“Children are the Priority.
Change is the Reality.
Collaboration is the Strategy.”
~ Judith Billings, Washington State Superintendent
Schools and parents working together on behalf of children can make a remarkable difference in the quality of education itself and our children’s overall well-being and sense of belonging. To that end, this Buzz shares resources that both teachers and parents can use to enrich school time and home time.
Our best to you, as always,
The CPIR Team
_______________________
Parents and Schools Together
All About My Child
(Available in Spanish: Todo sobre mi hijo/a)
This resource is designed to help teachers learn more about each child in their classroom. The sheet asks parents to share info about their child (e.g., likes, dislikes, nickname, languages spoken in the home), using a fun, graphic format.
Partnering With Your Child’s School
(Available in Spanish: Sociarse con la escuela de su hijo)
You and the school share responsibility for your child’s language and literacy learning. Collaborate with the school to make decisions about your child’s literacy education right from the start. Working together promotes faster development and catches trouble spots early.
Scripted Stories for Social Situations
(In multiple languages, including Spanish, Hmong, Ojibwe, & Somali)
These short, adaptable PowerPoint presentations mix words and pictures to communicate specific info to children about social situations such as going to preschool, sitting in circle time, staying safe, and using their words. (From the link, scroll down the page to “Scripted Stories,” click the drop-down on the right, and see the many stories there are! It’s rather amazing.)
Understood Explains: The Ins and Outs of Evaluations for Special Education
Understood Explains is a podcast that unpacks the process that school districts use to evaluate children for special education services. There are 9 separate podcasts in the series, including parent rights, how to request an evaluation of their child, what to expect during (and after) an evaluation, and private versus school-based evaluations.
Families at Home
Getting Dressed
Getting dressed is a wonderful opportunity for young children to build feelings of independence. It is also a wonderful opportunity to embed STEM learning opportunities, such as sequencing, relational concept, matching, or categorizing.
Help Us Calm Down: Strategies for Children
(Also available in Spanish, Ojibwe, Hmong, and Somali)
Try these strategies with your child. The more you use a calming strategy and practice it with your child, the more likely he or she is to use the strategy when experiencing anger, stress, sadness, or frustration.
6 Ways to Help When Your Child is Excluded
Parents may feel powerless when their child is excluded, but there’s actually much they can do to help their child cope and overcome this painful experience. From Great Schools.
There is Power in Friendship Toolkit
Making friends can be hard, especially for children with disabilities. Power in Friendship is designed for families of children with disabilities AND those with typically developing children. It provides resources on how to help your child build inclusive friendships.
How to Help a Disorganized Child
Here’s a simple trick that can turn the most scattered kid into a master of organization.
_______________________
This eNewsletter from the CPIR is copyright-free.
We encourage you to share it with others.
Center for Parent Information and Resources
c/o SPAN, Inc.
35 Halsey St., Fourth Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
https://www.parentcenterhub.org
Subscribe to the Buzz from the Hub.
See past issues of the Buzz.
____________________________________________________________
Publication of this eNewsletter is made possible through Cooperative Agreement H328R180005 between OSEP and the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN). The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government or by the Center for Parent Information and Resources.