by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

14 ideas and 5 online resources to help you promote your child’s love of reading

It's amazing to think that another school year is about to come to a close. With summer just around the corner, our thoughts turn to how our children will fill all of that free time! Many parents of children with special needs look for activities that are both fun and educational. Here are some tips on how to make reading just that: an important -- and fun -- part of your child's summer!

Did you know that research has shown that many children experience a decline in reading skills over the summer? It's called summer reading loss -- and it can be an even greater challenge for children with special needs. Fortunately, though, there's a LOT that parents and caregivers can do to prevent it, and in the process, instill a love of reading in children that will last a lifetime.

Whether your child is a tot or a teen, here are 14 ideas to get you started, plus 5 wonderful online resources to help you keep your child engaged in reading!

1. Before the hectic end-of-school-year rush sets in, ask your child’s teacher for recommended reading, book lists, and suggestions for fun reading programs in your community. 

2. Librarians are also a wonderful resource.  They have an amazing amount of knowledge and experience, and can often suggest just the right books for your son or daughter!

3. Visit your local library with your child and find out what programs will be offered this summer.  Most libraries plan summer reading programs, fun activities, and more – all for free!

4. As you plan your summer, make room for reading.  Schedule a regular time on the calendar (at least once a week) to go to the library with your child.  Perhaps he or she might like to bring a friend!

5. If you’re unable to get to a library, consider checking yard sales and flea markets for inexpensive children’s books you can purchase to have at home.  Also try consignment shops and thrift shops.  I once found some wonderful children’s books at a thrift shop sale for 10 cents each!

6. There may also be a mobile library program in your community, where the library comes to your neighborhood!  Call the nearest library or your child’s school to learn more.

7. Consider starting a children’s reading group.  You can meet at a park, or take turns meeting at each other’s homes. 

8. Create a cozy summer reading corner in your home, where you keep a basket of books and some comfy pillows. 

9. Make it a priority to read to your child at least once each day.  It doesn’t have to be bedtime.  Any time is a great time for reading!

10.  Have your child read to you each day.  (If your child is not yet reading, that’s okay!  Sit with your child and look at a book together.  Have your child “read” to you based on what he or she notices from the pictures.) 

11.  If your child doesn’t want you to read to him or her, try simply having some family reading time each day when everyone picks up a book and reads for at least 20 minutes.

12. Minimize screen time – TV’s, computers, video games, whatever.  Set limits at the beginning of the summer and stick to them.  It’s not easy – but this can make a huge difference!

13. Do some summer reading of your own each day. When your child sees you enjoying reading, he or she will want to read more too!

14. Read everything, everywhere! Wherever you go this summer, point out words, phrases, and sentences. Every outing - whether it's to someplace special or just to the grocery store - is packed with opportunities to read and have fun with words!

One more tip: let your child choose his or her own books to read.  Research shows that allowing children to select their own reading materials is a key component to success in reading. 

To learn more about how you can help your child strengthen his or her reading skills and prevent summer reading loss, check out these resources:

Reading Rockets - Parent Page

http://www.readingrockets.org/audience/parents

Summer Reading

http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/summer-reading.pdf

Reading is Fundamental – ages 0 – 5

http://www.rif.org/kids/leadingtoreading/en/leadingtoreading.htm

Reading is Fundamental – ages 5 – 15

http://www.rif.org/kids/readingplanet.htm

And if you’d like to read an excellent recent scholarly article on the topic of summer learning loss and what parents can do to prevent it, go to http://www.kappanmagazine.org/content/92/7/64.abstract

Most importantly of all, enjoy your reading adventures with your child this summer!

Warmly,

Joan

Joan Celebi, Ed.M.
SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

Happy Mother's Day!

"A mother understands what a child does not say."
- Jewish proverb

"Mama exhorted her children at every opportunity to 'jump at de sun.' We might not land on the sun, but at least we would get off the ground."
- Zora Neale Hurston

"Mother love is the fuel that enables human beings to do the impossible."
-Marion C. Garretty

"A child's hand in yours - what tenderness it arouses, what power it conjures. You are instantly the very touchstone of wisdom and strength."
- Marjorie Holmes

"When I stopped seeing my mother with the eyes of a child, I saw the woman who helped me give birth to myself."
- Nancy Friday

"There's nothing like a mama-hug."
- Adabella Radici

What are your favorite quotes for Mother's Day? Post a comment using the cloud link below to share!

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Children with Special Needs: Stories of Love and Understanding for Those Who Care for Children with Disabilities

A friend let me borrow this book, and I just ordered my own copy. This is a wonderful collection of stories written by parents of children with special needs. Enjoy!

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

Most parents of children with special needs have tight budgets -- here are some websites that can help!  You can search for coupons for specific products, or scroll through all of the coupons and check off the ones you'd like to print.  You'll find not only grocery coupons, but also coupons for just about every kind of store or product you can think of:  flowers, furniture, clothing, toys, and much more!  You can even get coupons for medications (both prescription and over the counter).

www.shopathome.com

www.coupons.com

www.couponcabin.com

www.couponmom.com

www.shortcuts.com

If you have a favorite coupon website that isn't included here, please let me know - or simply add a comment below!

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

Just a quick note today to let you know about a great resource for thousands of standards-based lesson plans, student interactives, educational games, interesting subject-area readings and articles, and much more - for all grade levels and abilities.  If you're a teacher, you will find a wealth of materials to enrich your curriculum.  If you're a parent, you will discover all kinds of ways to reinforce what your child is learning at school.  To learn more, visit:

www.thinkfinity.org

And while I'm on the topic of great curriculum resources, let me share with you my all-time favorite website specifically for maps, geography, and other social studies topics:

www.nationalgeographic.org

I hope you'll find these websites helpful AND fun! 

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

I received this from a friend today and wanted to pass it along to you.  Happy travels!  :)

America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass – Access Pass - FREE
 
This is a lifetime pass for U.S. citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. Documentation is required to obtain the pass. Acceptable documentation includes: statement by a licensed physician; document issued by a Federal agency such as the Veteran’s Administration, Social Security Disability Income or Supplemental Security Income; or document issued by a State agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency.

The pass provides access to, and use of, Federal recreation sites that charge an Entrance or Standard Amenity. The pass admits the pass holder and passengers in a non-commercial vehicle at per vehicle fee areas and pass holder + 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults, at per person fee areas (children under 16 are admitted free). The pass can only be obtained in person at the park. The Access Pass provides a 50 percent discount on some Expanded Amenity Fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, swimming, boat launching, and specialized interpretive services. In some cases where Expanded Amenity Fees are charged, only the pass holder will be given the 50 percent price reduction.

The pass is non-transferable and generally does NOT cover or reduce special recreation permit fees or fees charged by concessionaires.

more:
http://www.nps.gov/fees_passes.htm

find a park:
http://www.nps.gov/findapark/index.htm

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

It's April.  Are you ready for the summer? 

If you're like most parents of children with special needs, summer arrangements for your youngsters must be made well in advance. Even though it's only April and summer still seems far off, it won't be long until school's out and summer vacation begins!

Get Ready for Summer

What will your child and your family do this summer?  This year, don't wait until the last minute to read those materials, make those phone calls, fill out those forms.  Eliminate the stress of looming deadlines by scheduling some uninterrupted, focused time this week to take care of your summer plans.

Take a look at your calendar and find a block of time - perhaps an hour or more - this week.  Reserve that time for summer planning.  Here are some things you may want to consider as you put your summer plans in place:

1.      Therapy - What therapies will your child need to continue over the summer?  Which ones can be put on hold?  What are the therapists' summer schedules?

2.      Summer school/classes/lessons - What forms need to be filled out?  What accommodations will need to be made?

3.      Sitters - Will you need time with the sitter to go over summertime routines and how-to's?  What are your expectations for the time your sitter will spend with your children this summer?

4.      Daycare - Do you need to fill out any special permission forms?  Will the daycare providers need any special warm-weather-related instructions?

5.      Camps - Are there medical records you'll need to submit with the camp application?  Will you need to meet with the camp director and/or staff to discuss your child's needs?

6.      Vacation - If you're traveling for vacation this summer, which hotels are the most family friendly?  Which activities and destinations have accommodations or special programs for children with special needs?

7.      Respite Care - Need to take a break?  Check out the respite care programs available in your area.  Remember to "care for the caregiver" -- replenish your own inner reserves with some time off to relax, recharge, and renew.

8.      Downtime - block out dates and times on the summer calendar NOW for downtime.  I know, it seems paradoxical to have to schedule downtime!  But downtime is essential to the well being of everyone in the family.  Make it a priority by providing regular time to just "be."

You're going to feel great having all these summer preparations done in advance!

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

For most parents of children with special needs, the budget's tight - and we're always on the  lookout for discounts, bargains, and free stuff.

A quick tip today about your local dump or landfill.  If you live in a town that has one, you're in luck, especially this time of year, and especially if you have children!

At most town dumps, people will leave things that they no longer need, but are still in perfectly usable condition.  This can be a great resource for free stuff for your home and your family.  This is especially true for toys and other children's items.  At our town's landfill over the years, I've gotten all kinds of great stuff: beach toys, a doll crib, a play table and chair, a piano keyboard, lego sets, a high-end radio/CD player, garden equipment, some nice children's books, a fax machine, and more!  There are often strollers, high chairs, baby swings, tricycles, etc. 

Anyway my point in writing this today is that with springtime comes spring cleaning - and I definitely notice an increase in the amount of perfectly good stuff at the dump each spring!  Now is a great time to make frequent trips to the dump at peak hours such as Saturday mornings.  You never know what you might find!

If you live in an area with trash pick-up, and don't have a town dump, that's okay - people leave free stuff out on the sidewalk or roadside, and again, there's more in the spring when people are doing their spring cleaning.  What a great excuse to take a walk around your neighborhood - and who knows what you might come upon with a "free" sign taped to it!

Also, a quick note - if you do get used baby equipment, be sure to check that it is safe to use.  Go to http://www.cpsc.gov/info/resale/recalls.html to find out about baby swings, bassinets, cribs, high chairs, playpens/play yards, and toys. 

Happy "free stuff" hunting!

by Joan Celebi, Ed.M., CLC
Founder, SpecialNeedsParentCoach.com

The folks at Do2Learn just emailed me to let me know about the launch of this fantastic resource.  I was amazed at how complete and thorough this information is -- as well as how well it is organized.  Very user-friendly - complete with illustrated examples and great video demonstrations!  If your son or daughter with Autism is still young, bookmark this site and save it for when they're ready to enter the workforce someday.  In fact, I would think that this information would be very helpful for people with many different types of special needs or disabilities.

http://www.do2learn.com/JobTIPS/index.html

A summary from the Do2Learn website:

Determining Interests  - explore your interests by examining the types of social and environmental demands associated with certain jobs, by taking an interest quiz, and by reading specific job descriptions.

Finding a Job - guides you through the process of finding a job, from networking, to conducting internet searches, to navigating job fairs.

Getting a Job - detailed instructions on how to obtain references and how to complete resumes, cover letters, and applications.  Guides you through the explicit steps, as well as the hidden nuances, of the interview process.

Keeping a Job - for many people, the most difficult part of keeping a job is knowing how to appropriately communicate, socialize, and cope in the work environment. This section guides you through the complex and sometimes stressful demands associated with work contexts.

The Do2Learn website is also packed with all kinds of other useful resources such as Make-A-Schedule; Faceland (a game to help children learn to interpret facial expressions); Number, Word, and Letter Games; downloadable activities and picture cards; and free Computer Based Instruction on topics like Bus Safety, Street and Fire Safety, and more.  For an overview of all that's available, go to:

http://www.do2learn.com/aboutus/websiteflyer.htm

Do you know of a fantastic resource that parents of children with special needs should know about?  Please let me know and I'll post it here in the Special Needs Parent Blog!