Archive for February, 2012
From Crayons to Shakespeare: Exposing Young Children to Creativity and the Arts
by Cynthia A. Frosch, Ph.D.
The importance of play for young children’s development cannot be overstated. Open spaces, active movement, and experimenting with materials are all avenues to support learning and development. Even very young infants can enjoy and respond to creative and artistic experiences. Local museums like the Dallas Museum of Art offer special areas, reserved just for children, which are filled with beautiful images and playful materials to support children’s exploration of the arts and creativity.
But what about at home or in childcare? In a recent issue of Early Years, a publication of The Journal of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children, C. Miki Henderson discusses ways to introduce infants and toddlers to creative play and the expressive arts. Henderson provides a variety of suggestions and although the article was geared toward the child care environment, these suggestions readily apply to the home environment as well:
• For pre-crawlers, Henderson suggests exposing children to different types of music and and to objects that have differing shapes, patterns, and textures. Billowing scarves, picture books, and photo cubes are all materials that infants can enjoy.
• For crawlers and young toddlers, provide places for children to climb and cruise as they begin walking. Again, music can be used in many ways – simple songs, rhymes, finger plays, and instrumental music can provide the background for rest, play, or meals.
• Two- and three-years-olds can use drawing, sculpting and dramatic play to express themselves and connect with those around them. Henderson advocates for the use of “interest centers” – for example a photo of a garden and some fresh picked tomatoes.
Another suggestion is to use “old crayons baked in muffin tins to make scribble cookies…drill a hole in the center and attach one to your easel using yarn.” This technique ensures that children can draw and create freely but on an easel instead of on the wall.
Henderson also notes that photography, literature, sensory activities, and creative movement are all beneficial activities to include and that adults can create environments that are safe, peaceful, and supportive of children’s individual differences and temperaments. With a little creativity and a few simple materials, parents, teachers, and caregivers can support young children’s artistic and creative play. Crayons, anyone?
Diagnosing Autism
by Nazly Hasanizadeh, Ph.D. Student at The University of Texas at Dallas
For decades after first being clinically described in the 1940’s, autism was often combined with other types of disorders due to the lack of research and understanding. The diagnosis of autism continues to be refined as more information about it accumulates. But how can you tell whether your child is showing signs of autism or of another disorder? How can you decide whether you should seek help or not?
In the first lecture of the Center for Children and Families 2012 Spring Lecture series, Dr. Noah Sasson discussed the newly defined two main identifiers of autism: social impairments and repetitive and restricted behaviors. Social impairments include behaviors such as an inability to form peer relationships, less interest in sharing experiences with others, and an inability to understand social cues. Repetitive and restricted behaviors include things like focusing intensely on specific and unusual objects or parts of objects, repetitive motor or language use, and extreme distress with any deviation from routines. Dr. Sasson also emphasized that these behaviors should be present in early childhood and “limit and impair functioning” in order to receive a diagnosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Dr. Sasson, parents should be aware of the following potential red flags after the child is at least 12 months old:
- Social Red Flags:
- Does not respond to own name by 12 months
- Reduced eye contact
- Does not engage in pretend play
- Lack of sharing interests with others
- Repetitive and Restricted Behavior Red Flags:
- Rocks body continuously
- Excessively preoccupied with specific pieces of an object
- Cannot tolerate minor changes in routine
It is important to note that some of these behaviors appear to some extent in all children, however the difference between those who fall on the Autism Spectrum and those who do not is the intensity and life impairment of these behaviors. First Signs is a national, non-profit organization which offers guidance for identifying the early signs of autism and related disorders.
If parents are noticing repeated occurrence of one or more of these red flags, here are several excellent resources for getting help:
The Crystal Charity Ball Autism Project: This is great for obtaining information about diagnosis and intervention, and can be reached at 214-456-7700 and.
The Center for Children and Families: The Center for Children and Families’ Infant Development Program offers low cost developmental screenings and other support services. To speak with the Community Liaison, call 972-883-4827. Referral services are also available.
Engaging Your Child’s Literacy and Language Development before School
by Hong-hai Le, UT Dallas Undergraduate Student
Reading Rockets, a national multimedia literacy initiative funded by a major grant from the U.S. Department of Education, offers information and resources on how children can learn to read and how caregivers can help. According to Reading Rockets, what preschoolers know before they enter school is strongly related to how easily they learn to read in the first grade. Below are some tips they offer for caregivers to use in interacting and promoting children’s literacy and language development.
Parents and Babies:
Babies begin learning as soon as they are born, and although they may not comprehend meanings, they do appreciate hearing your voice as you read books to them. Let the book grab their attention by choosing ones that have bright or bold illustrations. Read it to them in prosody (melodic) speech. This will aid in their speech development. It is also important to acknowledge their coos, growls, and gurgles because this is their initial way of communicating.
Parents and Toddlers:
Engage them in books that have rhymes and songs. At this stage, toddlers like to be active; however, it does not means that they are not listening to the story. Choose books with animals so they can bark and moo as you read. Talk about the pictures and illustrations in the stories. Help them make connections between the book and their lives, and talk about the books you both love over and over.
Parents and Preschoolers:
Make reading part of a daily routine with your child. Build vocabulary by describing everything in the book with interesting words. Describe objects such as a plane and its wings. Be interactive and ask questions about the contents of the book, pointing out particularly interesting points in the story. Introduce basic concepts of written language by noting that English readers read from left to right and that there are spaces between each word. Be sure to have your child evaluated by a specialist if you have concerns about your child’s language development, hearing, or sight at this stage.
Visit Reading Rockets (http://www.readingrockets.org/article/18935/) for more tips and have fun reading with your child.
