Last Minute Mother's Day Gift

Are you still looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift?

I have an idea for you!  Send your kids on a "scavenger hunt" for the answers to the follow questions about grandma...or even yourself :) :

1. Find something that is her favorite color.
2. Find way to show me how tall she is.
3. Show me something she loves to eat.
4. How old is she?  Find that many items to count.
5. Show me something she is really good at.
6. Show me something she does NOT like.
7. What cartoon or book character remind you the most of her?

This scavenger hunt works well for smaller children because they are concrete thinkers.  You can take photos of the children with the items they find and compile it into a photo album. 


Or you can do what I did.  I used the iMovie app on my iPhone to create a quick video. You are welcome to insert the photos below into your own movie for your mother :)

This project is developmentally appropriate and it also has our children stop and think about the loved one :) 

Here are the photos you are welcome to use:

Using an ABC Chart to Track Behaviors

You have heard me say that I LOVE talking about behavior.  

This week on our Facebook Live, we talked about the benefit of tracking behaviors using an ABC chart. You can see that video here. 

All behaviors that we engage in have a FUNCTION.  This means that everything we do has a way of accomplishing SOMETHING.  The same is true for challenging behaviors.  Children engage in challenging behaviors in order to accomplish SOMETHING.  This SOMETHING is the FUNCTION of behavior.  When we document behavior using an ABC chart, it gives us clues to figure out the FUNCTION of the behavior.  

You can get a copy of the chart here.  This is a Google document, you will click "make a copy" and then you will be able to type right in.  If this doesn't work, you can use this form below: 

Let me show you how you will use this form. 

I suggest using one form for each day.

1. Write the time the behavior incident occurred.

This will be important for finding patterns.  For example, you will be able to look over a period of days or weeks to see that the majority of behavior incidents are occurring in morning.  This will be a clue.

2. Fill in the B column.  You will write exactly what the behavior looked like. 

Avoid writing things like "threw a tantrum" or "fought her brother." These terms do not tell us exactly what is happening.

3. Think back to what happened RIGHT before the behavior occurred.  Write this in the A column.

This will be the trigger or setting event.  Overtime, a list of antecedents will prove helpful in our detective work!

4. In the C column, write what happens right after the behavior incident.

In the C column, I wrote what happened right after Q hit her brother. This gives us a clue to the function or what the behavior is ACCOMPLISHING. 

Why is it important to collect this information in this way?

The goal of collecting this data is to find out why the children are engaging in these behaviors.  Once we know the WHY or what the behaviors are ACCOMPLISHING, we can teach children a replacement behavior that is more appropriate.  You can take this documentation to IFSP or IEP meetings.  Everyone will be so thankful!  You have a big chunk of the work already done!  

Follow along for more info:

Keep following the page or the blog for the next step in the process.  We will be looking at how we determine the WHY or FUNCTION of the behavior is.

Pet Project: Representational Drawings

Representational Drawings of Our Pets

Creating representational drawings is a very important piece of project work.  It encourages children to turn the abstract into something concrete.  This, after all, is the basis of writing.  We are instead using art to meet the same objective. 

Here is what we need you to do:

1. Gather the drawing materials you have at home. I like to start with just pen or pencil.

2. Look at your pet. How many eyes does it have? Does it have ears? How many? Does it have a nose? Does it have legs? Can you count them? What covers its body? How can you draw that? What else can you draw so we know that it is your pet?

3. If you do not have a pet, you can draw Motu. He loves to see pictures of himself! 🥰🐶

4. You can also find a stuffed animal to draw.

5. Post a photo in the comments or direct message it to me! I’d love to add it to our online portfolio as we continue to study pets.

You can look back at our Concept Web from the start of our project.

Look at the representational drawings you have made:

Pet Project: The Beginning

Pet Project: A Group Project that Everyone Can Join

I am glad that you are joining us virtually to engage in our Pet Project.  I am so passionate about Reggio-Inspired project learning and thought that we could all use this time with our children to engage in a project.  Our family chose to study pets because we do have a dog at home.  I know that not everyone has a pet, but most of you have experience being around someone's pet.  You may even have "pet" stuffed animals that you can study over the next few weeks.

Our first task during a project is to gather our ideas.  We will continually come back to this step throughout the project.  We start by creating a concept web.  You can see the Facebook Live video here.  These were the ideas from my four children.  

We still need to add your children's ideas!  Make a concept web with them.  I would love to see your webs.  You can add them to the comments on Facebook, direct message them to me, or email them to branchandblossomatelier@gmail.com

We also made a list of things we know about Motu and the questions we have about him:

Once again, send us your ideas and questions!  We will update our webs!

Next, we will begin representational drawings of our pets!

How to continue to work on IEP goals during this social distancing break

How to Continue to Work on IEP Goals During this Social Distancing Break

There are so many unknowns right now in the world.  And maybe you are concerned about maintaining progress on your child's IEP goals during this break.  The last thing you want is for your child to regress without regular therapies.  Maybe your child's teacher has given you activities to work on these skills.  Maybe you are working on these via technology. Maybe you are unsure of where to begin.

First let me tell you this.  You are an amazing parent.  Providing your child with a safe and secure home during this stressful time is your top priority. Let me repeat that.  Your top priority to so create a safe and secure home.  We know that this is true based on all of the educational literature and research.  We as educators, have studied Maslow's hierarchy of needs.  

Next, if you would like to look for opportunities to work on your child's IEP goals during everyday routines...please keep reading.  I want to introduce you to the embedded skills matrix.  This sounds fancy, but it is just a chart that looks at your everyday activities and allows you to find ways to embed your child's goal.  The embedded skills matrix is used by special education teachers to provide authentic practice of IEP goals throughout the school day.  This same matrix can be used in the home.  In fact, many early intervention providers create these for families to work on IFSP outcomes. 

In this chart above, you will see that the daily "home" activities are listed down the left column.  I am not suggesting that this is your schedule but more of a routine.  Your routine may look different than mine.  Stick to a stricter routine if that is important to your child.  You may want to create a visual schedule if you feel that it would help your child.  

Across the top row, you will list the IEP goals that are the top priority.  It is okay if these are not word for word from the IEP.  If you are having trouble prioritizing which goals are the most important, reach out to your child's teacher.  If the teacher is not available, I would be happy to help you!

In the body of the matrix or chart, you will write how you can work on each goal.  For example, this child's goal is to maintain attention to a task for 3 minutes.  During outdoor time, you can roll and ball back and forth for several minutes.  Encourage your child to stay with the activity.  

I think you will be surprised at how often you already are working on your child's IEP goals throughout the day.  You will be even more surprised to see how easily these goals can be worked into (embedded) into the routines that you are already doing.  This is great!  This is called generalizing the skill.  This means that your child can do this skill a variety of different ways in a variety of different settings. 

Ready to create your own?

You can hand write your own matrix or you can use this google doc link: HERE.

You will need to go to "File" and select "Make a copy." This will allow you to type in the boxes.  You can change any of the routine events to fit your families schedule. 

I hope this helps!  And as always, if you need assistance please email me: branchandblossomatelier@gmail.com

https://www.facebook.com/branchandblossomatelier/videos/2573491899562406/

Letting Go of Pinterest: The Valentine's Box

I definitely subscribe to the child-directed, child-initiated learning philosophy. I believe that children are amazing thinkers. I think they display their understanding about the world in many different ways: movement, drawing, singing, dramatic play, construction, writing, etc. Watch this video.

I am quick to climb up on my soapbox when I see children's potential being limited by countless worksheets and standardized tests. I believe that children need ample time to explore, make mistakes, and find their own solutions. 

But, I evidently was not generalizing this thinking to all things kid related. I think I fell into the Pinterest trap. Did I secretly get a little excited when the Valentine's Day box letter came home from school?   You bet I did! I may have even created an inspiration board for my kg and second grader. 

Kinsley got right to looking on my phone for ideas.  I always enjoy sitting down with her to create her special box. I remember doing the same with my mom. One year as a kid, I made the coolest TV box. On the screen was New Kids on the Block. Hangin' Tough!

Kins decided against the ideas on Pinterest and decided to make a karaoke machine. We covered the shoebox with scrapbook paper, she created a microphone out of a tp roll, and she drew lyrics on the screen.  She still has some finishing touches to put on it, but I think it turned out great. I'll post pics on FB and Instagram this week.

And then there is Zaven, my kindergartner.  My out of the box, middle child.  When I first asked him to start thinking about his box, he became very excited.  That night he went to bed with a notebook and pen to write down his ideas.  A week had passed.  As Kinsley and I were working on her box, Zaven found an empty amazon box.  On his own he grabbed the markers and got to work.

When I saw that he had started without me, I asked if he needed my help.

"Nope, I can handle it," he told me.

"Do you want to cover it in paper like Kinsley did?" I coaxingly asked.

"Nope, I'm just going to draw right on it," he said.

And that he did.  He spent a good hour drawing and designing this box. 

If we are being honest, I started to dread him taking this box to school on Wednesday.  I knew his classmates would probably be toting in cute Ninja Turtles, Lego, and robot boxes.  I even tried to remind him of the time we made a train box.  He said that he remembered, but he wanted to do something different this year. 

Since I am being transparent, I was afraid this box would be a reflection on who I am as a parent.  I felt the need to write a note to the teacher explaining that I tried to help him.  I made the time.  I had all the necessary supplies.  I even had a Pinterest board ready to go!

But then I stepped back and looked at Zaven's smile as he worked.  I looked at the box once again.

Zaven drew a boy looking at a rainbow.  "Remember that time we saw that double rainbow at the beach.  And the other day when we saw that double rainbow here in Kentucky?"

Zaven drew hearts and stars because that is what he drew on his original plan a week ago.



At the top of the box, he drew the planets in our solar system.  The squiggles that can be found all over the box are black holes.

He took some scrapbook paper and tape to create a pocket on the side of the box to keep cards he wanted to give away.  This minion card is for his older cousin, Justus, who he adores and looks up to.

So yes, I have had a change of heart.  This Valentine's Day, I would only hope that Zaven's box is a  reflection on me as a parent.  But truth be told, it isn't.  This is all Zaven.  He is a creative, problem-solver.  He loves learning about science and history. He likes to make pictures for other people.  He has a great memory when it comes to things we have done as a family.  And his Valentine's box is the best one yet!

 Repost from 2016

Increasing Communication through Milieu Teaching

If you are looking for ways to increase your child's communication skills, milieu teaching is a strategy that will give your child a reason to communicate.  The idea is to create an opportunity for your child to initiate, request, or protest.  Children who are working on using signs/gestures, picture card exchange, or verbal communication should use this strategy.  

Please feel free to save the infographic above to help you remember the 6 options to this strategy.

Preferred toys and items

Before starting this strategy, you will need to identify your child's preferred toys, items, and activities.  Use these to your advantage in the options below.

1. Within view, but out of reach

Place the child's preferred toy somewhere that they can see, but cannot reach.  Please use caution with this option, especially if you have a climber!  Supervise the child as long while the toy is in the tall place.  

The goal is for the child to ask you (either through sign, gesture, picture card, or verbal expression) to get the toy down.  

2. Limited access

During this option, you want the child to ask you for the item because they are unable to access it independently.  Place the item in a tight closing plastic jar.  Wait for the child to request the item.  

3. Inadequate amounts

Give your child just a small amount of something, so that she asks for more.  This can be done with food, drink, or toys.  In the example above, I gave my daughter just one whale cracker.  I have done this with just one sip's-worth of water in a cup and a pinch of play dough. This option is highly motivating because the child is immediately rewarded with the item they want. 

4. Sabotage

Give your child only part of the needed materials for an activity.  Give your child the board to a puzzle without the puzzle pieces, the Mr. Potato Head without any pieces, a bowl of cereal without a spoon, or a paintbrush without any paint. Wait for the child to call attention to the problem.  Then prompt the child to ask for the needed items.

5. Wacky situations

Do something unexpected.  This will cause your child to protest and ask for the correct item or activity.  For example, when you are leaving for school put your child's shoe on her hand.  Or put her coat on backwards.  Wait for your child to say no and then praise them for catching your "wacky mistake."

6. Use wait time

All of these options incorporate the use of wait time.  After your child is presented with one of the options above, wait.  Wait for her to notice.  Wait for her to gesture.  Wait for her to speak.  Then build off of this interaction.  A good rule of thumb is to slowly count in your head, "1-one thousand, 2-one thousand, 3-one thousand, 4-one thousand" before giving another prompt.  

Would you like to hear me explain this strategy?  You can go to the link below to watch the video: 

VIDEO