Early Childhood Direction Center Fall Edition, 2014 135 East Frederick Street, Binghamton, NY 13904 - 607.724.2111 - ecdc@stic-cil.org

With fall just around the corner, I’ve got mixed emotions about school starting again. Although it will be nice to no longer have to plan 12-hour stretches of entertainment, this anxiety-prone, commit-

aholic mom is dreading the return of schedules and stress.

If only we could bottle those tender parental feelings summer brings - the joy of teaching your child how to dive into the pool, the pleasure of devouring ice cream cones together on the porch, or the peacefulness of tak-ing post bedtime walks through the neighborhood - and experience them all year long. Sadly, those relaxing moments of camaraderie seem to grow scarce once the school bus reappears.

I encourage you to join me in taking steps now to make my family’s transition to the school year as smooth as possible.

Anticipate and address your child’s anxiety.

Going back to school is stressful for kids of all ages, so head off the stress before school even starts, says Renee Clauselle, a child psychologist in Long Island, New York. Talk with your children about new experi-ences and traditions, from using the potty at preschool to learning how to use a locker “in a playful and crea-tive, role-playing way,” Clauselle says.

Manage your own anxiety.

Maintain a positive attitude about summer ending, advises Edward Christopherson, a Kansas City-based child psychologist. “If you are nervous about school starting, then your child is certainly going to be nerv-ous about school starting,” he says. It also helps to plan fun, transitional activities to prepare your kids, says Tina Feigal, an author and parenting coach in Roseville, Minn. “Plan a fun weekend for Labor Day, and include the kids in the plan,” she suggests. “If school has already started, it’s a nice buffer vacation. If it hasn’t, Labor Day is a great time to say good-bye to summer and hello to all the good things coming up in the new school year.”

Ease back into scheduled days.

When your kids are used to running around outside until dark each night, shifting to the early morning

school bus rush can be a real shock to the system. To ease the transition, about a week before the first day of school, start their bedtime routine about 10 minutes earlier each night and wake them up 10 minutes earli-er each morning, every day, until they’re back on track. And Mom and Dad: don’t forget to readjust your bedtime schedules too!

Stay connected to nature.

Going back to class doesn’t mean your kids have to say farewell to outdoor fun. Make a habit of getting outside together after the school day ends, for as long as the warm weather lasts. When the air turns cold, hold a “camp-in” weekend evening, suggests Sarene Marshall, director of The Nature Conservancy’s global climate change team: “Set up floor pillows or sleeping bags, turn off all the electronics, and play good, old-fashioned board games.” You can also encourage your kids to create a lasting record of the family’s outdoor activities by creating a “summer adventures journal” together, she notes.

Get back to healthy eating.

If your family is like mine, your household inventory of potato chips and cookies skyrockets during the sum-mer. The arrival of fall is a perfect time to teach your kids that family-focused healthy eating can be fun too. “While [kids] may be used to having ice cream every night in the summer, start swapping [those] out some nights for fruit Popsicles, frozen yogurt, or baked fruit sprinkled with cinnamon and brown sugar,” says Ra-nia Batanyeh, a San Francisco-based nutritionist and wellness coach. “And be prepared with healthy snacks and meals when things get hectic, such as in the morn-ing before school, when kids come home from school, and before dinner.”

Seek out one-on-one time with your child.

Yes, this one is daunting, especially when your days consist of carting Kid A to one activity and picking up Kid B from another. But challenge yourself to set aside just 15 minutes per day, per child, to enjoy a quiet ac-tivity together. Whether it involves reading a few extra books to your toddler, taking turns making up a story with your preschooler, or gazing at the stars with your oldest after the others have been put to bed, your chil-dren will savor your undivided attention. And both of you will benefit from putting yet another hectic day on hold.

Internet Source: http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/ going-to-school/back-to-school/transition/

By Bethany Hardy

ack to School: Transitioning Your Family From Summer to School

Policy Field Advisory - Sections 200.7, 200.15 and

200.22 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Ed-

ucation have been amended to conform to Chapter

501 of the Laws of 2012 and the regulations, guide-

lines and procedures established by the Justice Cen-

ter. The regulations, which first became effective

June 30, 2013, were subsequently revised and were

adopted on a permanent basis effective on May 14,

2014.

Curriculum Instruction toward the

Common Core Learning Standards

June 2014 James P. DeLorenzo

Many parents have asked questions about how New

York State’s adoption of the Common Core Learning

Standards will affect their children who have disabili-

ties. Some of these questions arise from a lack of un-

derstanding of what the standards are; others from

concern about how their own children are struggling

with these new standards; others from concerns about

how schools are providing needed supports for their

children.

First and foremost, it is essential that we have high

expectations for what students with disabilities can

learn. With these high expectations for students, we

must also have high expectations for teaching with

appropriate opportunities, supports, services and in-

struction provided to students with disabilities. Re-

gardless of the setting where your child receives in-

struction (for example, regular public school class-

room, special class, approved private school, Board of

Cooperative Educational Services), your child must be

receiving instruction in the general education curricu-

lum toward the State’s learning standards. General

education curriculum means the same curriculum

that is taught to all students.

It is a fundamental right of students with disabilities

to not only be taught the same content (the general

education curriculum) as other students, but also to

be provided appropriate supports and services based

on their individual needs so that they can gain

knowledge and skills in what is being taught and

demonstrate what they have learned. Federal law

requires that each child with a disability have an in-

dividualized education program (IEP) that identifies

annual goals (including academic and functional

goals), designed to meet the child’s needs that result

from the child’s disability to enable the child to be

involved in and make progress in the general educa-

tion curriculum.

There is new rigor in

the learning standards

for New York State’s

students. This means

that, for all students,

teachers are expected to

teach and students are

expected to learn higher level critical thinking. In

order for students with disabilities to meet these high

academic standards and demonstrate their knowledge

and skills, their instruction must incorporate the ap-

propriate supports and accommodations.

The Committee on Special Education (CSE), school

administrators and your child’s teachers each have

important roles to help your child reach these stand-

ards and are expected to:

1. develop and implement an IEP which includes an-

nual goals based on information about your child’s

strengths and needs and present levels of perfor-

mance and aligned with and chosen to facilitate

your child’s attainment of grade-level academic

standards;

2. provide supports and related services within the

least restrictive environment to meet your child’s

needs and to assist your child to be successful in

the general education curriculum to meet grade

level standards; and

3. ensure that your child’s teachers, including special

education teachers and support personnel are

knowledgeable about the curriculum the school is

using to implement the new standards and are

prepared and qualified to deliver high-quality, evi-

dence-based, individualized instruction and sup-

port services.

Working with the State’s Commissioner’s Advisory

Panel for Special Education Services (of which the

majority are parents of or individuals with disabili-

ties) as well as with the State’s Special Education

Parent Centers, we have developed resources that

were designed to assist you and other parents of chil-

dren with disabilities to have a better understanding

of the Common Core Learning Standards and how the

IEP should include recommendations to support your

child to progress towards those standards. Addition-

ally, these resources were designed to encourage high

expectations for how teachers provide instruction to

your child and how your child’s progress toward those

standards is being monitored.

http://www.p12.nysed.gov/specialed/timely.htm

ew York State Ed Department Update:

Page 2 Mid-South Early Childhood Direction Center Fall Edition

Page 3 Mid-South Early Childhood Direction Center Fall Edition

hat Kids Learn in Preschool

The Basics

In preschool, children learn about the world through

play. Subject areas aren’t separate in their minds or in

the classroom. The objects preschool-

ers find on a nature walk, like feath-

ers, rocks and leaves, might help

them figure out math concepts like

“big, bigger, and biggest” or motivate

them to visit the book corner to find

out more about birds. Teachers may

introduce children to basic concepts

such as shapes, letters, and colors, but preschool is

about learning much more than what a circle looks

like. It’s where children first develop a relationship

with learning.

Language & Literacy

Children spend most of the preschool day working to-

gether with classmates. Each conversation, whether

talking about the class pet or deciding which color

block to put on top of their tower, helps children devel-

op their thoughts and language. Preschool teachers

read aloud simple stories like “Chicka Chicka Boom

Boom” by Bill Martin, Jr. and John Archambault and

“The Very Hungry Caterpillar” by Eric Carle to show

children that text runs from left to right, expose them

to new vocabulary, point out letter sounds and rhym-

ing words, and help children talk about what they

read.

Writing often appears as scribbles in the preschool

classroom, but letters or shapes that resemble letters

soon pop up as children try to write their own names

in creative ways. Teachers model writing for pre-

schoolers throughout the day. Many children will not

be able to write words conventionally. However, every

scribble shows that a child understands that the print-

ed word carries messages, and that she is excited to be

able to create these messages.

Math

Preschoolers use numbers every day when they count

milk cartons for lunch or figure out how many children

are at a table. They work with geometric shapes such

as triangles, rectangles, and squares in the block cen-

ter, and through art projects. They

measure at the water table when

they compare the size of their hands

and feet. Preschool teachers invite

children to arrange items in a series

or pattern when they make collages

and other art projects. Teachers also

use simple graphs to present con-

cepts, for example, determining how many children

wear mittens to school and how many wear gloves.

Science

Preschoolers are scientists. They learn about the world

by observing and experimenting. Natural things fasci-

nate them, from rocks, to animals, to their baby broth-

ers and sisters. They also notice the many ways that

they can influence the natural world. Preschoolers

may plant seeds, or watch what happens to an ice cube

in a warm room. They’ll test what sinks and what

floats at the water table, and which blowers make the

biggest bubbles. They’ll find non-fiction books about

animals and nature in the classroom library.

Social Studies

Preschool social studies is where children learn about

their place in the world. Understanding how to get

along with others can often take up the biggest part of

a preschooler’s day. Children learn how to resolve con-

flicts and practice skills like sharing, taking turns and

cleaning up. They figure out how to express their feel-

ings using words. The class may also explore its com-

munity and the people in it by taking short field trips

around the neighborhood.

Internet Source: http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/

going-to-school/grade-by-grade/preschool/

ow Kids Learn in Preschool

Becoming Learners

In preschool, children first learn “how

to learn.” They begin to form their atti-

tudes toward school and to see them-

selves as learners. Strong preschool

experiences will help a child think, “I

am a good learner. I can find problems

to solve. I can master a difficult task.”

These experiences show preschool children the power

that learning holds.

Learning through Play

If you want to know how your preschooler learns at

school, just think about the way she learns at home.

When your child helps you measure ingredients for her

favorite cookie recipe, she’s getting a math lesson.

When he makes sand castles at the beach and then

watches the wave wash them away,

he’s learning earth science — although

he’s probably not ready to understand

the term “erosion.”

In school, preschoolers learn through

play in the same ways, with the guid-

ance of their teachers. They experi-

ment with the properties of matter at the sand and

water tables. They learn phonics when they sing songs

together. They master important physics concepts like

balance and stability as they build blocks at the block

center.

(Continued on next page)

How Kids Learn in Preschool Continued

One Skill at a Time

Most preschoolers are not developmentally ready to

keep more than one concept in their heads at a time.

Take counting, for example. At first, numbers that a

child counts in a sing-song manner are just a sequence

of words. Then all of a sudden the words become use-

ful as the child learns to match them to an amount by

counting fingers. The numbers have now been

matched to a meaning.

Forming Pictures in their Heads

“Preschoolers also learn about their world by forming

visual pictures — or little movies in their heads,”

notes Diane Levin, Ph.D. “Each thought they’re think-

ing is like a frame of the movie. They construct these

visual movies in their minds as they play. One movie

could be about how to make the blocks fit together,

another about how to make the blocks into something

else. More movies might be about how to work with

other kids to create what they want to do and how to

solve the problems that can arise. These mental mov-

ies help them get familiar with a process and figure

out a situation.”

Internet Source: http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/

going-to-school/grade-by-grade/preschool/

hat Kids Learn in Kindergarten

The Basics

Most kindergarteners want to learn all about the world

and how it works. Kindergarten teachers often build

on this enthusiasm by offering projects that encourage

children to delve deeper into the

areas that interest them. Chil-

dren may make life-size tracings

of themselves as they learn about

the human body, or study animal

habitats by researching infor-

mation about the class pet.

Many kindergarten classrooms

offer more formal learning and

traditional school experiences

than preschool. But kindergarten is still intended to

stimulate children’s curiosity to learn more about the

world around them. It’s the job of the kindergarten

teacher to help children become comfortable working

in a classroom setting and to introduce some basic lit-

eracy and math-related skills in the midst of their im-

portant discoveries.

Language & Literacy

Kindergarten children notice that words are all around

- in books, at the supermarket, at the bus stop and in

their homes. They play with language by creating silly

rhymes and nonsense words. While this is usually

great fun, it is also a very important step in learning to

read.

Teachers read a variety of poems, stories, and non-

fiction books aloud to children. Kindergarten children

learn that letters and sounds go together to form

words, and how to identify alphabet letters and their

sounds. Many kindergarten children are expected to

read words by the end of the year.

Parents may receive their child’s first poem, as kinder-

gartners will be asked to do more writing than pre-

schoolers. Your kindergartener’s journal may look like

a combination of letter strings and scribbles to most

people, but it carries a most important message - that

he can write to create his own stories, to tell about his

experiences, and to share information.

Math

Counting cubes, number rods, and other math materi-

als help kindergartners work with a larger set of num-

bers. Children also begin to use

physical materials to solve simple

addition and subtraction prob-

lems, like how many cookies

they’ll have left after they’ve

shared some with a friend.

They’ll learn about time, using

tools like clocks and calendars

regularly in the classroom. While

they’re not fully able to tell time

or even realize exactly what a

month or a second is, they’ll begin to understand that

one measures a longer amount of time, and the other a

short amount.

Science

In kindergarten, children learn about plants and ani-

mals and explore the weather and seasons. Teachers

use simple science experiments to introduce children to

the process of scientific inquiry. Kindergarteners are

now capable of remembering more information and

using it to make connections between things. They can

separate toy animals into groups, such as those that

are found on the land, sea, or sky; or animals that

hatch from eggs and animals that do not.

Social Studies

Kindergarteners are ready to expand their world be-

yond their homes and classrooms to the larger neigh-

borhood or community. They learn more about the

rules that help people get along with each other. They

may begin to form opinions on issues and understand

that others may have different points of view - noticing

that a classmate didn’t get a turn during a game and

letting the teacher know by saying, “That’s not fair!”

Internet Source: http://www.pbs.org/parents/ educa-

tion/going-to-school/grade-by-grade/ kindergarten/

Page 4 Mid-South Early Childhood Direction Center Fall Edition

ow Kids Learn in Kindergarten

Growing & Changing

Kindergarteners have grown a lot since their preschool

days. They’ve grown bigger and are becoming more

graceful and coordinated. They’ve grown intellectually

and can focus on tasks for longer periods of time.

They’ve grown socially and have a better handle on the

skills needed to make friends and work in a group.

They’ve become complex thinkers and are better able

to understand detailed answers to the many “why”

questions they have about the world.

A Sense of Wonder

Kindergarteners learn best by active, hands-on explo-

ration and discovery. They make

sense of the world by experiencing it

physically.

“Rachel Carson may have said it

best,” says Nancy Roser, Ed. D., Pro-

fessor of Education at the University

of Texas at Austin. “Carson described

children as learning from a ‘sense of

wonder.’ This sense of wonder allows

kindergarteners to become absorbed in the puzzles

that surround them. They attempt to figure out those

puzzles by exploring, constructing explanations, and

asking more questions.”

Follow & Focus

Kindergarten children often wonder about complex

abstract concepts that they may not be ready to fully

comprehend. They may look at a globe and wonder

why people don’t fall off the bottom of the Earth, be-

cause they aren’t able to really understand gravity.

They may imagine that it’s possible to stand on a

cloud, even though they know that it’s made up of wa-

ter droplets.

Children in kindergarten are becoming more mature in

both their thoughts and actions. Your kindergartener

can usually follow directions from his teacher and fo-

cus on tasks. While a preschool teacher may have let

children play freely at the block center, a kindergarten

teacher knows that she can ask chil-

dren to complete a related assign-

ment, such as recreating on paper

a pattern that they’ve begun with

blocks. Experiences like this help

kindergarten children gain basic

skills. They’ll use these basic skills

later in their school life when

they’re asked to solve a math prob-

lem, conduct a science experiment, read a book, or

write a story.

Internet Source: http://www.pbs.org/parents/ educa-

tion/going-to-school/grade-by-grade/ kindergarten/

Page 5 Mid-South Early Childhood Direction Center Fall Edition

ature Shadow Boxes To make these beautiful shadow boxes, start by having the children collect different interesting nature items,

such as leaves, sticks, pine needles, acorns, flowers, and rocks.

Pour glue into shoe-

box lids. Fill lid with

enough glue so that

nature items lay

firmly in glue.

Have children drop

each nature item

slowly and separate-

ly in shoebox lids.

Have children gently

sprinkle different

colors of watered-

down tempera paint

on the glue.

Set the shadow box-

es up to dry for

about a week. The

glue will turn clear

in color.

Add a string and pin

the shadow boxes up

for all to see.

Internet Source: http://www.teachpreschool.org/2011/11/our-nature-shadow-boxes-in-preschool/?utm_source=feedburner&

utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TeachPreschool+%28Teach+Preschool%29

Positive Strategies for Managing & Preventing Out-of-Control Behavior

Keynote Speaker:

Jed Baker, Ph.D.

Date: Friday, September 19, 2014

Time: 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Registration begins at 8:30 AM

Lunch: Noon - 1:00 PM (on your own)

Location: Walton Theatre

31 Gardiner Place, Walton, NY 13856

This conference is FREE, but you must register in

advance by emailing register@familyrn.org or

calling (607) 432-0001

Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Time: 5:30 - 7:30 PM

Location: Southern Tier Independence Center

Helen Keller Room

For more information and to RSVP by Monday, September 15th

email ptac@stic-cil.org with name, phone, and professional or parent.

This training is free for parents & professionals. Everyone is welcome.

Dylan Emmons is a

young man living with

Asperger’s Syndrome.

Dylan is dedicated to sharing his unique perspective as an indi-

vidual on the Autism Spectrum with an unflinching self-awareness

and a talent for articulating his past sensory and social struggles.

Presented by:

Dylan and

Polly Emmons

What: FREE KICK-OFF EVENT for Southern Tier

Special Education Task Force

When: October 2, 2014, 9 AM - 12 Noon

Registration from 8:00 - 8:45 am

Where: Southern Tier Independence Center

135 East Frederick Street, Binghamton, NY

Please RSVP by 9/25/2014 to advocate@stic-cil.org

or by mail to Sue Ruff, STIC, 135 E. Frederick St., Binghamton, NY 13904

Page 6 Mid-South Early Childhood Direction Center Fall Edition

Date: October 24, 2014

Time: 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM 8:15 - 8:45 AM Registration - Continental Breakfast

12:00 - 1:00 PM Box Lunch provided @ Pathfinder Village

Location: Pathfinder Village 3 Chenango Road, Edmeston, NY 13335

To Register: Email Family Resource Center at register@familyrn.org

and include: Conscious Discipline in the subject line, Name, Phone number,

Whether you are parent of child with special needs, professional, or both.

Presented

by

Elizabeth

Montero-

Cefalo

Elizabeth assists teachers and ad-

ministrators in deepening their un-

derstanding of Conscious Discipline

and adapting it to working with the

special needs population and infant

and toddler population. As a coach,

she guides teachers through a man-

ageable, step-by-step process of

internalizing the skills and powers

of Conscious Discipline.

“Family-Friendly” place for Kids under 10 to enjoy Halloween

Takes place during The Haunted Halls of Horror At Southern Tier Independence Center 135 East Frederick Street, Binghamton

Oct. 10/11, 17/18 24/25 @ 6 - 8 pm

Crafts • Games • Family Friendly Videos Snacks (available for purchase)

Parent or other adult must accompany children.

Only premier fully accessible haunted house in the Southern Tier

STIC, 135 East Frederick Street, Binghamton, NY

12,000 square feet of terror

Fire spinning will ignite the imaginations of attendees

Scare-a-matronics, bringing life to previously dead creatures.

Oct. 10/11, 17/18, 24/25, 31/Nov. 1 @ 6:30-9:30 pm

Oct. 18/25 @ 4-6 pm

Advance sale tickets can be purchased for $10.00 at STIC and are good for any night.

Behavior, Social Skills & Autism

Understanding FBA & BIP in Early Childhood

FREE Conferences for Parents and Professionals

Presented

by:

James Ball,

Ed.D.,

Both Conferences:

Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

8:15 - Registration, Welcome

Location: The Radisson Hotel Corning

125 Dension Pkwy E., Corning, NY

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Behavior, Social Skills and

Autism with Q&A

Thursday, November 20, 2014

Understanding FBA & BIP

in Early Childhood with Q&A

Dr. James Ball is a Board Certi-

fied Behavior Analyst. He has

been working in the field of

autism for over 30 years

providing behavioral, educa-

tional, residential, and employ-

ment services to children and

adults affected by autism.

Page 7 Mid-South Early Childhood Direction Center Fall Edition

ositive ehavior ointers

Sensory Input Devices

Squeeze-balls (small, hand-held balls filled

with gel or sand to give needed sensory feed-

back). Koosh© Balls also serve this purpose.

Fidget toys, such as Silly Putty© or thera-

putty™. Paper clips can be used for manipu-

lation by older students. Tangles or other

small, plastic, twistable toys for students to

manipulate into shapes. These pliable ob-

jects offer enough resistance to meet the sen-

sory of the student.

Movin’ Sit or Disc’O Sit chair cushions (made

by Gymnic©), designed to allow the student

to move in their chair without leaving it.

These are inflatable discs with texture on

one side. Enough air is added so the child

may wiggle slightly, which aids in focus and

attention.

Weighted objects (vests, pillows, blankets,

lap pads, stuffed animals, wrist-or ankle-

wraps). These should be used under the su-

pervision of an OT.

Therapy Balls. These are

inflatable balls, usually

large enough to sit on or do push-ups with.

Chewy foods, such as granola bars, bagels,

cheese, gum, licorice, Fruit-Roll-ups, Star-

bursts candies . Chewy foods offer resistance

that can be organizing and help to meet sen-

sory needs.

Crunchy foods, such as dry cereal, pretzels,

granola bars, vegetables, popcorn, and potato

chips.

Sour foods, such as lemon balls, sour balls,

and Mega Warheads™. Like crunchy foods,

sour foods are alerting, arousing and organ-

izing.

Water bottles.

Beth Aune OTR/L ,Beth Burt & Peter Gennaro,

2010, Behavior Solutions for the Inclusive Class-

room, Future Horizons

Laurie Wightman Elaine Maxam

Director of ECDC Office Assistant

Kathy Ryan

Community Outreach and Education Coordinator

Colleen McKinney-Syron, MSED

Community Outreach Specialist

With a background in special educa-

tion and family services, Colleen has

worked with children with disabilities

for almost twenty years. For the past

6 years, she has been a service provid-

er for the Early Intervention and Preschool Special Ed-

ucation programs. As a parent of 3 children, she under-

stands the importance of supporting families through-

out a child’s early years. She lives in Chenango Forks

with her husband and children and enjoys spending

time with extended family nearby.

Early Childhood Direction Center

@STIC

135 East Frederick Street

Binghamton, NY 13904

Phone: (607) 724-2111

Fax: (607) 772-3615

Email: ecdc@stic-cil.org

Website: http://www.stic-cil.org/

ecdc.html

Facebook: Mid-South ECDC

C O N TAC T U S AT: M EE T O U R S TAF F :