Free Flash Card Maker  Make math and vocabulary practice as easy as 1,2,3 -- create your own math and vocabulary flash cards with this easy tool! http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/game/tools/flash-card-maker?cid=PNL/e/20130509///Elementary/flashcardmakertool///RET/1478541/&ym_MID=1478541&ym_rid=10748929

Spelling Wizard       Try these 2 fun ways to help your kids memorize spelling words. They really help kids study! http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/game/reading-activities/spelling-wizard

Friendly Greetings From Around the World

Teach your child ways to say "Hello" from every corner of the globe. http://www.scholastic.com/parents/resources/article/writing-activities/friendly-greetings-around-world

Check out these fun practice sheets:

        

Reading Printables      Writing Printables    Math Printables                           

Science Printables       More Printables

       
       Five finger rule 

How do you know if a book is too hard for your child?


This video involves showing children how to pick out the "Just 
Right Book" for him/her. This video model uses the "Five 
Finger Rule". Allowing the book to be just right. Not to hard 
nor easy and still offers new words for growth.


Link below to video:
http://www.greatschools.org/Reading/4339-Finding-right-books-for-child-video.gs 

Children whose parents frequently read with them in their first year of school are still showing the benefit when they are 15, says an international study.  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15639642

       
    

7 Tips for Improving Reading Fluency

Helping Students with Dyslexia and Language Disabilities Become Better Readers

  1) Model Good Reading                                                                       

  2) Choral Reading: Reading as a Group

  3) Record Before and After Readings

  4) Repeated Readings

  5) Follow Along in the Text

  6) Word Recognition (very helpful) 

  7) Create a Set Reading Tim

  

  Link to this article

  http://specialed.about.com/od/readingliteracy/a/7tipsforreadingfluency.htm

 

More Reading Fluency Resources

• Assessing Reading Fluency
• Score 4 Reading - A Program to Build Reading Fluency
• Reading 101 - Basics of Reading

Related Articles

• Dyslexia - Shared Reading to Improve Reading Fluency and Build Word Recognition.
• Repeated Reading - Fluency and Comprehension Strategy
• Reading Comprehension - Tips for Teaching to Students with Dyslexia
• Fluency Tutor
• What is Reading Fluency - Why Reading Fluency is Important
• A Balanced Literacy Approach to Reading Comprehension
• Teaching Reading Comprehensin to Children with Dyslexia
• Improving Reading Comprehension in Students with Dyslexia
• Repeated Reading - Fluency and Comprehension Strategy
• Dyslexia - Shared Reading to Improve Reading Fluency and Build Word Recogni...
• Improving Reading Comprehension in Students With ADHD
• Reading Comprehension for Students with Dyslexia

     

Social Skills 101: 

These are a few articles I came across while searching new ideas.

Social skills and academic achievement.

What does the research have to say about social skills interventions and programs for children with disabilities? This Evidence for Education reviews the findings of research and includes examples of social skills interventions that can be applied in both classroom and home settings.

http://nichcy.org/research/ee/social-skills

Learning difficulties and social skills: What's the connection?
This article explores the meaning of social competence and how learning difficulties can affect a student's ability to read social cues and respond in ways that promote relationship building. Tips for parents on how to build their child's social skills are included.
http://tinyurl.com/afudzmv

Your child's social and emotional skills.
The National Center for Learning Disabilities offers this rich suite of resources on social skills and young people with learning disabilities.
http://www.ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/social-emotional-skills

Social skills toolbox.
From Do2Learn, this robust toolkit focuses on improving social skills and behavior, and includes lots of graphic organizers and tools.
http://www.do2learn.com/organizationtools/SocialSkillsToolbox/index.htm

Teaching social skills to those who don't have them (yet).
Lots of useful insights and practical guidance in this article.
http://www.behavioradvisor.com/SocialSkills.html

PBIS World

This website is rich with resources on positive behavioral interventions and supports, with over 200 pages of content and lots of links to worthwhile articles and tools for addressing a wide range of student behavior issues. When you enter the site (via the link below), you'll see the many areas you can explore. "Lack of Social Skills" is one of them. But look at all the others!

http://www.pbisworld.com/

Michelle Garcia has the patent on Social Thinking. Kelly Bleckley's article "20+ Tips and Strategies for Volunteer and Group Leaders: Supporting Individuals with Social Learning Challenges in Your Group" offers practical advice and hands-on strategies any adult can use to make group activities go more smoothly. Kelly Bleckley is a speech-language pathologist who worked at the Social Thinking clinic in San Jose and is currently working in the private and public school setting in Marin County, CA. She is a volunteer in a youth program and is actively working with local organizations to help integrate and support students with social learning challenges. Read the full 10-page mini-guide article on SocialThinking.com and feel free to share it with group leaders in your community!

 Autism Speaks Canada

  All information below is to inform individuals about the resources available on 

    the Autism Speaks Canada Website. Please visit the website for comprehensive

    details.

    

     What is Autism?

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors...  Read on at link below.

 http://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/what-is-autism/

     Developmental Milestones

Milestones enable parents and physicians to monitor a baby's learning, behaviour, and development. While each child develops differently, some differences may indicate a slight delay and others may be a cause for greater concern. The following milestones provide important guidelines for tracking healthy development from four months to five years of age...  Read on at link below.

http://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/early-warning-signs/developmental-milestones/

     Learn About the Symptoms

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors. However, symptoms and their severity vary widely across these three core areas.    Read on at link below. http://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/what-is-autism/learn-about-the-symptoms/

     Associated Medical Conditions

http://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/what-is-autism/associated-medical-conditions/

   Facts and Stats

Did you know? ... 

    

• Autism now affects 1 in 88 children and 1 in 54 boys (March 2012 statistic)

• The 2012 numbers reflect a 78% increase in reported prevalence in the last 6 years

• Autism prevalence figures are growing

• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism

• There is no medical detection or cure for autism

  http://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/facts-and-stats/

     

     Early Warning Signs

Research now suggests that children as young as one year old can show some early warning signs of autism. The most important thing you can do as a parent or caregiver is to learn the early signs of autism and understand the typical developmental milestones your child should be reaching at different ages. If you have any concerns about your child's development, don't wait. Speak to your doctor about screening your child for autism. While validated screening for autism starts typically only as young as 16 months ...  Read on at link below.

http://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/early-warning-signs/

     How is Autism Diagnosed

The Modified Checklist of Autism in Toddlers (M-CHAT) is a list of informative questions about your child. The answers can indicate whether he or she should be further evaluated by a specialist such as a developmental pediatrician, neurologist, psychiatrist or psychologist. Read on at link below

http://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/how-is-autism-diagnosed/

    Accessing Services

Government Funded Programs and Services vary by province or territory. Find out what is available in your area at the link below.

http://www.autismspeaks.ca/about-autism/accessing-services/

    Autism Speaks Canada blog

http://www.autismspeaks.ca/news/blog1/

Storynory: Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol Audio Files

           

To play click on the link below:

http://storynory.com/category/classic-authors-for-children/dickens/

Charles Dickens’ tale of the miserable old miser, Scrooge, is turned into a 3 part audio Christmas story. You can download or listen online.

    Star Wars Snowflakes

To play click on the link below:

http://anthonyherreradesigns.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60:star-wars-snowflakes-2012&catid=34

Star Wars Snowflakes are just the thing to plan this week as you gear up for the holidays! Download the PDF documents, print them out and cut along the lines. They are very intricate and may require a sharp hobby scissors, so these might not be for the wee ones but will engage even the coolest teen.

        The Rain Deer Orchestra

           

   To play click on the link below:

    

  http://dingo.care2.com/cards/new/0422/Do-a-rain-deer.swf

Compose your own music by squashing the reindeer noses. Compose your own tune or let the computer guide you by clicking on the song you wish to play.

In The News:   "Cyber Bullying"

The issue of bullying has been thrust back into the spotlight by Port Coquitlam, B.C., teen Amanda Todd who took her own life Wednesday, weeks after posting a YouTube video... Read more of this article with the link below.....

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/12/bullying-prevention-funding.html

What can parents do to stop Cyber Bullying?

• Ask open-ended questions; let children tell you about the harassment.
• Watch for a loss of excitement in technological gadgets.
• Advise kids to choose their online buddies wisely.
• Read more tips here.

           
          Bullyproof: Teens share bullying stories in video booth

            BullyingCanada website
            Kids Help Phone

             Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention

Youth Speak Up

 

 

 

 

  

 

Bullyproof project sparks emotional confessions

                   

 

http://www.cbc.ca/connect/bullyproof.html

 

Combating Bullying  

It seems we can never learn too much to help our children to be aware of and learn about bullying. However when your child has autism or any learning exceptionality it can be even more challenging.

Autism Speaks is always a reliable resource and again is providing some great information regarding bullying.  

Read about: Top Ten Facts Parents, Educators and Students Need to Know

     Taking Action

      "Bully" a powerful documentary (see the trailer)

       Bullying and Autism Resources

Read "Combating Bullying" article here:

http://www.autismspeaks.org/family-services/bullying?utm_source=social-media&utm_medium=text-link&utm_campaign=espeaks


     
            


Other Websites

Bullying and Autism: Helping Kids Cope with Getting Excluded
www.education.com
Face Bullying with Confidence – 8 Skills Kids Can Use Right Away
www.kidpower.org
Teach Antibullying, Inc.
www.teachantibullying.com
The National Autistic Society: Bullying and Autism Spectrum Disorders – A Guide for School Staff
www.autism.org.uk
Amaze Information Fact Sheet: Bullying and Autism Spectrum Disorders
www.amaze.org.au
StopBullying.gov
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Interactive Autism Network: Bullying and ASD
www.iancommunity.org
Autism NOW: Bullying and Autism Spectrum Disorders
autismnow.org

The Incredible 5 Point Scale

The Incredible 5 Point Scale was developed to share information about the use of the 5-point scale and other systems to teach social and emotional concepts to individuals on the autism spectrum. 

Kari Dunn Buron is the co-author of The Incredible 5-Point Scale, and the author of When My Worries Get Too Big, A 5 Could Make Me Lose Control and A 5 is Against the Law! (2008 ASA literary award winner). Kari is the co-editor of a textbook for educators titled Learners on the Autism Spectrum: Preparing Highly Qualified Educators (2009 ASA literary award winner) and is the creator of an original social skills magazine designed for students with Asperger Syndrome called The Social Times (2010 Gold Winner, National Patenting Publications Award and Gold Medal Winner - Moonbeam Children's Book Awards).

Home Page: www.5pointscale.com

Other Projects: http://www.5pointscale.com/other_projects.htm

See this PDF at:
http://seasdnetwork.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/incredible-5-point-scale-asd-conference.pdf

The 5 Point Scale APP is available FREE from iTunes:   
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/autism-5-point-scale-ep/id467303313?mt=8 

1. 

          

New Free Resources: Halloween Social Skill Stories, Songs, Videos, Activities, and More!

New Free Resources: Halloween Social Skill Stories, Songs, Videos, Activities, and More!

View Positively Autism's page of Halloween tips, resources, and activities, here: http://www.positivelyautism.com/free/unit_halloween.html

Halloween Social Skill Stories

Here's a social skill story from Positively Autism about handing out candy to children from home on Halloween. http://www.positivelyautism.com/downloads/socialstory_trickortreat.pdf

Valerie Herskowitz has written a story about Trick-orTreating. http://www.valerieherskowitz.com/downloads/TT.ppt

Halloween Activities from TinSnips Special Education website: http://www.tinsnips.org/Pages/halloween.html

       2Learn.ca has a new website for
         Parents of Early Learners?

Early Learning in a Digital World is to support parents of early learners aged 2 to 8 years in understanding the effective and appropriate use of technology, including safely navigating through the online landscape with their children.



http://www.schoolwires.com/cms/lib3/SW00000001/Centricity/Domain/36/Blended%20Learning%20Whitepaper-r3.pdf


Find out how Schoolwires® technologies support a blended learning environment.
Visit us at http://www.schoolwires.com/domain/32


Defining the Emerging Role of Social Learning Tools to Connect Students, Parents & Educators June 2012
http://www.schoolwires.com/cms/lib3/SW00000001/Centricity/Domain/36/schoolwires_
ProjectTomorrow_WhitePaper.pdf

Digital Learning Now!
http://digitallearningnow.com/

District Administration: Building a Blended Learning Program
http://www.districtadministration.com/article/building-blended-learning-program

INNOSIGHT INSTITUTE: Classifying K-12 Blended Learning
http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Classifying-K-12-blendedlearning2.pdf

INNOSIGHT INSTITUTE: Rise of Blended Learning:
http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/The-Rise-of-K-12-Blended-
Learning.pdf

International Association for K-12 Online Learning
http://www.inacol.org/

Project Tomorrow
http://www.tomorrow.org/

U.S. Distance Learning Association
http://www.usdla.org/

November Learning:
http://novemberlearning.com/

Reading Strategies

Get inspired to read every day with your kids using these expert strategies and book recommendations. Creative Ways to Get Your Child Reading

           Read the top 10 non-book ways to inspire your child to read.    

eReading & Learning Many of the same technology options that preschoolers love are just as appropriate for children up to third grade.

                   

Learning Activities
	These fun how-to’s will help your kids strengthen important skills.
			Easy as ABC Celebrate Dictionary Day with your child on 10/16 with these activities focusing on alphabetizing.
			Read, Write, Robot Motivate your child to write using this robot-inspired printable activity sheet.
			Family Reading Time Read 9 tips to inspire family reading with your child today.

Reading Bear

Reading Bear is a free website created by WatchKnowLearn.org with a large selection of phonics and vocabulary interactive activities to help beginning readers.

http://www.readingbear.org/

Fun and Learning with Online Interactives

 

 UpToTen: The Picture Dish  

 http://boowakwala.uptoten.com/kids/

boowakwala-family-cooking-picturedish.html

Drag and drop the food on the dish to create a face, a train, or a flower...or anything else you want.         

Make a Robot 

http://www.abcya.com/make_a_robot.htm

"Click and drag different parts from the parts bin to the construction area to create a robot. You can also click on robot parts on the stage to move them around, make them bigger or smaller, and even spin them around! No two robot creations will ever be the same!" [site]

IKEA Kids Room Planner

http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_CA/rooms_ideas/
planner_youth/index.html

To design your dream bedroom, you can either start from scratch, or start with a theme. Watch the quick video "Watch it Work" to get some ideas for using this tool.

ToonDoo

http://www.toondoo.com

ToonDoo is an online tool for creating and publishing your own comic strips. Check out the comics of other kids while you're there.

National Gallery of Art: Collage Machine II

 http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/collagemachine2.htm

Use this online collage maker to layer images, shapes and set transparencies to develop your own pictures.

National Gallery of Art: Sea-Saws

http://www.nga.gov/kids/zone/seasaws.htm

"Select photographs of natural and man-made objects, then assemble the pieces to create a seascape or an abstract composition. The BUILD tool helps you construct animated characters. ADD them to your scene as still objects, movers, rockers, or rollers.

Back to School: Articles of Interest

RESOURCES FROM NICHCY!

NICHCY's disability in your classroom blog series.

Looking for practical tips that you can use? NICHCY authors a series of specific disability blogs full of great tips and resources. Also explore their blog page, which features information and perspectives related to serving students with disabilities in schools.

 http://nichcy.org/blog

Back-to-school tips for parents of children with special needs.

Reading Rockets offers back-to-school tips for parents emphasizing communication, organization, and staying up-to-date on special education news.

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/38405/

Help children transition from one activity to another, and one place to another.

From the Technical Assistance Center on Social Emotional Intervention for Young Children (TACSEI), Thoughtful Transitions Reduce Traffic Jams and Challenges gives tools and strategies to use when teaching children how to transition between activities and places within the early childhood environment.
http://www.challengingbehavior.org/communities/make_n_take/make_n_take_home.html

Teaching tools based on brain facts.

Looking for some strategies to better engage students and pique their interests? Brainfact.org has a collection of multimedia resources to develop engaging and interactive lessons.

http://www.brainfacts.org/educators/

Adventures in an autism classroom: On the value of token economies.

Token Economy Systems work for ALL types of students, no matter what their academic or communication level! Here is one example of how this system can be used.

http://classroominthecorner.blogspot.com/

 AUTISM SPEAKS has a multitude of resources!

 View the entire site at:    www.autismspeaks.org 

 AUTISM APPS:  

Autism Speaks has an easy to view growing list of recommended Apps.
See link below. Copy and paste in your browser.

http://www.autismspeaks.org/autism-apps?utm_source=social-media&utm_medium=text-link&utm_campaign=espeaks

Below are two articles I really found helpful and informative. 
Autism's Back-to-School Anxiety               
Videoblog: Managing Challenging Behaviors

                    
                          

AUTISM SPEAKS has a new app for mobile phones! Autism Speaks' official app provides free access to blogs, latest news and up to the minute content from www.autismspeaks.org. Integrated with your email and Facebook, share and comment on all the latest from Autism Speaks. Available in the iTunes store and on Google Play now.