+Helpful links and ideas for learning

Learning is Everywhere

Help your child learn with everyday activities to do with your child using everyday items.

Check out different themed early learning activities. You can even get a list of books that match the theme.

https://papromiseforchildren.com/learning-is-everywhere/

https://www.toolstogrowot.com/

Aided language stimulation:

* https://youtu.be/flFNMky22-U

* https://at-aust.org/assets/EC_Infosheet-AidedLanguageStimulation.pdf

Generalizing goals or outcomes into natural routines

Wake Up Routine:

Keep the child's morning routine consistent with what you were doing with their school schedule.

Keep your child’s wake up time consistent as well. Greet your child and have them return that greeting using whatever communication means their

developmental level allows (smile, gesture, using a communication device, verbalization). Have children wake up the other siblings using communication that is appropriate for your child. Assist child to use as much independent movement as possible (sit to stand, sitting up

independently, reaching out for a good morning hug).

Meals and Snacks:

Have your children wipe off table with a towel or wipe prior to eating. Assign a snack helper to choose snack, set table or hand out snacks. Children Love jobs and will

be excited to help! Have the child assist with opening all jars, containers, wrappers.

Count out items that are given to the child (I.e. say “How many goldfish do you have, lets count? Can I have one, two, three...?”).

Have your child make a choice, if possible, make it a nutritious option for food or drink. If your child uses an adaptive communication device (including low tech picture symbols), help

them use it to make choices at mealtime and throughout the day. Place food in an ice cube tray to help promote a pincer grasp (thumb and index finger). Have your child help with the meal prep by measuring, stirring, pouring and dumping

ingredients to feel involved in the cooking task. Allow older siblings to assist the younger ones in preparing the meal or snack. Provide your child with utensils and cups (holding with two hands) that are appropriate for their

skill level. Label the foods for your child or ask them questions such as “What are you eating? Or What is

your brother/sister eating?” “Is the food cold/hot?” “What color is the food?” If they taste the food “is the food sweet/sour?”

Provide a variety of foods (different colors, different textures, different flavors) for your child to taste. Add a new food for them to try. Keep in mind that it may take a few times (15-20) of presenting a new food for your child to accept it.

Allow your child to get messy with their food to encourage learning about that food. If your child is hesitant to try the food, encourage them to touch with hands first, smell the food,

bring to lips to kiss.

Dressing:

Provide choices for dressing - Have them find a specific color shirt or pants. Have older siblings help with dressing routine by picking out clothes or items that are needed for

the day. Label clothing or have your child label clothing and assist as able to put the items on. Assist with buttons, snaps, zippers. Have your child do as much as they are able to. Label body parts or have your child move or extend body part you are labeling as you are

dressing. If your child is unable to label clothing or body parts have them receptively identify items or

body parts- Show me the pants. Touch your belly. Put small toys in sleeves and pant legs to practice crossing opposite hand to leg. Practice sit to stand or standing on one foot as your child is getting dressed to work on balance. If needed, provide sensory activities (brushing, lotion massage) to arms/legs to help bring

awareness to the body part prior to dressing.

Toileting Routines:

Have child help to pull down pants and take off diaper/underwear as able. Sit on toilet as able. If not able, ask the child to assist with pulling down pants and taking off diaper as able (lift

bottom off mat and put thumbs in pants, pull Velcro). Have child flush toilet if able after using the toilet. Have your child assist in putting on the diaper by lifting their bottoms or pulling up their shirt so

you can put on the diaper standing up. Have them put their thumbs in the pants to pull them up.

Provide positive reinforcement with cheers, clapping or hugs (or whatever is motivating for your child) for completing the task.

Have your child wash hands after every time they use the toilet. Sing songs together as your child is being changed or is sitting on the toilet. Leave off words for

them to fill in.

Handwashing Routines:

20-30 seconds of vigorous handwashing- Do this frequently Sing ABCs song or Happy Birthday 2 times as you wash hands making sure to get the tops and

bottoms and in between the fingers.

Washing hands activities:

Sing a song to encourage good hand hygiene and to extend the length of time washing hands. Count to a child's favorite number if child is hesitant to wash hands. Make animal footprints on the floor to have child complete motor task when walking up to the

sink. Have a visual aid for washing hands (turn on water, soap, rub together, rinse, dry hands, turn off

water).

Toothbrushing Routines:

Have child take off/put on cap. Assist child with squeezing onto toothbrush. Sing a song or count to continue with brushing. Possibly use a battery-operated toothbrush that the music goes off after a specific time to

provide motivation to keep brushing. Use first/then strategy if child does not want parent to help. “First I will brush for 10 seconds

then you can have a turn.” Practice standing balance by having one foot on step stool. Let child brush teeth first if able, then do hand over hand to help get all areas on teeth. Stepping up/down from a stool at sink.

Indoor Play:

Structured/Targeted Learning

Puzzles Counting - count anything in the environment! Calendar-Month/day/year Alphabet/letter identification-Pour salt on cookie sheet and draw letters or designs in it. Blocks-build tall towers, have the child imitate block designs, count the blocks, identify

colors. Build a tower for your child and have the child knock it down. Have child pull apart blocks for a resistive hand strengthening activity.

Sorting toys into designated areas. Talk about the weather- “It is ---” Use a variety of positions for your child to play in (belly, side lying, standing, kneeling).

Baking. Books-Have them point to pictures or identify objects in pictures, ask them questions

“what do you see?, What shape/color?, how many? Does it make a sound?” What is missing? Provide 3-5 objects and take one away when the child is not looking,

have them tell you what is not there. Provide extra objects to choose from if the child has difficulty.

Animal walks (crab walk, bear walk, snake crawl, penguin walk). Cosmic kids Yoga or number lock on YouTube Sensory bins (sand, rice, pasta, beans, water, shaving cream). Have your child put their

hands/feet in the bins to locate items hidden. Use clothes pins to pick items up to place into a container. Painting using hands/ brushes/sponges Cutting with scissors across a line or cutting out shapes - Use different types of

paper/materials to cut (construction, computer, stock, etc). Using a single hole punch to work on hand strength (make a bunch of confetti with the

paper) Making play-doh (recipes online)

Free Play

Sensory: Finger paints, coloring books, gel clings on windows, rice/bean bin, shaving cream, sensory bags (paint, hair gel)

Gross Motor: Obstacle course with pillows, couch cushions, blankets, yoga/stretching, rolling, crawling, walking backwards, making forts

Fine motor: Picking up beads, buttons (putting buttons/beads onto a piece of spaghetti, string or pipe cleaner) squeezing a spray bottle/sponge, peeling stickers, coloring using various size crayons (break the crayon to help the child hold better in hand if needed). Tearing paper into small pieces.

Place small items in play-doh and have child use fingers to pull out. Pop bubbles on a sheet of bubble wrap. Dress up (putting on and taking off different clothing. Talk about what you could be if

you wear this clothing. Label clothing. Have child assist with buttons/snaps/zippers if able.

Farm and animals. Talk about different animals on the farm and the sounds they make Kitchen area. Talk about food and how we cook and have your child give you certain

foods. Talk about what foods you like or don’t like. Label different foods and pretend to cook or set up a tea party with siblings and animals

Block Building/Legos Cars and trucks Encourage a variety of positions to play in (kneeling, standing, belly, over wedges, etc.)

Games

Balance beam on pillows/blankets; Follow path on masking tape on carpet. Leap Frog, Duck, Duck Goose; Ring around the Rosie (both ways). Freeze Dance and other movement CDs or can be found on YouTube.

Yoga poses Red light/Green light Simon Says Go fish Memory Have your child match colored socks Candyland Tic Tac Toe Bingo Seek and find (hide an object and have them find it. Could give clues to where it is:

hot/cold, use of positional words). I spy (describe an object that you see and see if the child can tell you what it is) Taking a

walk is great for this game. Ball play (play catch, soccer, baseball, bounce on a ball, T-ball). Reading a book or watching a video while lying on your stomach. Tug-of-war – use a thick rope or large towel Air hockey – Use an empty dish detergent bottle or glue bottle and squeeze it so that it

blows air and moves pom-poms, Ping-Pong ball or feather across the table. Have child reach with a specific hand/foot (right/left) in standing or sitting to pop the

bubbles.

Outdoor Play:

Structured/Targeted Learning

Scavenger hunt (find pinecones, leaves, specific colored cars, animals, numbers on mailbox’s)

Work on steps Going up and down off a curb Balance- walking along a narrow rock path/curb/railroad tie/playground border Draw vertical and horizontal lines and shapes outside with chalk Take a nature walk and collect sticks and rocks and sort the items; Holding a bucket in

one hand while picking up items with other hand Bubble play, popping with finger Put puzzle pieces on the ground; hop, skip, jump to pick up pieces Jumping activities (Jumping forward, jumping over sidewalk cracks, jumping up for

leaves on trees, jumping down from a low step and landing on feet) Pulling a sibling in a wagon; pulling a wagon backward using two hands; climbing in an

out of the wagon using both hands Ball play (play catch, soccer, baseball, bounce on a ball) Practice turn taking and have older siblings' model too using language my turn/ your

turn.

Free Play

Sandbox Swing set, playground Running in an open field Walking up a hill and rolling down Catching/ throwing balls/kicking balls Bikes/scooters Water play Paint with paint brush and water Sensory bins; rice, beans Wagon play: pulling/pushing/climbing in and out Climbing on and off riding toys

Games

Stop/Go game Ring around the Rosie Duck, duck goose Red light green light Tag Hopscotch/Sidewalk chalk Hide and seek Encourage siblings to model turn taking

Bathing Routines

Practice dumping and filling cups in the tub Use bubbles for extra sensory input while in tub Put foam letters on tub and identify Shaving cream, create shapes, letters and number Sensory rub down with lotion after bath time Range of motion and stretching can be done in the tub or afterwards while applying lotion Balance challenges while balancing on one foot when putting pants on Identify and label body parts as they are getting washed. Have the child cross midline as they are washing (hold washcloth in left hand and wash right

arm, etc) Have child tell you what body parts to wash to incorporate expressive language

Naptime or Nighttime Routines

Follow what you normally do each day, keep bedtime the same. Here are some other suggestions:

Choices for picking out PJ’s Stretching and Range of Motion before going to sleep. Putting on splints needed for nighttime Reading books, have them choose books if they want

Sit down with your child and pick a favorite book (preferably one with pictures and of interest to your child). Read the book with lots of animation and excitement. After reading a page or two pause and ask “where is....?” about a pictured person/object/animal (the picture helps tremendously with the learning process). Wait to see if your child can point or verbally answer. If not, answer your own question while pointing to the pictures. Ask “what is this?” and point to an object. See if your child can answer. If he/she can’t, say the answer and see if he/she can repeat. When appropriate, ask “who” and “what-doing” questions as well as the questions listed above. If your child can’t answer a question, answer your own question by pointing to the picture and/or thinking OUT LOUD. By using these strategies, you teach your child HOW to answer a question and not just simply the answer. If your child can verbally answer, expand a response by adding a word or two (sleep> boy is sleeping!, ball>red ball/big ball). If your child is at the stage of wanting to turn pages, encourage him/her to wait until you tell them "turn the page!" and guide them when needed. Have siblings model turn taking and responding to “turn the page”. Encourage siblings to take turns answering questions, including some that may be more in depth to keep them interested too

Singing songs

Chores

Sort silverware Set table Match socks from laundry Pushing/pulling a filled laundry basket Put clothes in washer and/or dryer Wiping windows or table for proprioceptive input Pushing around the laundry basket Dusting using a dry cloth Yard Activities: Pick up leaves/sticks, pulling filled lawn bags for heavy work opportunity,

sweeping

***Help your child follow through with the directions within these chores. Use action, color, and size words and words such as “in”, “on”, “out” as appropriate to help your child learn new words and concepts

Transitions between Routines and Activities

Sing a song while transitioning Animal walks while transitioning: frog hops, bear walks, crab walk, and wheelbarrow walks etc. Set a (visual) timer and give adequate verbal warning “2 more minutes” First/then strategies Visual schedule/picture (try taking photos with your phone of your child or sibling completing a

transition to show him/her to help with future transition) Encourage climbing/walking up and down steps as appropriate Use of any mobility equipment as much as possible

General Reminder

Tell your child that there is no school so they know what to expect, talk about what you will do instead.

COMMUNICATION TID BITS for all routines Self Talk: This is when you are using short sentences to talk about what you are seeing.

hearing or doing when you are with your child. For example, when you are outside you may say “Mommy is walking up steps!” “I am taking big steps!” “I am blowing the bubbles!”, “I like bubbles”.

Parallel talk: Parallel talk is similar to self talk, except rather than talking about what you are seeing, hearing or doing you are talking about what your child is seeing, hearing or doing. So, when your child is playing with outdoor items you might say “Wow! You found a leaf!”! Oh you have a big rock?’ “You threw the red ball! Oh let’s see how many leaves there are, one, two, three leaves!” Notice in parallel talk, you are not asking questions of the child but rather are just modeling language.

Descriptions: These are when you simply describe an object that your child is playing with or looking at. Say you are at the farm…you may label and describe the different animals to your child: “Look at that flower! It is green and yellow!” or “There is a truck. It is big and loud.”

For children using alternative communication, see links above regarding Aided Language Stimulation for modeling throughout the day

Give children choices throughout the day to increase their communication with you-can be with objects or through verbal choices-can use eye gaze or touch non-verbally

If your child is verbal or using symbols or verbal output, you can verbally expand a comment or request by adding a word or two (cookie> I want cookie, sleep> boy is sleeping!, ball>red ball/big ball). Use equipment such as walker or stander if have at home

Use repeated words in play and activities: up-up-up, down-down-down, stomp-stomp-stomp, splash-splash-splash, etc

When singing songs or using familiar phrases, pause at the end of a phrase for 2-3 seconds to allow your child time to look up at you to continue or fill in the word “Twinkle Twinkle Little _______”, “We all fall _______” Ready-set- _______” .

Throughout the day, encourage your child to look at or find labeled items, body parts or toys. Make sure you can help them respond so they are successful. Reinforce, reinforce!!!!

Motor/Equipment Tid Bit for all routines Stretching and Range of Motion throughout the day Putting on splints/sure steps/and other orthotics as needed for during the day; Try to

use orthotics for morning times and remove at naptime to help establish a routine