Just because young children have some physical limitations does not mean they do not enjoy playing make-believe. What little girl doesn't want to feel like a princess? What little boy doesn't want to imagine himself as a cowboy? A well-developed Early Childhood Curriculum should contain time for dramatic play for children of all abilities. Yet many costumes present inconveniences for children with special needs.

Traditional, Halloween-type costumes often cause tripping hazards or are too difficult to put on. Look for costumes designed specifically for the early childhood classroom and special needs classroom. Teachers and parents should look for costumes without string ties and without bulk. For safety reasons, costumes should be shorter than ankle-length. Watch out for costume parts that might become tangled in wheelchair wheels or other moving parts.

All children like sensory stimulation as well. Costumes with pockets or fringe or tulle are especially enjoyable. Dramatic play should be scheduled at least three times a week. Teachers should offer costume choices each time. Having duplicate costumes is good! Children like to play together and, when they see a classmate in the same costume, they have a better understanding of when they themselves look like in the same costume. It fosters cooperative and imaginative play.

Dramatic play is fun. Children learn from their make-believe adventures. They relax and have fun. Despite their youth, they can sense that they will not be evaluated on their play or have to meet certain expectations or performance standards. After all, it is make believe! Children of all abilities should be encouraged to play "let's pretend," using easy-to-put-on costumes.


Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Barbara_Kalbfleisch

Many news stories have tragically addressed the issue of two pre-teenage boys who committed suicide because they were bullied. These stories focus on the child and the things that parents and schools did to avoid the problem. One thing that more schools need to do to avoid such problems of bullying, conflict resolution, and dispute management is the concept of peer mediation.

Peer mediation is a strategy that teaches student mediators strategies to help resolve conflict among their peers. Peer mediation can be instituted at any age in school from early elementary to high school. In peer mediation, students are trained as conflict managers. They learn ways to solve problems and to assist their peers in settling disputes in a way that everyone can live with. Peer mediation helps to keep many minor incidents from escalating over time into more serious incidents.

One of the advantages of peer mediation, is the fact that in the case of a dispute, the disputing parties' peers are helping to resolve the dispute instead of a parent or teacher. The students, with the assistance of the peer mediator, learn how they can resolve the dispute themselves in a peaceful fashion. In addition, several social studies have found that children are often influenced by their peers more than their parents. According to Nancy Kaplan, in an article originally published by School Safety, Winter 1996, entitled " teaching students to employ conflict resolution skills produces significant results in decreasing school confrontations and violence.

One of the critical things that is taught by peer mediation is the ability to resolve conflicts in a peaceful fashion. Rather than escalating, the peer mediators are shown life long conflict resolution skills.

It is the job of the mediator to assist the parties to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution. In litigation, mediators help the parties to avoid a legal battle. Similarly, in peer mediation, student mediators are taught how to communicate to best solve problems and help to resolve conflicts without confrontation or violence. The student mediators, like adult mediators, learn that conflict can be constructive and positive, and that their role as mediators is not to judge, nor to force an agreement or solution.

Peer mediation training is not a simple one hour course. Instead, training can last for many hours. Some programs, for example, train their mediators for 12-15 hours. Often when those student mediators are leaders in the student community who are respected by their peers, that 12 hour training could pay in numerous dividends throughout the community. Frequently, other children will start to mirror behavior of people they respect. As such, the training can have long term benefits on everyone.

The following techniques can help anyone to act as a mediator:

· Let Each Person tell their story to the mediator uninterrupted

· Focus on issues and concerns, not on who did what,

· Repeat the story until the person lets you know that you understand their position
(not that they necessarily agree with it)

· Summarize the facts and feelings of both sides

· Acknowledge the difficulty in dealing with these issues

· Ask both parties if they can think of solutions

· Write down all suggestions regardless of your thoughts

· Identify what the alternatives are to not getting a solution through mediation (ie. Expulsion, suspension, etc.)

By learning and using skills from mediation, children and adults can help to confront and break the vicious circle of violence associating with bullying.

Steven G. Mehta is an attorney and mediator providing unique mediation services in a variety of types of civil litigation. His ability to understand the human process and complex emotional issues involved in legal negotiations enables him to effectively assist the parties in obtaining the best possible results during mediation. He has been selected several times as a "Superlawyer" in the field of mediation and among the "Best Lawyers in America."



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steve_Mehta

Children love hands-on education and the Toobeez educational toys for kids are just the tool to get them learning through play and physical activity.

These giant tinker toy like building kits support educational classroom goals through exciting and enticing activities and differentiated instruction that addresses multiple intelligences. You'll find dozens of learning activities created by teachers for teachers in the Toobeez activities books.

Kinesthetic Language Arts Activities
In your language arts classroom, the Toobeez educational toys for children are a quick way to set the stage for dramatic learning. Act out literature for greater understanding. Role play scenes and then record the dialogue to build writing skills. Have students create a new invention with Toobeez and then produce an instruction pamphlet for their unique device, including clear instructions. With the Toobeez Language Arts Activities Book, you will find ten innovative activities to improve reading comprehension, grammar, and creative expression. There is no end to the cooperative learning possibilities.

Hands-On Mathematics Activities
Bring another dimension to your math instruction with Toobeez construction toys for the mathematics classroom. Difficult, abstract concepts are easier to master when you build graphs, angles, and shapes using Toobeez learning toys.

As Kim Cooke of Walter Bickett Elementary School in Monroe, NC, explains, "One of my passions is gaining a better understanding on how the brain learns, and your activity books included up to date brain strategies. The books were very teacher-friendly and I was able to instantly incorporate the activities into my presentations and lessons. I have contacted 3 other principals and 18 other Teachers in my school system about your products."

Students will understand the relevance of mathematics as they build and test their Toobeez structures. Ten engaging and open ended activities from the Toobeez Mathematics Activities Book will have students eager to learn more about mathematics.

Educational Toys for Toddlers and Preschooler
Young children learn best through play. Give kids a good start by choosing the right educational learning toys for toddlers and preschoolers. Because these multipurpose toys can be used in a variety of educational and fun ways, Toobeez make the perfect day care toy or toy for teachers of young children.

Toobeez encourage young children to explore their world in an educational and rewarding way. Build a tunnel, teach basic shapes, and create puppet theaters for kids.

Learning Toys
With these educational toys for kids, classroom activities transform into an opportunity for collaboration and genuine discovery.

Pete Smithson from Central Middle School, Orlando, FL, is impressed with the flexibility of these building toys: “The open ended nature of the product allows us to use your products within our entire school. We use them in our staff development days, core subjects, field day, and even our after school activities. What a great program.”
As teachers and educators, you know the value of character education. Toobeez brings learners together to complete authentic tasks.

Toobeez encourage perseverance, trust, responsibility and cooperation through activities that complement linguistic, logical spatial or kinesthetic learning styles.

The workbooks also include discussion questions and activity variations to differentiate for learning styles and strengths!

Your students will build amazing things with Toobeez including their self-esteem.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Candace_L_Lindemann