The Special Needs Child

Free Printable Coloring Mini Books for Children

2012-04-26T22:26:00.001-04:00

Educator Jonathon Holt says children learn best when they are actively involved. Anytime a child can interact with material, he understands it better. This is particularly true for special needs kids. Here are free printable mini booklets for children to color. Subject include letters, words, seasons, animals, science, Bible, holidays and lots more. These books make excellent classroom, homeschool and supplemental lessons for ages 4-7 years (grades preschool through second). These free printable activities are especially good for special needs children.
Free Printable Coloring Mini Books for Children

Beach Sand and Gardening Toys from Recycled Plastic Milk Jugs

2012-04-11T20:39:00.001-04:00

That ubiquitous plastic milk jug--what to do with them all? Instead of landfill fodder, why not recycle into sand toys for the beach and gardening tools? Make a set of eight tools. Perfect for Earth Day, on April 22. These lessons work for preschool, special needs education, elementary school, scout troop, 4H group, camp and day care. Perfect small hands and young gardeners. Reuse or recycle when play is finished. Here are easy, printable instructions Beach Toys, Sand Toys and Gardening Tools from Recycled Plastic Milk Jugs

Autism Insurance Reform Passes Michigan Legislature

2012-03-31T20:04:00.001-04:00

A package of three bills aimed at reforming Michigan health care insurance for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has passed the Michigan House of Representatives and is expected to move on to Gov. Rick Snyder for approval, says the Associated Press. A previous version of the bill failed in 2010, but autism coverage has stronger state support now. Here are details. Autism Insurance Reform Passes Michigan Legislature

Identifying Special Education and Mainstream Students

2012-03-12T23:30:00.002-04:00

Comparison is a dangerous word to use with students. It's not a good idea generally to compare kids' skills; it's doubly important to be cautious about measuring students with disabilities with the same stick that we use to measure general education students. It is the old "apples to oranges" scenario. What we can do is to examine all students and decide whether a disability exists and if so, how we can remediate. Read more at Comparing Special Education and Mainstream Students

Dr. Seuss's 'Oh the Places You'll Go' Should Be Required Reading - Yahoo! News

2012-03-02T21:53:00.001-05:00

On March 2, we celebrate the 108th birthday of Dr. Seuss, or Theodor Seuss Geisel. One of the best Seuss legacies is the National Education Association's "Read Across America." Another is his book "Oh the Places You'll Go." It should be required reading for everyone, from one to 112. This book is especially good for special needs and adult education students. Read more at Dr. Seuss's 'Oh the Places You'll Go' Should Be Required Reading - Yahoo! News

9-Year-Old Shoots Classmate--Wakeup Call for Parents, Educators

2012-02-27T15:19:00.000-05:00

A third-grader faces criminal charges for accidentally shooting 8-year-old Amina Kocer-Bowman, a fellow student at Armin Jahr Elementary School in Bremerton, Wash. His dad, Jason Cochran said the boy "made a mistake," reports AP. The court is trying to decide if the child understood what he was doing. Once again, two children's lives are disfigured by the foolish choices of adults. It's a wake-up call about parenting, kids and guns. It's about kids falling through the cracks in our educational system. It's about kids living in horrific danger and not knowing how to cope. Read more at School Shooting by 9-Year-Old: a Gun Control Wake-up Call

Lenten Rice Bowl Devotional and Lesson Planner

2012-02-22T22:45:00.001-05:00

Looking for a simple, yet effective way to teach special needs kids about Lent and charitable giving? Catholic Relief Services is the single largest non-governmental relief agency in the world. Each year at Lent CRS initiates what is called 'Operation Rice Bowl'. Operation Rice Bowl is a program which focuses our attention on the cardinal aims of the Lenten season: prayer, fasting and alms-giving. The Rice Bowl project consists of a cardboard box which when assembled, looks very much like the take out boxes that rice comes in. The Rice Bowl is a box which families set up in their homes during Lent to collect loose change and offerings for the poor and hungry of the world. Operation Rice bowl also includes a Lenten prayer calendar with devotional activities, feast days and stations of the cross. Each calendar day has a prayer focus. Specific information about world poverty statistics and needs from around the world are listed also. Great for social studies. Read more at Lenten Rice Bowl Devotional and Lesson Planner

Free Printable Valentine's Day Countdown Calendar

2012-02-09T22:48:00.001-05:00

Countdown calendars are becoming very popular to help children count down the days to special events and holidays. Here is a free printable countdown to Valentine's Day calendar. This cute cut and paste craft works well for preschool, elementary classrooms, homeschool and Girl Scout troop activities. It's perfect for special needs kids to learn telling time and calendar skills. Great for preschoolers, too.

This craft comes from those very creative folks at Family Fun. To begin making your free printable countdown to Valentine's Day calendar, print the Valentine candy box here. Cut out the candy box pattern. To make a reusable Valentine calendar, laminate the Valentine candy box using a home laminating kit or contact paper. You can make this countdown calender reusable by attaching it to a recycled piece of cardboard from a cereal box, also. Use it as a file folder game by taping it to the inside of a blank manila file folder. For printables, read on at Free Printable Valentine's Day Countdown Calendar

Free Printable Color Coding Phonics and Spelling Rules Chart

2012-01-24T22:43:00.004-05:00

Free Printable Color Coding Phonics and Spelling Rules Chart I'm a trained special education teacher. Every lesson I create focuses on hands-on, interactive instruction. Here is a free printable phonics and spelling chart I developed to teach all of the basic phonics sounds, syllable and spelling patterns, using a color 'code'. When teaching Montessori, I developed this color coding system to teach spelling and phonics. I've used color coding very successfully with adult education students also. Read on...

Best Books for Chinese New Year and Oriental Culture for Upper Elementary and Middle School Students

2012-01-16T21:35:00.000-05:00

Best Books for Chinese New Year, Oriental Culture for Upper Elementary and Middle School Students Chinese New Year celebrates the culture of the Orient. In 2012, CNY is celebrated on Jan. 23 and is the Year of the Dragon. What better way to explore oriental culture in your classroom than with literature? Here is a collection of children's books of oriental wisdom for parents, teachers and homeschoolers. Pearl S. Buck: a missionary to China and early winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, Miss Buck writes with compassion and verve about her beloved China. "The House of Earth"," The Mother","The Big Wave and Other Gods" are just a few of the many tales that Pearl S. Buck has written for English speaking people about the ways of the Orient. Miss Buck's stories are written in the simplicity of Chinese language. Buck's books are just a few of the stories listed in this article for children. There are poetry collections, historical fiction, coming-of-age, fantasy and more. I've focused on kids in grades 3-6, but these books would work great for any age special needs student as read-alouds or independent readers. Click here for list.

Free Printable Calendars, Checkbook Registers, Business Templates for Life Skills

2012-01-02T23:25:00.000-05:00

Free Printable Calendars, Planners, Checkbook Registers, Business Templates I write a great deal about free printable items and am known for being able to find just about any kind of printable imaginable. Consequently, I get requests for specific internet printables. Several months ago, I was asked by a reader if I could find free printable BB gun targets. This was the most challenging request I'd had and at the time, I wasn't able to find much for him. Generally free printables websites are limited to coloring pages, crafts or business forms. I've recently stumbled upon a free printable clearinghouse that covers just about every imaginable kind of free printable document, craft activity, or template you could ask for. For special needs kids, there are printable calendars, planners, checkbook registers and business forms. I recommend using these for math, life skills, practical life and personal organization. The calendars are particularly helpful for new year's planning. Read on...

Christmas Around the World: History, Lessons and Activities from Germany

2011-12-14T20:13:00.001-05:00

Global Holiday Hop: Germany Special needs kids love fantasy and mythological characters. For the holidays, there's no better place to dig up adventure and fantasy, than in Germany. Gods, goddesses, heroes and saints, they all people Germany's colorful holiday history. Here are lesson plans for winter holidays, German-style. Travel with me to the Black Forest, for a look at holiday celebrations in Deutschland. Germany was, for a good part of it's history, a mix of warring nomadic Saxon, Hunnic and Teutonic tribes, who worshiped the pantheon of gods from Valhalla. They celebrated a winter solstice or Saturnalia. From their gods we get the names of our week days: From mighty Thor with his thunderbolt we get Thursday. From his vengeful wife Freya we get Friday. From Woden (or Odin), brother of Thor, we get Wednesday. The druids, an ancient race of animists or worshipers of nature, left their mark as well. Their most important deity was embodied in the oak as it grew so large and seemed so powerful. For the rest of the story, plus German holiday crafts and activities, click here...

Free Printable Christmas Holiday Decorations

2011-11-30T14:27:00.001-05:00

Free Printable Christmas Holiday Decorations Finding yourself cash-strapped this holiday season? No extra funds for decorations? If you like filling your home with Christmas cheer but can't afford to, you need free printable Christmas decorations and crafts. Print from your computer for inexpensive holiday decor. These make great children's craft projects, too. Want to get double the fun from these crafts? Print in black and white and color them yourself. Read more...

What Parents Should Know About Flu Vaccines for Children

2011-11-15T10:33:00.001-05:00

What Parents Should Know About Flu Vaccines for Children The flu affects 90 million children younger than 5 annually. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends everyone get flu vaccines. One thing to note is that vaccines are not mandatory. Schools and health organizations can advise parents to have children vaccinated, but they cannot force it. If you wish to avoid vaccines, here are free printable waiver forms. You'll need to provide these for your child's daycare and school. Here is some information about children and flu shots, also. Read on...

Free Printable Veteran's Day Lesson Plans: War History Activities

2011-11-08T14:04:00.001-05:00

Free Printable Veteran's Day Lesson Plans: War History Activities Veteran's Day, or Armistice Day, is celebrated on November 11, the end of World War One on November 11, 1918. Veteran's Day honors those who served in the military. Here are free printable lesson plans on war history, WWI, WW II, Vietnam, Korea and American military. Help special needs kids explore this most important observance. Read more...

Free Printable Coloring Mini Books for Preschool, Early El, ECSE

2011-10-20T11:16:00.001-04:00

Free Printable Coloring Mini Books for Children Educator Jonathon Holt says children learn best when they are actively involved. Here are free printable mini booklets for children to color. Subject include letters, words, seasons, animals, science, Bible, holidays and lots more. These books make excellent classroom, homeschoool and supplemental lessons for ages 4-7 years (grades preschool through second). These free printable activities are especially good for ECSE and special needs children. Read more...

Gene Research Provides Diabetes Treatment Options

2011-10-12T16:41:00.001-04:00

Gene Research Provides Diabetes Treatment Options Researchers have discovered a new Type 1 diabetes gene. Australian scientists also found an LD1 master gene for Type 2 diabetes. New connections have been made between asthma and diabetes. Both conditions are also linked to weight problems, poor nutrition and sedentary lifestyles. Asthma and diabetes are the most common chronic childhood illnesses. Diabetes is commonly attributed to sedentary lifestyle. Diabetes is on the rise, as are asthma and obesity. Many special needs children, especially POHI (Physical or Otherwise Health Impaired) struggle with obesity, diabetes and asthma. Read more...

Free Fire Safety, Environment, Emergency Preparedness Lesson Plans

2011-09-21T21:29:00.002-04:00

Lesson Plans About Wildfires, Fire Prevention and Environmental Science One thing special needs children struggle with is decision-making. Lessons on safety and emergency preparedness are vital in special education curriculum. Here are free lesson plans to teach students about wildfires, fire prevention and environmental science from Sparky, Smokey and more. These are just in time for Fire Prevention Week, October 9-15, 2011. Read more...

Free Printable Insect Coloring Pages and Activities

2011-09-06T15:20:00.002-04:00

Free Printable Insect Coloring Pages Insects, bugs and spiders make the perfect unit for school or homeschool in autumn. Many special needs kids love bugs, but some are afraid of them. These lesson plans can help children understand insects and learn how to explore them safely. Caterpillars, butterflies and cocoons are a perfect topic to explore in fall. Insects are a fascinating subject for life science and biology classes. For your lessons on insects or just for coloring page fun, here are 150 free printable insect and spider coloring pages. Read more...

Free Printable Labor Day Coloring Pages and Lesson Plans

2011-09-03T13:49:00.001-04:00

Free Printable Labor Day Coloring Pages and Lesson Plans Labor Day was developed by labor unions as a day to recognize the achievements and contributions of organized labor as well as the efforts of every working person in the United States. As with most holidays and celebration, Labor Day has come to be known as the last party day before school starts. And every holiday must have it's fun and games, right? Here are several websites which offer free printable coloring pages, games, puzzles and party decorations. For those who want to explore the more educational aspect of Labor Day, I listed some links and websites with free printable lesson plans and activities as well. Read more...

Sleep Problems and Night Terrors in Children? Nix Television Before Bed

2011-07-21T18:11:00.001-04:00

Sleep Problems and Night Terrors in Children? Nix Television Before Bed Sleeping problems are one of the most parenting woes. Developmental issues make bedtime difficult for many children. Pediatrics released a study recently linking sleep problems and night frights in children to violent TV shows and bedtime television viewing. Read more...

Resources for Parents of Autistic Children

2011-04-04T20:49:00.001-04:00

Resources for Parents of Autistic Children - Yahoo! News: "April is National Autism Awareness Month. It's estimated that 1 out of every 110 people has Autism-Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Since the 1970s, advocates have been educating the public about autism. Here are resources for parents of autistic children."

Does Dragon NaturallySpeaking Speech Recognition Software Make People Lazy?

2011-04-03T16:20:00.001-04:00

Does Dragon NaturallySpeaking Speech Recognition Software Make People Lazy? Speech recognition software programs converts spoken language to type. One of the most popular and affordable brands of voice-activated software is Dragon NaturallySpeaking by Nuance. Dragon NS Home Edition is available for around $50. Does speech recognition software make people lazy? That's the question some educators and parents are asking themselves."

Resources for Parents and Teachers about Facebook Depression

2011-04-02T15:29:00.000-04:00

When Pediatrics identifies a health issue it's noteworthy. March's "The Impact of Social Media on Children, Adolescents and Families" explores emotional health concerns with texting, sexting and Twitter. "Facebook Depression" is the colloquial term. Read on...

Free Printable Disney Education Activities: Spelling, Math, Reading - Associated Content from Yahoo! - associatedcontent.com

2011-03-22T23:27:00.001-04:00

Free Printable Disney Education Activities: Spelling, Math, Reading
Free printable Disney cartoon educational lesson plans; what better way to teach math, counting, reading, spelling and writing than with Disney friends. Great for homeschool, preschool, early childhoods and special needs learners.