Have you seen the new line of Ladybug Girl board books? Board books are a great option when doing 1-on-1 activities. The sturdy pages and shortened text lend themselves well to repeated use with kids with special needs. I love this newest book in the Ladybug Girl series! It has a great message of gratitude and is filled with lots of opportunities for kids yoga: ladybug, dog, bumblebee breath, grasshopper (for Grasshopper Girl), crescent moon, standing star, tree, book (easy pose and open/close legs like turning pages in a book, pumpkin (child pose with hands at head for stem), pie making sequence (see details below) & ending with the Gratitude Relaxation guided relaxation and activities from the Yoga 4 Classrooms Activity Card Deck. I also include coloring as part of relaxation.
Get the free printable coloring page that I made for the yoga poses in this book:
roll out the pie dough (lay on belly & kids choose if they want their arms, legs or back rolled out with a pool noodle “rolling pin” or a real rolling pin – be mindful of kid’s sensory needs and always ask their permission before touching. Some kids may prefer to roll out their own arms or legs with the pool noodle)
easy pose legs as bowl, put in pumpkin, eggs, spices, etc., mix (stir the pot & do “washing machine” for mixer)
pie pose (seated angle)
tick-tock-toes timer (point-flex feet while saying “tick tock” as the pie “cooks” on your oven)
smell & “mmm” breath
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Fun idea:
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See this post for more ideas for teaching kids about gratitude and thankfulness. Includes lesson plans for several books, crafts, Gratitude Relaxation card and a music playlist:
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.
OMazing Kids October Theme: Friendly Monsters, Scarecrows & Pumpkins
So it was time to swap out my book basket and seasonal apps folder at work. Put away the leaves, apples and other early fall-themed items and got out my collection of friendly monsters, scarecrows & pumpkins. I don’t personally use “Halloween” themed things since many of my patients have a difficult time distinguishing between imaginary vs. real. I stick with general fall themes with pumpkins, scarecrows and fluffy, friendly or not too scary monsters.
Here are some of my faves:
Books:
* Autumn Orange
* Duck & Goose Find A Pumpkin (great for targeting core vocabulary: look, find, no, in, under, up, on)
* Glad Monster, Sad Monster: A Book About Feelings (great high contrast book, feelings, colors, verbs)
* Go Away, Big Green Monster (great high contrast book, adjectives, colors, body parts & core vocabulary “go” for the repeated line “go away”)
* Hide-and-Seek Monsters (lots of great prepositions in this mini book)
* I See A Monster: A Touch & Feel Book (lots of prepositions, also target core vocabulary: I, you, see, where)
* I See a Monster Touch and Feel Book (several prepositions & adjectives)
* I See Fall
* If You’re a Monster And You Know It (great high contrast book, fun for motor imitation, free song: http://www.scholastic.com/media/audio/books/monstermixmerge.mp3)
* It’s Pumpkin Day, Mouse! (use to teach basic emotions)
* Ladybug Girl and the Dress-up Dilemma (great message of being yourself)
* Monstergarten (great message about being yourself)
* Nighty Night, Little Green Monster (great high contrast book, cute to go along with Go Away Big Green Monster)
* One Hungry Monster: A Counting Book in Rhyme
* Otis and the Scarecrow
* Plumply, Dumply Pumpkin (lots of great adjectives)
* Splat The Cat and the Pumpkin-Picking Plan
* The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything (fun for motor imitation & for kids yoga)
* The Monsters’ Monster (great message of friendship)
* There Was An Old Monster (one of my all time faves to use in kids yoga… love the free song: http://www.scholastic.com/media/audio/books/therewasanoldmonster3.mp3, yoga poses for book:
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Apps (all verified as being available in the USA App Store at the time of this post):
Music:
* Dingle, Dangle Scarecrow by Music Maestros Band
* Monster Boogie by Laurie Berkner Band
* Pickin’ Pumpkins in the Pumpkin Patch by Mary Jo Huff
* Pumpkin Boogie by Margot Fox
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Angela Moorad is the founder of OMazing Kids, LLC and is an ASHA certified & licensed pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist and Kids Yoga Teacher with 27 years experience working in a variety of settings (early intervention, schools, teletherapy & a nonprofit pediatric rehab hospital for children with developmental disabilities). She is an app beta tester for educational & therapeutic app developers and loves sharing info about great apps, products, books & toys to use with kids of all abilities.
The book is also full of great opportunities to target speech & language goals. I used it today in a session to target inclusion of the final bilabial sound in the repeated line “jump”. This is such a fun book to read 🙂
Check out this awesome new addition to the OMazing Kids collection of fabulous kids picture books: Little Bitty Friends by Elizabeth McPike (due to be released 2/2/16; hardcover, 32 pages, $16.99; the book description indicates that the book is for ages birth to 3 but I can definitely see myself using this book into early elementary ages).
I love the adorable illustrations and the rolling-off-your-tongue fun to read rhyming text.
The book has lots of great opportunities for language with unique verbs (march, tickle, reach, fly, peek, nibble, sway, sneeze, chatter, play, nuzzle, nap, rest & hug) and nouns (boy, girl, knee, nose, lap, caterpillar, flower, sky, bird, tent, snail, mouse, strawberry, tree, swing, cat, wagon, chipmunk, ladybug, grass, rock, turtle, rabbit, basket, blanket, puppy).
As an added bonus there are lots of opportunities for kids yoga activities based on the illustrations and text (cross crawl hike, ant (warrior 1), caterpillar (group happy baby), flower, stretch to sky, bird, tree, snail, tent (triangle or rooftop partners), mouse, weeping willow (crescent moon), swing (standing forward fold with arms on top of each other like swing seat), cat, chipmunk (toe-ga with brown pom poms), ladybug, turtle, bunny breaths, resting puppy savasana & big self-hug).
. Here is a sneak peek at a few pages inside the book:
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Here is a free printable that I made to use with this book. I have several kids that I see for speech-language therapy who respond well to getting to color or splat a small ball of playdoh on a small picture after saying a certain number of articulation target words or naming pics (Tip: When using playdoh splat mats it helps to already have small balls of playdoh pre-rolled). In my kids yoga classes, I use coloring sheets both as a visual support for kids to pick a pose to do again and as a coloring sheet to do during relaxation at the end or to take home.
Kohl’s is a fabulous place to get large hardcover books & a matching plush animal for just $5.00 each! Plus a portion of the sales goes to a good cause. Their latest Kohl’s Cares campaign includes some books & plush from Leo Lionni. I already had a small board book version of “A Color of His Own” but couldn’t resist getting this nice large hardcover version & the adorable plush chameleon at my local Kohl’s. Also available online:
The book has the following opportunities for kids yoga: bird, fish, elephant, pig, chameleon (plank), heather (flower), tiger, leaf, grass, mushroom (child’s pose). The book is also great for vocabulary & colors and has a fabulous message of friendship.
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The cool thing is that I can use the same plush with “The Mixed Up Chameleon” by Eric Carle (another great Kohl’s Cares purchase back in 2011). It has the following opportunities for kids yoga: chameleon (plank), tree, flower, sun stretch & breath, polar bear, flamingo, fox, fish, deer, giraffe, turtle, elephant, seal, rainbow. Love the message about being yourself.
There are also some great free printable story props for both of these books out on the Kizclub.com website: http://www.kizclub.com/stories.htm. The key is to download the PDFs you want to your computer since that website frequently disappears for several months (guessing while it is being updated). I always get the color & black-white versions of the printables.
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Here are two ideas for guided relaxation to go with this theme:
I saw it mentioned by my friend Jenny at Happy Planet Yoga and got a great deal on a new hardcover copy for only $1.98 + shipping for a total of $5.97 on Amazon! I always check out the options for purchasing a new or used in good condition book before purchasing to find the best deals.
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I love the calming illustrations & short text on each 2-page spread. Every few pages there is a reminder to “Breathe”. This book would be perfect for a whole session devoted to various yoga breathing techniques or you could go with an arctic ocean-themed kids yoga class based on the opportunities in the illustrations (whale, fish, crab, puffin, jellyfish, sun, sea kelp (forward fold), sunken ship (boat), mountain, mindful listening to ocean sounds, polar bear, etc..). The book also has several great messages that could be used as mantras: Breathe. Explore. Make new friends. Fear not. Find another way up. Love and be loved. Dream big.
Yippee! You all know what a huge fan I am of Monica Wellington’s books so I was thrilled to get a copy of her new release “My Leaf Book”. Autumn is my favorite season. Cooler weather, apples, pumpkins & the gorgeous colors of the changing leaves. “Apple Farmer Annie”welcomes Leaf Girl in “My Leaf Book” as a fabulous new addition to my OMazing Kids collection of favorite fall books!
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Here are a few pics of interior pages to give you a feel for the book. I love that even the end sheets are illustrated & that kid-friendly leaf facts and ideas for leaf craft projects are included!
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Opportunities for kids yoga: tree, leaf, gate, upward facing dog, basket, bird, squirrel (toe-ga with brown pom poms), gyan mudra looking glasses, book, forward fold (to pick leaves off ground), standing star, blowing wind breath with small leaves, palming (for leaf rubbing), weeping willow (crescent moon), forest of trees group pose, heart mudra, heart affirmations, heart guided relaxation, etc.. Would be fun to add leaf rubbing, leaf stamping & other leaf-themed crafts. In addition to those listed in the book, there are lots of cool leaf craft ideas on this post!
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About the book: With her trademark bold, graphic style Monica Wellington has created a picture book about autumn, trees, and leaves. When the seasons change, a young girl visits the arboretum to collect fallen leaves and make a book with them. Brilliant illustrations show each variety of tree the girl encounters, from the common oak to the lesser known gingko. Spreads silhouetting leaves up-close help young children learn to identify them. Like the girl in the book, young readers will be eager to make their very own leaf books.
OMazing Kids LLC is an organization that promotes inclusive wellness activities for kids of all abilities. The blog and social media pages share information about books, DVD’s, CD’s, games and other products specifically designed for kids wellness, mindfulness and relaxation, product reviews & giveaways, lesson plan & activity ideas, research, kids wellness in the news and a connection corner with listings of individuals doing adapted yoga and those offering trainings.
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a.c.t. – Apps, Consulting & Training
Jackie Bryla founder of a.c.t. – Apps, Consulting and Training is a speech language pathology assistant (SLPA). Fabulous info about kids apps & great videos of her using them in therapy.
AAC Funding Help
Great general info about AAC funding under Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, private insurance, etc. Includes info about federal laws related to AAC & AT.
Educational App Talk Facebook Group
Great App Chat on Thursdays 8:00-9:00pm CST. Great info about apps & some promo codes. An extension of Teachers With Apps
Kreed's World
This is the story of how we were able to become part of Kreed’s World through his communication device. Kreed learns to communicate more and more each week and this is our attempt at documenting how Kreed found his voice and is finally being heard.
Linda J. Burkhart
She’s been doing Assistive Technology & AAC before the internet, cell phones or iPads were invented. She’s a guru of low-tech solutions, PODD & the original MacGyver in the special needs world!
On Sarah's iPad
Another great group for info about kids app deals.
On the Train With Sophie
I started this blog to chronicle our journey with Sophie who was diagnosed with autism in 2012. A “routine” MRI revealed Bilateral Perisylvian Polymicrogyria, a rare brain malformation. Our journey just took a detour. Sophie is still Thomas’ number
Our Ordinary Day
An ordinary mom sharing glimpses of her life, including transracial adoption, special-needs kids, and the typical stuff of life
Small Steps in Speech Grant
Their grant will fund an assistive technology device and/or iPad AAC app (does not fund iPads). Very specific criteria & application deadlines.
Speak For Yourself Users Group
Fabulous supportive FB group! Open to discussing anything related to AAC or special needs in addition to SFY.
Star in Her Eye
Star in Her Eye is a blog by author, Heather Kirn Lanier, about mothering a little girl with a rare genetic condition called Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. Great posts about presuming competence & AAC (uses SFY)
Technology for Special Education Needs
I love integrating technology with classroom instruction. It offers differentiation and accessibility to all students. I also enjoy the creativity it offers the classroom teacher.
Uncommon Sense
Blogging our way through special needs parenting with honesty and sarcasm. A lot of sarcasm.
United Healthcare Children's Foundation
Medical grant to be used for medical services & equipment not covered or not completely covered by commercial health benefit plans. Very specific criteria.
Variety Club – The Children's Charity
Variety aids children with physical challenges whose families cannot afford, nor obtain through insurance, necessary mobility equipment such as wheelchairs, walkers, strollers, specially-designed adaptive bikes, and other mobility devices.
Vlinder Communication Therapies
Vlinder is Dutch for ‘butterfly’. One family I worked with long ago thanked me with butterfly-themed items along with an analogy. This family felt that their loved one had been “trapped” in a cocoon by his inability to effectively communicate.
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