PreKTeachandPlay.com Podcast

In this bonus Pre-K Teach & Play podcast episode, I sit down to talk with Pat Radel, a special education lawyer, advocate, and father.

We start off by sharing what he know as of April 7, 2020 about serving students on IEP during the pandemic.

We then explore 20 U.S.C. 1414 (d)(1)(A)(i)(I)(bb) that states - IEP shall identify "for preschool children, as appropriate, how the disability affects the child's participation in appropriate activities"

The bulk of our conversation centers on 5 underutilized aspects of the IEP.

• Student Strengths - 20 USC 1414 (d)(3)(A)(i)
• Concerns of the Parent - 20 USC 1414 (d)(3)(A)(ii)
• Communication/Assistive Technology - 20 USC 1414(d)(3)(B)(iv) & (v)
• Supports for School Personnel - 20 USC 1414 (d)(1)(A)(i)(IV) - statement of services "to be provided to the child, or on behalf of the child" - 20 USC 1414 (d)(3)(C) - "support for school personnel" - e.g. information on specific disability & implications for instruction (Note - Official Comment to the enabling regulation makes it clear that this refers to support to meet unique & specific needs of child, not general in-service)
• Parent Counseling & Training - definition of "related services" under 34 CFR 300.34

We end the conversation (abruptly due to tech issue on my end) about eligibly determination at this time. We specifically explore the requirement to administer a standardized test.

To learn more about Pat go to https://www.getnicklivingston.com/

I've been talking with so many fellow ECE {r}evolutionaries these past few weeks.

I see you and I hear you.

In these unprecedented times, having to think about how best to support children on IEPs can feel overwhelming...and maybe even a bit scary.

And while information can help some of us with our anxiety...it can also add to the confusion and uncertainty. There are so many opinions and ideas coming from districts and everywhere you look on social media.

There are endless ideas and things being sent home with families on how best to "homeschool" students. Yet are these practices in line with our core values of family-guided practices, differentiation, and embedding during play and daily routines?

I thought I'd join the conversation - and take it in a slightly different direction.

In this bonus Pre-K Teach and Play podcast episode I'm joined by early childhood special education expert and professional development provider, Beth Diedrick.

Here are the big ideas that we cover in our conversation:

1. Practices that support a strong home-school connection and partnership versus trying to "do school" at home.
2. Considerations for children who have diverse abilities and an IEP in place - not from a legal perspective, but in terms of supporting their growth and development.
3. Possibilities for our field - and ultimately our children - that are emerging in this time of uncertainty.

In this episode I chat with my longtime friend, colleague, and autism expert Barb Avila, and Dr. Dan Siegel, a New York Times bestselling author and clinical professor of psychiatry.

We dive into some really amazing stuff. Like how interpersonal neurobiology intersects with autism and the challenges of forming secure attachments with 24 children at the same time!

We end with a brief conversation that left me knowing just how necessary the ECE {r}evolution is...and a few words of hope from both of my guests.

One question that comes up all the time when I'm taking about how to teach before the peak and weather the storm is, "What do we do about giving a child our attention when they are demonstrating behaviors that are challenging?".

I suspect...what you really want to know is...

"What do we do when some team members and experts suggest the strategy of planned ignoring and others say connect with the child"?

So...who is right?!?!

In this episode here's what you'll learn:

• Five reasons ignoring (broadly defined) is problematic
• Three solutions for what to do instead of ignoring
• Three take aways
• Links to tons of practical solutions (see show notes at https://prekteachandplay.com/podcast38)

This podcast is divided into two parts.

Part 1:

The first, clarifies why our primary job is to extend the green zone for optimal learning, even when it comes to placement decisions for children who qualify for early childhood special education.

It will be a bit of an eye opener/conversation starter for those who think we're soothing the nervous system by placing a child in a more restrictive environment. In other words, while a "self-contained" classroom might "look better" or to us might even feel a little bit better (or safer might be the word), we're actually promoting rigidity, which is also outside the zone of optimal learning.

Part 2:

In the second part of the podcast I explore the two jobs teachers have...the one when children are in the green zone and then one when they aren't.

If they're in the Green Zone, our job is really to keep them there and to notice, recognize, and identify when they might be leaving that Green Zone. Our job is to also help children learn how to stop, think, and then act...to become self-aware of their emotions and how to help keep themselves in the green zone.

When children are in the red or blue zone. Our job shifts to offering a lifeline to a child. Helping them to be curious about us and allowing for processing of big emotions.

Key Take Away Message:

"I have two different jobs. I'm either in the Green Zone with the child and I'm helping them learn self-regulation skills, how to problem solve, how to have an appropriate response when things don't go their way, and how to keep themselves in the Green Zone. But the moment a child moves into or rather their body moves them into the red or the blue, my job also moves or changes. And now my job is to help process, co-regulate, offer a lifeline."

If your behavior "management system" is public (verbal or visual), if it is whole group, or if it is highly symbolic, it's a practice that we can no longer engage in.

Meaning...it's three strikes and you're out, behavior charts.

In this episode, I unpack the top three reasons (ok five reasons) that behavior charts aren't effective in helping children learn to self-regulate. I also talk about why we have used them, and how our good intentions shouldn't be criticized...just adjusted.

This episode if for you if you want to know:

1. The top five reasons for bagging behavior charts
2. The top four reasons people use behavior charts
3. Solutions for what to do instead

After listening to this episode, you'll understand what all I'm categorizing as behavior charts and why they are ineffective with young children.

In Episode 35, we dive into more of the practical stuff...and what to do with conflicting messages around screen time and young children. For example, what do we do when we want to limit screen time and we also want children to have technology literacy skills?

There's an ancient parable about a farmer who lost his horse, and as As Heather Lanier say in her Ted Talk, "The parable has been my warning that by gripping tightly to the story of good or bad, I close down my ability to truly see a situation. I learn more when I proceed and loosen my grip and proceed openly with curiosity and wonder."

And for me, the same goes for screen time and young children. While I have strong opinions (grounded in wisdom and research for the most part), I know I can be quick to judge when I see a smartphone propped up in a child's stroller, a parent "mindlessly" scrolling on their phone, while their children try to get their attention. And let's be honest, when it comes to my own addiction to my phone where I can't possibly leave the house (ok room) without it.

Let's take it one step forward...what can we learn from the parable about what happens when we quickly judging things as "good" or "bad" when we see a headline that screen time CAUSES developmental delays? Well, we generally would all say, "Oh, that's bad!". If another post shares how a mother deployed in the service of our country was able to sing a lullaby to her baby using SKYPE, we would then likely say, "Oh, that's good!" And if you asked most teachers their thoughts on the impact of screen use on children's interaction and play skills, they would say, "Oh, that's bad." Yet at the same time can find many opportunities throughout the day to broaden what their children are exposed to. For example taking a virtual field trip to look about an endangered animal on YouTube. Then they would say, "Oh that's good." It's complicated right...let's start with getting more clarity on our WHAT before we pick the how (use or non use of screens).

You've seen the posts right? The ones that talk about the dangers of screen time and children's brains. How caregivers are more interested in texting than connecting with their children. And how secondhand screen time is the new smoking epidemic.

But what can you believe when it comes to children and screens? What about district policies that promote the use of screens with young children?

In this episode, which was so good (and so long) I had to divide it into two parts, my guests and I raise the fact that there is not a common definition of "screen time". This has huge implications for all of those posts and policies devoted to this very hot topic.

We also kicked the episode into high gear by sharing advantages. as well as the downsides, when it comes to our 24-7 access to screens.

Spoiler alert, there are more and more downsides as we see it.

NOTE: This is part 1 of a 2 part series on screen time and young children.

In this episode, I talk to Alyssa Blask Campbell about supporting and intentionally teaching self-regulation.

Or as Alyssa would say, "Helping tiny humans process big emotions".

In this episode, we delve into the difference between coping mechanisms and coping strategies, what self-regulation is (and isn't), and myths about how children learn to become increasingly self-regulated.

What You Will Learn

1. The difference between coping mechanisms and coping strategies and how to use them to help children (and even yourself) process big emotions
2. How the way self-regulation is "marketed" often misses the point by focusing on children learning self-control vs. expressing emotions, and why its important to let children express how they feel even when it is inconvenient to you
3. How to set or maintain boundaries with children while also giving them the opportunity to process their emotions
4. Why we should stop using the word "reinforcement"
5. How sensory integration plays a major role in emotional regulation
6. What the collaborative emotion processing (CEP) method is and how to implement it to respond to children's emotions in a way that builds their emotional intelligence

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Shauna Tominey about her book, Creating Compassionate Kids: Essential Conversations to Have with Young Children.

The main purpose of her book is to support adults to build compassion and understanding through the conversations we have with children.

What You Will Learn

1. How to model compassion by letting children know they are loved no matter who they are or what they experience
2. How to support children in becoming self-aware, while also understanding differences among people and families
3. How to build resilience in children by discussing how stress or tragedy can make us stronger
4. How to help children use their recognition of being loved, their self-awareness, understanding of others, and personal resilience to demonstrate compassion for others

We also talk about the progression of inclusion, how compassion addresses bullying, and the importance of explaining what you are doing and why.