Communication skills can be expanded through play.

For children with language delays, look for toys that offer repetition. Books that have repetitive phrases or toys that continually repeat concepts and directions are great choices. Electronic toys feature lots of lights, sounds, and music and encourage cause and effect. It's always a good idea to take advantage of "Try Me" packaging to test quality and sound levels. Determine the best position for the child to be in to maximize the play and educational value of the toy or game. Toys can be played with in many ways, either seated at a table, wheelchair, or someone's lap, sitting or lying on the floor, or by using a particular piece of specialized equipment.

Before shopping for a toy, be sure to collect the following information: exact age, personality type, a list of interests and skills, any special challenges that can affect a child's physical limitations and play experience, and current interests.

Suggested types of toys by age:
Infants: Birth through 1 year: Toys should expose a baby to a variety of experiences: sight, sound, touch (shape, size, texture), and taste (because many times, toys go into the mouth). Bright colors, lightweight toys such as rattles, and squishy toys encourage early grasping, holding, and exploring. Once a child is able to sit up, introduce blocks, nesting cups, stacking rings, and toys that require reaching. For crawlers and early walkers, choose large balls and push-pull toys.

Toddlers: 1-3 years Physical play should be an important focus. For outdoor play, choose ride-ons, wagons, balls, and sandbox accessories. For indoor play, choose chunky blocks. Large-piece puzzles and toys that allow a child to use excess energy and develop emerging muscle control are also good. At this stage, children like to imitate parents with play food, kitchen sets, housekeeping tools, ride-on cars, sport ssets, baby strollers, and musical instruments.

Preschool: 3-5 years Children in this group are fascinated with how and why things work. Construction sets, washable crayons and markers, paints, modeling clay, books, and simple board games encourage creativity. Introduce toys that inspire pretend play and allow children to imitate mom or dad to practice life skills. Examples include cash registers, toy telephones, make-believe town sets, doll houses, and furniture.

School Age: 5-9 years Encourage children to share and introduce toys that teach both team playing and independence. Consider toys that boost self esteem and allow children to use their personality and skills. Choose hobby sets, sports toys, computer software, problem-solving math toys, construction sets with detailed elements, and storybooks with valuable messages. Games and electronic toys are available to help children learn specific skills including counting, matching, and problem solving.

Preteen: School Age 9-12 years Acceptance from friends and self-esteem are very important to this age group. Toys also begin to seem less interesting to children of this age. Complex construction toys, board games, strategic puzzles, science toys, and activity kits are the best choices. Active and physical play should be an area of focus through team and group sports. Social and intellectual skills are refined through board, electronic, and card games.

Always supervise your child's play and play with your child often! Those memories will last a lifetime.

TEN TIPS TO SMART TOYS

Guidelines for Parents, Grandparents or Anyone with Children on Their Shopping Lists :


Adults are encouraged to view toys as learning tools with different types of toys as builders of various life skills including creativity, self-esteem and cooperation. Another bonus: a toy that is fun as well as educational will engage kids for more than one holiday season. The following are general guidelines to keep in mind when choosing toys for the child, or children, on your holiday list:

Allow children to identify their own strengths with self-discovery toys. Toys kids play with by themselves, such as dolls, science activity kits and magic sets, help teach them important lessons about responsibility, values and respect for others.

Increase confidence and build pride while children are young with self-esteem toys like art projects, model-building and construction toys.

Support open-ended play that allows free expression and lets kids use their imaginations. Bring out the creativity in kids with theater/puppet shows, cooking sets and pretend play projects such as tea parties.

Help children learn how to think independently with toys that promote concentration, competition and deductive reasoning. Thinking and logic toys include detective puzzles, ant farms, construction sets and memory games.

Build social skills and family togetherness with family interaction toys. Recommended games include dress up, board games, sports activities and battery-controlled car and boat races.

Encourage cooperation with friends and peers with relationship toys. Team communication skills are improved with sports, contests of skills, and toys such as medical and chemistry kits.

Let kids run, crawl, climb, throw and kick with toys like climbing structures and ride-on toys that use large muscle groups. Gross motor activities help kids develop balance and exercise gross motor skills.

Improve hand-eye coordination with fine motor activities that require hand movements such as grasping and pinching. Smart choices include stacking games, puzzles, writing and coloring books/activities.

Strengthen language skills and stimulate listening, speaking and imitation sounds with speech and hearing toys. Musical toys, play telephones, phonics-based sets and voice-command games are suggested.

Teach kids, especially infants and toddlers, about their environment through textures, tastes, smells and sight with sensory activities. Clay, activity quilts, blocks and shape games are all good choices.

The Educational Play Experience

Whether its playtime, spelling time or math time, toys can be tools for students to have a productive learning day. In an educational environment, toys can be an option to a textbook, chalkboard or smart board.

Developing skills is the whole idea behind an educational play experience. Look for toys that promote one or more of these skills:

Imagination: Forming mental images in your own mind without use of the 5 senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste or smell.

Motor Skills: Gross motor development is the overall muscle movement of large muscle groups in the body. Toys that encourage lifting your head, rolling over, sitting up, balancing, crawling, and walking are all examples of toys the promote gross motor movement. Fine motor development refers to the development of skills involving the smaller musclc group that include the ability to hold small objects and transfer objects from hand to hand. Look for toys that encourage use of the pincer grasp (thumb and forefinger) to pick up small objects, cutting, coloring, writing, zippering, tying or threading beads.

Self-esteem: How you perceive your own self worth. Behavior may reflect self-esteem (assertiveness/shyness, confidence) and toys that help a child with self-discovery can enhance self esteem. Board games that challenge the mind, art projects and anything creative are the best examples of toys that can help develop positive self esteem.

Speech: The vocalization form of communication. Toys that encourage talking, repeating, speaking, annunciation, phonics and singing are all enhancing the development of speech.

Letting your mind play is the best way to solve problems.

Bill Watterson

The beginning of knowledge is the discovery of something we do not understand.

Frank Herbert

The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery.

There is always more mystery.

- Anais Nin

kydzilicious!

Knowing is not enough; we must apply!

- Goethe

The whole world opened to me when I learned to read.

-- Mary McLeod Bethune

It is, in fact, nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry.

- Albert Einstein

Learning is not a spectator sport.

-- Anonymous

There is a brilliant child locked inside every student.

-- Marva Collins

kydzilicious!

Education is not the filling of a bucket,

but the lighting of a fire.

-- W. B. Yeats

That is what learning is.

You suddenly understand something you've understood all your life,

but in a new way.

-- Doris Lessing

I can’t think of any issue that is more important than working to see that no schoolchild in this world goes hungry.-- Drew Barrymore

ALL LOVE is sweet, Given or returned. ~Percy Bysshe Shelley

kydzilicious!!!

Ca.1898 photograph by T. ENAMI of Yokohama. ODEN....Yummy ! What you are looking at here is the Japanese equivalent of a Hot Dog Stand along the boardwalk of Atlantic City or Coney Island. If native Japanese looked at this picture while hungry, they would probably start to drool.

The Potty Training Readiness Quiz

By Elizabeth Pantley, Author of The No-Cry Potty Training Solution

Potty training is easier and happens faster if your child is truly ready in all three areas: physical, cognitive and social. But the big question is: how do you know when your child is ready? If you have never traveled this road before, you likely don’t even know what signs to look for. Take this quiz to find out where your child is on the readiness spectrum.Read more: "The Potty Training Readiness Quiz" -

1. I can tell by watching that my child is wetting or filling his diaper:

a. Never.

b. Sometimes.

c. Usually.

2. My toddler's diaper needs to be changed:

a. Frequently, every hour or two.

b. It varies.

c. Every two to three hours--sometimes less frequently.

3. My child understands the meaning of wet, dry, clean, wash, sit, and go:

a. No.

b. Some of them.

c. Yes.

4. When my child communicates her needs, she:

a. Says or signs a few basic words and I guess the rest.

b. Gets her essential points across to me.

c. Has a good vocabulary and talks to me in sentences.

5. If I give my child a simple direction, such as, "put this in the toy box," she:

a. Doesn't understand or doesn't follow directions.

b. Will do it if I coach or help her.

c. Understands me and does it.

6. My child can take his pants off and put them on:

a. No.

b. With help he can.

c. Yes.

7. When I read a book to my child, he:

a. He ignores me.

b. Sometimes listens, sometimes wanders off.

c. Sits, listens and enjoys the story.

8. My toddler wants to do things “all by myself”:

a. Never.

b. Sometimes.

c. All the time!

9. I think that it's the right time to begin potty training:

a. No.

b. I'm undecided.

c. Yes.

Total the number of responses for each letter:

a. __________

b. __________

c. __________

Most answers are a: Wait.

Your little one doesn't seem to be ready just yet. Test again in a month or two.

Most answers are b: Time for pre-potty training--get ready!

Your child is not quite ready for active training, but you can take many steps to prepare your toddler for the future. Gradual introduction of terms and ideas will make potty training easier when the time comes.

Most answers are c: Your toddler is ready to use the potty!

It's time to start your potty training adventure. Good luck, and have fun!

Are you between two scores?Just like any parenting situation, there are choices to make. If your child is hovering between two categories, it's time to put your intuition to good use. Your knowledge of your own child can direct you toward the right plan of action.

This article is an excerpt from The No-Cry Potty Training Solution: Gentle Ways to Help Your Child Say Good-Bye to Diapers by Elizabeth Pantley. (McGraw-Hill, 2006)

Have we forgotten about the children, and thus forsaken the next generation?

-- Audrey Hepburn

When your child creates using the Froebel Gifts, they are actually learning. Here are some tips on using the Froebel Gifts to help your child learn.

Gift 5

What is erikson's human development theory?

Whether you are a parent, teacher, or interested student, Eric Erikson's Theory of Human Development offers some valuable insights into the way we mature and develop.

Erik Erikson (1902-1994) is best known for his work in Human Development, in particular his Eight Stages of Psychosocial Development, influenced, in part, by Freud, and by Erikson’s observations of the Ogala Sioux. For Erikson, psychosocial development involves certain crises which the individual must face at each stage.

The first stage of development, termed oral-sensory (birth -18 mos.), we, as infants, are totally dependent upon our caregiver. If our infant needs are met with love and reliability, we develop a sense of trust, or security in our caregivers and our environment. If, however, we are treated with indifference, unpredictability, or abuse, we become fearful and anxious, even withdrawn. We develop mistrust and insecurity, and a feeling of nascent hopelessness.

In the second stage, muscular-anal (18 mos.-3 yrs.), we, as toddlers, begin to have some control of our physical self and environment. We learn to walk, to hold and manipulate objects. This is the stage where we gain sphincter control and begin potty training. If our caregivers are overly critical or impatient, or if they demean our efforts, we develop feelings of shame and doubt. If, however, our caregivers are supportive and encouraging, we develop a sense of autonomy and self-esteem.

The third stage is the locomotor period (3 yrs. to 6 yrs.). Here the challenge is for us to learn some independence, to take initiative in play or discovery. During this stage, our caregivers must be encouraging, but also firm in directing us toward appropriate behavior. If, on the other hand, our caregivers are harsh and punishing, we develop guilt.

The latency or fourth stage occurs during pre-adolescence (7-12 yrs.). During these school years, we develop a sense of industry and purpose. We learn responsibility and the importance of completing tasks. If we are made to feel successful and competent, we feel self-worth. If, however, we are overly criticized or ridiculed by parents, teachers, or peers, we develop a sense of inferiority, worthlessness, and incompetence. This sometimes leads to a state of inertia, as we feel too insecure to act.

By stage five, we graduate to adolescence (12-18 yrs.) Provided that we are living in a society with an established functional culture, and that we have adequate role models and peer relationships within that culture, we will acquire ego identity. We will have a clear, strong, constructive perception of who we are, both as an individual and as a member of our society. Role confusion can result if we are unsure of our place within the social fabric and insecure about our self-identity. Adolescents who experience role confusion often align themselves with groups that can provide the traits and values they cannot find in the proper venue. Often these groups are fringe groups, highly dogmatic, and intolerant of individuality. Gangs are an example of such.

In early adulthood (ages 18-35), stage six, we face the conflict of intimacy, as opposed to isolation. Here we must forge close, intimate relationships while maintaining a clear, strong sense of self. The relationships created at this stage need to be the combination of two separate selves desiring completion not through each other, but with each other. Intimacy is the result, through marriage, family, or friends. Caring, trust, and mutual respect form the foundations of love. When intimacy is either not successively accomplished, whether by constant promiscuity or by self-exclusion, we become isolated and lonely.

The seventh stage, middle adulthood (35 to 65), involves work, the community, and family. If we have a sense of contributing meaningful work within the context of the community, and as a sustaining and centralizing force in the family, we discover generativity, a selfless investment in the future through contribution. If we are self-absorbed and not productively involved in meaningful work at home or in the community, we become stagnant; we are not adding to the welfare of future society.

The last and eight stage of development involves late adulthood, old age. As we mature and head into retirement, we face the fact that we are physically aging, that mortality is no longer an abstract thought at the back of our minds, but a prospect we all must accept. We retire from our work, our children leave, and we find ourselves confronting our past, our victories and our mistakes. If we can accept death without fear and look back upon our lives with shared wisdom, we achieve ego integrity. If we cannot, we experience despair, and we face death with bitterness and anger. We have nothing wise to impart to the younger generation, only resentment and fear.

Taken holistically, the manner in which we resolve these inherent conflicts affects how we experience life.

Enid Blyton (Enid Mary Blyton)

( 1897 - 1968 )

aka Mary Pollock

Enid Mary Blyton was born on 11 August 1897 at 354 Lordship Lane, East Dulwich, London. She was the first child of Theresa Mary Harrison (1874-1950) and Thomas Carey Blyton (1870-1920), a salesman of cutlery, later when the family had moved to the nearby suburb of Beckenham, they had two sons more, Hanly (b. 1899), and Carey (b. 1902). She adored her father during her childhood years, but when she was 13, her father left home, and she only saw him for one day every month. Her father's departure had a huge effect on her, impeding her growth and making her ill. From 1907 to 1915, Enid Mary was educated at St. Christopher's School in Beckenham. She was a talented pianist, but gave up her musical studies when she trained as a teacher at Ipswich High School. She taught for five years at Bickley, Surbiton and Chessington, writing in her spare time.

Enid Mary's first book, "Child Whispers", a collection of poems, was published in 1922, when met the handsome Major Hugh Alexander Pollock (1888-1971), who was marked by the divorce from his first wife, Denis Thatcher, to whom he lost to another man, while he was in the First World War. She wrote in her diary soon after meeting him: "I want him for mine." On 28 August 1924, Enid Mary became the second wife of Hugh Pollock, editor of the book department in the publishing firm of George Newnes, which published two of her books that year. The couple moved to Buckinghamshire and eventually they moved to a house in Beaconsfield, know as Green Hedges. At the beginning of the 1930s, she had an experience of a spiritual crisis, but she decided against converting to Roman Catholicism from the Church of England because she had felt it was "too restricting". The Pollocks had two children: Gillian (1931-2007) and Imogen Mary (b. 1935), who were baptised into the Anglican faith. Shortly after the birth of their daughters, she started writing her first children's series of books based on recurring characters and designed for different age groups. Described as a "one-woman fiction machine", she was the author of a host of legendary characters, including "The Famous Five", "The Secret Seven" and, most famously, "Noddy", "Big Ears" and the other inhabitants of Toyland. She used to sign her books with her maiden name, "Enid Blydon", and her married name, "Mary Pollock".

While her career was a success and she enjoyed with her maternity, the relationship with her husband was in difficulties by his suspicions of her infidelity, and when the Second World War began, the Pollocks' marriage was irretrievably broken. In that time Hugh Pollock met the writer Ida Crowe, his future third wife, and in 1941, Enid Mary also met her future second husband, Kenneth Fraser Darrell Waters (1892-1967), a London surgeon. Finally, Hugh asked for a divorce and Enid Mary acepted, he agreed to be identified as the "guilty" party in the divorce in return for an amicable separation and access to their daughters, who were 12 and 8. The divorce being granted in October 1943, Enid Mary married on 20 October 1943 at the City of Westminster register office, and Hugh also married a few days later (Hugh and Ida Pollock, had a daughter Rosemary Pollock, also a writer). But after the divorce and new marriages, Enid Mary decided that the best thing for her daughters, was not to have contact with his father, whom they had not seen much during the war. She even changed her daughter's surname to Darrell Waters. The relationship with her ex-husband became increasingly tense, and she forbade her editors and friends to work with her ex-husband, who declared bankrupt in 1950, blaming his ex-wife of his financial situation.

Enid Mary moved smoothly into her role as a devoted doctor's wife, living with him and her two daughters at the famous Green Hedges. Her literary output was of an estimated 700 books over roughly 40 years. She was very happy in her second marriage, and when her second husband died in 1967, she became increasingly ill. Afflicted by Alzheimer's disease, she was moved into the Greenways Nursing Home, 11 Fellows Road, Hampstead, London, where on 28 November 1968 she died, aged 71, and was cremated at the Golders Green Crematorium where her ashes remain.