FREE Talk Together booklet for parents

 

Talk together is one of the booklets I use when working with my parents and children.  It gives great ideas for parents to develop language skills with their children.  The best thing about this booklet is that parents can either order it free or download it from the I Can website....

www.ican.org.uk/resources

 

Feeling honoured........my blog is now featured on the Afasic Cymru website

Today I am feeling very honoured that my blog is now featured on the Afasic Cymru website. Afasic is an amazing charity that supports parents and represents children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN).

Afasic Cymru supporting parents

Afasic is the UK charity established in 1968 as a parent led organisation representing children and young people with specific language impairment (SLI) and speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) by raising awareness of this often hidden disability thus working for their inclusion in society and supporting their parents and carers.

Afasic Cymru is not a service provider; therefore we can offer balanced impartial information. We provide information and training for parents – and professionals – and produce a range of publications. We work in partnership with local and national government, professional and statutory bodies and other voluntary organisations Members meet in local groups in both North and South Wales.

To find out more visit www.afasiccymru.org.uk

You will find my blog under news categories as well as in the parents section

Sarah : )

Home made play dough with no pan or microwave.....

This is the best home made play dough recipe I have ever come across and have been using it constantly for the last eight years plus.  Why?  Because you don't need to stand over a hob with a pan or watch the microwave!

Trust me...you will never look back!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of salt
• 2 cups of plain flour
• 4 teaspoons of cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• Food colouring (optional)
• Food essence (optional)
• 2 cups of boiling water from the kettle

Method: (Dry ingredients first)

Put the flour, salt, cream of tartar, cooking oil, food colouring and essence in a large bowl.

Add the boiling water from the kettle and stir with a wooden spoon.  Keep stirring until the dough comes together and away from the sides of the bowl.

Turn out onto a table and knead (careful as it will be hot!)  You may need a little flour on the surface if it feels a little sticky.

There you go....the best ever play dough!  Keep the dough in an air tight container and it will stay fresh for at least a month depending how often you use it.

Please note that this quantity makes enough for a small group of children - you can make smaller quantities or you could just make up a batch and split it into tubs ready to use.

You can add glitter, chocolate powder, lavender....the possibilities are endless....

Sarah x

Dinosaur play dough mats from sparklebox

These play dough mats from Sparkle box are a great addition for any dinosaur topic.  The children love these.

They can also cover counting skills, length, shape, sensory as well as language development.  Pop over to the sparkle box site to see the complete range and to print them off.

http://www.sparklebox.co.uk/2611-2615/sb2613.html#.UfkjKVZwazc

 

 

 

 

 

Home made play dough is the best dough ever to use and my following post will show you just how easy it is to make without using a pan or a microwave!

 

Sarah x

I want to be a Dinosaur.......brilliant lyrics in this song to go along any Dinosaur themed project.

I love this song and the children love this song...you can hear the way its sung on the site...link below : )

 

 

Music and lyrics: John Rickey    

I want to be a dinosaur thump, thump, thump, thump, thump. I want to be a dinosaur crash, boom, bang, bang, crash, smash! I want to be a T-rex King bite, bite, crunch, crunch, roar! I just want to be a dinosaur thump, thump, thump!
I want to be a dinosaur blump, blump, blump, blump, blump. I want to be a dinosaur zing, zang, zoggle, doggle, doo, boo! I want to be a Long Neck too. chomp, chomp, clomp clomp, roar! I want to be a dinosaur thump, thump, thump.
I want to be a dinosaur ching, ching, chong, chong, chang I want to be a dinosaur bing, bang, boom, bash, crash, smash! I want to be a dinosaur scratch, bite, crunch, crash, roar! I want to be a dinosaur thump, thump, thump. (Make your own dinosaur noise!)       http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/dinosaur/dino.html

Dinosaurs....

I love Dinosaurs!!!!!  It probably comes from having to boys and not being very girly, but I just love all the art and craft activities you can fun with when it comes to them.

Here you will find links to some of my favourites.....

Dinosaur sock puppets.  Great for developing language, creativity, imagination.  You can find a great link for this and some of the following activities on http://www.allkidsnetwork.com/crafts/animals/dinosaurs/dinosaur-sock-puppet.asp

Handprint Dinosaur.  Great for sensory play and language development.  I love the handprint spikes.

This tissue paper Dinosaur is better than any stained glass you will see.  brilliant for when the light shines through.

They also have a great salt dough fossil craft activity that will have you wanting more.

I love making paper plate Dinosaurs with the children too.  There are so many different kinds you can make.  Great for making patterns too.  I really love this one which I have copied often from http://notesfromtheblacklagoon.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/dsc00095.jpg

 

This one is another great idea from http://www.notimeforflashcards.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/clothespin-crafts3.jpg

 

I adapt this idea by writing numbers on the dinosaurs and asking the children to give the dinosaur the correct amount of spikes to develop number recognition.

 

 

This is just a small selection of my favourites.  I will post more soon.

 

Sarah x

Number fun in everyday routines

Children learn the names of numbers through repetition and experience of using them, counting stairs, cups or plates, dressing - buttons, socks etc.

Routines such as bath time, dressing and washing the dishes are times when young children learn about the concepts of emopty and full, heavy and light, big and small etc.

Everyday routines offer lots of opportunities for early number language, ideas include:

• Dressing - lots of number language here, colours and size, order - first, next, ten fingers, ten toes, who's got the biggest feet etc.

• Bath time - containers which encourage filling and pouring, talking about things that are empty and full, heavy and light, play with bubbles in the bath - big and small.

• Bed time - share a story such as Goldilocks and the three bears, the Hungry caterpillar.  Read the story 'Ten in the bed'.  If you haven't got this story visit the library, it's free to join! Ten in the bed includes counting, ordering, counting back, how many are left in the bed?  You could role play the story with a selection of your child's cuddly toys and a blanket.

• Try a teddy bear's picnic - use teddies, different sized cups, plates and bowls for a picnic on the floor with a blanket.  You can talk about the colours, size and shape and use them for a matching game too as well as talking about the picnic food which will have lots of opportunities for number language.#

• Make sandwiches and talk about the shape of them.  Are they sqauare or trianle shaoed?  You might even have round bread.  Use a biscuit cutter to make shapes in the sandwiches.

• When you have finished with old clothes pull the buttons off and make a button box for soring and counting.  So much learning can take place just with a button box - big, small, colour, counting, sequencing, making patterns.