tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42740086039099969482024-02-29T01:26:40.438-06:00Bill and Ria - Sharing experiences about life, parenting, and Down syndromeSharing experiences about life, parenting, and Down syndrome.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.comBlogger361125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-13990209635638757422012-07-11T06:30:00.023-05:002012-07-11T06:30:00.225-05:00TalkTools Straw #7Straw #7 is the second to the last one in the TalkTools straw hierarchy kit. Matthew used this straw for 3 months, from April through June.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/straw7.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
It must have been harder to drink with this straw as he didn't transition to this straw as easily as he did with the previous one. It seemed longer than coily straw #6. But as with the others in the straw hierarchy kit, he used the straw daily for most of his drinks, even at school. I sent one straw and cup to his preschool daily for him to use at snack time. He eventually warmed up to this straw and could drink a whole cup of orange juice, lemonade, or chocolate almond milk without any issues.<br />
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In the beginning of July, we started with straw #8. On straw #8, I noticed he regressed back to a pattern of suckling (straw resting on tongue when the tongue is too far forward then moves forward more, rather than back, when sucking on the straw) instead of sipping (using lips only). We went back to straw #7 for a day to see if we had moved on too quickly. He did just fine for the most part and easily corrected with verbal cues from me (as seen in the video). The speech therapist whom we work with in NACD suggested that we move on to straw #8 with more manual support and a tactile cue such as a lip block or medical tape 1/4-inch from the drinking tip.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Vvkfaq1BEkQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-70298351102034422602012-07-10T06:00:00.067-05:002012-07-10T06:00:11.835-05:00Toy Review Tuesday: Super Sorting Pie by Learning Resources<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0098.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div>The kids love the Super Sorting Pie. It's been a versatile toy since Christmas (2011) and great for learning colors, sorting, counting, fine motor practice with tongs, and even pretend play. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0093.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
Three 2-sided cardboard inserts come with the pie and provides a good visual for the kids to remember how I am asking them to sort the fruits. The inserts are easily interchangeable by simply lifting the sectioned-off part of the pie.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0092.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0091.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
Elizabeth enjoys sorting by color and by type of fruit.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/sWL5CA3rNIo?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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I've even used it for simple addition and subtraction practice with Matthew. <br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/D_Q8hjjdrFk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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When not sorting or counting, the kids play with it many days in the week pretending to bake a fruit pie in their play kitchen. Today, they were so cute playing together. Matthew was telling Elizabeth what fruit he needed and how many and Elizabeth listened, understood him (she usually always does despite his struggle with articulating some words), and played along. I would've taken a longer video but stopped right after Elizabeth announced, "I'm pooping." Thankfully, she still wears diapers.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-mhFdVpY4BU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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As of today, it's selling on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Learning-Resources-Super-Sorting-Pie/dp/B004DJ51WQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341887077&sr=8-1&keywords=learning+resources+pie" target="_blank">amazon.com</a> for less than $20. It's also available on the <a href="http://www.learningresources.com/product/super+sorting+pie.do?from=Search" target="_blank">Learning Resources</a> website but it costs more.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-5094927853092123662012-07-08T06:15:00.124-05:002012-07-08T06:15:00.926-05:00Tall KneelingIn January this year, I emailed Matthew's physical therapist (PT) at school to ask how he was doing during his PT sessions. One of the things she said was that in the group he had difficulty staying in a tall kneeling (on knees, not sitting on buttocks) and half kneeling ( one knee up the other down on floor and balancing in this position).<br />
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When googling for information on tall kneeling, I came across <a href="http://www.adaptivemall.com/inehetakn.html" target="_blank">Adaptivemall.com</a>. We didn't need the equipment but it was very interesting to see that adaptive equipment to help with tall kneeling actually existed. Also to quote from the site:<br />
<blockquote>Tall kneeling is achieved when someone is kneeling and the buttocks are not resting back on the feet. Tall kneeling can assist with the development of balance and leg strength. Note: This position can be difficult for people who have limited ankle bend (plantar flexion) or who wear ankle foot orthotics (AFO).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0024.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
Matthew doesn't wear orthotics but he does have insole wedges in his shoes for ankle support since he has pronated ankles(but I don't think that matters). The gluteal/buttock muscles are needed to maintain the tall kneeling position. I imagine his gluteal muscles didn't inherently have the tone to easily get into a tall kneel and maintain it. He always preferred to sit on the backs of his feet to stabilize himself.<br />
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And of course, I wanted him to develop better balance and leg strength because that will make more physical play activities easier for him. So what do we do? We work on it at home!<br />
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<b>How to Position?</b><br />
His PT and NACD evaluator gave me a few suggestions:<br />
- try kneeling at support surface.<br />
- work on him imitating you go from sitting on heels to tall kneeling position, or in front of a mirror.<br />
- (if he were still in diapers) try bridges, like when his diaper was being changed, ask him to raise his bottom up with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold the position for 5-10 seconds....move a train, ball under his hips to keep hips up.<br />
- have him get on hands and knees and cross creep (crawl on hands and knees). Then while facing him, model getting up into a tall kneel and ask him to do it. From there play something or sing something while maintaining that position.<br />
- practice kneewalking around the room to get things off of the sofa or low tables.<br />
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Which strategy worked for him? Asking him to cross creep and then get into a tall kneel to kneewalk and then pause in the tall kneel position helped him understand the concept of tall kneeling. So we played around with kneewalking a lot. He liked jumping and running on giant bubble wrap so I used that as our kneewalking activity motivator. <br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/90cqAyJfFR0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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Within days, his kneewalking improved. More importantly, he was developing the balance and strength to maintain the tall kneeling position for longer periods of time. He'd still sometimes take 3-second breaks to sit on the backs of his feet but he could now easily return to the tall kneeling position without falling over.<br />
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Just yesterday, Matthew, Elizabeth, and I had lots of fun playing a fast-paced game of rolling the beach ball back and forth to each other in the tall kneeling position. <br />
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At age 2, Elizabeth had no trouble with tall kneeling at all. Seeing her easily play in tall kneeling was one of the many reminders of how much more work Matthew had to put in just to achieve what Elizabeth could do so naturally and effortlessly (relatively). It's at moments like that when one simply appreciates each child's development as it is and admires and learns from Matthew's determination and can-do attitude.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-52723915744905224472012-07-07T03:21:00.019-05:002012-07-07T03:21:00.064-05:00TalkTools Straw #6It's hard to tell if straw #6 is shorter than straw #5. Because of its coils, straw #6 doesn't stick out of the cup as far as straw #5. Matthew had an easier time drinking from this straw mainly because he didn't need to hold the cup out as far.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="213" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/straw6.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
I also ordered two extra #6 straws as back-ups to replace the ones with internal residue build-up. Matthew easily transitioned from the previous straw to this one as they were the same diameter. Like the previous straws, he used this straw for most of his drinks including chocolate almond milk, orange juice, apple juice, and water everyday. The straw was sent to his preschool as well for him to use at snack time.<br />
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I'm not sure if I had mentioned it in any of my previous TalkTools straw posts but Matthew is on straw therapy as recommended in his <a href="http://www.nacd.org" target="_blank">NACD</a> program. So we also used the straw as part of a set of oral motor stimulating activities specified in his daily program.<br />
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Matthew started on straw #6 during the Christmas break. He could've moved on to straw #7 after a month but I kept him on this straw for almost 3 months because there was so much going on that I just kept forgetting to move him on to the next straw in the hierarchy. It didn't hurt to keep him on the straw longer anyway. The instructions only discouraged from moving on to the next straw within a few days, which would be too fast of a transition. As of April this year, he was on straw #7.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-72650825128204760182012-07-06T06:44:00.001-05:002012-07-06T06:44:00.147-05:00Stickers Activity for Fine Motor SkillsI love great ideas, especially if it's a fun, productive, educational activity for the kids. I recently picked up two great resources for promoting fine motor skills from the facebook group "Educational Strategies for Children with Down Syndrome".<br />
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<a href="http://handsonaswegrow.com/2012/01/30-kids-activities-materials-for-promoting-fine-motor-skills.html" target="_blank">hands on: As We Grow - 30 Kids Activities & Materials for Promoting Fine Motor Skills</a><br />
<a href="http://prekinders.com/fine-motor-skills/" target="_blank">PreKinders: Resources for preK teachers - Fine Motor Skills</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0031.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
We tried the sticker activity from "hands on". It was a success! We used small stickers and $1 Shape Tracing activity books from Target. Since I haven't been working on handwriting with either of them, I thought this was a good opportunity to use the tracing books.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0032.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
Elizabeth was determined to put stickers on the dotted lines to complete her square. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0028.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
Matthew stayed focused putting stickers on the dotted lines for his oval. <br />
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They both did a great job!Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-22441237102343577002012-07-05T03:21:00.001-05:002012-07-05T03:21:00.292-05:00Our Current Favorite iPad/ iPhone AppsHere is a list (and some video) of Elizabeth (2-yrs old) and Matthew's (4-1/2 yrs old) favorite apps these days. I've categorized them as best as I could. Some apps are listed in more than one category. Please feel free to comment and share your favorite apps with us.<br />
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<b>Short-term Working Memory</b><br />
NACD Simply Smarter<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CHwi0cPgCoY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<b>Expanding Knowledge</b><br />
Mini Adventure Animals - I love integrating this app into our reading time, especially when we read about animals. Great real-life photos and youtube videos AND it's customizable.<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/H35BqeMvExk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Matching Jobs<br />
ABA Animals flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Earth Science (by kindergarten.com)<br />
Sesame Street Podcasts - not an app but free short videos featuring the letter of the day and things related to it.<br />
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<b>Learning Concepts</b><br />
Photo Touch Concepts (by Grasshopper Apps)<br />
ABA Problem Solving What Rhymes (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Problem Solving Which Go Together (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Which Does Not Belong? (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Receptive by Function (by kindergarten.com)<br />
Little Matchups Opposites (by Grasshopper Apps)<br />
Little Matchups The Matching Game (by Grasshopper Apps)<br />
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<b>Learning Patterns/ Critical Thinking</b><br />
Caboose - Learn to Recognize and Complete Patterns<br />
Little Patterns<br />
Monkey Mathschool Sunshine<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/C1yEkcvltJI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Little Solver Preschool Logic (by Alligator Apps)- this game gets progressively harder as Matthew gets more successful with the basic patterns.<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/f0GjBMCSRBE?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Injini/ Injini Lite<br />
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<b>Early Numeracy Skills & Math</b><br />
KidCalc - Great app except I don't like the number tracing activity on this app. It's overly responsive and allows random screen swiping to trace the numbers.<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/X2PSAFJFsHc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Monkey Mathschool Sunshine<br />
Grover's Number Special<br />
Kinder Add<br />
Line 'Em Up<br />
Preschool Prep Meet the Numbers<br />
PhotoTouch Numbers<br />
123 Toddler Counting<br />
Counting Bear (by Grasshopper Apps)<br />
Montessori Counting Board (by Grasshopper Apps)<br />
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<b>Speech Production & Articulation</b><br />
SmallTalk Phonemes<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/3SjXrm3zLSI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
NACD Apraxia<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ucd2Aiq_aBk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Talking Tom (and other Talking Friends)<br />
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<b>Just For Fun</b><br />
Monkey Mathschool Sunshine<br />
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox<br />
Talking Tom (and other Talking Friends)<br />
Grover's Number Special<br />
Matching Job<br />
More Breakfast<br />
More Pizza<br />
Cupcakes!<br />
Your Teddy!<br />
Balloonimals<br />
Fruit Ninja<br />
Scout's ABC (by Leapfrog)<br />
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<b>Books and Activities</b><br />
I Like Books (by Grasshopper Apps)<br />
The Monster at the End of this Book<br />
Another Monster at the End of this Book<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/4C9oYvGZKX0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Lightning Was Here Puzzle Book<br />
Thomas the Train books - Some (or maybe all) of the books have a memory matching game that's both auditory and visual.<br />
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<b>Sight Words</b><br />
Verbs with Milo<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/44tNhzlxs_Y?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
Noodle Words<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/x37imz4JDYI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
A+ Dolch Pre-primer and Primer Sight Words<br />
300+ Sight Words<br />
Little Reader Three-Letter Words (by Grasshopper Apps) - I just wish the words were in lowercase letters instead of uppercase letters.<br />
Little Reader Four-Letter Words (by Grasshopper Apps)<br />
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<b>Language Input/ First Words/ Phrases</b><br />
My First Couplets (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
ABA Animals flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Sports flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
My Home (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
Animal Kingdom (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
Food Festival (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
Around Town (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
My First 1000 Words (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
My First Words (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
ABA Vehicles flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Things You Wear (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Musical Instruments (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Things You Play With (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Actions (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Fruits & Nuts (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Vegetables (by kindergarten.com)<br />
Noodle Words<br />
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<b>Sentence Construction/ Reading Comprehension</b><br />
Sentence Maker<br />
I Like Books<br />
ABA Alphabet flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Shapes flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
Sentences Builder (by AbiTalk)<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CPA9tTlhW4w?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<b>Drawing & Writing</b><br />
Drawing Pad<br />
iWriteWords - I haven't used this app with the kids yet because we're not actively working on writing yet. I downloaded it because I wanted to try it. I'll use it when we start working on writing.<br />
Paint Sparkles<br />
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<b>Letter/ Color/ Shape Recognition</b><br />
Monkey Preschool Lunchbox<br />
123 Color<br />
Preschool Prep Meet the Letters (uppercase)<br />
Preschool Prep Meet the Letters (lowercase)<br />
Preschool Prep Meet the Colors<br />
Preschool Prep Meet the Numbers<br />
Preschool Prep Meet the Shapes<br />
ABA Alphabet flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Shapes flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
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<b>Audiobooks</b><br />
Tales2Go - Since both Matthew and Elizabeth like listening to age-appropriate audiobooks, I'll be using this app in the car so they can listen to books in the car instead of their usual kid music sometimes.<br />
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<b>Object Identification/ Visual Scanning</b><br />
PhotoTouch Toys<br />
Little Finder (by Alligator Apps)<br />
ABA Animals flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Sports flashcards (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Receptive Identification by Class (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Receptive Combined (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Receptive by Feature (by kindergarten.com)<br />
ABA Receptive Identification by Noun (by kindergarten.com)<br />
My Home (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
Animal Kingdom (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
Food Festival (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
Around Town (by Smart Baby Apps)<br />
Injini/ Injini Lite<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Jxi902uPu7M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-4693076996221765612012-07-04T03:21:00.023-05:002012-07-04T03:21:00.020-05:00Diving in the PoolBack in private swim lessons this first week in July, after having been in private swim lessons with the same teacher in the first two weeks of June, and this week he's putting more and more together. He willingly dove off the side of the pool this week - yes, head first. His swim teacher says that besides Matthew's cousin, Matthew is the only other kid who is enthusiastic about diving. Not bad for a 4-1/2 year old, right? I didn't learn to dive like he can now until I was 8 or 9 years old.<br />
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He is learning fast and getting better at coming up for a breath after jumping or diving in. He brings himself up to the surface and kicks his way to the side of the pool with just a little hand assist and no floatie. He can even get diving rings close to the bottom of the 3-1/2 foot shallow end of the pool. (Matthew is 37 inches tall.)<br />
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He is definitely more successful at learning to swim in just 3 weeks this summer than when he was in swim lessons at the YMCA almost all year last year. I think this rapid progression is because of a combination of factors:<br />
- private swim lessons have much been better for him at keeping him focused and engaged during the whole lesson instead of having to wait his turn and being easily distracted during group lessons at the Y. If I could go back in time, I would get him in private lessons instead of putting him in group swim lessons last year.<br />
- his current swim teacher has a no-floatie-method style of teaching. It's very effective with him. She also keeps expectations high with him.<br />
- he's a year older and has better gross motor coordination and strength this year. <br />
- he LOVES swimming and is fearless in and around the pool.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fF-6bh9ZwC8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<b>Related post:</b><br />
<a href="http://billandria.blogspot.com/2012/06/swim-lessons.html">Swim Lessons</a>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-87310045433984581992012-07-03T03:21:00.001-05:002012-07-03T03:21:00.441-05:00Toy Review Tuesday: Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks & BoardsThe <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Melissa-Doug-Pattern-Blocks-Boards/dp/B00006JZCG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341167078&sr=8-1&keywords=melissa+%26+doug+tangrams" target="_blank">Melissa & Doug Pattern Blocks & Boards</a> comes with 6 wooden shapes and colors - white diamonds, blue diamonds, yellow hexagons, red trapezoids, green triangles, orange squares - and 10 geometric patterns on wooden boards. The shapes can also be used to create more unique patterns without the pattern boards but for a 2-year old and 4-1/2 year old, it was simpler to start with a ready visual.<br />
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Not surprisingly, 2-year old Elizabeth can easily scan the box of mixed shapes to find all the needed pieces by herself. She can finish a pattern mostly by herself, with just a little help to reposition the pieces if they move out of place. They move very easily on the board and it may be frustrating for some. <br />
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Matthew's visual scanning abilities aren't as strong as his younger sister's and it doesn't help that he gets distracted easily. It was puzzling to me that he couldn't find the pieces he needed for the pattern he was working on even when I told him what shapes (and colors) he needed. Then I remembered that some activities weren't as overwhelming for Matthew if they were broken down into simpler steps. <br />
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To simplify the shape search for him, I had both kids sort all the pieces by shape/ color in separate piles. With all the like pieces together, he could now concentrate on counting how many he needed for the pattern he was completing instead of losing focus when digging through a jumbled pile of shapes. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_0006.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
We like to bring out this toy during queiter times in the day or when waiting for lunch to be ready. Elizabeth enjoys sorting the pieces by color as well as helping Matthew locate the pieces he needs. <br />
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Great for promoting mathematical thinking, creativity, visual scanning, shape and color recognition, and in our family, teamwork.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-37778051636985996162012-07-02T21:54:00.000-05:002012-07-02T22:49:22.961-05:00TalkTools Straw #5Straw #5 was the same diameter as straw #4. However, straw #5 was a little longer than the previous straw and used without a lip block. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="213" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/July%202012%20blog%20photos/straw5.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></div><br />
There was noticeably less reminding on my part to use lips only, no tongue protrusion, when drinking. I had ordered two extra #5 straws, anticipating Matthew to be on straw #5 for at least a couple months. Since he uses the straw for most, if not all, his drinks including water, orange juice, apple juice, and chocolate almond milk everyday, residue build-up in the straw was expected no matter how well it was rinsed through after every use. I also sent a straw to his preschool for him to drink with at snack time. <br />
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He was on straw #5 for almost 3 months. He "graduated" to straw #6 during the Christmas break.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-79575702902764739712012-06-08T17:45:00.000-05:002012-07-03T14:41:46.012-05:00Swim LessonsI don't know if Matthew will be an Olympic swimmer or even be interested in competitive swimming. He has always loved the water and we had him in the swimming pool since he was 8 months old. He uses putty-type ear plugs to keep pool water out of his ears. He's on his 2nd set of ear tubes.<br />
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He was in group swim lessons most of last year at the Y's indoor pool. This summer is the first time Matthew is in swim lessons this year - private lessons this time. I think the individual attention has been better for him. <br />
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<a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/June%202012%20blog%20photos/swimlesson.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a><br />
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My immediate goal: I would like him to be able to swim without a float or swim vest. He still needs to develop overall strength in his legs to be able to propel forward effectively when he kicks in the water. He's also still learning to put movements together like kicking while keeping his head in the water, not just one or the other. He'll improve with practice and other strength building activities outside the water.<br />
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Here's a short video of his lessons during the first week.<br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/VBC-WOiB9oQ?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-72492539990537863092012-04-18T21:15:00.000-05:002012-04-18T21:15:17.788-05:00Word HoppingA few months ago, Elizabeth seemed to be taking an interest in sight words. She wanted to participate when Matthew and I looked through his sight word flashcards. She was recognizing "Matthew" and "Elizabeth". <br />
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So I jumped at the chance to make her a set of sight word cards. Unlike the picture/ word cards that Matthew started with, Elizabeth's word cards do not have pictures. Each is made of 5-1/2-inch x 14-inch white posterboard with huge red letters, patterned after the word cards described in Glen Doman and Janet Doman's book "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Your-Baby-Gentle-Revolution/dp/0757001882/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1334797331&sr=8-2" target="_blank">How to Teach Your Baby to Read</a>." But like the initial word cards I had made for Matthew, I used words that were of high interest to her.<br />
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It took me several evenings to make around 60 words and plan which ones to start with. Then I started with our sight words. After a few days, it didn't seem like she was really paying attention to the words. Maybe I took too long making the cards and she lost interest. Maybe she just wasn't ready to learn it. Maybe she was just interested in the idea of it - the "if big brother is doing it, I want to be part of it" thought process. <br />
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So I stopped and decided we would try again in a few months. We put the giant word cards away.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="768" width="1024" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/wordhopping.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
Recently, we rediscovered her word cards. But instead of using them as flashcards, we scattered a few on the floor and hopped on them. It became an addictive and fun sequencing game for both of them. <br />
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Taking turns, I'd give Matthew a sequence of 3 or 4 words to hop on. Elizabeth received 1 or 2 word sequences. She wasn't really recognizing all the words yet but with some guidance, she was happily hopping on the words like Matthew was. "What big brother can do, I can do too."<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/qlk1WzpYwUs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-38234208717788838622012-04-17T23:32:00.001-05:002012-04-18T13:23:24.650-05:00Toy Review Tuesday: Construction Site with Remote ControlHis very first remote control truck toy! At age 4, we felt he was ready for one. We found the <i>Fisher Price Big Action Construction Site with Remote Control</i> at <a href="http://www.toysrus.com" target="_blank">Toys R Us</a>. It's also available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Action-Construction-Remote-Control/dp/B004OS4HF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1334720015&sr=8-1" target="_blank">amazon.com</a>.<br />
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When we first started playing with this, controlling the truck using the remote didn't come naturally to him. Being a visual learner, it helps that directions are color coded on the truck and remote controller. To move the truck forward, he has learned to push the green button. He has learned that the red button makes the truck move backward.<br />
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Some limitations: the truck doesn't move diagonally forward or diagonally backward. The left and right buttons make the truck spin left and spin right. And we can only push one button at a time on the controller. It only comes with one controller and truck. I wish there were two (so I can play at the same time.) Elizabeth isn't very interested in this toy yet. In fact, she doesn't like the truck moving toward her.<br />
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The most fun part is driving the truck on the lower elevator, which goes up as soon as it senses the truck on it. Then the top elevator descends as soon as the truck is on it.<br />
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Overall, it's been an interactive and fun toy for learning basic directions and improving hand-eye coordination. <br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uDXfG42ecAY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-52782252396903676182012-04-04T14:00:00.004-05:002012-04-04T14:00:02.340-05:00Matthew and Elizabeth's To-Do List TodayA few things to do today.<br />
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1. Clean up Mommy's chalk graffiti on the back deck using water on brushes and spray bottles.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/paintingoverzigzag-1.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/MEwaterpaintingondeck-1.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/Ewaterpainting-1.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
2. Water the seedlings.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/wateringteam-1.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
3. Have fun painting.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/paintingoneasel-1.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/washablewatercolorpalette-1.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-74565707930021285482012-04-03T15:21:00.000-05:002012-04-03T15:49:14.754-05:00Toy Review Tuesday: Paper WeaveIn my search for "Montessori method" activities and toys, I found "weaving paper" on page 40 of <a href=http://www.amazon.com/Teach-Me-Myself-Montessori-Activities/dp/0764127896/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333485035&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Teach Me To Do It Myself: Montessori Activities For You And Your Child</a> authored by Maja Pitamic. I bought my copy from amazon.com.<br />
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<i>Materials needed:</i><br />
white posterboard, cut into 8-inch x 8-inch square<br />
colored posterboard, cut into 3/4-inch x 8-inch strips (2cm x 20cm)<br />
ruler (for measuring)<br />
pencil (for marking cut lines)<br />
scissors and cutter<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/8x8posterboard.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
Cut out alternating strips on the 8-inch x 8-inch square posterboard so you are left with a frame containing vertical bars of paper.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/paperweave.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/weavingpaper.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
The weaving activity may still be too challenging for the younger ones, like Elizabeth. But she still found it fun to play with the colored strips of paper - naming colors and watching Matthew weave his strips of paper "over" and "under" the white frame. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/paperstripsforweave.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zDVVPt9ONGQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-25945764539323169602012-04-02T22:56:00.001-05:002012-04-02T22:58:54.721-05:00Circus Pony Ride That Went WrongA fun family trip to the Moolah Shrine Circus this past Saturday ended in a trip to the Pediatric ER.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="clear:right; float:right; margin-left:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/MEponyride.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div>The seemingly harmless pony ride at the circus turned out to be the most terrifying ride of our lives. It was set up like a carousel except with real ponies. The kids were very excited about getting to ride on ponies.<br />
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We made our way to the pony ride area after over 2 hours of spectacular performances by the circus dancers, tigers, elephants, motorcycle daredevils, monkeys, dogs, magicians, clowns, and acrobats. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/elephanttricks.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/elephantholdingtails.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/seventigersincages.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/motorcycledaredevils.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/clownswavingbye.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
Matthew was overflowing with joy watching the show, expressing his excitement with lots of hugs, flashing him his biggest smiles, and applauding with the crowd. Elizabeth was in awe of the elephants and applauding when applause was due too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/DaddyandMatthewatthecircus.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
Before riding on the ponies, Matthew, his cousin, and friends wanted to get on the inflatable slide first. So we did that and they had a blast! Matthew went down the slide on his bottom twice and then decided he wanted to slide down head first the rest of the 3 minutes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/inflatableslide.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="clear:left; float:left;margin-right:1em; margin-bottom:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="239" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/ponyride.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div>Then it was pony ride time. Bill walked next to Matthew and his pony. I walked next to Elizabeth's. We were right behind Bill and Matthew. One or two rounds into it, Elizabeth's walking pony suddenly turned into a bucking pony. <br />
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I remember seeing Elizabeth starting to tip the other way so I reached out to grab her. But before I could get a firm hold of her, the pony kicked me right above the knee. I think I was still trying to get to Elizabeth then I got kicked in the right lower jaw, stunning me and sending me to my bottom. Bill scooped up a very frightened, very upset Elizabeth right after the pony's hoof came into contact with her right arm. <br />
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My crying, but conscious, baby girl was then brought to a very shaken, shocked me. The arena floor or event manager(?) was trying to do his job to keep everyone else from panicking although Bill and I didn't care at all for how he was downplaying what had just happened. <br />
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I'm told that it all happened in maybe a quick 3 seconds, from when Elizabeth fell off the pony to when Bill got to her. It felt like an eternity, like it was all going in slow motion and I wasn't fast enough to catch Elizabeth. <br />
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I heard someone explaining that they saw Bill trip over a piece of carpeting that was not laying flat like it should have, and the pony Elizabeth was riding tripped over the same patch of carpet. That's when it started freaking out and bucking. I was still so shaken and in severe stress at that point. My hands were cold and clammy.<br />
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An on-site paramedic was talking to me and examining Elizabeth on my lap. I pointed out the bruise on Elizabeth's right arm and her two swollen fingers on her right hand. They checked if Elizabeth could move her arm up and down without severe pain. She could. They didn't even know about the huge lump on the back of her head until Bill pointed it out to them. At that point, I didn't trust that the on-site paramedic could do a decent job. I got out my phone and asked my sister-in-law to help me get a hold of Elizabeth's pediatrician. Elizabeth was starting to calm down.<br />
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We filled out an accident report at the Family Arena (circus venue) and drove to a Pediatric ER. The ER doctor also spoke to Elizabeth's pediatrician on the phone while we were there. <br />
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The report: The lump on the back of her head was due to the fall, not from the pony kicking. If it was from the pony, it would be the size of its hoof. Her arm is not broken. The hoof must have just grazed it enough to bruise as it came down on her arm. A hand x-ray showed that she had no broken bones in her right hand but her fingers had deep bruising, hence the purplish swelling. No severe injuries to her internal organs, except for a little bruise on her back. She has a thumb-size bruise on her left thigh. Keep an eye on her for vomitting episodes, which would be a sign of a concussion.<br />
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No vomitting overnight.<br />
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Two days have passed and Elizabeth is playing like her usual self. My arm and back are less sore but my knee is still bruised. I shudder everytime I think of what had happened. The pony nightmares will continue for a long time.<br />
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We am very thankful that we escaped with a few bumps and bruises and a scarred memory. I am thankful my 15-week pregnant belly wasn't kicked. It could've been so much worse. <br />
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No pony rides for us in the near future. When we asked Elizabeth about ponies after the incident, she says, "I cry." Bill is right though. We can't let her (or myself) have a fear of ponies or horses because of this incident. We'll gradually introduce ponies again in the future, starting in a more controlled setting.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-51647742687797291242012-04-01T22:24:00.000-05:002012-04-01T22:24:58.085-05:00Little GardenersIt has become tradition in our family to start a container garden every spring. We usually start planting later in April but it has been unseasonally warm this spring that we started early. The kids enjoyed helping plant some green bean seeds, tomato seeds, and Thai basil. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9345.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9346.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9347.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9348.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9349.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
Matthew didn't stay out the whole time. He doesn't tolerate the heat very well. It was about 85 degrees on our back deck. He'd escape to the cooler 72 degree indoors when it was Elizabeth's turn to plant a seed and then rejoin the planting party when it was his turn again.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9350.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9351.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9352.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9354.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/April%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9356.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
It was a nice relaxing day today after all the excitement (good and bad) at the circus yesterday.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-19256848741466901102012-03-27T22:57:00.007-05:002012-03-27T23:01:52.741-05:00Toy Review Tuesday: Spray BottlesWarmer weather is here. I'm so thankful for it! It means we can finally play outside and enjoy some new scenery beyond the walls in our house. The kids have been enjoying (almost) daily picnics on our back deck.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/March%202012%20blog%20photos/84b49f93.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
Something else the kids like to do on the back deck is play with spray bottles. They both like playing with water so this activity is very enjoyable for them. They spray the glass door and the glass table in an attempt to help me clean. They spray the chairs, the new seedlings, the deck, and the bbq grill just for fun. <br />
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Today, I wrote the alphabet on our wooden deck with chalk and they had fun spraying the letters. Matthew identified each letter as he squeezed the trigger on the spray bottle. I see every squeeze of the trigger helping increase finger and hand strength.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/March%202012%20blog%20photos/f071d8e7.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/March%202012%20blog%20photos/489a4683.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
And as much fun as they have spraying each other, I like to remind them not to, especially since Matthew tends to point the nozzle directly at Elizabeth's face - at close range. She usually asks me, "tell Matthew do not spray Lizbeth." Then she turns around, armed with the spray bottle and the naughtiest grin on her face.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/March%202012%20blog%20photos/6326939a.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/March%202012%20blog%20photos/89f6466b.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-57378330222994423562012-01-31T04:56:00.122-06:002012-01-31T04:56:00.216-06:00Toy Review Tuesday: Thomas the Train Wooden Railway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9224.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div>Not all kids really get into train toys. Matthew did. Our little train engineer will play with this train set for at least 15 minutes - that's relatively longer than other non-electronic toys and non-screen based games. Elizabeth, his assistant train engineer, enjoys it too. The kids started out with the Water Tower Figure 8 set and then inherited a large plastic tub of tracks from older cousins.<br />
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They have two battery-operated metal trains - Salty and Percy - and all the other trains are made of wood. Train Engineer Matthew has mastered the art of connecting the interlocking wooden tracks. Matthew is very particular about how the track is set-up and which trains are on it. If we add another train without his approval, he says "Nooooo!" and takes it off the track. Both little engineers always make sure the trains stay on track. The battery-operated trains tend to go off-track if the tracks aren't connected just so. Some reviews online cite this as annoying but I think it's a good way to hold the kids' attention.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9222.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9223.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
I honestly enjoy playing with the train set too. Bill says I seem to enjoy it more than the kids when I help make elaborate railroad lines. It's just so much fun to think of the possible configurations with bridges, tunnels, twists and turns and then watch the battery-operated trains pull the other trains along the track.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YRyKaV0UwIs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<b>Thomas & Friends books on iPad/ iPhone</b><br />
Matthew, in particular, has been enjoying Thomas the train so much that I have borrowed Thomas & Friends books from the library. We also have all 13 apps on my iPhone and iPad.<br />
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The apps are mostly developed by HIT Entertainment and some by Callaway Digital Arts. The HIT Entertainment ones feature an interactive book, a coloring sheets (6 choices), puzzle, and voice recording capability. The Callaway Digital Arts ones feature an interactive book, a matching game, puzzle, coloring sheets (6 choices), and a short video excerpt of the story.<br />
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All books are narrated in a British accent. All the stories are quite lengthy (and wordy) and don't hold Matthew's attention. So I usually disable the British narration and make up a shortened story as we manually swipe through the book.<br />
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<i><b>By HIT Entertainment:</b></i><br />
Down at the Docks<br />
Thomas and Toby<br />
Thomas Gets a Snowplow<br />
Thomas and the Castle<br />
Thomas Gets His Own Branch Line<br />
May the Best Engine Win!<br />
Calling All Engines<br />
Thomas-saurus Rex<br />
The Special Delivery<br />
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<b><i>By Callaway Digital Arts:</i></b><br />
Misty Island Rescue<br />
Day of the Diesels<br />
Engine Activities<br />
Hero of the RailsRiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-21489543189835260522012-01-26T05:00:00.001-06:002012-01-26T05:00:11.778-06:00He Really Loves to DanceHe walks on over to the iPod stereo and pushes the "on" button. The radio station is preset to one of the local ones with few commercials and generally (relatively) better music (no explicit versions). Whatever is on, it's usually music with a good dancing beat and Matthew is rockin' it! Matthew LOVES dancing and it seems like he'll dance for as long as I let him.<br />
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Almost all literature I've read about individuals with Down syndrome include "love for music". Maybe it's true for all, maybe just the majority - I don't know. But I definitely think it's in his genes because I love dancing too (and so does Elizabeth).<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/BPUzEsGQNSU?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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<b>Related post:</b><br />
<a href="http://billandria.blogspot.com/2011/09/matthew-likes-jazz.html">Matthew Likes Jazz</a>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-52680005982247779922012-01-25T05:00:00.068-06:002012-01-25T05:00:10.538-06:00Working with ScissorsOne of Matthew's IEP goals at preschool is:<br />
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<blockquote>Matthew will increase his visual motor integration skills as demonstrated by holding spring open scissors and paper with both wrists in neutral position, following set-up and cut on a 4" long x 1/4" thick straight, curvy, and zig zag line staying within 1/2" of the line for 75% of data days.<br />
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Accuracy is not important to me at this stage although it would be an indicator of any improvement in his hand strength and visual-motor coordination -- two factors that we view as important to be able to do more precise fine motor tasks. <br />
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We have two pairs of spring-loaded kid-friendly scissors at home - <i>brands</i>: Fiskars and Maped. We got both pairs from amazon.com then I saw a pair of the Maped brand scissors at the local Dollar Tree store. Other adaptive scissors are available from stores like <a href="http://www.therapro.com" target="_blank">TheraPro</a> (search for scissors on their site), <a href="http://www.beyondplay.com/cgi-bin/SEARCH.PL" target="_blank">Beyond Play</a>, and other specialty/ therapy stores. Matthew currently uses the spring-loaded scissors because he still has a hard time using a scissors manually (without the spring). Other kids at his developmental stage may or may not have the same issue. Everyone's different.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/February%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9312.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
Just last quarter, he needed hand over hand help with using a pair of spring-loaded scissors. His hand strength has increased since then. He didn't want my help the other day. <br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ekwH4L6rldg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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He's not a pro yet with scissors but he's determined and keeps working hard at it. For him, success with it (with anything) is a confidence booster and becomes a self-motivator to do more.Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-13100352817983673802012-01-24T04:54:00.032-06:002012-01-24T04:54:00.407-06:00Toy Review Tuesday: Pop-up PirateArrrr! Ahoy Matey!<br />
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This game is rated for kids ages 4 and up but even me 1-1/2 year old lassie, Elizabeth, likes to stick the swords into the barrel. It's another way to introduce basic colors and counting. Since Elizabeth is too young to understand the objective of the game, we usually make up our own game rules or simply have no rules except to have fun.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cV88XVURODY?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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The plastic swords are a good size for pincer grasp practice for me 4-year old lad. The barrel doesn't stay put on the base when sticking the swords in so it presents a good opportunity to practice using two hands - one to stabilize and one to push the sword into the barrel. Aye, all hand hoay (all hands on deck) with this game!<br />
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Play time will depend on ye lads and lassies attention spans. <br />
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Savvy?Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-8818421222723131082012-01-20T06:00:00.007-06:002012-01-20T07:28:15.007-06:00Waitress MommyGrover is one of my favorite characters on Sesame Street. (I actually like him more than Elmo.)<br />
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If you grew up watching Sesame Street, you may remember Grover, the cute and loveable furry waiter, which was one of his many roles. The app called "Grover's Number Special", now on the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, brings him to life in this interactive game. Matthew is still learning to play this game. Tilt the device one way or the other to move the tray and catch and count the ingredients for the special of the day. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="768" width="1024" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/bb48c69c.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><br />
One evening, Elizabeth and Matthew were seated at their little table pretending to eat play food. I decided to bring "Grover's Number Special" to life and surprise my unsuspecting customers. I offered to bring food to their table and clumsily set the food down so it would land on the floor. Elizabeth was shocked at the mess I was making and Matthew thought it was funny. <br />
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Here's a short video of the app and my attempt at waitressing.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/A57xJmuhyNI?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-75474055938685452672012-01-19T07:21:00.001-06:002012-01-19T07:21:00.420-06:00Matthew's List of Sight WordsAs of January 19, 2012, Matthew can sight read at least 439 words (see photos below). He learns an average of 9 new words per week, flashcard style. I use plain unruled index cards and write the words with a black marker.<br />
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We review several words daily. He's a strong visual learner so learning to sight read is easy for him.<br />
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How do I choose which words to teach him? I started with words that he heard daily and are of high interest to him. Then I downloaded <a href="http://www.mrsperkins.com/dolch.htm" target="_blank">Mrs. Perkins' Dolch Sight Vocabulary</a> (220 most common English words). And finally, we got a list of 1000 most common English words from NACD. (Also google "1000 most common English words").<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9281.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9282.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9283.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9284.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9285.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9286.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); 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return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9299.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9300.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9300.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); 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return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9306.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9307.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_9308.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-8113704339807988012012-01-18T15:04:00.000-06:002012-01-18T15:04:56.116-06:00Wipe Your Chin PleaseTeaching Matthew independence starts with the little things - like wiping his own chin.<br />
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Matthew is generally neat and likes to be clean. But when eating, he doesn't usually sense if some food has strayed to his chin or cheek or nose. And when he does, it's not easy for him to pinpoint it's exact location. So we use a small acrylic mirror (won't shatter if dropped) to show him where he needs to wipe. It works flawlessly for my visual learner. <br />
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And it's quicker than just telling him verbally. <br />
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And it's a baby "I-do-it-myself" step.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/nxWlloCp0rE?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4274008603909996948.post-62116979560736626452012-01-17T05:00:00.005-06:002012-01-17T05:00:03.089-06:00Toy Review Tuesday: Birthday Cake (Melissa & Doug)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="213" width="320" src="http://i930.photobucket.com/albums/ad148/billandria/2012/January%202012%20blog%20photos/IMG_8803.jpg" oncontextmenu='alert("© Bill and Ria 2012"); return false;'/></a></div>Birthdays are a fun time for kids. Birthdays can also be a difficult concept especially for kids who may think it's their birthday at every party or kids who may be overwhelmed with all the activity and excitement and people. <br />
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The time-honored birthday cake ritual of singing "Happy Birthday" and blowing out the candles was a perplexing for Matthew when he was younger. He wasn't quite sure what to do about the candles until he was 3. And people singing the happy birthday song around him brought forth his lower lip with a downward curve. (Maybe he just thought everyone was off-key and that was upsetting to him??)<br />
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With many birthdays to celebrate in our family (with nearby relatives), playing with the Melissa & Doug Birthday Cake has completely helped him warm up to the birthday ritual. Both kids even like to turn the lights off after the candles are put on the cake. Then we sing the birthday song. The lights come back on for cake cutting and eating.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/97LXHTowLek?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
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We like this birthday cake set because it is fun and durable. It also nice for counting, sorting, learning to follow directions, and imaginative play. I can see it used for simple sequencing also but we haven't tried it yet.<br />
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Integrating some more fine motor work into our birthday cake play, Matthew picks up candles and pieces with tongs.<br />
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<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/s1Cd1rGn6HM?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Riahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06737298798388579270noreply@blogger.com0