Category Archives: Inclusion

Fostering Connectedness in your Centre

The Children’s Village at Bridlewood is one of four licensed school age programs operated by the long standing and respected Children’s Village of Ottawa-Carleton. I am the program supervisor and I get to experience the best of both worlds by splitting my time in both the office and on the floor as a team teacher. Our agency takes pride in its programs, the fostering of connectedness between staff, parents, colleagues and most importantly the children. We also value the overall impact of connectedness on learning and behaviour.

A colleague of mine recently brought to my attention a discussion she had with one of our children, a seven year old boy. He had counted the hours he was at school in a day and compared it to how many hours he spent at home with his family. “Miss, did you know I’m at school for ten hours? That is more time than I am with my family and more time than I am asleep”. Educators and operators of before and after-school programs know this realization all too well. For me, working under the motto “It Takes a Village to Raise a Child” means we aren’t just educators, we are a family away from home to these children.

The Children’s Village at Bridlewood 2014-2015

The Children’s Village at Bridlewood 2014-2015

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It All Starts with Strong Relationships

Scenario 1 – Steven arrives with his grandfather and they are warmly greeted by an Educator. Steven joins the children playing Octopus. He often needs help remembering to follow the rules and routines and has a really hard time being “out”. When he gets “out”, he becomes really upset. When this happens, the Educator calls him over and gives him a strong hug to activate his listening ability. Without the hug, he cannot hear what is being said to him. His feelings are acknowledged by saying, ” You didn’t want to be out. It’s hard to be out. A new game will start soon. Do you want to wait here or with the other children who are out?” Steven moves to join the other children. A simple hug and an acknowledgement of his feelings really helps him turn things around. Continue reading →

The Jar of Joy

IMG_20141215_150837225As a way of acknowledging acts of kindness, one child care program uses pompoms. That’s right… pompoms and a Jar of Joy!

First the educator explains the concept of random acts of kindness and introduces the pompoms and the Jar of Joy. Then the group talks about what kinds of things each child could do to receive a pompom to put in the Jar of Joy. They also discuss what fun activities they could do as a group once the Jar of Joy was full. Then the fun begins! Continue reading →

A Home Away from Home: the Infant and Toddler Programs at Elizabeth Park Child Care Centre

GCCS2Elizabeth Park Child Care Centre is one of seven child care centres operated by Global Child Care Services. We serve infants, toddlers and preschoolers, and are located in a renovated wing of the Uplands Catholic Elementary School on the CFB Uplands military base. We are surrounded by many playgrounds, walking trails and a water park.

Our Infant and Toddler Programs have been in operation since 1987. These programs are the first stepping stone on a long journey for the children, their families and the staff providing care.

The staff at Elizabeth Park Child Care Centre work hard to create a “home away from home” environment where all families and children feel welcomed and safe. The first initial phone call to parents starts the journey, by providing important information about our programs, and extending an invitation for families to come and visit our centre. Continue reading →

Dinner at my Mom’s – Learning about the “You” Statement

I teach a small group of diverse students with various needs. None of the children have formal diagnoses but some of the students are being supported with an Individual Education Plan to work towards specific behavioural goals.

I have recently tried a new key strategy that my Mom shared with me, over dinner, in the classroom; the “you” statements. This strategy has revolutionized the way I think about behaviour management and the needs, wants and feelings of young children in an integrated early learning classroom. I ask myself the following questions regarding the child. Why are they doing what they are doing? What is their motivation? What are they trying to tell me? The “you” statement acknowledges what they are doing or saying as positively as possible. Continue reading →

Positive Transition to Preschool

September is always an exciting time for children and parents starting preschool. Along with all the fun associated with new surroundings, new friends, new adults in the child’s life, comes the anxiety about parent and child separating from one another. It’s a very emotional time for parents to leave their child but can be equally scary for some children. This is especially true for children whose first language is not English or for a child with special needs who has not been separated from their parents before. Here are some strategies that we have used to ease the transitions for children, parents and educators.

1. Prior to starting in the program, hold an open house for children enrolled in the group and their parents so that they may meet the other children, parents and educators. Plan your open house so it happens when your centre is in operation. This will provide an opportunity for everyone to experience a preschool day. Continue reading →

Preparing for Separation Anxiety

September is a very busy time of year especially for educators and providers as they prepare to receive many children. Some will be returning but many will be new. This means many children along with their parents/guardians will experience Separation Anxiety. Here are some considerations to help with this short lived anxiety.

Create a small booklet with pictures of your centre or home child care setting that you can give to parents/guardians so they can read it with their children.
Post and use a visual schedule not only in each classroom or playroom in a provider’s home but also next to the schedule posted for parents/guardians. Continue reading →

Strategies for Building Partnerships with Families

  • Create an environment in which parents/guardians are comfortable enough to speak and interact.
  • Value the parents/guardians comments and insights and make use of their knowledge about their child’s strengths and needs.
  • Actively listen to parents/guardians by communicating with words, eye contact, and a posture that promotes open communication.
  • Avoid judgements.
  • Ask questions that will start a conversation about their child and listen to their answers before reacting. Continue reading →

Inclusion Ideas Corner – Lin Teaches Children About Autism

DollkitChildren are curious about the world around them. Let’s teach them about how similar we all are and that differences are a good thing. CISS has Educational Dolls Kits that come with a comprehensive binder where educators and providers will find detailed suggestions for every routines and transitions. Although your program may not currently be supporting a child with a specific diagnosis, may we suggest that you make use of the doll kits in your daily programming to promote diversity.

The following are examples of how a child care program may set up their environment with the contents from an Educational Doll Kit. The Doll Kit chosen is Lin – Autism Spectrum Disorder. Continue reading →

Family is Family: Everyone has the Right to Travel the World with Pride

Is travelling with children with special needs really that different? Not really. When we travel with our six children, five of whom have special needs, we are more careful in the planning and execution of our vacations. Because we require two hotel rooms, we always contact the hotel directly and request connecting rooms. This ensures that there is only one access to the hallway from our room because one of our children sleepwalks. The second room door remains bolted at all times. We also ensure that we have a small refrigerator in the room for quick snacks and/or beverages.

Our children’s diagnoses vary, from ADHD to global delays to Autism, each requiring special considerations such as being more sensitive to their environment. Although the thunder during the luau at SeaWorld startled our middle daughter, she was still thrilled to be on stage doing her version of the hula. If children are afraid of loud or sudden noises, take into consideration experiences that could frighten them such as the Indiana Jones attraction at Disney World. Our choices of attractions tend to be on the “mild” side on purpose. Our more daring children “buddy up” to experience the more exciting rides. This ensures everyone can fully enjoy their vacation. Continue reading →