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Summer 2002 Vol. 8, No.2 Providing quality care and education for all children Summer 2002 Vol. 8, No.2 Providing quality care and education for all children Relationships 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 Molly_Weston@unc.edu www.fpg.unc.edu/~atn 27,000 copies of All Together Now! were printed at a cost of 42¢ each. 3 Concept Sounds on the Playground by Petra Kern, Sherri Marlete, & Amanda Snyder 6 Policy Update Research to Practice for Deaf/Hard of Hearing by Rosalyn Proctor, PhD 8 Research Touching Relationships by Joan Kennedy, MSW, CIMI, LMT 10 Books Reviews by Molly Weston 12 Trainings Calendar of Training Events 14 Family Focus Almost Mayberry by Molly Weston 16 Ask PFI Community Forums: Voices for Change by Rhodus Riggins, Jr. 18 Feature Program Encouraging Gardeners at Farmer’s by Molly Weston 22 KidSeen&Heard KidSpeak 24 Programs Reaching the 5 Stars The latest programs to receive 5 stars Editor’s Notes Every summer,when my anniversary date with Partnerships for Inclu-sion rolls around, I reflect on how we’ve changed during my tenure.One of the most obvious differences is our reliability on technology. We depend on email and websites for so much of our information these days. This was brought home to me recently when I visited with older friends who don’t use computers. The man wasn’t complaining, he was merely pointing out the obvious, “We don’t get all the information on the news anymore.We’re just told to go to a certain place on the inter-net to find out more.” I notice that we’re doing that with ATN! too. In several places we’ve offered you places to look for more information. I hope this informa-tion is helpful to you. We are very careful to check every site before printing its URL. As always, I am excited about this issue of our magazine, and I hope you’ll find many things pertinent to your work. Thank you for your feedback, your questions, and your interest.Have a great fall! A publication of Partnerships for Inclusion Pat Wesley, Director Editor Molly Weston Designer Gina Harrison Photographer Don Trull Proofreaders Brenda Dennis Sabrina Tyndall Editorial Board & Contributing Agencies Norman Allard Head Start Chapel Hill Training Outreach Kathy Baars NC Public Schools Early Childhood/Exceptional Children Susan Byerly Cumberland County Schools Deborah Carroll Early Intervention Branch Karen Chester NC Interagency Coordinating Council for Children Ages Birth to Five with Special Needs 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 Duncan Munn Early Intervention Branch Karen Ponder NC Partnership for Children Pat Wesley FPG Child Development Institute It’s 10:30 AM, playground time! The great outdoor adventure begins at the FPG Family and Child Care Program. As the classroom door opens, a group of children filled with excitement come running to the giant green fence where mysterious sounds and shadows are moving.By peek-ing through the fence, the young detec-tives uncover the mystery that there will be a music center, called the Music Hut, and it is being built. The anticipation and speculation about the Music Hut grows over the next few months until the final grand opening. The children and teachers are invited to explore the new equipment with a special introduction by the music therapist who uses the puppet Babette, songs, and musical games.Under the huge green canopy the children find a Chinese wind gong, six drums in different sizes, a cymbal, a mini cabasa, three sound tubes made of PVC pipes of different lengths, one marching drum, and an ocean drum. All instruments are donated from West Music and local musicians. The Music Hut was designed by an archi-tect at UNC and built by employees of the campus carpentry shop. The instruments are located on a 10’x 8’ long hardwood deck and are wheelchair accessible. Wooden beams, steel arches and plexiglas walls are used to attach the instruments, and the result is both functional and visu-ally pleasing. Design and construction meet the guidelines of playground safety regulations. (See more photos of the FPG Music Hut, at www.fpg.unc.edu/~atn). The Music Hut is integrated in the Sound Path that structures the playground through six musical stations via a path looping around the playground. The Sound Path was originally designed to support the independent locomotion and development of a child with visual impair-ments. With the addition of the Music Hut, the daily playground adventure is further enhanced and expanded with more opportunities for making music. Opportunities for all The child care schedule involves large blocks of time in outdoor play. To ensure the time spent on playgrounds promotes the development of all children, adapta-tions and support may be needed for chil-dren with special needs. Creating a more accessible and meaningful playground through musical equipment supports chil-dren’s needs for developmental stimula-tion, especially of children with disabili- Sounds on the Playground by Petra Kern, Dipl. Sozpaed., MT-BVM, MT-BC; Sherri Marlette, BS, B-K Licensure; & Amanda Snyder Petra is a research scholar at the FPG Child Development Insti-tute and a doctoral candidate of the Univer-sity Witten-Herdecke, Germany. Sherri and Amanda are preschool teachers at the FPG Child Develop-ment Institute of UNC-Chapel Hill. Concept ALLTOGETHERNOW! 3 ties. The Music Hut is designed to provide opportunities to socialize, develop sensory-motor and cognitive skills, support self-expression and communica-tion skills, create games, and benefit from the enjoyment of music. The instruments are easy to play and provide high motiva-tion for all children to engage and interact with peers. Music crosses cultural lines and facilitates non-verbal communication, and children from different backgrounds and language skills can participate. Both typically developing children and children with disabilities can create, enjoy, and learn as they engage with the instruments and each other at the Music Hut. Meaningful moments ◗ Keegan runs across the playground and hits the gong, just like he saw it in an Asian movie. ◗ Tierney sits under the cymbal and shouts, “Want to see my umbrella?” and listens to Annie play the rain tropes. ◗ Sloan shows her talent as a singer. She pretends that her drum stick is a micro-phone and sings, in a soulful voice, pop songs she heard on the radio. Her class-mates are the band and they join in with the instruments. ◗ Max shouts excitedly, “Cool! This is like an aquarium,” while lying under the ocean drum watching the beads flowing from one side to the other. ◗ Conner imitates Petra’s rhythm on the marching drum and gives her a big smile when she repeats it for him. ◗ Sarah plays the gong with the big boys and joins in the song “If you’re happy and you know it play the gong.” ◗ Ali hits the drum and sings with dedica-tion, “Row, row, row, the boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is like ice cream.” ◗ Brandon stands on the xylophone and moves rhythmically to Petra’s drum-ming and sings, “yah yah, ba ba, bo bo.” It doesn’t take a minute until others run over and join in the hip sounds. ◗ Max says,“My favorite instrument is the cymbal, because you can play very loud.” ◗ DeMarcus runs straight to the Music Hut and plays the drums intensely, an activ-ity he requested from his teachers the whole morning when in the classroom. Making friends Based on the child’s interest, teachers and therapist use the motivational factor of the Music Hut to implement specific IEP goals in the context of the daily playground routine. At the FPG Family and Child Care Program it is common practice to imple-ment special interventions in the context of ongoing activities and routines to minimize the stigma and isolation of the child with special needs, and to take advantage of naturally occurring learning opportunities. A music therapy intervention was conducted for four children with autism spectrum disorder. Children with autism have a delay in understanding social rela-tionships, which results in a lack of coop-erative play and peer interaction.A goal of intervention was to increase the frequency of their interactions with peers and to engage in meaningful play on the play-ground. The goals were embedded in songs composed by the music therapist for the intervention and sung by the teachers and peers using the instruments in the Music Hut. For instance children practiced taking turns by handing over a drumstick to a peer to play the drums or by learning acceptable touches—holding hands, tick-ling, hugging, or patting. 4 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 When children cooperate to move the ocean drum, they hear the sounds of breaking waves. The canvas over the Music Hut is the umbrella when we pretend that it rains. Another child would imitate the rain sounds by playing the cymbal with her finger tips. Carmen, a typically developing five-year-old girl, shows Ben, diagnosed with autism, how to sign (using American Sign Language),“You and I,we make music”and guides him to the cymbal. By imitating her, Ben gets an understanding of the concept of “you, I and we,” as well as how to play the cymbal.He sings with a big smile on his face, “play the cymbal.” Both end the song by signing, “I liked making music with you.” Justin and Phillip, both diagnosed with autism, hold hands and run across the playground. Destination: Music Hut. Both are playing the gong enthusiastically and singing, “I want to play the gong with you.” Justin wants to know if this song is called “Phillip’s Groove” and jumps joyfully up and down when his teacher verifies it.Next, Phillip initiates dancing and sings, “I want to dance with you, I want to dance with you.” He takes Justin’s hand and spins around with him. His eyes are sparkling and Justin says, “This is my favorite part.” When leaving the Music Hut, the friends give each other a big hug, sign thank you, and wave good-bye. The natural interest children have in music, the freedom inherent in outdoor play, and the engagement that comes from being creative have established the Music Hut as an environment for learning, excitement, meaningful play, and, last but not least, joy and fun.We hope to continue integrating and expanding the wonderful opportunities afforded by the Music Hut to engage children, families and others in a variety of both therapeutic and creative activities. Feeling the music is especially important for some children with special needs. Vibrating instruments, such as the gong, let them enjoy music through another sense. ATN! Want to know more? Music therapy is an established health profession that uses music to address physical, psychological, cognitive, behavioral and/or social functioning. A music therapist uses music as a tool to reach non-musical goals such as developing self-awareness, confidence, coping skills, social behavior, perception, relaxation, orientation, concentration, emotional expression, self-esteem, communication, integration, and creativity. Research on Music Therapy ◗ Aldridge, D. (1996). Music Therapy Research and Practice in Medicine: From out of the silence. London, England; Bristol, PA: Jessica Kinsley Publisher. ◗ Kern, P. & Wolery, M. (2001). Participation of a preschooler with visual impairments on the playground: Effects of musical adaptations and staff development. Journal of Music Therapy, 38, pp. 149-164 ◗ Warwick, A. (1995). Music therapy in the education service: Research with autistic children and their mothers. In T. Wigram & B. Saperston & R. West (Ed.), The Art & Science of Music Therapy, pp. 209-225. Chur, Switzerland: Harwood Academic Publishers. Making a Music Hut ◗ Ask your local music store, musicians or band leaders for used drums, cymbals and small percussion instruments. Attach them with nylon ropes to wooden posts. Use wooden dowels as drum sticks. ◗ Find materials in the hardware store that sound good, such as copper or PVC pipes of different lengths. Attach them to the trunk of a tree. Different lengths create different sounds. Use a strong string to suspend the pipes between two metal braces. Screw the braces into a tree trunk. Strike the pipes with a dowel. ◗ Bend metal rods to triangles and hang them from the branches of a tree. Different sizes produce different sounds. The wind will activate them, but a metal mallet attached to the triangles will allow children to ring the triangles, too ◗ Get three galvanized pails of different sizes. Turn them over and attach them with a rope between wooden posts. This instrument can be activated by pounding on the pail bottoms with hands or dowels. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 5 6 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 Anew website is available for professionals, child care providers and parents concerned about children who are deaf or hard of hearing.CENTe-R (Collabo-rative Early Intervention National Train-ing e-Resource) is a new project funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs to develop web-based resources and training modules for professionals serving families with infants and toddlers who are deaf and hard of hearing. This site, found at http://center.uncg.edu (notice, there’s no “www” in this URL) features internet resources, articles, books, and national connections to support professionals and families. National mandate Recent passage of the Newborn Infant Hearing Screening Act of 1999 promises earlier identification of infants who are deaf and hard of hearing. The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (2000) stated that infants and toddlers who are deaf and hard of hearing and their fami-lies should receive intervention by the time the child is six months of age. Historically, children with hearing loss exhibit delays in their language and social development. Detection of hearing loss during infancy followed by appropriate intervention enables these children to attain reading and academic achievement levels equal to those of their hearing peers. Accordingly, appropriately prepar-ing personnel to serve infants and toddlers who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families is critical. In response to this need, CENTe-R goals are to: ◗ Develop a program of study focusing on the acquisition of professional standards in the areas of child development,commu-nication, socialization, cognition, cultural sensitivity,medicine and technology. ◗ Partner with state agencies, medical communities, parent organizations, professional and advocacy groups, colleges and universities. ◗ Develop, field-test, and disseminate web-based modules in early intervention for pre-service professionals. ◗ Establish ongoing training activities via on-site, distance education, and consul-tation. ◗ Provide an electronic and print media clearinghouse featuring topics in early intervention and hearing loss. Research to Practice for Nee Deaf/Hard of Hearing by Rosalyn Proctor, PhD Rosalyn is a co-director of CENTe-R at UNC-Greensboro. Policy CENTe-R’s mission is to provide training and resources while honoring multiple perspectives on deafness, recognizing strengths of children and families, and acknowledging the desire of professionals to acquire unique expertise. In support of this mission, families and nationally recognized professionals—representative of various perspectives on deafness and early interven-tion are involved in the development of CENTe-R resources. Groups of these profes-sionals and parents have met over the past year to identify and select national training standards in legislation, families, infant-toddler development, communication, assessment, technology, teams, and ethics and professionalism. CENTe-R will release the first training modules in the areas of Infant/Toddler Development and Early Intervention this winter. Parent/Provider input CENTe-R staff is eager to receive your feed-back about the site and to respond to inquiries through the “Contact Us”button. In addition, website submissions for tips are invited. Professionals, caregivers, providers, and parents have the opportu- Website Tip How can a family increase visual cues for their baby who has been newly identified as deaf or hard of hearing? Families naturally interact with infants in many bonding and stimu-lating ways.The enjoyable activities caregivers do daily with babies can easily include visual aspects. ◗ Gently move your hand in front of the baby to get her attention. ◗ Get close, be at eye level, and look directly at the baby when talking to him. ◗ Point to household objects and people when they are making sound. ◗ Use brightly colored toys with movement, texture, and varied types of noise. ◗ Talk, laugh, sing, clap, and babble while holding the baby so she can watch you. ◗ Use natural gestures and anima-ted expressions when interacting with her. ◗ Keep rooms well lit when the baby is awake so he can see what is happening around him. ◗ Avoid standing with light behind your face as baby then can't see expressions. ◗ Respond to the many ways your baby tells you what she wants and feels. Celebrate how your beautiful baby is growing and learning every day. As parents do these types of activi-ties they can also begin exploring information about hearing loss with other families of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and choosing informed non-biased professionals to work with them. While cente-r ’s website is designed for professionals, its content and format are totally family friendly. nity to submit tips and to share their expertise with other visitors to the website. Upon submission, tips are reviewed, posted, and highlighted in the “Advice and Answers” portion of the site. Drs.Mary V.Compton, Judith Niemeyer, and Edgar Shroyer,principal investigators for the grant, received funding to begin CENTe-R operations in January 2001. Rosalyn Proc-tor, PhD and Anne McNally, MS serve as directors of CENTe-R located at the Univer-sity of North Carolina-Greensboro. CENTe-R staff includes an adult who is hard of hearing, an adult child of a deaf parent, parents, and other professionals involved in deafness and early interven-tion. Partners and experts who advise CENTe-R have been chosen from across the nation and represent deaf/hard of hearing individuals, parents of young chil-dren, and adults with hearing loss. Because it is a primary goal of CENTe-R to offer a clearinghouse of information to professionals serving families with infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hear-ing, the site will change frequently. So, we invite you to visit often!ATN! ALLTOGETHERNOW! 7 8 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 Massage is a gentle form of communication between a caregiver and an infant. Touch is the first sense to develop in humans and it is vital for healthy growth and development. It is as important as food to a baby. In fact, we have known for many years that touch is important to a baby’s very survival. At the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, there is a preschool for children ages six months to five years. Massage is an integral part of the curricu-lum in which each child receives a daily 15-minute massage. According to their research, the children are “more alert, more responsive, and able to sleep more deeply.” Additionally, the research has proven that massage has many benefits including the facilitation of the release of food-absorption hormones that help premature babies gain weight. When a baby is anxious about new child care surroundings,massage can be a help-ful way to establish a calming and trusting relationship. Massage affects digestion, congestion, sleep, irritability, and more. These hints may help in beginning a massage routine for relaxation for any child. ◗ Pick a time when the activity level in the classroom is low (story time, or before a nap). ◗ Adjust the sound in the room so it is quieter. ◗ Dim the lights. ◗ Position the child to allow for relaxation (on a mat or your lap). ◗ Use a gentle but firm touch, with a slow, rhythmic movement. ◗ Try rocking if you’re holding the child. ◗ Focus on legs, feet, arms, and hands; moving down the body. ◗ Use slow movements when stroking down the back for relaxation ◗ Remember, it takes only a few moments to see a change! All babies, including those with traumatic or complex medical histories, can benefit from massage. As an example, some babies may have stiffness in their arms, legs, or back, or suffer with painful gas or constipation. In the beginning of massage they may seem leery of handling because of past negative experience with medical procedures. Through gentle massage, the Research by Joan Kennedy, MSW, CIMI, LMT Joan works as a pediatric massage therapist for the Developmental Evalu-ation Center in western NC. She has worked with children and families since 1980. Touching Relationships baby begins to allow for longer periods of touch and begins to trust the caregiver and the world in general as a caring place that brings relief from pain and discom-fort. This is evident by the infant’s response. Obviously, as part of the massage process, the caregiver must be able to recognize the baby’s cues or language. For example, a red face turning away is language that may be saying, “I’m not ready,” but pink skin with good eye contact says,“I’m ready for more.” If these cues are respected, the caregiver soon finds that the baby is able to release tension due to the trust that has become a part of their relationship. This, combined with her other physical needs’ being met, makes for a positive,warm relationship. The Massage: Birth to Three Project, through the Developmental Evaluation Center in Western North Carolina is a grant-funded program through Smart Start. It provides specialized services for families of infants with special needs including home-based, one-on-one instruction in infant massage based on the individual needs of the baby and family. It also provides training to child care providers of these infants to allow for more confident care. Since its inception in 1999, the project has served more than 200 families and infants with a variety of special needs in a seven-county region. With agency referrals, massage instruction has become a stan-dard part of intervention services provided by the DEC. To find more information on massage instruction in your area, contact the Inter-national Association of Infant Massage at 800.248.5432. For a full listing of research citations from the Touch Research Insti-tute at the University of Miami (FL), visit their website at www.miami.edu/touch-research/ index.html. Choose a time and place where an infant feels comfortable when initiating massage. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 9 ATN! Selected Citations Cigales, M., Field,T., Hossain, Z., Pelaez-Nogueras, M. & Gewirtz, J. (1996).Touch among children at nursery school. Early Child Develop-ment & Care, 126, 101-110. Field,T., Harding, J. Soliday, B., Lasko, D., Gonzalez, N., & Valdeon, C. (1998).Touching in infant, toddler & preschool nurseries. Early Child Development and Care, 98, 113-120. Field,T. (1999). Massage therapy: More than a laying on of hands: Contemporary Pediatrics, 16, 77-94. Hart, S., Field,T., Hernandez-Reif, M., & Lundy, B. (1998). Preschool-ers' cognitive performance improves following massage. Early Child Development & Care, 143, 59-64. 10 Vol. 8, No. 2 �� Summer 2002 Vera Goes to the Dentist by Vera Rosenberry Henry Holt ISBN 0-8050-6668-3 Going to the dentist can be challenging for adults; going for the first time was horrific for young Vera. First, she had to wait while her two older sisters saw him. She did like being in the high chair—it made her feel very tall. It wasn’t bad when the dentist checked her teeth. But then, when he brought a whirring machine on a long handle toward her mouth, Vera had enough. She wasn’t prepared for the cleaning. Out! Out of the office! Vera led every-one— dentist, technician, mom, sisters—on a chase around the block. Of course,Vera learns that the dentist is a very nice man. And the dentist learns that first-timers need a little prepara-tion for the strange encounters they’ll find in his office. First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos by MaryAnn F. Kohl with Renee Ramsey and Dana Bowman Gryphon House ISBN 0-87659-222-1 At last, here’s a book with activities that don��t need modifications for toddlers. With chapters like “Primarily Paint” and “Hands on Dough” and “Sticky Business,” the authors have covered all the bases and they’ve done it with recipes, ideas, and techniques that will revive your art program. Whether you’re a new mother facing her child’s first play date or a veteran teacher “who’s seen it all,” there’s something great for you in the pages of this friendly art book. Hello, Hello! by Miriam Schlein illustrated by Daniel Kirk Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-689-83435-7 If you value a quiet, staid environment for children, you probably won’t want to read this charm-ing book. On first reading, the children will giggle, but with subsequent read-ings, they’ll giggle, imitate, and make raucous noises. Schlein gives the words and phonetic spellings to the ways animals greet each other, and Kirk’s oil paintings illustrate exactly how they punctuate their hellos. From lions, zebras, and elephants in the jungles to polar bears and penguins in the arctic, the examples are many. Youngsters will revel in knowing (and demonstrating) the ways wild animals say Hello,Hello! My Big Brother by Valorie Fisher Atheneum ISBN 0-89-84327-5 Little sisters often idolize their big brothers, but few write a book about them. One little sister gets to show just how special her brother is with delightful photos taken from a baby’s view finder. The simple text explains why, sometimes, the pictures are a little fuzzy. Babies, older siblings, and adult readers will enjoy this look at family life. books ALLTOGETHERNOW! 11 It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr Little, Brown ISBN 0-316-66603-3 Throwing away the “one size fits all” theory, Parr addresses the differences in people and validates them by saying, “it’s okay.” His cheerful illustrations will make children laugh at their absurdities, and at any fears they might have about being different—having wheels, missing teeth, feeling proud, or losing mittens. Parr assures readers it’s even okay to have an invisible friend! God Bless America words and music by Irving Berlin illustrations by Lynn Munsinger HarperCollins ISBN 0-06-009788-4 A delightful bear family leads us on a jour-ney across America, celebrating our coun-try as they go. They cheer as firemen, policemen, and construction workers march in a Fourth of July parade, and stand respectfully at the Lincoln monu-ment. Camping in the mountains and walking through prairie hay fields with their father, the two little bears see first-hand how diverse our countryside can be. After a full chorus of visiting landmarks, the family comes full circle to “home sweet home.”Words and music to the song are included, as well as a CD recording by Barbra Streisand. by Molly Weston To check out books reviewed in All Together Now! contact Clara Hunt NC Early Intervention Library 517 West Fleming Dr., NC School for the Deaf Morganton NC 28655 828.432.5970 email ncei.library@ncmail.net Hands of the Maya: Villagers at Work and Play by Rachel Crandell Henry Holt ISBN 0-8050-66687-X Elementary school teacher Crandell spent several months (and many rolls of film) living and visiting in Mayan villages. Her experiences come alive in vivid photo-graphs. Each spread in the book offers a story: One scene shows an event with a bit of explanatory text. On the opposite page is a close-up illustrating a specific in the story and featuring someone’s hands. Building a house, gathering firewood, playing music, washing—anything in daily life is worthy of a story. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit a place quite different. Feelings by Jenny Miglis photographs by John E. Barrett illustrations by Jenine Pontillo Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr. ISBN 0-689-84843-9 With the help of a delightfully diverse crop of babies, everybody’s favorite blue dog showcases the faces of emotions.With the repeated readings that this sturdy board book will enjoy, little ones will soon be mimicking the expressions and actions shown here. It’s never to early to talk about feelings, and this is a delightful way to start. Mark your calendar! Children’s Book Week is November 18–24. 12 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 September 17 Building Connections Pre-K to K TSB2 September 18 A Family Guide to Second Step TPB3 ❖ Creating Emotionally Safe Learning Environments for Children September 19 Getting Families Involved in Early Intervention Greenville Eastern AHEC 252.816.5228 September 24 Building Connections Pre-K to K TOB4 September 24–25 Inclusive Classroom Strategies: Caring for Children with Challenging Behaviors Greenville Dave Sanel 919.843.8041 September 25 ❖ Effective Teacher/Child Communication Sept. 25, Oct. 2 & 9 Teaching 3-, 4-, & 5-Year-Olds with Challenging Behaviors TPB5 September 26 ❖ What Sexuality Means to a Child October TBA Orientation to Early Intervention Meryl Murphy 336.334.5601 October 2 ❖ Why & How Children Play October 3 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB6 ❖ The Psychology of Extremely Gifted Children October 3–4 Needs, Dreams, & IFSPs Morganton Clara Hunt 828.430.5970 October 9 ❖ Effective Parent/Teacher Relationships Oct. 9, Nov. 13, Jan. 8, Feb. 12, Mar. 12 Early Childhood Directors’ Forum TPB7 October 10 ❖ Effective Parent/Teacher Relationships October 12 ❖ Approaching Discipline & Aggression Constructively October 14 A Family Guide to Second Step TPB8 October 15, 22, & 29 More Than the ABCs…Helping 3-, 4-, & 5-Year-Olds Be Literacy Successful TPB9 October 16 ❖ Multicultural Issues & Effective Teaching Oct. 16, 23, 30, & Nov.6 Let’s Build on WORD TWB10 October 17 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB11 October 17 Flannel Board Fun TPB12 ❖ The Advantages & Hazards of Creativity in Early Childhood October 23 Creating a Caring Community TPB13 October 24 The NC Museum of Natural Sciences as a Resource for Early Childhood Professionals TOB14 Using Sign Language to Enrich Literacy & Language With 3–5 Year Olds TPB15 ❖ Touchpoints: Enhancing the Parent/Child Relationship October 30 A Guided Observation of Infants & Toddlers TOB16 November TBA Needs, Dreams, & IFSPs Raeford Rita Jenks 910.486.1605 Needs, Dreams, & IFSPs Greenville Sherry Franklin 252.328.2938 November 1 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB17 November 7 ❖ Sibling Rivalry & Relationships* November 8 Autism in Toddlers & Preschoolers: Implications for Communication Intervention Greensboro Greensboro AHEC 336.832.8025 November 12 The Kids Are Here! What Do I Plan? TPB18 November 14 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB19 Reflections on Curriculum for Toddlers & 2s TPB20 ❖ Effective Teacher/Child Communication November 18–24 Children’s Book Week November 21 School Age Children with Special Needs Fayetteville LaLisa Hewitt Robinson 910.678.7293 ❖ Parenting & Teaching Young Children with Autism December 2–3 Leo M. Croghan Conference Raleigh NC Wake AHEC 866.641.1814 or 919.350.8547 December 3 Setting Up Learning Environments for Toddlers & Twos TPB21 December 4 A Guided Observation of Infants & Toddlers TOB22 Learning to Read & Write: Pre-K Emergent Literacy TPB23 December 5 Coaching Social Skills TPB24 trainings ALLTOGETHERNOW! 13 ❖ Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood 919.677.1400 Raleigh, Project Enlightenment 919.856.7774 • Training events are subject to change. • Call the contact number before attending any training events. • To add your event to this calendar, contact Molly Weston 919.966.0059 FAX 919.966.0862 molly_weston@unc.edu January 21 Evaluation of Young Children with Complicated Developmental Disabilities Greensboro AHEC 336.832.8025 What’s New in Early Childhood? TPB37 Jan. 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17, & 24 Let’s Build on WORD TW38 January 23 Spirited Child: Dealing with Strong Emotions TPB33 ❖ Why & How Preschool Children Play January 30 Spirited Child: Strategies for Promoting Positive Behavior TPB34 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB39 February TBA Orientation to Early Intervention Southern Pines Rita Jenks 910.486.1605 February 6 Spirited Child: Teaching Social Skills TPB35 February 13 The Spirited Child Bridging the Gap Between Home & School TPB36 February 4–6 & March 4–5 Trauma & Loss in Children Fayetteville LaLisa Hewitt Robinson 910.678.7293 February 6 ❖ The Impact of Divorce & Other Losses on a Child February 11 Finger Play Fantasy for Toddlers & 2s TPB40 Feb. 19, 26, & March 5 Exploring Sensory Integration TPB41 December 10–12 Improving the Quality of Early Childhood Programs: PFI’s Model of On-Site Consultation Chapel Hill Sabrina Tyndall 919.966.7174 December 11 Update on Psychopharmacology in Children Fayetteville LaLisa Hewitt Robinson 910.678.7293 December 12 ❖ Social & Emotional Kindergarten Readiness* December 13 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB25 January 9 Reading Aloud with 3- & 4-Year-Olds TPB26 ❖ Helping a Child Develop a Healthy Conscience* January 14 Sharing Music & Movement with 3-, 4-, & 5-Year- Olds TPB27 Sharing Music & Movement with Toddlers & 2s TPB38 January 15 A Guided Observation of Infants & Toddlers TOB29 January 15, 22, & 29 Teaching 3-, 4-, & 5-Year-Olds with Challenging Behaviors TPB30 January 16 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB31 The Spirited Child: Understanding the Spirited Child TPB32 January 16 ❖ Recognizing & Responding to Child Maltreatment January 18 ❖ Does This Child Have AD/HD? What Then? Useful Web Sites Charlotte AHEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cltahec.org Division TEACCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.teacch.com Early Childhood Link at UNC . . . . . . . . . . .www.cdl.unc.edu/link/trainmenu.htm Early Childhood Low Incidence NetworK (LINK) . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ec-link.org Exceptional Children's Assistance Center . . . . . . . . .www.ecac-parentcenter.org Family Support Network of North Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fsnnc.med.unc.edu North Carolina Partnership for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ncsmartstart.org Parent Training & Information Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ecac-parentcenter.org/ Smart Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.calsplus.net/ncpc TelAbility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.TelAbility.org US Consumer Products Safety Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cpsc.gov Wake AHEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wakeahec.org Feb. 20 & 27 Tricks of the Trade: Making Learning Centers Exciting TPB42 February 21 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB43 Feb. 25 & March 4 Art as a Process, Not As A Product TPB44 February 27 Puppet Pals TPB45 ❖ Supporting the Adopted Child March 6 Managing Toddlers & 3s without Saying No or Stop TPB46 ❖ Helping Children Develop Healthy Self-Esteem* March 13 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB47 Mar. 25,Apr. 1 & 8 Beyond Story Stretchers TOB48 March 26 Issues & Solutions for Preschool & K Classrooms which Include Spanish-Speaking Children TSB49 March 27 A Guided Observation of Infants & Toddlers TOB50 ❖ Childhood Bereavement April 2 Circle Time: Come Join in…for Teachers of 3-, 4-, & 5-year-olds TSB51 April 3 Using the Discovery Room at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences TOB52 April 10 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB53 As part of therapy when undergoing rehabil-itation, a doctor suggested that he might enjoy making things. Daddy started with a few woodworking tools while he and Mother traveled around the state for her to finish her teaching degree in summer schools, and by the time they were settled in Apex,his therapy had grown to a full-sized workshop. In fact, the workshop building came before their first house so that the carpenters would be able to access his tools. I can still see Daddy squatted down on his haunches holding the rope to the pulley to let down the ladder to the loft where he stored extra plywood. With the rope held in one hand, he’d use his crutch to move the hook that held the ladder in place. With that released, he’d gently let the ladder down and scamper up for supplies. In the summer time, the shop’s tin roof offered little protection from the North Carolina heat. Daddy had ropes and pulleys on all the windows and he’d use his walking stick to tilt a notched piece ofmolding to hold the open window in place. Around the shop and house, he made it a point never to take a by Molly Weston Almost Mayberry FamilyFocus 14 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 You wait here—and if a policeman comes, tell him your daddy is crippled and he’ll be right back.” Nobody would ever leave a five-year-old alone in a car in downtown Raleigh these days, but when I was a child back in the fifties, I was proud to wait in that fire zone while Daddy went in the hardware store to pick up some-thing he couldn’t get in Apex. Those happy days we all enjoy on TV weren’t always kind to people with disabilities, but my dad made the best of the times and of his rheumatoid arthritis.Not only were there no handicapped parking places, there were no special concessions at all for anybody with disabilities. People in our small town, however, knew our car and we were allowed to park at will. Certain seats in our church were unofficially reserved so that Daddy had a clear view of the preacher without having to twist in his seat. Drawn to a sitting position, he used a crutch and a walking stick to help him walk—and to reach things and to pull things, and to rescue things. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 15 step unnecessarily. Every tool had its place, every tool was in its place, and that place was near where it was used. And a five-year-old made a good helper in putting things back when they were displaced! Putting tools away and watching for police-men weren’t my only jobs—I also watched for cars when turning onto the highway. Because Daddy’s arthritis had totally fused his spine,he couldn’t turn his head to look.He used a succession of mirrors—outside and two rear views—when he drove alone, but if anyone was with him, the person riding “shotgun” checked for traffic coming from the right. I was so confident that I was in charge of when we could pull into the stream of traffic that it never occurred to me in later life to ask if he really took the word of a five-year- old! But then, it was the fifties in small town North Carolina.Maybe he did. Why am I telling you all these things? The lessons learned, literally at my father’s knees, have stayed with me over the years and are now part of my personal life. I arrange my workplace so that things are where I need them—my dictionary at work is just behind my desk where it’s easy to look up that obscure word.My style manual is on the shelf nearby so I can reach it without leaving my chair.At home,the everyday glasses are in the cabinet near the sink and the dishwasher to eliminate unnecessary steps. Because I was charged with responsibility early, I gained confidence in myself and my abilities.Because I saw my dad figure out ways to make his life easier, I have become a prob-lem- solver: I know how to streamline tasks. I would submit that every child who grows up around someone who is differently abled will learn many of these same life skills and be glad of these experiences later. I would further argue that the more differences a child experiences, the more she learns—and the easier she adapts. Our family and friends never looked on Daddy as having a disability or even being different. He was just Daddy. Whenever anyone commiserated with him about his condition,he would lean back in his chair (or on his crutch and stick) and look the person squarely in the eye.“I wouldn’t trade my body for yours!” he’d say emphatically.Aghast, the person would inevitably ask,“You wouldn’t?” “No,”Daddy would reply,with a gleam in his eye, “I know what’s wrong with my body. I don’t know what’s wrong with yours!” Times have certainly changed since I served as lookout while parked in a fire zone,but the attitude of changing things that can be changed and accepting the others has served our family well over the years.ATN! Daddy and Mother on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. 16 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 Each year Partnerships for Inclu-sion provides resources, financial support, and consultation to assist communities in conducting early childhood forums on inclusion and transitions. A community forum is simply a commu-nity meeting. It is typically a three- or four-hour public event at which families, professionals and other community members come together to share their experiences and perceptions about serv-ices available to support children with special needs and their families. It is a time for community members to begin to envision together the future of early child-hood services in their area. A forum highlights existing inclusive opportunities for young children with special needs and their families and explores how to create smooth transitions for them between programs and services. Forums provide training credit, door prizes, food, on-site child care, and special accommodations, such as interpreting services, translation of print materials, and sometimes transportation, to attract a variety of individuals from families, busi-nesses, churches, and agencies. Community forums are sponsored and funded jointly by Partnerships for Inclu-sion, the local Interagency Coordinating Council, and other community agencies. Because communities have their own unique cultures, the role of Partnerships for Inclusion is to identify forum organiz-ers who can work together to ensure that the forum responds to the interests and concerns of community members. Local organizers make all critical decisions, including the type of meal to serve—the cornerstone of the event. The forum plan-ning process is an empowering one and many communities continue to host future forums and conduct follow-up activities to address challenges identified from their initial forum. The voices of families are critical in plan-ning and to the success of the forum. Communities hold focus groups to gather families’ perceptions about inclusive AskPFI Community Forums Voices for Change by Rhodus Riggins, Jr. Rhodus is an inclu-sion specialist in PFI’s central region. He lives in Chapel Hill and works from the Carrboro office. What’s the story on all of these forums PFI is sponsoring across the state? Does my community need to sponsor one? What are they, anyway? Community forums are viewed as a springboard for planning by community members.A forum is just the beginning of the continued work that the community will to do together to expand inclusive options, to strengthen supports during transitions, and to build on the voices for change beyond the day of the forum. PFI has a new video about forums. Look for information about it in the article in the sidebar box on page 23. If your community is interested in additional information about conducting a commu-nity forum on inclusion or transition, please contact your regional PFI inclusion specialist. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 17 opportunities, services, and community supports during their children’s transi-tions. Families’ voices are also shared the day of the event through a keynote address or as part of a parent panel. The forum planning process is intensive and typically results in several positive outcomes. ◗ Valuing families as partners. During the forum planning process and on the day of the forum individuals begin to see the importance of working with families to develop strategies for addressing chal-lenges, and to ensure that community supports are responsive to the goals for their children and their families. ◗ Strengthening relationships among community agencies. Community agencies develop greater trust, knowl-edge, and respect for other agencies’ roles in the lives of young children and families. This often leads to enhanced collaboration both with each other and with families to implement more coordi-nated local services. ◗ Connecting families. Families have the opportunity to meet other family members and realize that they are not alone. Families realize that their hopes and dreams are the same, regardless of their children’s abilities. ◗ Increasing knowledge of resources. Families, professionals, agencies, and other community members gain greater awareness of community resources available to support children and fami-lies and each other. ◗ Bringing children together. On the day of the forum families have the realiza-tion of one of their greatest hopes for their children: the chance to play and get along with others. Children with and without special needs play together. ◗ Connecting the community. On the day of the forum participants feel connected to something bigger. It is this connection that helps to shape one of the greatest realizations of hosting a forum: Members of a community need each other! ATN! PFI Inclusion Specialists Central Brenda Dennis, 919. 962.7359 or Rhodus Riggins, Jr, 919. 966.8915 Eastern Sandy Steele, 252.328.2940 Western Katherine Laveck, 828.430.7814 Counties that have hosted inclusion forums since 1998 are in green; transition forums, in blue. 18 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 by Molly Weston Molly is editor of ATN! She lives with her husband and Old English Sheep-dog in Apex and works from PFI’s Carrboro office. Feature lunch. All the children help.” The children were eager to share their culinary favorites. Morgan likes to make pizzas— with pepperoni. Madison prefers putting sprinkles on ice cream. Adam enjoys scooping cupcakes into muffin pans. And everybody likes making soup! Physical facilities The classroom for the program is the Farmer’s converted garage. Three spacious rooms feature developmentally appropri-ate activity centers, and clearly labeled shelves and bins hold enough supplies for a far larger program. One outside door leads to a playground with an adjoining paved area for riding toys. The front door leads to the family’s backyard—and the children’s farm. Marie leaves nothing to chance when indoctrinating her garden-ers. They have bordered beds to keep topsoil in place and well-screened orna-mental pools which entice children with fragrant water lilies and lazy koi. Plenty of miniature tools are available for proper cultivation techniques and children’s artwork serves as garden markers. Gracious old trees provide shade for benches where the pint-sized gardeners can take a break and talk about their collective projects. Lots of the projects children do at preschool cover refrigerator doors. Lots of the Farmer Preschool projects land inside them. Marie Farmer, owner and operator of the five-star inclusive family child care home in Richlands, loves gardening and instills that love in the children in her care. Her philosophy is simple: “I like to garden and parents of most children who are in care haven’t time to add this activity to their lives. Herbs, vegetables, flowers— these all flourish here. If we send five new gardeners out at the time, this is good for America!” Building a relationship with nature, through gardening and watching birds, animals and fish is an important part of the curriculum here. Bird feeders, fish pools, squirrel feeders, and butterfly bushes attract conversation and questions among children just as surely as the crit-ters they target. Under Marie’s careful tutelage, children plant and care for herbs, beans, squash, tomatoes, beets, and other vegetables. Then they harvest and use them in their meals.Much that isn’t used at the program goes home with the children. “We spend part of every morning preparing our Encouraging Gardeners at Farmer’s ALLTOGETHERNOW! 19 Feeling that a family child care program should provide a home-like environment, Marie gives the children free range in her house. “I’ve never had anything broken in 16 years,” she said. “It’s just a matter of defining things as ‘lookies’ or ‘touchies.’The children quickly learn what’s what.We have tea parties in my dining room.” Fragile demitasse cups and saucers make great tea sets. Learning good manners and to treat things with care are important. “Anything we would do with our own kids,we do here with eight! Lots of it depends on the partic-ular group of children at the time.” Children of the military Because Richlands is so near Jacksonville’s Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base, about half of the children are from military families. In keeping with the whole coun-try, signs of patriotism were prominent at the Farmer home in early July. “We deco-rated a little bit extra for the Fourth of July to show our patriotism.We tend to deco-rate a lot for every season though.”Marie laughed. “I have bean bags for each holi-day. The children love hiding them all over the school and finding them. I made them out of holiday material and let the children stuff in the beans.” Child care programs in military areas often face different issues than some others. “When parents were recently deployed, it was a big deal for the children. We write letters to the parents, and I try to give the children a little more attention during the day. It helps for Uncle Danny to be a role model during this time.” (Uncle Danny is Marie’s husband, the youth director at a church, and he has a golf shop behind the classroom building, so he’s often on site.Most of the children call her “Miss Marie.”) “He tries to spend a little more time with the kids who are missing a parent, too.” One consolation of losing children when their military families are transferred is the mail that comes later. “Families send us things from all over the world, and we use them here in our classroom,” Marie said as she pointed to a wall full of post-cards and artifacts. Near the souvenir wall Marie keeps in open view a wish list. “We often have folks who want to help us, and having the wish list clearly visible is very helpful. Not only do families give us things, but sometimes a casual visitor will see something on our wish list and offer it to us.” Clearly when Working together on a gardening project helps two guys get to know each other. operating a child care facility, it’s good to be opportunistic. Good rules, good program Marie is an AGS (American Guidance Service) certified evaluator and she uses this program to screen children’s skills in cognitive, language, motor, self-help, social, articulation, and health areas. She likes this measure because it is useful for identifying children who are at risk for later learning problems and for identify-ing potentially gifted children.The screen-ing serves as a tool in goal planning for each child, not as a device for eliminating children from the program. Before enrolling a child, Marie holds a meeting with the family to familiarize the child with the new environment. The paperwork is handled in another meeting for the parents alone. “I don’t want chil-dren to get the the impression that they’ll have to do a lot of waiting when they come to preschool!” Having rules is important to the success of the program. Marie generally has no help (on the day we visited, the local CCR&R sent people to cover Marie’s being with us).Marie laughed at my shock,“I’ve been 20 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 sick only three days in 16 years, and that was with surgery.” She has a strict policy not to admit sick children. “Child care is not nursing care!” Marie also closes two weeks in July, a week at Christmas and Easter, and other major holidays. Enrollment is large and the ages are varied—from toddlers to after schoolers, but many children share spots, some coming at one time, others at another. Good charts document which children will be there at any time and Marie’s lesson plans support smooth transitions throughout the day.By keeping a workable schedule, Marie avoids the burnout expe-rienced by so many home providers work-ing as a staff of one. Community involvement As with other good programs across the state, Marie Farmer looks to outside sources for help. She gives credit to Smart Start grants for many of the additions to the program—a bigger playground, kitchen tables, a cassette player, art supplies, carpet, and a fine set of toy stove, refrigerator, and sink. There are a lot of visitors to the program, partially because of Marie’s dedication to learning. Local high school and college classes visit the program, and many of the children have therapists who come for an hour twice a week.“I’ve taken a lot of classes in the different therapies,too,” Marie added, “so I can better understand and supplement A master gardener in the making! When children need costumes for play, tabards stand waiting to be donned (behind child on left). Holding a Worthy Wage (for child care providers) event was a dream of Marie’s. With help from Onslow County Partner-ships for Children, the event enabled approximately 100 participants to sign up to be Worthy Wage advocates. Many providers in her area have adopted the idea. of makingWorthy Wage Day a paid holiday off at their preschools! Going the extra mile is common among excellent child care providers. Children in Richlands are fortunate to have so many people like Marie Farmer, who thinks nothing of a ten-mile trek! ALLTOGETHERNOW! 21 what the therapists are doing.We have play time with speech lessons. Children wear animal tabards and we act out stories.” The instant costumes hang on a clothes tree in the language arts area. Learning doesn’t stop with the children. Marie averages between 100–200 hours of classes every year. If there’s a credential or certificate to be gained,Marie either has it or is working on it. One wall in the class-room is testament to her hard work. One spot in the middle remains empty—for now: “That space is reserved for my BA,” she explained. It doesn’t really matter whether a class is required for child care providers. If she thinks it’s necessary, she takes it. “When I first started my program, there were no CPR and first aid requirements. I took those classes on my own—with the guys from the local rescue squad.” Marie is a strong advocate for others in her profession. She often teaches various child care classes for her local cooperative extension service, community college, in-services for local child care facilities, and state-wide conferences. One of the recent workshops she provided is “Learning with Legos.” “It has been such a fun class for the providers, I have been asked to provide it three times already,” she reported. Of course, her “Gardening with Children” classes are always a big hit. Marie never misses a chance to share her love of nature. From birdbaths to lily gardens, all water areas are well screened. KidSeen&Heard One afternoon Matthew, age three, came up to me and said ”Mommy, can I have a hug?” I was touched that he had asked and picked him up in a big bear hug. After a minute, I put him back down. He looked up at me with a big smile and a mischievous look on his face and said, “No,Mommy, the chocolate kind!” Sabrina Tyndall PFI Special Projects Coordinator When Jacky was three years old, one of his favorite things to do was to sit in the porch swing with my mom. One day he broke wind while they were swinging. My mom,matter-of-factly stated,“You’ve just got gas.” Jacky, very indignantly replied, “Well, if I’ve got gas, you’ve got oil!” Beulah Ryan,Director Unionville CDC Monroe 22 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 KidSpeak Please join us in making this new feature of ATN! special to you.We know you hear things every day— funny things, heart warming things, things that you remember and tell to friends and family.We’d like you to share them with the readers of All Together Now! Photos tell a story too (but we’ll need to get permis-sion to reprint them). Send your selections (200 words or fewer, please) to MollyWeston, Editor All Together Now! 521 S. Greensboro St., Suite 100 Carrboro NC 27510 molly_weston@unc.edu If your story or photo is used in ATN! you’ll receive a copy of one of the books reviewed in that issue. Topic for the next issue: Overheard in Child Care. Seeing eye to eye! Mom gets a bear hug—Matthew gets a chocolate hug! Voices Empowering Families of Children with Special Needs Voices for Children Voices for Change: Community Forums is a new PFI video featuring strong parent voices. It highlights the purpose of a forum and provides an overview of forums in five counties that have used the event to focus on inclusion and transitions.The video illus-trates the benefits of working with families of children with special needs in community planning to strengthen inclusive options and community supports during transitions. Voices for Change is available through Partnerships for Inclusion. Call Rhodus Riggins, Jr. at 919.966.8915 for more information. Thanks to funding from the US Department of Education and the leader-ship of Pat Wesley and Virginia Buysse, the Parent Leadership Development Project is still going strong in North Carolina. PLD offers educational workshops to parents of young children with special needs. PLD’s mission is supporting parents across the state who wish they had a stronger voice in the services their children receive, and who want to improve services for all chil-dren in their community. PLD empowers and supports families who want to contribute to the field of early interven-tion. Over the next two years, PLD will offer training to parents across the state to prepare them to serve in a variety of lead-ership roles, working collaboratively with involved professionals. PLD is recruiting parent participants now for retreats in the fall and spring in all regions of North Carolina.While develop-ing leadership skills, parents will learn to communicate families’ needs, to advise professionals, to advocate for change, and to present information to diverse audi-ences. Professionals who work with fami-lies or care for young children with special needs can suggest candidates for PLD training, and professional groups are urged to envision and share new roles for family leaders. Participants will receive compensation to cover travel and child care. The goals of PLD retreats are to help families ◗ Learn about the early care and interven-tion system ◗ Identify other state and local resources for young children and families ◗ Meet other parents and professionals in leadership roles ◗ Develop leadership skills such as public speaking, serving on a task force or advisory board, or acting as a mentor to another parent. For more information, you can reach Gretchen Loftis at 919.966.0067 or at loftis@mail.fpg.unc.edu. Contact Allen Stutts at 919.843.4133 or email him at allen_stutts@unc.edu. PLD’S toll-free number is 866.295.5417. You can visit us online at www.fpg.unc.edu/~pld. by Gretchen Loftis Gretchen is the new coordinator for the Parent Leadership Development project. She lives in Wake Forest and works in the Carrboro office. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 23 Asheville Alicia’s Child Care Home Asheville Laurel Elementary HS Asheville Pisgah View HS Bayboro Miller’s Day Care Home Black Mountain East Buncombe Pre-School Boone Lucy Brock CDC I Boone New River CDC Bryson City Bright Adventures Pre-K Chapel Hill A Toddler’s Place Chapel Hill Carrboro School Age Care Program Chapel Hill Glenwood Elementary School-Age Care Program Chapel Hill Mundo Pequeno Preschool Chapel Hill Scroggs School Age Care Program Chapel Hill Seawell School-Age Care Program Charlotte Beverly Woods ASEP Charlotte Blythe Elementary ASEP Charlotte Crown Point ASEP Charlotte Landsdowne ASEP Charlotte McKee Road ASEP Charlotte Myers Park Traditional ASEP Charlotte Olde Providence ASEP Charlotte Piney Grove Elementary ASEP Charlotte Positive Beginnings Charlotte Superlative Child Care Clarkton Busy B’s In-Home Child Care Coats Precious Ones Learning Center Deep Run Happy Faces Day Care Home Durham Erwin Road Children’s School Durham Great Horizons Family Day Care, Inc. Durham Robin’s Nest Child Care Durham Sugar ’n Spice Day Care Home Elizabeth City Buck Home Day Care Elizabeth City Touch by an Angel Elizabeth City Whidbee’s Home Daycare Erwin The Lighthouse Nursery Fayetteville The Lord’s Day Care Home II Garner Elaine’s Home Care Gastonia Wanda’s Little Treasures Greensboro Harmony House Preschool Greensboro NC A&T State Child Development Lab Greenville Kids-R-Us Day Care Home Greenville Nana’s Place Hallsboro Sandy’s Day Care Home Hatteras The Friendship Bridge Havelock Little Tykes Child Care Home Hays Tiny Treasures Day Care Home Henderson Rosie’s Kids Home Day Care Hertford Mrs. Patricia’s Day Care High Point Vern’s Play & Learn Preschool Hope Mills Discovery Home Day Care Hubert Little Tikes University Indian Trail Fortson Preschool & Child Care Jacksonville Over the Rainbow Lillington Precious Ones Matthews Building Blocks Learning World Matthews Precious Blessings Day Care Home Mebane FACB CDC New Bern Anderson Child Care New Bern Missy’s Child Care Home Poplar Branch Footprints Family Child Care & Preschool Raeford Children’s Developmental Center Raleigh A Safe Place Raleigh Raleigh Nursery School Roanoke Rapids Beary Heavenly Home Child Care Rocky Mount Ginger & Spice Day Care Home Rocky Mount Pinetops HS Rocky Mount Star Brite Day Care Home Sanford Childcare Network #102B Sanford Stepping Stones Learning Center Shelby Lil’ Busy Bees Day Care Sunbury Tanya’s Loving with Learning Care Center Wadesboro Our Daily Bread Christian Day Care Waynesville First United Methodist Church Kindergarten & Day Care Wilmington Brighter Day Daycare Wilmington Creative Angels Child Care Wilmington Ms. Susan’s Child Care Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 177 Chapel Hill NC 27599-1100 Addressee: Please share ATN! with your colleagues. Reaching the5Stars 521 S. Greensboro Street • Ste. 100 Carrboro NC 27510-2341 New 5-Star Programs Programs awarded since last ATN! publication or not previously listed.
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Full Text | Summer 2002 Vol. 8, No.2 Providing quality care and education for all children Summer 2002 Vol. 8, No.2 Providing quality care and education for all children Relationships 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 Molly_Weston@unc.edu www.fpg.unc.edu/~atn 27,000 copies of All Together Now! were printed at a cost of 42¢ each. 3 Concept Sounds on the Playground by Petra Kern, Sherri Marlete, & Amanda Snyder 6 Policy Update Research to Practice for Deaf/Hard of Hearing by Rosalyn Proctor, PhD 8 Research Touching Relationships by Joan Kennedy, MSW, CIMI, LMT 10 Books Reviews by Molly Weston 12 Trainings Calendar of Training Events 14 Family Focus Almost Mayberry by Molly Weston 16 Ask PFI Community Forums: Voices for Change by Rhodus Riggins, Jr. 18 Feature Program Encouraging Gardeners at Farmer’s by Molly Weston 22 KidSeen&Heard KidSpeak 24 Programs Reaching the 5 Stars The latest programs to receive 5 stars Editor’s Notes Every summer,when my anniversary date with Partnerships for Inclu-sion rolls around, I reflect on how we’ve changed during my tenure.One of the most obvious differences is our reliability on technology. We depend on email and websites for so much of our information these days. This was brought home to me recently when I visited with older friends who don’t use computers. The man wasn’t complaining, he was merely pointing out the obvious, “We don’t get all the information on the news anymore.We’re just told to go to a certain place on the inter-net to find out more.” I notice that we’re doing that with ATN! too. In several places we’ve offered you places to look for more information. I hope this informa-tion is helpful to you. We are very careful to check every site before printing its URL. As always, I am excited about this issue of our magazine, and I hope you’ll find many things pertinent to your work. Thank you for your feedback, your questions, and your interest.Have a great fall! A publication of Partnerships for Inclusion Pat Wesley, Director Editor Molly Weston Designer Gina Harrison Photographer Don Trull Proofreaders Brenda Dennis Sabrina Tyndall Editorial Board & Contributing Agencies Norman Allard Head Start Chapel Hill Training Outreach Kathy Baars NC Public Schools Early Childhood/Exceptional Children Susan Byerly Cumberland County Schools Deborah Carroll Early Intervention Branch Karen Chester NC Interagency Coordinating Council for Children Ages Birth to Five with Special Needs 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 Duncan Munn Early Intervention Branch Karen Ponder NC Partnership for Children Pat Wesley FPG Child Development Institute It’s 10:30 AM, playground time! The great outdoor adventure begins at the FPG Family and Child Care Program. As the classroom door opens, a group of children filled with excitement come running to the giant green fence where mysterious sounds and shadows are moving.By peek-ing through the fence, the young detec-tives uncover the mystery that there will be a music center, called the Music Hut, and it is being built. The anticipation and speculation about the Music Hut grows over the next few months until the final grand opening. The children and teachers are invited to explore the new equipment with a special introduction by the music therapist who uses the puppet Babette, songs, and musical games.Under the huge green canopy the children find a Chinese wind gong, six drums in different sizes, a cymbal, a mini cabasa, three sound tubes made of PVC pipes of different lengths, one marching drum, and an ocean drum. All instruments are donated from West Music and local musicians. The Music Hut was designed by an archi-tect at UNC and built by employees of the campus carpentry shop. The instruments are located on a 10’x 8’ long hardwood deck and are wheelchair accessible. Wooden beams, steel arches and plexiglas walls are used to attach the instruments, and the result is both functional and visu-ally pleasing. Design and construction meet the guidelines of playground safety regulations. (See more photos of the FPG Music Hut, at www.fpg.unc.edu/~atn). The Music Hut is integrated in the Sound Path that structures the playground through six musical stations via a path looping around the playground. The Sound Path was originally designed to support the independent locomotion and development of a child with visual impair-ments. With the addition of the Music Hut, the daily playground adventure is further enhanced and expanded with more opportunities for making music. Opportunities for all The child care schedule involves large blocks of time in outdoor play. To ensure the time spent on playgrounds promotes the development of all children, adapta-tions and support may be needed for chil-dren with special needs. Creating a more accessible and meaningful playground through musical equipment supports chil-dren’s needs for developmental stimula-tion, especially of children with disabili- Sounds on the Playground by Petra Kern, Dipl. Sozpaed., MT-BVM, MT-BC; Sherri Marlette, BS, B-K Licensure; & Amanda Snyder Petra is a research scholar at the FPG Child Development Insti-tute and a doctoral candidate of the Univer-sity Witten-Herdecke, Germany. Sherri and Amanda are preschool teachers at the FPG Child Develop-ment Institute of UNC-Chapel Hill. Concept ALLTOGETHERNOW! 3 ties. The Music Hut is designed to provide opportunities to socialize, develop sensory-motor and cognitive skills, support self-expression and communica-tion skills, create games, and benefit from the enjoyment of music. The instruments are easy to play and provide high motiva-tion for all children to engage and interact with peers. Music crosses cultural lines and facilitates non-verbal communication, and children from different backgrounds and language skills can participate. Both typically developing children and children with disabilities can create, enjoy, and learn as they engage with the instruments and each other at the Music Hut. Meaningful moments ◗ Keegan runs across the playground and hits the gong, just like he saw it in an Asian movie. ◗ Tierney sits under the cymbal and shouts, “Want to see my umbrella?” and listens to Annie play the rain tropes. ◗ Sloan shows her talent as a singer. She pretends that her drum stick is a micro-phone and sings, in a soulful voice, pop songs she heard on the radio. Her class-mates are the band and they join in with the instruments. ◗ Max shouts excitedly, “Cool! This is like an aquarium,” while lying under the ocean drum watching the beads flowing from one side to the other. ◗ Conner imitates Petra’s rhythm on the marching drum and gives her a big smile when she repeats it for him. ◗ Sarah plays the gong with the big boys and joins in the song “If you’re happy and you know it play the gong.” ◗ Ali hits the drum and sings with dedica-tion, “Row, row, row, the boat gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is like ice cream.” ◗ Brandon stands on the xylophone and moves rhythmically to Petra’s drum-ming and sings, “yah yah, ba ba, bo bo.” It doesn’t take a minute until others run over and join in the hip sounds. ◗ Max says,“My favorite instrument is the cymbal, because you can play very loud.” ◗ DeMarcus runs straight to the Music Hut and plays the drums intensely, an activ-ity he requested from his teachers the whole morning when in the classroom. Making friends Based on the child’s interest, teachers and therapist use the motivational factor of the Music Hut to implement specific IEP goals in the context of the daily playground routine. At the FPG Family and Child Care Program it is common practice to imple-ment special interventions in the context of ongoing activities and routines to minimize the stigma and isolation of the child with special needs, and to take advantage of naturally occurring learning opportunities. A music therapy intervention was conducted for four children with autism spectrum disorder. Children with autism have a delay in understanding social rela-tionships, which results in a lack of coop-erative play and peer interaction.A goal of intervention was to increase the frequency of their interactions with peers and to engage in meaningful play on the play-ground. The goals were embedded in songs composed by the music therapist for the intervention and sung by the teachers and peers using the instruments in the Music Hut. For instance children practiced taking turns by handing over a drumstick to a peer to play the drums or by learning acceptable touches—holding hands, tick-ling, hugging, or patting. 4 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 When children cooperate to move the ocean drum, they hear the sounds of breaking waves. The canvas over the Music Hut is the umbrella when we pretend that it rains. Another child would imitate the rain sounds by playing the cymbal with her finger tips. Carmen, a typically developing five-year-old girl, shows Ben, diagnosed with autism, how to sign (using American Sign Language),“You and I,we make music”and guides him to the cymbal. By imitating her, Ben gets an understanding of the concept of “you, I and we,” as well as how to play the cymbal.He sings with a big smile on his face, “play the cymbal.” Both end the song by signing, “I liked making music with you.” Justin and Phillip, both diagnosed with autism, hold hands and run across the playground. Destination: Music Hut. Both are playing the gong enthusiastically and singing, “I want to play the gong with you.” Justin wants to know if this song is called “Phillip’s Groove” and jumps joyfully up and down when his teacher verifies it.Next, Phillip initiates dancing and sings, “I want to dance with you, I want to dance with you.” He takes Justin’s hand and spins around with him. His eyes are sparkling and Justin says, “This is my favorite part.” When leaving the Music Hut, the friends give each other a big hug, sign thank you, and wave good-bye. The natural interest children have in music, the freedom inherent in outdoor play, and the engagement that comes from being creative have established the Music Hut as an environment for learning, excitement, meaningful play, and, last but not least, joy and fun.We hope to continue integrating and expanding the wonderful opportunities afforded by the Music Hut to engage children, families and others in a variety of both therapeutic and creative activities. Feeling the music is especially important for some children with special needs. Vibrating instruments, such as the gong, let them enjoy music through another sense. ATN! Want to know more? Music therapy is an established health profession that uses music to address physical, psychological, cognitive, behavioral and/or social functioning. A music therapist uses music as a tool to reach non-musical goals such as developing self-awareness, confidence, coping skills, social behavior, perception, relaxation, orientation, concentration, emotional expression, self-esteem, communication, integration, and creativity. Research on Music Therapy ◗ Aldridge, D. (1996). Music Therapy Research and Practice in Medicine: From out of the silence. London, England; Bristol, PA: Jessica Kinsley Publisher. ◗ Kern, P. & Wolery, M. (2001). Participation of a preschooler with visual impairments on the playground: Effects of musical adaptations and staff development. Journal of Music Therapy, 38, pp. 149-164 ◗ Warwick, A. (1995). Music therapy in the education service: Research with autistic children and their mothers. In T. Wigram & B. Saperston & R. West (Ed.), The Art & Science of Music Therapy, pp. 209-225. Chur, Switzerland: Harwood Academic Publishers. Making a Music Hut ◗ Ask your local music store, musicians or band leaders for used drums, cymbals and small percussion instruments. Attach them with nylon ropes to wooden posts. Use wooden dowels as drum sticks. ◗ Find materials in the hardware store that sound good, such as copper or PVC pipes of different lengths. Attach them to the trunk of a tree. Different lengths create different sounds. Use a strong string to suspend the pipes between two metal braces. Screw the braces into a tree trunk. Strike the pipes with a dowel. ◗ Bend metal rods to triangles and hang them from the branches of a tree. Different sizes produce different sounds. The wind will activate them, but a metal mallet attached to the triangles will allow children to ring the triangles, too ◗ Get three galvanized pails of different sizes. Turn them over and attach them with a rope between wooden posts. This instrument can be activated by pounding on the pail bottoms with hands or dowels. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 5 6 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 Anew website is available for professionals, child care providers and parents concerned about children who are deaf or hard of hearing.CENTe-R (Collabo-rative Early Intervention National Train-ing e-Resource) is a new project funded by the US Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs to develop web-based resources and training modules for professionals serving families with infants and toddlers who are deaf and hard of hearing. This site, found at http://center.uncg.edu (notice, there’s no “www” in this URL) features internet resources, articles, books, and national connections to support professionals and families. National mandate Recent passage of the Newborn Infant Hearing Screening Act of 1999 promises earlier identification of infants who are deaf and hard of hearing. The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (2000) stated that infants and toddlers who are deaf and hard of hearing and their fami-lies should receive intervention by the time the child is six months of age. Historically, children with hearing loss exhibit delays in their language and social development. Detection of hearing loss during infancy followed by appropriate intervention enables these children to attain reading and academic achievement levels equal to those of their hearing peers. Accordingly, appropriately prepar-ing personnel to serve infants and toddlers who are deaf and hard of hearing and their families is critical. In response to this need, CENTe-R goals are to: ◗ Develop a program of study focusing on the acquisition of professional standards in the areas of child development,commu-nication, socialization, cognition, cultural sensitivity,medicine and technology. ◗ Partner with state agencies, medical communities, parent organizations, professional and advocacy groups, colleges and universities. ◗ Develop, field-test, and disseminate web-based modules in early intervention for pre-service professionals. ◗ Establish ongoing training activities via on-site, distance education, and consul-tation. ◗ Provide an electronic and print media clearinghouse featuring topics in early intervention and hearing loss. Research to Practice for Nee Deaf/Hard of Hearing by Rosalyn Proctor, PhD Rosalyn is a co-director of CENTe-R at UNC-Greensboro. Policy CENTe-R’s mission is to provide training and resources while honoring multiple perspectives on deafness, recognizing strengths of children and families, and acknowledging the desire of professionals to acquire unique expertise. In support of this mission, families and nationally recognized professionals—representative of various perspectives on deafness and early interven-tion are involved in the development of CENTe-R resources. Groups of these profes-sionals and parents have met over the past year to identify and select national training standards in legislation, families, infant-toddler development, communication, assessment, technology, teams, and ethics and professionalism. CENTe-R will release the first training modules in the areas of Infant/Toddler Development and Early Intervention this winter. Parent/Provider input CENTe-R staff is eager to receive your feed-back about the site and to respond to inquiries through the “Contact Us”button. In addition, website submissions for tips are invited. Professionals, caregivers, providers, and parents have the opportu- Website Tip How can a family increase visual cues for their baby who has been newly identified as deaf or hard of hearing? Families naturally interact with infants in many bonding and stimu-lating ways.The enjoyable activities caregivers do daily with babies can easily include visual aspects. ◗ Gently move your hand in front of the baby to get her attention. ◗ Get close, be at eye level, and look directly at the baby when talking to him. ◗ Point to household objects and people when they are making sound. ◗ Use brightly colored toys with movement, texture, and varied types of noise. ◗ Talk, laugh, sing, clap, and babble while holding the baby so she can watch you. ◗ Use natural gestures and anima-ted expressions when interacting with her. ◗ Keep rooms well lit when the baby is awake so he can see what is happening around him. ◗ Avoid standing with light behind your face as baby then can't see expressions. ◗ Respond to the many ways your baby tells you what she wants and feels. Celebrate how your beautiful baby is growing and learning every day. As parents do these types of activi-ties they can also begin exploring information about hearing loss with other families of young children who are deaf or hard of hearing and choosing informed non-biased professionals to work with them. While cente-r ’s website is designed for professionals, its content and format are totally family friendly. nity to submit tips and to share their expertise with other visitors to the website. Upon submission, tips are reviewed, posted, and highlighted in the “Advice and Answers” portion of the site. Drs.Mary V.Compton, Judith Niemeyer, and Edgar Shroyer,principal investigators for the grant, received funding to begin CENTe-R operations in January 2001. Rosalyn Proc-tor, PhD and Anne McNally, MS serve as directors of CENTe-R located at the Univer-sity of North Carolina-Greensboro. CENTe-R staff includes an adult who is hard of hearing, an adult child of a deaf parent, parents, and other professionals involved in deafness and early interven-tion. Partners and experts who advise CENTe-R have been chosen from across the nation and represent deaf/hard of hearing individuals, parents of young chil-dren, and adults with hearing loss. Because it is a primary goal of CENTe-R to offer a clearinghouse of information to professionals serving families with infants and toddlers who are deaf or hard of hear-ing, the site will change frequently. So, we invite you to visit often!ATN! ALLTOGETHERNOW! 7 8 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 Massage is a gentle form of communication between a caregiver and an infant. Touch is the first sense to develop in humans and it is vital for healthy growth and development. It is as important as food to a baby. In fact, we have known for many years that touch is important to a baby’s very survival. At the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami, there is a preschool for children ages six months to five years. Massage is an integral part of the curricu-lum in which each child receives a daily 15-minute massage. According to their research, the children are “more alert, more responsive, and able to sleep more deeply.” Additionally, the research has proven that massage has many benefits including the facilitation of the release of food-absorption hormones that help premature babies gain weight. When a baby is anxious about new child care surroundings,massage can be a help-ful way to establish a calming and trusting relationship. Massage affects digestion, congestion, sleep, irritability, and more. These hints may help in beginning a massage routine for relaxation for any child. ◗ Pick a time when the activity level in the classroom is low (story time, or before a nap). ◗ Adjust the sound in the room so it is quieter. ◗ Dim the lights. ◗ Position the child to allow for relaxation (on a mat or your lap). ◗ Use a gentle but firm touch, with a slow, rhythmic movement. ◗ Try rocking if you’re holding the child. ◗ Focus on legs, feet, arms, and hands; moving down the body. ◗ Use slow movements when stroking down the back for relaxation ◗ Remember, it takes only a few moments to see a change! All babies, including those with traumatic or complex medical histories, can benefit from massage. As an example, some babies may have stiffness in their arms, legs, or back, or suffer with painful gas or constipation. In the beginning of massage they may seem leery of handling because of past negative experience with medical procedures. Through gentle massage, the Research by Joan Kennedy, MSW, CIMI, LMT Joan works as a pediatric massage therapist for the Developmental Evalu-ation Center in western NC. She has worked with children and families since 1980. Touching Relationships baby begins to allow for longer periods of touch and begins to trust the caregiver and the world in general as a caring place that brings relief from pain and discom-fort. This is evident by the infant’s response. Obviously, as part of the massage process, the caregiver must be able to recognize the baby’s cues or language. For example, a red face turning away is language that may be saying, “I’m not ready,” but pink skin with good eye contact says,“I’m ready for more.” If these cues are respected, the caregiver soon finds that the baby is able to release tension due to the trust that has become a part of their relationship. This, combined with her other physical needs’ being met, makes for a positive,warm relationship. The Massage: Birth to Three Project, through the Developmental Evaluation Center in Western North Carolina is a grant-funded program through Smart Start. It provides specialized services for families of infants with special needs including home-based, one-on-one instruction in infant massage based on the individual needs of the baby and family. It also provides training to child care providers of these infants to allow for more confident care. Since its inception in 1999, the project has served more than 200 families and infants with a variety of special needs in a seven-county region. With agency referrals, massage instruction has become a stan-dard part of intervention services provided by the DEC. To find more information on massage instruction in your area, contact the Inter-national Association of Infant Massage at 800.248.5432. For a full listing of research citations from the Touch Research Insti-tute at the University of Miami (FL), visit their website at www.miami.edu/touch-research/ index.html. Choose a time and place where an infant feels comfortable when initiating massage. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 9 ATN! Selected Citations Cigales, M., Field,T., Hossain, Z., Pelaez-Nogueras, M. & Gewirtz, J. (1996).Touch among children at nursery school. Early Child Develop-ment & Care, 126, 101-110. Field,T., Harding, J. Soliday, B., Lasko, D., Gonzalez, N., & Valdeon, C. (1998).Touching in infant, toddler & preschool nurseries. Early Child Development and Care, 98, 113-120. Field,T. (1999). Massage therapy: More than a laying on of hands: Contemporary Pediatrics, 16, 77-94. Hart, S., Field,T., Hernandez-Reif, M., & Lundy, B. (1998). Preschool-ers' cognitive performance improves following massage. Early Child Development & Care, 143, 59-64. 10 Vol. 8, No. 2 �� Summer 2002 Vera Goes to the Dentist by Vera Rosenberry Henry Holt ISBN 0-8050-6668-3 Going to the dentist can be challenging for adults; going for the first time was horrific for young Vera. First, she had to wait while her two older sisters saw him. She did like being in the high chair—it made her feel very tall. It wasn’t bad when the dentist checked her teeth. But then, when he brought a whirring machine on a long handle toward her mouth, Vera had enough. She wasn’t prepared for the cleaning. Out! Out of the office! Vera led every-one— dentist, technician, mom, sisters—on a chase around the block. Of course,Vera learns that the dentist is a very nice man. And the dentist learns that first-timers need a little prepara-tion for the strange encounters they’ll find in his office. First Art: Art Experiences for Toddlers and Twos by MaryAnn F. Kohl with Renee Ramsey and Dana Bowman Gryphon House ISBN 0-87659-222-1 At last, here’s a book with activities that don��t need modifications for toddlers. With chapters like “Primarily Paint” and “Hands on Dough” and “Sticky Business,” the authors have covered all the bases and they’ve done it with recipes, ideas, and techniques that will revive your art program. Whether you’re a new mother facing her child’s first play date or a veteran teacher “who’s seen it all,” there’s something great for you in the pages of this friendly art book. Hello, Hello! by Miriam Schlein illustrated by Daniel Kirk Simon & Schuster ISBN 0-689-83435-7 If you value a quiet, staid environment for children, you probably won’t want to read this charm-ing book. On first reading, the children will giggle, but with subsequent read-ings, they’ll giggle, imitate, and make raucous noises. Schlein gives the words and phonetic spellings to the ways animals greet each other, and Kirk’s oil paintings illustrate exactly how they punctuate their hellos. From lions, zebras, and elephants in the jungles to polar bears and penguins in the arctic, the examples are many. Youngsters will revel in knowing (and demonstrating) the ways wild animals say Hello,Hello! My Big Brother by Valorie Fisher Atheneum ISBN 0-89-84327-5 Little sisters often idolize their big brothers, but few write a book about them. One little sister gets to show just how special her brother is with delightful photos taken from a baby’s view finder. The simple text explains why, sometimes, the pictures are a little fuzzy. Babies, older siblings, and adult readers will enjoy this look at family life. books ALLTOGETHERNOW! 11 It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd Parr Little, Brown ISBN 0-316-66603-3 Throwing away the “one size fits all” theory, Parr addresses the differences in people and validates them by saying, “it’s okay.” His cheerful illustrations will make children laugh at their absurdities, and at any fears they might have about being different—having wheels, missing teeth, feeling proud, or losing mittens. Parr assures readers it’s even okay to have an invisible friend! God Bless America words and music by Irving Berlin illustrations by Lynn Munsinger HarperCollins ISBN 0-06-009788-4 A delightful bear family leads us on a jour-ney across America, celebrating our coun-try as they go. They cheer as firemen, policemen, and construction workers march in a Fourth of July parade, and stand respectfully at the Lincoln monu-ment. Camping in the mountains and walking through prairie hay fields with their father, the two little bears see first-hand how diverse our countryside can be. After a full chorus of visiting landmarks, the family comes full circle to “home sweet home.”Words and music to the song are included, as well as a CD recording by Barbra Streisand. by Molly Weston To check out books reviewed in All Together Now! contact Clara Hunt NC Early Intervention Library 517 West Fleming Dr., NC School for the Deaf Morganton NC 28655 828.432.5970 email ncei.library@ncmail.net Hands of the Maya: Villagers at Work and Play by Rachel Crandell Henry Holt ISBN 0-8050-66687-X Elementary school teacher Crandell spent several months (and many rolls of film) living and visiting in Mayan villages. Her experiences come alive in vivid photo-graphs. Each spread in the book offers a story: One scene shows an event with a bit of explanatory text. On the opposite page is a close-up illustrating a specific in the story and featuring someone’s hands. Building a house, gathering firewood, playing music, washing—anything in daily life is worthy of a story. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit a place quite different. Feelings by Jenny Miglis photographs by John E. Barrett illustrations by Jenine Pontillo Simon Spotlight/Nick Jr. ISBN 0-689-84843-9 With the help of a delightfully diverse crop of babies, everybody’s favorite blue dog showcases the faces of emotions.With the repeated readings that this sturdy board book will enjoy, little ones will soon be mimicking the expressions and actions shown here. It’s never to early to talk about feelings, and this is a delightful way to start. Mark your calendar! Children’s Book Week is November 18–24. 12 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 September 17 Building Connections Pre-K to K TSB2 September 18 A Family Guide to Second Step TPB3 ❖ Creating Emotionally Safe Learning Environments for Children September 19 Getting Families Involved in Early Intervention Greenville Eastern AHEC 252.816.5228 September 24 Building Connections Pre-K to K TOB4 September 24–25 Inclusive Classroom Strategies: Caring for Children with Challenging Behaviors Greenville Dave Sanel 919.843.8041 September 25 ❖ Effective Teacher/Child Communication Sept. 25, Oct. 2 & 9 Teaching 3-, 4-, & 5-Year-Olds with Challenging Behaviors TPB5 September 26 ❖ What Sexuality Means to a Child October TBA Orientation to Early Intervention Meryl Murphy 336.334.5601 October 2 ❖ Why & How Children Play October 3 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB6 ❖ The Psychology of Extremely Gifted Children October 3–4 Needs, Dreams, & IFSPs Morganton Clara Hunt 828.430.5970 October 9 ❖ Effective Parent/Teacher Relationships Oct. 9, Nov. 13, Jan. 8, Feb. 12, Mar. 12 Early Childhood Directors’ Forum TPB7 October 10 ❖ Effective Parent/Teacher Relationships October 12 ❖ Approaching Discipline & Aggression Constructively October 14 A Family Guide to Second Step TPB8 October 15, 22, & 29 More Than the ABCs…Helping 3-, 4-, & 5-Year-Olds Be Literacy Successful TPB9 October 16 ❖ Multicultural Issues & Effective Teaching Oct. 16, 23, 30, & Nov.6 Let’s Build on WORD TWB10 October 17 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB11 October 17 Flannel Board Fun TPB12 ❖ The Advantages & Hazards of Creativity in Early Childhood October 23 Creating a Caring Community TPB13 October 24 The NC Museum of Natural Sciences as a Resource for Early Childhood Professionals TOB14 Using Sign Language to Enrich Literacy & Language With 3–5 Year Olds TPB15 ❖ Touchpoints: Enhancing the Parent/Child Relationship October 30 A Guided Observation of Infants & Toddlers TOB16 November TBA Needs, Dreams, & IFSPs Raeford Rita Jenks 910.486.1605 Needs, Dreams, & IFSPs Greenville Sherry Franklin 252.328.2938 November 1 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB17 November 7 ❖ Sibling Rivalry & Relationships* November 8 Autism in Toddlers & Preschoolers: Implications for Communication Intervention Greensboro Greensboro AHEC 336.832.8025 November 12 The Kids Are Here! What Do I Plan? TPB18 November 14 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB19 Reflections on Curriculum for Toddlers & 2s TPB20 ❖ Effective Teacher/Child Communication November 18–24 Children’s Book Week November 21 School Age Children with Special Needs Fayetteville LaLisa Hewitt Robinson 910.678.7293 ❖ Parenting & Teaching Young Children with Autism December 2–3 Leo M. Croghan Conference Raleigh NC Wake AHEC 866.641.1814 or 919.350.8547 December 3 Setting Up Learning Environments for Toddlers & Twos TPB21 December 4 A Guided Observation of Infants & Toddlers TOB22 Learning to Read & Write: Pre-K Emergent Literacy TPB23 December 5 Coaching Social Skills TPB24 trainings ALLTOGETHERNOW! 13 ❖ Cary, Lucy Daniels Center for Early Childhood 919.677.1400 Raleigh, Project Enlightenment 919.856.7774 • Training events are subject to change. • Call the contact number before attending any training events. • To add your event to this calendar, contact Molly Weston 919.966.0059 FAX 919.966.0862 molly_weston@unc.edu January 21 Evaluation of Young Children with Complicated Developmental Disabilities Greensboro AHEC 336.832.8025 What’s New in Early Childhood? TPB37 Jan. 27, Feb. 3, 10, 17, & 24 Let’s Build on WORD TW38 January 23 Spirited Child: Dealing with Strong Emotions TPB33 ❖ Why & How Preschool Children Play January 30 Spirited Child: Strategies for Promoting Positive Behavior TPB34 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB39 February TBA Orientation to Early Intervention Southern Pines Rita Jenks 910.486.1605 February 6 Spirited Child: Teaching Social Skills TPB35 February 13 The Spirited Child Bridging the Gap Between Home & School TPB36 February 4–6 & March 4–5 Trauma & Loss in Children Fayetteville LaLisa Hewitt Robinson 910.678.7293 February 6 ❖ The Impact of Divorce & Other Losses on a Child February 11 Finger Play Fantasy for Toddlers & 2s TPB40 Feb. 19, 26, & March 5 Exploring Sensory Integration TPB41 December 10–12 Improving the Quality of Early Childhood Programs: PFI’s Model of On-Site Consultation Chapel Hill Sabrina Tyndall 919.966.7174 December 11 Update on Psychopharmacology in Children Fayetteville LaLisa Hewitt Robinson 910.678.7293 December 12 ❖ Social & Emotional Kindergarten Readiness* December 13 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB25 January 9 Reading Aloud with 3- & 4-Year-Olds TPB26 ❖ Helping a Child Develop a Healthy Conscience* January 14 Sharing Music & Movement with 3-, 4-, & 5-Year- Olds TPB27 Sharing Music & Movement with Toddlers & 2s TPB38 January 15 A Guided Observation of Infants & Toddlers TOB29 January 15, 22, & 29 Teaching 3-, 4-, & 5-Year-Olds with Challenging Behaviors TPB30 January 16 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB31 The Spirited Child: Understanding the Spirited Child TPB32 January 16 ❖ Recognizing & Responding to Child Maltreatment January 18 ❖ Does This Child Have AD/HD? What Then? Useful Web Sites Charlotte AHEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cltahec.org Division TEACCH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.teacch.com Early Childhood Link at UNC . . . . . . . . . . .www.cdl.unc.edu/link/trainmenu.htm Early Childhood Low Incidence NetworK (LINK) . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ec-link.org Exceptional Children's Assistance Center . . . . . . . . .www.ecac-parentcenter.org Family Support Network of North Carolina . . . . . . . . . . . . . .fsnnc.med.unc.edu North Carolina Partnership for Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.ncsmartstart.org Parent Training & Information Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ecac-parentcenter.org/ Smart Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.calsplus.net/ncpc TelAbility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.TelAbility.org US Consumer Products Safety Commission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.cpsc.gov Wake AHEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .www.wakeahec.org Feb. 20 & 27 Tricks of the Trade: Making Learning Centers Exciting TPB42 February 21 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB43 Feb. 25 & March 4 Art as a Process, Not As A Product TPB44 February 27 Puppet Pals TPB45 ❖ Supporting the Adopted Child March 6 Managing Toddlers & 3s without Saying No or Stop TPB46 ❖ Helping Children Develop Healthy Self-Esteem* March 13 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB47 Mar. 25,Apr. 1 & 8 Beyond Story Stretchers TOB48 March 26 Issues & Solutions for Preschool & K Classrooms which Include Spanish-Speaking Children TSB49 March 27 A Guided Observation of Infants & Toddlers TOB50 ❖ Childhood Bereavement April 2 Circle Time: Come Join in…for Teachers of 3-, 4-, & 5-year-olds TSB51 April 3 Using the Discovery Room at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences TOB52 April 10 A Guided Observation of the Demonstration Preschool at Project Enlightenment TDB53 As part of therapy when undergoing rehabil-itation, a doctor suggested that he might enjoy making things. Daddy started with a few woodworking tools while he and Mother traveled around the state for her to finish her teaching degree in summer schools, and by the time they were settled in Apex,his therapy had grown to a full-sized workshop. In fact, the workshop building came before their first house so that the carpenters would be able to access his tools. I can still see Daddy squatted down on his haunches holding the rope to the pulley to let down the ladder to the loft where he stored extra plywood. With the rope held in one hand, he’d use his crutch to move the hook that held the ladder in place. With that released, he’d gently let the ladder down and scamper up for supplies. In the summer time, the shop’s tin roof offered little protection from the North Carolina heat. Daddy had ropes and pulleys on all the windows and he’d use his walking stick to tilt a notched piece ofmolding to hold the open window in place. Around the shop and house, he made it a point never to take a by Molly Weston Almost Mayberry FamilyFocus 14 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 You wait here—and if a policeman comes, tell him your daddy is crippled and he’ll be right back.” Nobody would ever leave a five-year-old alone in a car in downtown Raleigh these days, but when I was a child back in the fifties, I was proud to wait in that fire zone while Daddy went in the hardware store to pick up some-thing he couldn’t get in Apex. Those happy days we all enjoy on TV weren’t always kind to people with disabilities, but my dad made the best of the times and of his rheumatoid arthritis.Not only were there no handicapped parking places, there were no special concessions at all for anybody with disabilities. People in our small town, however, knew our car and we were allowed to park at will. Certain seats in our church were unofficially reserved so that Daddy had a clear view of the preacher without having to twist in his seat. Drawn to a sitting position, he used a crutch and a walking stick to help him walk—and to reach things and to pull things, and to rescue things. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 15 step unnecessarily. Every tool had its place, every tool was in its place, and that place was near where it was used. And a five-year-old made a good helper in putting things back when they were displaced! Putting tools away and watching for police-men weren’t my only jobs—I also watched for cars when turning onto the highway. Because Daddy’s arthritis had totally fused his spine,he couldn’t turn his head to look.He used a succession of mirrors—outside and two rear views—when he drove alone, but if anyone was with him, the person riding “shotgun” checked for traffic coming from the right. I was so confident that I was in charge of when we could pull into the stream of traffic that it never occurred to me in later life to ask if he really took the word of a five-year- old! But then, it was the fifties in small town North Carolina.Maybe he did. Why am I telling you all these things? The lessons learned, literally at my father’s knees, have stayed with me over the years and are now part of my personal life. I arrange my workplace so that things are where I need them—my dictionary at work is just behind my desk where it’s easy to look up that obscure word.My style manual is on the shelf nearby so I can reach it without leaving my chair.At home,the everyday glasses are in the cabinet near the sink and the dishwasher to eliminate unnecessary steps. Because I was charged with responsibility early, I gained confidence in myself and my abilities.Because I saw my dad figure out ways to make his life easier, I have become a prob-lem- solver: I know how to streamline tasks. I would submit that every child who grows up around someone who is differently abled will learn many of these same life skills and be glad of these experiences later. I would further argue that the more differences a child experiences, the more she learns—and the easier she adapts. Our family and friends never looked on Daddy as having a disability or even being different. He was just Daddy. Whenever anyone commiserated with him about his condition,he would lean back in his chair (or on his crutch and stick) and look the person squarely in the eye.“I wouldn’t trade my body for yours!” he’d say emphatically.Aghast, the person would inevitably ask,“You wouldn’t?” “No,”Daddy would reply,with a gleam in his eye, “I know what’s wrong with my body. I don’t know what’s wrong with yours!” Times have certainly changed since I served as lookout while parked in a fire zone,but the attitude of changing things that can be changed and accepting the others has served our family well over the years.ATN! Daddy and Mother on their fiftieth wedding anniversary. 16 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 Each year Partnerships for Inclu-sion provides resources, financial support, and consultation to assist communities in conducting early childhood forums on inclusion and transitions. A community forum is simply a commu-nity meeting. It is typically a three- or four-hour public event at which families, professionals and other community members come together to share their experiences and perceptions about serv-ices available to support children with special needs and their families. It is a time for community members to begin to envision together the future of early child-hood services in their area. A forum highlights existing inclusive opportunities for young children with special needs and their families and explores how to create smooth transitions for them between programs and services. Forums provide training credit, door prizes, food, on-site child care, and special accommodations, such as interpreting services, translation of print materials, and sometimes transportation, to attract a variety of individuals from families, busi-nesses, churches, and agencies. Community forums are sponsored and funded jointly by Partnerships for Inclu-sion, the local Interagency Coordinating Council, and other community agencies. Because communities have their own unique cultures, the role of Partnerships for Inclusion is to identify forum organiz-ers who can work together to ensure that the forum responds to the interests and concerns of community members. Local organizers make all critical decisions, including the type of meal to serve—the cornerstone of the event. The forum plan-ning process is an empowering one and many communities continue to host future forums and conduct follow-up activities to address challenges identified from their initial forum. The voices of families are critical in plan-ning and to the success of the forum. Communities hold focus groups to gather families’ perceptions about inclusive AskPFI Community Forums Voices for Change by Rhodus Riggins, Jr. Rhodus is an inclu-sion specialist in PFI’s central region. He lives in Chapel Hill and works from the Carrboro office. What’s the story on all of these forums PFI is sponsoring across the state? Does my community need to sponsor one? What are they, anyway? Community forums are viewed as a springboard for planning by community members.A forum is just the beginning of the continued work that the community will to do together to expand inclusive options, to strengthen supports during transitions, and to build on the voices for change beyond the day of the forum. PFI has a new video about forums. Look for information about it in the article in the sidebar box on page 23. If your community is interested in additional information about conducting a commu-nity forum on inclusion or transition, please contact your regional PFI inclusion specialist. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 17 opportunities, services, and community supports during their children’s transi-tions. Families’ voices are also shared the day of the event through a keynote address or as part of a parent panel. The forum planning process is intensive and typically results in several positive outcomes. ◗ Valuing families as partners. During the forum planning process and on the day of the forum individuals begin to see the importance of working with families to develop strategies for addressing chal-lenges, and to ensure that community supports are responsive to the goals for their children and their families. ◗ Strengthening relationships among community agencies. Community agencies develop greater trust, knowl-edge, and respect for other agencies’ roles in the lives of young children and families. This often leads to enhanced collaboration both with each other and with families to implement more coordi-nated local services. ◗ Connecting families. Families have the opportunity to meet other family members and realize that they are not alone. Families realize that their hopes and dreams are the same, regardless of their children’s abilities. ◗ Increasing knowledge of resources. Families, professionals, agencies, and other community members gain greater awareness of community resources available to support children and fami-lies and each other. ◗ Bringing children together. On the day of the forum families have the realiza-tion of one of their greatest hopes for their children: the chance to play and get along with others. Children with and without special needs play together. ◗ Connecting the community. On the day of the forum participants feel connected to something bigger. It is this connection that helps to shape one of the greatest realizations of hosting a forum: Members of a community need each other! ATN! PFI Inclusion Specialists Central Brenda Dennis, 919. 962.7359 or Rhodus Riggins, Jr, 919. 966.8915 Eastern Sandy Steele, 252.328.2940 Western Katherine Laveck, 828.430.7814 Counties that have hosted inclusion forums since 1998 are in green; transition forums, in blue. 18 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 by Molly Weston Molly is editor of ATN! She lives with her husband and Old English Sheep-dog in Apex and works from PFI’s Carrboro office. Feature lunch. All the children help.” The children were eager to share their culinary favorites. Morgan likes to make pizzas— with pepperoni. Madison prefers putting sprinkles on ice cream. Adam enjoys scooping cupcakes into muffin pans. And everybody likes making soup! Physical facilities The classroom for the program is the Farmer’s converted garage. Three spacious rooms feature developmentally appropri-ate activity centers, and clearly labeled shelves and bins hold enough supplies for a far larger program. One outside door leads to a playground with an adjoining paved area for riding toys. The front door leads to the family’s backyard—and the children’s farm. Marie leaves nothing to chance when indoctrinating her garden-ers. They have bordered beds to keep topsoil in place and well-screened orna-mental pools which entice children with fragrant water lilies and lazy koi. Plenty of miniature tools are available for proper cultivation techniques and children’s artwork serves as garden markers. Gracious old trees provide shade for benches where the pint-sized gardeners can take a break and talk about their collective projects. Lots of the projects children do at preschool cover refrigerator doors. Lots of the Farmer Preschool projects land inside them. Marie Farmer, owner and operator of the five-star inclusive family child care home in Richlands, loves gardening and instills that love in the children in her care. Her philosophy is simple: “I like to garden and parents of most children who are in care haven’t time to add this activity to their lives. Herbs, vegetables, flowers— these all flourish here. If we send five new gardeners out at the time, this is good for America!” Building a relationship with nature, through gardening and watching birds, animals and fish is an important part of the curriculum here. Bird feeders, fish pools, squirrel feeders, and butterfly bushes attract conversation and questions among children just as surely as the crit-ters they target. Under Marie’s careful tutelage, children plant and care for herbs, beans, squash, tomatoes, beets, and other vegetables. Then they harvest and use them in their meals.Much that isn’t used at the program goes home with the children. “We spend part of every morning preparing our Encouraging Gardeners at Farmer’s ALLTOGETHERNOW! 19 Feeling that a family child care program should provide a home-like environment, Marie gives the children free range in her house. “I’ve never had anything broken in 16 years,” she said. “It’s just a matter of defining things as ‘lookies’ or ‘touchies.’The children quickly learn what’s what.We have tea parties in my dining room.” Fragile demitasse cups and saucers make great tea sets. Learning good manners and to treat things with care are important. “Anything we would do with our own kids,we do here with eight! Lots of it depends on the partic-ular group of children at the time.” Children of the military Because Richlands is so near Jacksonville’s Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base, about half of the children are from military families. In keeping with the whole coun-try, signs of patriotism were prominent at the Farmer home in early July. “We deco-rated a little bit extra for the Fourth of July to show our patriotism.We tend to deco-rate a lot for every season though.”Marie laughed. “I have bean bags for each holi-day. The children love hiding them all over the school and finding them. I made them out of holiday material and let the children stuff in the beans.” Child care programs in military areas often face different issues than some others. “When parents were recently deployed, it was a big deal for the children. We write letters to the parents, and I try to give the children a little more attention during the day. It helps for Uncle Danny to be a role model during this time.” (Uncle Danny is Marie’s husband, the youth director at a church, and he has a golf shop behind the classroom building, so he’s often on site.Most of the children call her “Miss Marie.”) “He tries to spend a little more time with the kids who are missing a parent, too.” One consolation of losing children when their military families are transferred is the mail that comes later. “Families send us things from all over the world, and we use them here in our classroom,” Marie said as she pointed to a wall full of post-cards and artifacts. Near the souvenir wall Marie keeps in open view a wish list. “We often have folks who want to help us, and having the wish list clearly visible is very helpful. Not only do families give us things, but sometimes a casual visitor will see something on our wish list and offer it to us.” Clearly when Working together on a gardening project helps two guys get to know each other. operating a child care facility, it’s good to be opportunistic. Good rules, good program Marie is an AGS (American Guidance Service) certified evaluator and she uses this program to screen children’s skills in cognitive, language, motor, self-help, social, articulation, and health areas. She likes this measure because it is useful for identifying children who are at risk for later learning problems and for identify-ing potentially gifted children.The screen-ing serves as a tool in goal planning for each child, not as a device for eliminating children from the program. Before enrolling a child, Marie holds a meeting with the family to familiarize the child with the new environment. The paperwork is handled in another meeting for the parents alone. “I don’t want chil-dren to get the the impression that they’ll have to do a lot of waiting when they come to preschool!” Having rules is important to the success of the program. Marie generally has no help (on the day we visited, the local CCR&R sent people to cover Marie’s being with us).Marie laughed at my shock,“I’ve been 20 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 sick only three days in 16 years, and that was with surgery.” She has a strict policy not to admit sick children. “Child care is not nursing care!” Marie also closes two weeks in July, a week at Christmas and Easter, and other major holidays. Enrollment is large and the ages are varied—from toddlers to after schoolers, but many children share spots, some coming at one time, others at another. Good charts document which children will be there at any time and Marie’s lesson plans support smooth transitions throughout the day.By keeping a workable schedule, Marie avoids the burnout expe-rienced by so many home providers work-ing as a staff of one. Community involvement As with other good programs across the state, Marie Farmer looks to outside sources for help. She gives credit to Smart Start grants for many of the additions to the program—a bigger playground, kitchen tables, a cassette player, art supplies, carpet, and a fine set of toy stove, refrigerator, and sink. There are a lot of visitors to the program, partially because of Marie’s dedication to learning. Local high school and college classes visit the program, and many of the children have therapists who come for an hour twice a week.“I’ve taken a lot of classes in the different therapies,too,” Marie added, “so I can better understand and supplement A master gardener in the making! When children need costumes for play, tabards stand waiting to be donned (behind child on left). Holding a Worthy Wage (for child care providers) event was a dream of Marie’s. With help from Onslow County Partner-ships for Children, the event enabled approximately 100 participants to sign up to be Worthy Wage advocates. Many providers in her area have adopted the idea. of makingWorthy Wage Day a paid holiday off at their preschools! Going the extra mile is common among excellent child care providers. Children in Richlands are fortunate to have so many people like Marie Farmer, who thinks nothing of a ten-mile trek! ALLTOGETHERNOW! 21 what the therapists are doing.We have play time with speech lessons. Children wear animal tabards and we act out stories.” The instant costumes hang on a clothes tree in the language arts area. Learning doesn’t stop with the children. Marie averages between 100–200 hours of classes every year. If there’s a credential or certificate to be gained,Marie either has it or is working on it. One wall in the class-room is testament to her hard work. One spot in the middle remains empty—for now: “That space is reserved for my BA,” she explained. It doesn’t really matter whether a class is required for child care providers. If she thinks it’s necessary, she takes it. “When I first started my program, there were no CPR and first aid requirements. I took those classes on my own—with the guys from the local rescue squad.” Marie is a strong advocate for others in her profession. She often teaches various child care classes for her local cooperative extension service, community college, in-services for local child care facilities, and state-wide conferences. One of the recent workshops she provided is “Learning with Legos.” “It has been such a fun class for the providers, I have been asked to provide it three times already,” she reported. Of course, her “Gardening with Children” classes are always a big hit. Marie never misses a chance to share her love of nature. From birdbaths to lily gardens, all water areas are well screened. KidSeen&Heard One afternoon Matthew, age three, came up to me and said ”Mommy, can I have a hug?” I was touched that he had asked and picked him up in a big bear hug. After a minute, I put him back down. He looked up at me with a big smile and a mischievous look on his face and said, “No,Mommy, the chocolate kind!” Sabrina Tyndall PFI Special Projects Coordinator When Jacky was three years old, one of his favorite things to do was to sit in the porch swing with my mom. One day he broke wind while they were swinging. My mom,matter-of-factly stated,“You’ve just got gas.” Jacky, very indignantly replied, “Well, if I’ve got gas, you’ve got oil!” Beulah Ryan,Director Unionville CDC Monroe 22 Vol. 8, No. 2 • Summer 2002 KidSpeak Please join us in making this new feature of ATN! special to you.We know you hear things every day— funny things, heart warming things, things that you remember and tell to friends and family.We’d like you to share them with the readers of All Together Now! Photos tell a story too (but we’ll need to get permis-sion to reprint them). Send your selections (200 words or fewer, please) to MollyWeston, Editor All Together Now! 521 S. Greensboro St., Suite 100 Carrboro NC 27510 molly_weston@unc.edu If your story or photo is used in ATN! you’ll receive a copy of one of the books reviewed in that issue. Topic for the next issue: Overheard in Child Care. Seeing eye to eye! Mom gets a bear hug—Matthew gets a chocolate hug! Voices Empowering Families of Children with Special Needs Voices for Children Voices for Change: Community Forums is a new PFI video featuring strong parent voices. It highlights the purpose of a forum and provides an overview of forums in five counties that have used the event to focus on inclusion and transitions.The video illus-trates the benefits of working with families of children with special needs in community planning to strengthen inclusive options and community supports during transitions. Voices for Change is available through Partnerships for Inclusion. Call Rhodus Riggins, Jr. at 919.966.8915 for more information. Thanks to funding from the US Department of Education and the leader-ship of Pat Wesley and Virginia Buysse, the Parent Leadership Development Project is still going strong in North Carolina. PLD offers educational workshops to parents of young children with special needs. PLD’s mission is supporting parents across the state who wish they had a stronger voice in the services their children receive, and who want to improve services for all chil-dren in their community. PLD empowers and supports families who want to contribute to the field of early interven-tion. Over the next two years, PLD will offer training to parents across the state to prepare them to serve in a variety of lead-ership roles, working collaboratively with involved professionals. PLD is recruiting parent participants now for retreats in the fall and spring in all regions of North Carolina.While develop-ing leadership skills, parents will learn to communicate families’ needs, to advise professionals, to advocate for change, and to present information to diverse audi-ences. Professionals who work with fami-lies or care for young children with special needs can suggest candidates for PLD training, and professional groups are urged to envision and share new roles for family leaders. Participants will receive compensation to cover travel and child care. The goals of PLD retreats are to help families ◗ Learn about the early care and interven-tion system ◗ Identify other state and local resources for young children and families ◗ Meet other parents and professionals in leadership roles ◗ Develop leadership skills such as public speaking, serving on a task force or advisory board, or acting as a mentor to another parent. For more information, you can reach Gretchen Loftis at 919.966.0067 or at loftis@mail.fpg.unc.edu. Contact Allen Stutts at 919.843.4133 or email him at allen_stutts@unc.edu. PLD’S toll-free number is 866.295.5417. You can visit us online at www.fpg.unc.edu/~pld. by Gretchen Loftis Gretchen is the new coordinator for the Parent Leadership Development project. She lives in Wake Forest and works in the Carrboro office. ALLTOGETHERNOW! 23 Asheville Alicia’s Child Care Home Asheville Laurel Elementary HS Asheville Pisgah View HS Bayboro Miller’s Day Care Home Black Mountain East Buncombe Pre-School Boone Lucy Brock CDC I Boone New River CDC Bryson City Bright Adventures Pre-K Chapel Hill A Toddler’s Place Chapel Hill Carrboro School Age Care Program Chapel Hill Glenwood Elementary School-Age Care Program Chapel Hill Mundo Pequeno Preschool Chapel Hill Scroggs School Age Care Program Chapel Hill Seawell School-Age Care Program Charlotte Beverly Woods ASEP Charlotte Blythe Elementary ASEP Charlotte Crown Point ASEP Charlotte Landsdowne ASEP Charlotte McKee Road ASEP Charlotte Myers Park Traditional ASEP Charlotte Olde Providence ASEP Charlotte Piney Grove Elementary ASEP Charlotte Positive Beginnings Charlotte Superlative Child Care Clarkton Busy B’s In-Home Child Care Coats Precious Ones Learning Center Deep Run Happy Faces Day Care Home Durham Erwin Road Children’s School Durham Great Horizons Family Day Care, Inc. Durham Robin’s Nest Child Care Durham Sugar ’n Spice Day Care Home Elizabeth City Buck Home Day Care Elizabeth City Touch by an Angel Elizabeth City Whidbee’s Home Daycare Erwin The Lighthouse Nursery Fayetteville The Lord’s Day Care Home II Garner Elaine’s Home Care Gastonia Wanda’s Little Treasures Greensboro Harmony House Preschool Greensboro NC A&T State Child Development Lab Greenville Kids-R-Us Day Care Home Greenville Nana’s Place Hallsboro Sandy’s Day Care Home Hatteras The Friendship Bridge Havelock Little Tykes Child Care Home Hays Tiny Treasures Day Care Home Henderson Rosie’s Kids Home Day Care Hertford Mrs. Patricia’s Day Care High Point Vern’s Play & Learn Preschool Hope Mills Discovery Home Day Care Hubert Little Tikes University Indian Trail Fortson Preschool & Child Care Jacksonville Over the Rainbow Lillington Precious Ones Matthews Building Blocks Learning World Matthews Precious Blessings Day Care Home Mebane FACB CDC New Bern Anderson Child Care New Bern Missy’s Child Care Home Poplar Branch Footprints Family Child Care & Preschool Raeford Children’s Developmental Center Raleigh A Safe Place Raleigh Raleigh Nursery School Roanoke Rapids Beary Heavenly Home Child Care Rocky Mount Ginger & Spice Day Care Home Rocky Mount Pinetops HS Rocky Mount Star Brite Day Care Home Sanford Childcare Network #102B Sanford Stepping Stones Learning Center Shelby Lil’ Busy Bees Day Care Sunbury Tanya’s Loving with Learning Care Center Wadesboro Our Daily Bread Christian Day Care Waynesville First United Methodist Church Kindergarten & Day Care Wilmington Brighter Day Daycare Wilmington Creative Angels Child Care Wilmington Ms. Susan’s Child Care Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 177 Chapel Hill NC 27599-1100 Addressee: Please share ATN! with your colleagues. Reaching the5Stars 521 S. Greensboro Street • Ste. 100 Carrboro NC 27510-2341 New 5-Star Programs Programs awarded since last ATN! publication or not previously listed. |
OCLC number | 33387525 |