
How to Teach Communication Skills by Making Balloon Animals (Or Playing With Any Toy Really)
Earlier this year, I thought my son might be interested in learning to make balloon animals. So, I purchased a kit from Amazon.com and we loved it! I thought one of my “Play to Learn” program students might like it too, so I brought the kit the next time I went to his home to work with him. It turns out that he loves balloon animals, so I now frequently make different animals when I work with him. I’m not an expert in making balloon animals (and I still have trouble sometimes


Books on Teaching Students with Math Difficulties
One of my favorite subjects that I tutor is math and I particularly love working with kids and teens to help them reduce their math anxiety and feel successful with math.
I wanted to share a couple of books that I recommend for working with kids who have difficulty with math and share a few strategies. Book 1: Dyscalculia: Action Plans for Successful Learning in Mathematics Dyscalculia refers to a persistent difficulty in math that continues even if a student receives appro


Play to Learn: Teaching Social and Communication Skills with Play
"Children of all ages love to play, and it gives them opportunities to explore the world, interact with others, express and control emotions, develop their symbolic and problem-solving abilities, and practice emerging skills. Research shows the links between play and foundational capacities such as memory, self-regulation, oral language abilities, social skills, and success in school." - NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) As a teacher, I’ve alway