Archive for the 'Child Education' Category

Educational Market Trips

Every trip the the market can be fun and educational for the little ones. Even tiny babies (assuming they are awake) can benefit from the learning possibilities while you get your grocery shopping done. Here are some tips for making your next trip to the market (or any store for that matter) fun and educational.

Babies

Show them their world

Introduce them to different shapes and colors: Red apples, round oranges, square boxes for example.

Keep wipes/hand sanitizer on you or within easy reach, and if your baby is old enough, let him touch different things and feel the different textures: smooth cucumbers, bumpy squash. (Make sure baby keeps things out of her mouth.)

Toddlers

Have them him and count.

Let her count the pears as you put them in the bag for example.

Continue talking with him about colors, shapes and sizes. Ask: which is bigger: a grape or a grapefruit?

Have her find letters on signs, boxes and wrappings.

Play the “I Spy” game, with older toddlers.

If your toddler is a walker, opposed to one who sits in the cart, let them pick some things out themselves (or go with an older sibling to do so.)

Now is a good time too (for older toddlers), to introduce the concept of money and that you have to pay for the things in the store before you leave with them.

School-aged

Combine what she’s learning in school with the trip to the market. If she’s studying geography for example, talk about where some things come from…bananas from Chile, oranges from Florida for example.

Talk about cooking with him and what the ingredients are for a ________.

Have her try to figure out how much the groceries will cost.

Have him pay, accept and count the change. (This means of course, that you’re using cash instead of a credit/debit card.)

Use coupons/store bonus card and have her figure out what the savings will be.

If he’s taking a foreign language (or you speak one at home) practice vocabulary in the foreign language about things in the store.

Have her guess how many bags it will take to pack all of the groceries (for a large shopping trip).

Discuss with him why you’re making the choices that you do as a shopper. (For example: Less expensive? Brand loyalty? Eco-friendly? You have a coupon for it?

Talk about why some things are taxed and others are not?

These are just some ways that you can turn a trip to the market into an engaging, fun and educational experience, foster communication and teach your child about their world. Come up with your own to add that work for your family.

Posted in Parenting, Lifestyles, Activities, School and Learning, Smart Buying, Child Education, Guest Blogger | No Comments »

Reader Letter, Special Needs

Just today I received my first reader letter with a question. I’m thrilled to publish it here along with my answer. If you have a question about family life you’d like to ask, just email me at familyresourceblogger@gmail.com . Be sure to include if you would like for the email to be published on the blog.

Dear Julie,
I read your blog often and I have a question, if you have time to answer. You wrote about special needs and school systems in September. My daughter is learning disabled and I am not happy with the class she is in. How can I go about having her moved to a different classroom? I hope you can help me.

Thanks,
Amy in New York

Amy,
I always have time! You’re in luck because I live in New York, too. Not NYC, though the same rules apply throughout the state.

What you need to do is contact your daughter’s school and ask to speak with their Special Education Teacher. Once you are in contact with her, ask where you should send a letter requesting a re-evaluation of your daughter and her skills. Write a detailed letter that addresses your concerns and request the evaluations. Your school system cannot rightfully deny this. The evaluations will be performed and a meeting will be scheduled for you and if this applies, her father, to meet with your child’s teacher, a psychologist, special ed teacher, and social worker. You will discuss options and hopefully come to a resolution that works for your daughter.

I hope this helps! If you need more information, write me again. Good luck, keep me updated!

-Julie

Posted in Child Education | No Comments »

The Special Needs Child: Be The Wheel

Yesterday was going to be themed for nutrition, but due to circumstances, I missed posting. I apologize for that and today I’m going to focus on something totally different from what I originally meant to use.

Education and Special Needs will be the theme for today.

There are many, many children in public schools today who are specials needs. Each one of these children have a specialized educational program that should be followed by their school. Even if they do not have an Individualized Education Program or IEP in place, they should. The sad fact is, even though schools are required by law to provide special services for children who need them, a large percentage never receive the services that are their right.

Why is this? Low funding is one problem, lack of communication is another, and in some cases plain neglect. As a parent it is our right to know and understand the IEP and services our children are given or have been recommended to receive. It is also our right to have phone numbers, addresses, and names of the people who we need to speak with in case an IEP is not working for our child.

As a parent you are your child’s most powerful tool in life. You are their advocate. Keep a list of phone numbers, have their IEP handy, and if possible, get to know as many of staff members in your childs’ school. Be as friendly as possible with these people, because as biased and sad as this sounds, children of parents who are friendly and involved in their school as they are able are treated much better. If you notice problems, complain. Try politeness first, if that fails, then make sure the system knows you are displeased. Make as many calls as you can, let the school system know you are not going to back down until the problem you are having is solved.

As my child’s liasion told me…the squeaky wheel gets the grease. Be your childs’ wheel and squeak until they have what they deserve and need.

Posted in Parenting, Child Development, School and Learning, Child Education | No Comments »

Great Back to School Clothing!

We don’t do enough plain old fun posts around here. Safety, breastfeeding, parenting; all very important topics. But you know, shopping can be fun too!

And it is back to school time for most of you. I found one great and unique shop where you can find items that’ll send your kids back to school in style. None of this (yawn) clothing. That ends now.

ismodern is a newer shop with truly unique and fun clothing finds. The company was started by a mama Tami, who was tired of seeing the same old furniture, clothing, and toys everywhere she looked. Her goals are to create amazing and yet, simple items that are well-made and make a statement.

I think she did it, take a look at some of these pieces:

This Orange Jonquille Dress is one of my favorites (and it’s on sale, so hurry over).

Next up is a beautiful Aqua Knit Dress. Your little will look adorable in this.

Ok, I’ll admit, that as a girl, I am partial to girl clothing (I can’t help it) but some of us, me included, do have little men to think about.

Now as the mama of said boy, my idea of a good tee-shirt design logo would be like this one from focoloco:

Posted in Clothing, Child Education | No Comments »