impact of Divorce & Other Losses on a Child Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 MARCH 12–13 Needs, Dreams and IFSPS Morganton Contact: Becca Moon 704/438-6486 MARCH 12–13 Needs, Dreams and IFSPS Asheboro Contact: Anne McNally 910/375-0824 MARCH 12–13 NC Augmentative Communication Association Winston-Salem Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 MARCH 27 JANUARY 28–30 Orientation to Early Intervention Central Region Contact: Anne McNally 910/375-0824 TBA JANUARY 29 Teaching Social Skills to Young Spirited Children (28T) Raleigh, Project Enlightenment Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) FEBRUARY 5 Assistive Technology Level I Wilmington, Coastal AHEC Contact: Jan Rouse 910/251-5817 FEBRUARY 5 Does This Child Have AD/HD? What Then? Part 1 Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 FEBRUARY 6 Assistive Technology Video Teleconference Contact: Patsy Pierce 919/733-3654 FEBRUARY 12 DHR/DPI Teacher Licensure Training Southern Pines Contact: Lynn Graham 919/733-3654 FEBRUARY 12 Does This Child Have AD/HD? What Then? Part 2 Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 FEBRUARY 17, MARCH 3, 17 PAIR Module II 1998 JANUARY 6 Intro. to Medication Administration Butner, Murdoch Center Contact: Pat Holliday/Libby Newton 919/575-7986 JANUARY 8 Teaching Young Children the Language of Self Control (23T) Raleigh, Project Enlightenment Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) JANUARY 8 Putting Aggression to Constructive Use Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 TBA (D, F) JANUARY 8–9 Dr. Richard Solomon Workshop: Stanley Greenspan’s Approach to Autism Charlotte, UNC-Charlotte JANUARY 14 Art as a Process (24T) Raleigh, Project Enlightenment Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) JANUARY 15 Recognizing & Responding to Child Maltreatment Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 DECEMBER 4 Fine Motor Activities for Teachers & Occupational Therapists Greensboro, Moses Cone Hospital Greensboro AHEC Contact: 910/574-8212 NOVEMBER 21 Computers II Charlotte Contact: Meg Lemelin 704/786-9181 DECEMBER 1–2 Leo Croghan Conference Raleigh DECEMBER 4–5 Building Partnerships—Helping You Help Children Raleigh Contact:Tonia Rogers 919/856-7774 DECEMBER 5 Evaluating Young Children in Cases of Suspected Sexual or Physical Abuse: Advanced Forensic Interviewing Raleigh, Wake Medical Center Contact: Toni Chatman 919/250-8547 DECEMBER 12 PAIR Asheville Contact: Pam Chappell 919/966-3638 DECEMBER 11–12 Conference for Preschool Coordinators of LEA Exceptional Children's Programs Chapel Hill, Friday Center Contact: Trish Mengel 919/962-2001 MARCH 27 NECAT Positioning & Mobility Boone Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 or Maureen Schepis 704/438-6503 APRIL TBA Feeding Rocky Mount Contact Susan Henke 919/443-8858 APRIL 1 Escape from Deadly Training Morganton Contact: Becca Moon 704/438-6486 APRIL 2 Helping Step Families Come Together Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 APRIL 7, 21 PAIR Module II Winston-Salem Contact: Pam Chappell 919/966-3638 APRIL 16 Supporting the Adopted Child Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 APRIL 16–17 Collaborative Early Intervention- Early Childhood Conference Winston-Salem Contact: Patsy Pierce 919/733-3654 APRIL 23 How Therapeutic Preschools Help Children Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 APRIL 24 NECAT Feeding Concord Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 PAIR Module II Clinton, Sampson Community College Contact: Gloria Cates 919/559-5204 FEBRUARY 19 Cognition & Memory in Early Childhood Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 FEBRUARY 20 Level I AT TBA FEBRUARY 25 PFI On-Site Consultation Model Central Region Contact: Brenda Dennis 919/962-7359 FEBRUARY 27 Level I AT Concord/Charlotte Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 or Meg Lemelin 704/786-9181 FEBRUARY 27–28 Parent-Professional conference Asheville Contact: Dave Wilks 704/257-4481 MARCH TBA Early Intervention-Early Childhood Forum Teleconference MARCH TBA Early Intervention & Autism Conference MARCH TBA Positioning & Mobility Elizabeth City Contact: Valerie Mitchell 919/338-4044 MARCH TBA Disability-Specific Classroom Strategies Partnerships for Inclusion Contact: Brenda Coleman 919/962-7364 Contact: 919/677 1400 TBA (D, F) JANUARY 15-16 PAIR Module I Clinton, Sampson Community College Contact: Gloria Cates 919/559-5204 JANUARY 15 & 22 Attention Deficit Disorder: An Overview (25T) Raleigh, Project Enlightenment Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) JANUARY 22 Fears & Phobias in Young Children Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 JANUARY 23 ICC Meeting Greensboro JANUARY 23–24 Parent Professional Conference Greenville Contact: Gloria Cates 919/559-5204 JANUARY 28–30 Orientation to Early Intervention Asheboro Contact: Anne McNally 910/375-0824 JANUARY 27 Observing the Demo. Preschool at Project Enlightenment (26T) Raleigh, Project Enlightenment Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) JANUARY 28 Spotlight on Toddlers: Music, Movement, Cooking, & Interactive Games (27T) Raleigh, Project Enlightenment Contact: Mary Snow Crowley 919/508-0811 TBA (D, F) More 1998 Training APRIL 24 ICC Meeting Greenville APRIL 24 Feeding Gateway Contact: Paula Justice 910/375-2575 APRIL 24 Feeding Concord Contact: Meg Lemelin 704/786-9181 APRIL 27–28 PFI On-Site Consultation Model Contact: Sandy Steele 919/559-5156 MAY TBA Best Practices in Developmental Disabilities Conference Chapel Hill MAY TBA Communication Level I MAY 1 PAIR Module II Winston-Salem Contact: Pam Chappell 919/966-3638 MAY 1–2 Parent-Professional Conference Asheville Contact: Dave Wilks 704/257-4481 MAY 4-6 Orientation to Early Intervention Hickory Contact: Becca Moon 704/438-6486 MAY 7 Encouraging Language Development Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 MAY 14 Childhood Bereavement Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 MAY 14–15 Needs, Dreams & IFSPs Burlington Contact: Anne McNally 910/375-0824 MAY 21, 22, 28, 29 PAIR Module III, Raleigh Contact: Pam Chappell 919/966-3638 MAY 21 Television & Other Sources of Overstimulation Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 MAY 28 English as a Second Language Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood Contact: 919/677-1400 MAY 29 Communication I Cullowhee Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 or Janis Bing 704/274-2400, ext. 4030 JUNE TBA Computers Level I New Bern Contact: Nancy Perdue 919/514-4770 JUNE 12 Computer I Greensboro JUNE 12–14 NCDCA State Conference High Point JUNE 18 PAIR Module III, Raleigh Contact: Pam Chappell 919/966-3638 JUNE 26 Computers I Morganton Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 JUNE 26 ICC Meeting Hickory JUNE 26 Computers I Morganton Contact: Patrick Bartholomew 704/438-6503 JUNE 26–27 Needs, Dreams & IFSPs Kinston Contact: Gloria Cates 919/559-5204 JULY TBA ATRC Training Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 AUGUST TBA ATRC Training Jane Radford 919/967-5092 SEPTEMBER 25 Level II at Concord Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 OCTOBER 10 Communication II Asheville Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 NOVEMBER 20 Computers II Morganton Contact: Jane Radford 919/967-5092 Types of Credit Offered A Infant Toddler Personnel Certificate B Preschool Handicapped Licensure C B-K Licensure D Teacher Renewal E Nursing/Continuing Education F Child Care Training Credit G General CEUs This product was developed in response to needs expressed by early childhood and early intervention consultants across North Carolina: to be able to answer simple questions about early childhood inclusion and to provide quick, written resources on various topics related to quality child care. Guided by a survey of more than 300 child care licensing consultants, early interventionists, and public school coordinators about priority topics for QuickNotes, PFI staff created the portable, modular set. QuickNotes modules are organized by topic in a three-ring notebook with a table of contents listing the subtopics for that particular module, numerous information sheets, and a resource list. All ten notebooks are stored in a portable plastic crate. Nine of the notebooks contain both English and Spanish versions of the module. (To access the Spanish version, you simply flip the notebook from top to bottom!) QuickNotes provides critical content related to quality child care in an easy-to-use format that is designed to be copied and distributed. This resource is not a curriculum or textbook and is not organized by topical importance for early childhood settings. Some handouts may provide All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 • 13 PFI Introduces… PARTNERSHIPS FOR INCLUSION is pleased to announce the publication of a product that has been in the works for two years! QuickNotes is a ten-module information set covering a broad range of topics related to quality child care in a variety of settings. Terminology applies to a broad audience of direct service providers who serve young children with and without disabilities and their families—child care providers, family child care providers, early interventionists, preschool teachers, developmental day teachers, and assistants. QuickNotes Inclusion Resources for Early Childhood Professionals only introductory information. At the end of each module is a list of related print materials, many of which may be borrowed from the North Carolina Early Intervention Library. Each child care consultant with the Division of Child Development will have a copy of QuickNotes. For more information about QuickNotes, contact Sabrina Tyndall Special Projects Coordinator Partnerships for Inclusion CB #8185, UNC-CH Campus Chapel Hill, NC 27599 Phone 919/966-7174 Fax 919/966-0862 Email: sabrinatyndall@unc.edu We hope QuickNotes will be a valu-able resource in your efforts to enhance the quality of child care for all children. Please let us hear your comments and reactions as you use this product. –by PatWesley, director of Partnerships for Inclusion THE HEALTHY STEPS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN PROGRAM at UNC Hospitals’ Ambulatory Care Center offers a new approach to health care for the whole child, going beyond traditional pediatric medical care to emphasize chil-dren’s intellectual and emotional development. Services offered by the pediatric clinic will include home visits if desired, help from a Healthy Steps specialist trained in child development, a child health development record for parents to maintain, tele-phone information lines, and parent support groups. Healthy Steps was developed by the New York City-based Commonwealth Fund to help parents by fostering close relationships between them and pediatric practitioners. The fund is a philan-thropy that sponsors health and social research. Funded by a Duke Endowment grant, the clinic is one of fifteen nationwide to be included in a three-year study by Johns Hopkins University to examine the program’s cost effectiveness, as well as parents’ satisfaction with results. A survey of more than 2000 parents with chil-dren under age three, commissioned by the Commonwealth Fund, found that parents wanted more information, services, and attention from doctors to help insure healthy growth and devel- 14 • All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 opment of their children. The survey also found that parents who received special services such as home visits after birth were more satisfied with doctors’ care than those who did not receive such services. The Commonwealth Fund and local organizations support Healthy Steps. The fund also sponsors curriculum develop-ment at Boston University School of Medicine and evaluation by Johns Hopkins faculty. The American Academy of Pediatrics is a co-sponsor. Healthy Steps Program team members at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine and UNC Hospitals include principal investigator Dr. Jacob Lohr, associate chair for ambulatory programs and chief of community pediatrics; Dr. Rebecca Socolar, co-principal investigator and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics; and program coordinator Sandy Fuller, research associate at the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention. Healthy Steps physicians are Angie Sidler, Lynne Morgan, Steve Downs, Socolar, and ten resident doctors. Other UNC health-care providers involved are Carla Fenson, Sandy Fuller, Dr. Peter Margolis, Kathy Cheek, and Viva Combs. —by David Williamson, director of research news at UNC News Services Healthy Steps Enrollment Families may enroll in Healthy Steps when their children are born at UNC Hospitals. If Ambulatory Care Center is the health care provider, families may enroll at the clinic before the baby is twenty-eight days old. Currently forty-six families are enrolled in Healthy Steps. For more information, contact Sandy Fuller at 919/966-9914. All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 �� 15 by Pam Winton &Susan Valiquette ARE YOU A FAMILY MEMBER OR PROFESSIONAL with expertise or a story to share? Do you know someone who is? Family Support Network/Central Directory of Resources is looking for families and professionals with knowledge and experience about special needs, diversity issues, English as a second language, screening and assessment, community collaboration and other topics to become part of their new Early Connections directory. Early Connections is a new state-wide initiative whose purpose is to develop an extensive database of training partners. Central Directory of Resources staff will facilitate matches between people with expertise in early childhood topics and faculty, trainers, and adminis-trators who are looking for assistance and training partners. Over the last ten years, many individual personnel development projects and initiatives have been developed and implemented across North Carolina. Because these projects were not coordinated through a central sponsor, many individuals who participated or were trained through these programs have virtually disappeared as resources. Early Connections is seeking to re-identify these individuals, and others, and make them a part of a statewide resource network. Many trainers and administrators across the state need access to human resources (families, practitioners, and individuals representing diversity of discipline, background, and experience) who might become training partners with them to ensure that personnel develop-ment efforts reflect an interdisciplinary, community-based, family-centered approach. A comprehensive survey will be the tool for gathering information—from area of expertise to geographic availability, from level of participation (panel member, presenter, facilitator, mentor, or telephone resource only) to reimbursement required. This information will be used to match conference planners, university or community college faculty, program administrators, trainers—virtually anyone looking for an expert in any area of early child-hood— with human resources who can respond to their needs. You can help this innovative effort in several ways. First, if you have expertise in a particular area and would be willing to share, Early Connections needs you. Second, if you know of someone else willing to share their expertise, please ask them to respond to the survey. For further information about Early Connections, call Family Support Network/Central Directory of Resources at 800/852-0042 or email <cdr@med.unc.edu>. Pam Winton is a research investigator at FPG, where she directs the Research to Practice strand of the National Center for Early Development & Learning. Susan Valiquette runs the Central Directory of Resources (CDR) at Family Support Network. SibKids THE SIBLING SUPPORT PROJECT of Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, Washington has a new website and listserv. SibNet and SibKids are the Internet's only listservs for and about brothers and sisters of people with special health, developmental, and emotional needs. Both SibKids (for younger brothers and sisters) and SibNet (for older siblings) allow broth-ers and sisters an opportunity to share information and discuss issues of common interest with their peers from around the world. SibKids and SibNet are also interesting to parents, service providers, and others interested in the well-being of siblings. For a no-cost subscription and to learn more about SibKids and SibNet, visit the Sibling Support Project's newly updated Web Page at <http://www.chmc.org/departmt/sibsupp>. To learn more about SibKids, SibNet, or the work of the Sibling Support Project, contact Don Meyer Sibling Support Project Children's Hospital & Medical Center PO Box 5371, CL-09 Seattle, WA 98105-0371 Phone: 206-368-4911 Fax: 206-368-4816 email: dmeyer@chmc.org website: http://www.chmc.org/departmt/sibsupp direct link to SibNet: http://www.chmc.org/departmt/sibsupp/ sibnet.htm direct link to SibKids: http://www.chmc.org/departmt/sibsupp/ sibkids1.htm Experience Trainers Early Connections Links 16 • All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 Baby Duck and the Bad Eyeglasses Amy Hest illustrated by Jill Barton Candlewick Press ISBN 1-56402-680-9 Baby Duck is absolutely inconsolable about her new eyeglasses! She doesn’t look like herself anymore, and they really cramp her style when she goes on an outing with her parents. Only when her kindly grandfather comes for a visit does Baby Duck see the advantages to her glasses. This beautifully illustrated, oversized storybook is so much more than a pleasure to read: It shows how children with disabilities react to their assistive technology, and it shows the special relationship that young children have to their older relatives. The lovely pencil and watercolor pictures will brighten a rainy after-noon— or recall the pleasures of spring. A Child’s Book of Art: Great Pictures, First Words Selected by LucyMicklethwait Doring Kindersley ISBN 1-56458-203-5 Lucy Micklethwait has selected more than one hundred exquisite paintings from museums all over the world to illustrate a dictionary for very young children. Families, pets, concepts, senses, emotions, colors, work, play— everything that touches people through the ages is featured in this magnifi-cent oversized book. The lunch picture is “One of the Family,” which shows a farm family at table, with their work horse sticking his head in over the top of the Dutch door. The mother is actually holding something for him to Spot a Cat ISBN 0-7894-0144-4 Spot a Dog ISBN 0-7894-0145-2 LucyMicklethwait Doring Kindersley By combining children’s favorite “I Spy” with some of the world’s most beloved paintings Micklethwait takes even the tiniest children on a tour of fabulous art galleries—and she makes the tour interactive! Familiar animals hide in each painting, and finding the dog or cat will give way to many questions— about dress, transportation, lifestyles, people, and culture. Older children will notice differences in color, tech-nique, and style. These marvelous companion books will take you and your children on a fabulous journey without leaving the comfort of your reading chair! Reviews Book by MollyWeston eat, while the dog waits patiently for his turn. This homely scene is juxta-posed against the featured dinner of “The King of Portugal and John of Gaunt,” a 15TH century French manuscript illustration. The king and his entourage, who are dressed in rich colors, are seated at a formal table with waiters, musicians, rich colors on the walls and floors, and opulent decora-tions. This book will provide hours of entertaining learning for children of all ages. All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 • 17 A Child’s Book of Lullabies with paintings by Mary Cassatt Compiled by Shona McKellar ISBN 0-7894-1507-0 Doring Kindersley Why didn’t somebody think about this book sooner! Lullabies are ubiquitous to all cultures—moth-ers sing them in every language. Mary Cassatt is probably best known for her impressionist paintings of mothers and children. What could possibly make a better book for children and the people who love them? Thirteen favorite lullabies—from “Cum By Yah” to “Lullaby and Good Night” to “Hush, Little Baby”—with all the verses in large type, and a simple-to-play music score are beautifully matched with a full-page reproduction of a Cassatt pastel. A brief biography of America’s first interna-tionally famous woman artist makes the book even more special. The Maestro Plays Bill Martin Jr. Illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky Voyager Books, Harcourt Brace & Company ISBN 0-15-201217-6 Surely the author and illustrator of this grand book didn’t read this issue of All Together Now! before publishing��but they did incorporate many of the ideas for movement and art projects. Words such as “reachingly, zippingly, clippingly, pippingly, and slowly” describe a musician’s style so vividly that children will be inspired to mimic the antics of the maestro. Strong primary colors and distinctive typography highlight the words and give clues to their meaning. This will be a marvelous transition tool from a movement activity to art project. Phoebe’s Fabulous Father Louisa Campbell Illustrated by Bridget Starr Taylor Harcourt Brace & Company ISBN 0-15-200996-5 Phoebe and her mom race all over Cloud Valley running errands. It’s Saturday, and the family has a concert tonight—Phoebe plays violin, Mom plays viola, and Dad plays cello. Like many children, Phoebe wishes her dad would spend less time working and more time playing—with her. As their errands take them around the city, Phoebe begins to see how impor-tant her dad is just the way he is and how important she is to him. The lovely chalk pastel and acrylic illustrations will foster marvelous discus-sions about families, music, love, and children. Books reviewed in All Together Now! may be borrowed from the NC Early Intervention Library. To check out books, contact Clara Hunt 300 Enola Road Morganton NC 28655 704/433-2670 NORTH CAROLINA NETWORK OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY EQUIPMENT LOAN PROGRAMS’ CHECK-IT-OUT (CIO) is a coordinated effort to streamline the loan of assistive technology equipment to North Carolinians with disabilities, their families, and their service providers. The goal of this statewide network is to increase accessibility to adaptive devices by combining inventory and loan information from existing loan programs to a site on the World Wide Web. This strategy offers borrowers and/or their service providers an efficient means for locating and requesting equipment loans from across the state. The CIO web site can be visited using a computer with Internet access. The site features a searchable inventory of equipment, search results that show equipment located closest to the borrower, and e-mail messaging to start the loan process. On-line instruc-tions guide users through these activities. Another important feature of Check-It-Out is a comprehensive training calendar—just like the one in All Together Now! Because Check-It-Out is on-line, it can be more up to date. Point your browser to <http://www.check-it-out.org/calendar.html>. Soon it will be possible to register for training on-line. 18 • All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 BEFORE WE ENROLLED OUR DAUGHTER, Karen, in child care, we looked at different programs trying to find the one that offered the best early child hood experiences and the best teachers. I was adamant that Karen have at least one setting where she was treated like a typical kid. Because she has spina bifida, we see a lot of specialists. I wanted the child care program to be a place where we could escape from the disability focus. So when the program director asked me to sign an information request form so she could get a copy of Karen’s Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and other records, I refused. I wanted the child care program staff to treat Karen like all of the other kids—this was the one setting where I hoped her disability wouldn’t be the primary concern. A few months later, Karen’s teacher asked again if I would be willing to share the IFSP. She explained that it would help her develop better lesson plans if she knew more about what Karen could do and which skills we were working on. That was the first time I realized that Karen’s special needs could be incorporated into the games and activities that happened in child care. Although still a little reluctant, I signed the form to give my permission. Now I wish that at the very beginning the director had explained why it was important for them to have Karen’s IFSP and how they were going to use it. You can’t blame parents for wanting to protect their child’s (and their own) privacy. I would suggest that before child care providers ask parents to sign a request for information, they are sure the parent understands how it will be used. I remember being offended when asked to release Karen’s records, and I am sure that other parents feel the same way. I refused to sign the request the first time because I thought it would turn child care into one more special service, and I never thought that having more information about Karen’s needs could actually make the child care setting a better place for my daughter. Tell Us Why Is it play or speech therapy? For more information on the Check-It-Out project, contact Jennifer Ray Project Administrator 704/336-6630 (jray@check-it-out.org) Sonya Van Horn Coordinating Agency 919/850-2787 (svanhorn@check-it-out.org) Patsy Pierce State AT Consultant 919/733-3654 (ppierce@check-it-out.org) Reprinted from CHILD CARE plus+,Missoula, MT. Jennifer Ray is the project administrator for Check-It-Out! and an assistive technology specialist for Mecklenburg County Preschool Services in Charlotte. Check-It-Out by Jennifer Ray All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3 • 19 The Jolly Post Office based on Janet &Allan Ahlberg’s bestselling books DKMultimedia This CD offers a plethora of games to entertain and teach, each at three levels of difficulty. Inside the post office, a child clicks on an object to take her to the activity of her choice. Tristin reports, “My favorite is the broken packages that you put together like a puzzle. You see, you drag the pieces to where they belong.” Then the completed package zips into the outgoing mail, and another set of pieces takes its place. Tristin also enjoyed two other areas where he exhibited his own creativ-ity— the print shop, where he produced a party invitation, and the stamp shop, where he designed his own stamp. Tristin watched his color printer, with barely concealed excitement, “Here it comes, here it comes! Oh wow! You’re gonna love this!” Everybody’s standby favorite game, concentration, has an updated twist—if you match all the pieces before your time runs out, you get to see what the postman was dreaming about while you helped him sort the letters. Amazing Animals DKMultimedia Tristin also enjoys this marriage of real and computer-generated animals. When asked to make a choice between the two, he replied, “Both are my favorites.” Henry the gecko (computer generated) narrates the CD and guides children through the lively activities. Tristin enjoyed matching animal moms to their babies, but his favorite seemed to be the photo safari: Children are challenged to use their mouse to take pictures of different types of animals—those with scales, those with feathers—and they win points for photographing the correct animals. Younger children will enjoy unscrambling the mixed-up images of animals. A thumbnail picture provides guidance that’s particularly helpful for reptiles and spiders! Throughout the CD, animal experts earn virtual stickers as they correctly identify animals and remember facts about them. by MollyWeston ONE OF MY FAVORITE MYSTERY AUTHORS CONFESSED RECENTLY that she’s not too adept at using her new computer—but her grand-son in California is always happy to walk her through her diffi-culties. Today’s children are taking to the technology like proverbial ducks to water, and software vendors are providing excellent learn-ing games for all ages. Fortunately there are always youngsters around the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center, and they’re usually quite happy to test new products. Katherine Favrot, PFI’’s inclusion specialist in the West asked her young friend, Tristin Boyd, to tell All Together Now! about two new computer games. Both cross-platform (Mac & IBM) CDs have internet link-up for accessing more activities. Dial-up information is included with each CD. Both programs are available in computer and bookstores. Estimated price is $24.95. Tristin, a kindergartner at Glen Arden Elementary in Asheville, is five years old. He has a year and a half of computer experience behind him. Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 177 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-1110 All Together Now! 521 S. Greensboro Street, Sheryl-Mar Suite 100 Carrboro NC 27510 Addressee: Please share ATN! with your colleagues. WORKS FROM WINNERS of the 1996–1997 North Carolina Arts Council Film/Video and Visual Artist Fellowship Awards will be exhibited around the state in a travelling exhibition. The presentation will reach more people than ever before. “The show has long been a marker for visual arts activity in the state. The fellowship program and exhibition are an acknowledgment of the indispensable contribution artists make to our quality of life in North Carolina,” said Jeff Pettus, visual arts director at the North Carolina Arts Council. “From the beginning of the program, the Council board recognized the importance of artists to the state’s artistic and cultural growth. This program was conceived both to recognize outstanding artists for their accomplishments and to help them produce new work by giving them the time and resources to develop their ideas,” Pettus continued. “Artists are worth our investment, just like our roads and buildings, our universities and public schools, our business and our natural environments,” said Mary B. Regan, executive director of the Council. “Our fellowship recipi-ents have repaid us many times over.” As artists and citizens, they contribute their vision to the broader community, and, in the process, give us new perspectives on the world. Although earlier exhibitions were shown at some of the largest and strongest visual arts institutions in the state, they rarely travelled beyond the initial venue or reached small towns and rural areas where the love of art is just as strong as in the larger centers. “This year we are delighted to have a traveling exhibition that will reach into smaller commu-nities,” said Pettus. The Mint Museum of Art will coordinate the project to bring the state-sponsored program to the community level, sharing North Carolina’s creativity with North Carolinians in every region of the state. The Council assured All Together Now! that preschoolers would be welcome at the exhibitions, but suggested coordinating visits with the local arts councils hosting the exhibits for adult to child ratios, best times to visit, and other suggestions. Fellowship Exhibition August 25–October 13, 1997 Craven Arts Council and Gallery New Bern November 10–December 10, 1997 Dare County Arts Council Kill Devil Hills January 9–February 1, 1998 Chowan Arts Council Edenton February 5–March 3, 1998 Caldwell Arts Council Lenoir March 5–March 29, 1998 Randolph Arts Guild Asheboro April 1–April 30, 1998 Cleveland County Arts Council Shelby June 1–June 28, 19981 Four Seasons Arts Council Hendersonville July 1–July 31, 1998 Edgecombe County Cultural Arts Council Tarboro What art offers is space—a certain breathing room for the spirit. —John Updike Arts & Artists to You! Reprinted with permission from NCARTS, Fall 1997.
Object Description
Description
Title | All together now! |
Other Title | ATN! |
Date | 1997 |
Description | Vol. 3, no. 3 (1997) |
Digital Characteristics-A | 2151 KB; 20 p. |
Digital Format |
application/pdf |
Pres File Name-M | pubs_serial_alltogethernow1997.pdf |
Pres Local File Path-M | \Preservation_content\StatePubs\pubs_borndigital\images_master\ |
Full Text |
Arts
HESE TYPES OF EXPERIENCES
are a natural part of the
world of a preschooler
who is full of curiosity
and the need to express
what he hears, sees, and
feels. As educators, we
know that young children learn best through
multi-sensory experiences that are based on chil-dren’s
interests. Teaching practices that integrate
the arts—creative movement, drama, music,
visual art—provide numerous opportunities for
multi-sensory experiences. Such experiences stim-ulate
children to express themselves openly and,
at the same time, enhance skill development.
The flexibility of the arts provides a natural link
for supporting the participation and develop-ment
of children with disabilities. Moving or
dancing to a favorite recording might mean
wiggling toes, tapping fingers, nodding the
head, clapping, or turning one’s wheel chair
round and round. By modeling a non-judgmen-tal,
non-competitive atmosphere that respects
individual ability and self-expression, we can
help the children in our care develop a positive
self-concept and mutual respect for others.
If someone asked you to draw a picture, what
would you say? Many adults respond by saying,
“I’m not creative. I don’t know how to draw.
I’m not talented.” However, there are those
who would argue that every person is creative.
All of us, through our mere existence, solve the
challenges of everyday life creatively. We are
given parameters from which we must go
forward. This is especially true for educators
who are challenged constantly to meet the
diverse needs of the children in their care—
creatively. As you consider integrating the arts
into your daily curriculum, remind yourself that
you are creative!
Remember, the arts can provide a natural
method to help children
• practice making choices
• learn risk-taking skills
• learn to feel proud of their own expressions
and creations
• explore new materials and ideas
• learn to appreciate and respectfully accept
the expressions of others
by Belinda Hardin, director of
special projects for Chapel Hill
Training Outreach and author
of numerous early childcare
publications
Vol. III, 3 Providing Quality Care & Education for All Children
Imagine…
Looking at clouds and seeing dinosaurs racing across the sky.
Singing your favorite song as you jump, hop, and run around the room. Pretending
your doll is eating lunch with you. She prefers pizza.
See “Methods,” page 3
Tools for Learning
T
2 • All Together Now • 1997 Vol. 3, 3
from the
Editor’s Pen
BY THE TIME YOU READ THIS ISSUE of All
Together Now!, people all around the
globe will be reading it too—via the World Wide Web. ATN! will
become Partnerships for Inclusion’s first venture into cyberspace. You can
access ATN! by pointing your browser to |
OCLC number | 33387525 |