Pick of the Week: “I See I Learn” Books

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

Early childhood is a period of vital learning through sensory experiences. Visual learning and comprehension are expressed long before children learn to read and utter a wide range of vocabulary. The I See I Learn series by visual learning specialist Stuart J. Murphy applies this natural capacity of young children with engaging and stimulating stories that are reinforced with visual strategies that help young learners prepare for school and other situations.

I See I Learn Books The I See I Learn series introduces a neighborhood of gentle, caring individuals, who respect and nurture each other. The stories are infused with experiences in which our fictional friends Freda, Percy, Emma, Carlos, Camille, and Ajay learn basic life lessons by effecting positive results.

This week only, SAVE 15% on the I See I Learn books, by entering in the promo code BLOGISIL3 at checkout.

The books are divided into the comprehensive domains of Social and Emotional Skills. Each title addresses a particular issue relevant to the experiences of young learners. In Percy Gets Upset, readers learn how to deal with frustration. Good Job, Ajay! helps children build confidence. Emma’s Friendwich explores the fun and challenges of making friends. In Camille’s Team, the gang must work together to share in the fun and learn cooperation. Percy Listens Up gently helps children understand that not listening often leads to missing out on great fun. And Freda Stops a Bully explores how it feels to be teased and bullied and what strategies kids can use to stop it.

Informative illustrations paired with diagrams that illustrate various issues encountered in children’s daily lives help make these lessons easier for young learners to remember.

Additional activities and questions in the back of the books also help educators and caregivers further explore each issue discussed in the stories with their children.

Experts in the field of educational development for young children agree that learning tools need to have the ability to apply children’s own viewpoints in solving the conflicts that they may face on a daily basis. Stuart J. Murphy does this exactly with a positive-child approach in his series. Each layout – each word – reflects Murphy’s ability to see scenarios and dilemmas “as a child” and to present them in natural, kid-friendly language with solutions that make sense from their perspectives. The dynamic illustrations in each story are engaging and help generate excitement in young learners when you decide to introduce a new title.

This week only, SAVE 15% on any one of our selections from the I See I Learn series by Stuart J. Murphy, by entering in the promo code BLOGISIL3 at checkout.*

*Offer expires on May 14, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

Pick of the Week: Games for Early Intervention & Young Learners

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Different Roads to Learning

Our latest catalog has just arrived and there’s a lot of talk in the office about which of the 70 new products are our favorites. These three games are definitely leading in votes. Hello Sunshine!, Zingo!, and Roll & Play are fun, interactive games that teach key concepts to young learners and are a perfect fit for any EI program.

Hello Sunshine! is a charming game will have you and your children laughing and playing while learning prepositions. You can play hide and seek with Sunshine – a huggable plush toy – while teaching positional concepts such as In, On Top, Below, Next To, and more. Pick a card and then hide Sunshine BEHIND your back, NEXT to a chair, IN a bed…The toy comes with a storage pocket for the 18 double-sided cards (36 images). Hello Sunshine! builds vocabulary and language skills through smiles.

Roll & Play is an ideal first game as it gently introduces young learners to play patterns and rules of a game through interactive activities that encourage creativity, active play and gross motor skill development. Roll the big, plush cube and identify which colored side faces up. Choose a matching color card and perform the simple activity shown. Players will “Make a happy face,” “Moo like a cow,” and “Find something red.” The activity cards cover six categories that are part of early development: Emotions, Counting, Body Parts, Colors, Animal Sounds, and Actions. All of the activities are designed to let children shine, supporting their development and celebrating their success. The plush cube comes with 48 cards, 8 in each category and a parent’s guide.

Zingo! is a wildly popular game that’s a fast-paced, energetic variant on Bingo…with a zing! Zingo encourages pre-readers and early readers alike to match the pictures and words on their challenge cards with the tiles revealed in the Zinger device. The first player with a full card wins by yelling out “ZINGO!” Two levels of play and game variation ensure that the zaniness won’t end. In addition to delighting players of all ages, Zingo builds language and matching skills, concentration and social interaction.

This week only, save 15% on Hello Sunshine!, Roll & Play, and Zingo! by entering the Promo Code BLOGEIG2 at checkout.

*Offer expires on April 2, 2013 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

Introducing our new All About Social Skills! Catalog: Teaching Tools for School-Age Students with ASD

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Different Roads to Learning

We’re thrilled to introduce our new All About Social Skills! Teaching Tools for School-Age Students catalog! As our students and children have made such incredible progress, one of the greatest challenges they face lies in the realm of social skills. We scoured the sources and have come up with a group of books, flashcards, and CD/DVDs that we think will help your students navigate their homes, schools and communities with confidence.

We’re excited to introduce you to Michelle Garcia-Winner whose books and curriculum offer a treatment framework and curriculum that target improving social thinking abilities in individuals with ASD from kindergarten through grade 12.

The Skillstreaming series is a social skills training program that employs a four-part approach – modeling, role-playing, performance feedback, and generalization – to teach essential prosocial skills to children and adolescents. Skillstreaming is an evidence-based strategy to systematically teach social skills and a variety of behaviors, from academic competency and playing sports to daily living and making friends. There are books and skill cards for Skillstreaming in Early Childhood as well as Skillstreaming the Elementary School Child.

The new Explore Social Skills Introductory Kit provides a full-year curriculum focusing on the development of 50 social skill sets for students in grades 6-12. The kit includes a Teacher’s Manual, Student Book, Flashcard Set and Video Modeling DVD. The skills addressed are those essential to attaining social competency and success in school, the community, and the workplace.

And these are just some of the products featured in our new All About Social Skills! catalog. You’ll also find our best-selling books such as Crafting Connections, Social Skills Solutions, and the Social Skills Picture Book.

In celebration of the publication of our new catalog, we’re offering 15% off on ALL of the materials featured in All About Social Skills! Teaching Tools for School-Age Students. Redeem your savings by entering the Promo Code BLOGABS3 at checkout.

*Offer expires on October 23, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

Open publication – Free publishing – More catalog

Pick of the Week: Social Skills Books!

Posted on August 21, 2012 by Different Roads to Learning

With school days rapidly drawing near, many of our kids may be challenged by the social situations that the classroom presents. To help your students and children prepare for what lies ahead, our pick this week is our entire category of Social and Play Skills Books. You’ll find everything from structured curriculum (Improving Social Behaviors) and Assessment (Social Skills Solutions) to books that visually show various social situations and how to handle them (The Social Skills Picture Book).

Using a combination of these books can help students understand and learn the intricacies of social interactions at school including making friends, turn-taking, cooperation, dealing with emotions and much, much more. We wish you all a productive, fun and successful school year!

This week, all of the books in our Social & Play Skills category are being offered at a 15% discount. Simply enter the Promo Code BLOGSSBTat checkout to redeem your savings.

*Offer expires on August 28, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

Pick of the Week: Magic Moves Mic

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Different Roads to Learning

Can you stomp like a dinosaur? Wiggle like a worm? The Magic Moves Mic provides fun for all while promoting movement and gross motor activity while developing auditory processing skills. There are 90 fun, physical commands, twinkling lights, and 26 music tunes that get kids up, moving, listening and most of all, smiling.

This week only, save 15% on the Magic Moves Electronic Wand by entering the Promo Code BLOGMMW at checkout.

*Offer expires on June 5, 2012 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

Fostering Prosocial Behavior: A Guest Post by Terese Dana of TD Social Skills

Posted on April 12, 2012 by Different Roads to Learning

To get along with others successfully, people must exhibit prosocial behavior. Susan Fiske, a social psychologist, defines this as behavior intended to benefit others. It includes behaviors such as, helping, comforting, sharing, cooperating, reassuring, defending and showing concern. Prosocial behavior promotes positive interactions and friendships, and exhibiting these behaviors is considered part of the social norm. Since prosocial behavior is expected, deficits in this area can lead to unfulfilled attempts at developing friendships.

Many children on the autism spectrum can spend much of their time intensely focusing on their own self-interests. To enhance their social experiences they will need to learn how to include the interests and needs of others into their daily interactions. To increase prosocial behavior, complex cognitive and emotional competencies, along with specific social skills need to be developed.

Studies have shown video modeling to be an effective tool to teach many different skills and behaviors. Using video modeling DVDs that incorporate perspective taking can help children to understand WHY acting in ways that include the needs, concerns, and interests of others can lead to better friendships. By viewing social interactions from multiple perspectives, children learn, through modeling, what they can do differently to get better outcomes when engaged in social exchanges.

Why does video modeling work?

Most children are highly motivated, interested and thus attentive to video
Most enjoy repeat viewings
It gives the student the opportunity to observe, discuss, imitate and learn skills and behaviors from peers
It is easier to implement and has been shown to be more effective then using live models
Many students on the spectrum are visual learners

“ I think in pictures. I do not think in language. All my thoughts are like videotapes running in my imagination. Pictures are my first language and words are my second language.” – Temple Grandin, Ph.D, Teaching Tips for Children and Adults with Autism

Increasing social competency provides children with opportunities to interact with peers more successfully. Video modeling has been shown to be a particularly effective way for children on the autism spectrum to not only gain skills but to generalize those skills as well.

Terese Dana, BCaBA, is a behavior analyst and social skills instructor who has been helping students find solutions to social, emotional, behavioral and organizational challenges since 1988. Ms. Dana consults for both school and home programs. She collaborated with Madison Elementary School, to establish the Madison Educational Center for Children (MECC) in Madison, NH.Ms. Dana is the creator of the Fitting In and Having Fun Video Modeling Program. The DVD series includes: Fitting In and Having Fun, Moving On to Middle School and Confident and In Control. She has also created the File Factor Emotional Empowerment System, a tool that helps children regulate their behavior by teaching them how to identify, understand, express and control their emotions. She is the author of the book, The File Factor; Filing Away Disappointment.

Ms. Dana has appeared on national television, in the New York Times and in The Autism Sourcebook, Everything You Need to Know About Diagnosis, Treatment, Coping and Healing. She lectures across the country and is the autism consultant for Didi Lightful, a children’s television show currently in production. Ms. Dana also serves as board President of The Laura Foundation for Autism and Epilepsy and in that role is creating the Laura Adaptive Sports and Recreation Center in Madison, NH.

Pick of the Week: Hooray for Play! Flashcards

Posted on November 8, 2011 by Different Roads to Learning

Hooray for Play! Leading Learners Along the Path to Play is literally fresh off the press and we couldn’t be more excited. Created by Stacy Asay, our brilliant behavioral consultant, we’re thrilled to offer this new tool for developing social and play skills. Hooray for Play is a multi-use deck of 31 beautifully illustrated cards that offer children an opportunity for perspective taking, problem solving, cooperation, social emotional skill acquisition and language development.

The flashcards break down the components of the 31 individual play schema cards into three organized sections that provide a memorable framework for sociodramatic play. The Do! Section explains the various roles, Say!! outlines possible scripted statements by the involved actors and Play!!! offers suggestions for props and set-up. Have fun!

To save 15% this week only on Hooray for Play, simply enter the Promo Code BLOGHFP11 at checkout.

*Offer expires on November 15, 2011 at 11:59 pm EST. Not compatible with any other offer. Be sure there are no spaces after the Promo Code when you enter it at checkout.

Special Needs Talk Radio has debuted!

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Different Roads to Learning

Coffee Klatch, a corporation dedicated to providing resources and educational programs for families with special needs children, has a new sister company called Special Needs Talk Radio which features interviews with leading experts, advocates and more in the field of Special Needs. Special Needs Talk Radio debuted on September 6 and will present six new shows hosted by twelve different moderators. This new network is aimed at providing parents with the most current news and information covering a wide range of special education topics.

The network will present six shows that will be broadcasted weekly and are currently scheduled to run through mid-October. They cover topics from Parenting Issues, Raising children with ASD, Special Education and the Law, Inclusion and more. The website also offers interactive features that allow users to be actively engaged in the content by suggesting topics, making comments, and asking questions that can be answered during the live shows.

To find the show schedule and to learn more about each program and upcoming guests, visit:

Special Needs Talk Radio

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