PARTNERSHIP IN SUPPORT OF MILITARY FAMILIES DURING THE FALL AND RETURN TO SCHOOL

At-home activities, beyond paper and pencil, are another critical element that can bolster learning along the way.

BY ANGELA SHAW

As families begin to settle into their new Permanent Change of Station (PCS) or, perhaps, relish their second or third year in their current PCS hometown, their perspective of readying for next steps in the educational realm is becoming real – while summer memories of hula-hooping, sandy beach towels, and bare feet begin the slow fade into the cognitive networks that store treasured family memories.

Since military families are often on the move, they are on an active and ever-changing path together. This opportunity of following the ebb and flow of the road affords the military family a closeness and connectedness that many families today strive to attain. In order to help military families and their students with special needs begin the shift from cultivating summer learning to supporting and expanding students in their new school year, organization is one of the key elements necessary to provide support relative to the twists and turns that commonly crowd the special education landscape. But at-home activities, beyond paper and pencil, are another critical element that can bolster learning along the way. Below are four helpful back-to-school tips that can support your endeavor:

1. ORGANIZE

The load of required paperwork and meetings can become cumbersome for parents with children in special education. In order to circumvent the confusion that may shadow the path, try some of the following strategies to streamline and prepare for Individualized Education Program (IEP) meetings as well as classroom and school-wide participation.

a. Keep a binder or folder of your child's special education documentation to include meeting notices, multi-disciplinary reports, progress of IEP goals and other grade reports, as well as a copy of your child's IEPs in sequential order.

b. Review your child's current IEP to ensure you have a clear understanding of it and, more important, to determine if the IEP is still a good fit relative to your child's needs. Make note of when the next IEP is due and when your child is up for a reevaluation.

c. Actively read the school handbook of regulations and policies. Highlight portions that are relevant and important to you and your student. Ask questions if something is unclear or in need of adjusting to support your child's needs.

d. Review classroom homework policies. Set up a Positive Parent/Student Conference (PPSC) with your child at home. Review the teacher's homework policies with your child and make a plan together with regard to items such as: Monitoring completion, Place and space to complete, Needed supplies Start, end, and brain break times,  Brain break activities, A system for school-to-home and home-to-school movement of the homework, permission slips, and other correspondence, How and who to ask for help in the home

e. Set up a family calendar of school events, special education meetings, conferences, as well upcoming special classroom projects due dates. Oftentimes, school events can be found on school or district website.

2. squeeze in activity

The benefit of movement and exercise (see Sidebar) are wellknown relative to a healthier way of life, but regular exercise has been discovered to have positive influences on academic performance and mental health. With screen-time on the rise at younger and younger ages, it is imperative that healthy fitness habits are encouraged and established. Summertime is a great time to begin or continue the habit of active fun, but returning to school often interferes with our thoughts of purposeful movement and activity due to time and weather constraints. Discover enjoyable ways to keep the ball rolling, even if the endeavors are indoors.

• Balloon volleyball is a great reward for finishing up a particularly difficult homework activity or can even be a simple and effective activity for a brain break. It can be played standing or sitting. The object of the game is to keep the balloon up in the air as long as possible. In addition to supporting kids in the area of visual tracking and motor planning, this activity can increase upper and lower extremity strength, range of motion, balance, and core strength. Check out therapyfunzone.net for more fun and functional ideas.

• Set up an indoor obstacle course. Zig-zag or curve yarn on the floor for your child to walk heel-to-toe, create a tunnel for them to crawl through using two to five sets of chairs back-to-back, ten inches apart, and clothes pin an oversized beach towel or blanket over them, lay out two to four small hula hoops and have your child hop from one to the next. At the end of the maze, create a shootthe-target opportunity. Use masking tape to create a designated line and a sideways laundry basket or medium sized box for a net. Have your child shoot for the "net" using a pool noodle or a broom for a hockey stick and a foam ball or homemade ball made from crumpled newspaper and tape for the puck. In addition to lots of fun and activity, your child will increase their balance, eye-hand coordination, and motor planning with this homemade indoor activity.

• Yoga (see Sidebar) is a great indoor and outdoor activity for kids. It builds strength, improves flexibility, helps balance, coordination, concentration, focus, and attention skills. Additionally, yoga facilitates self-awareness and self-regulation through becoming aware of the body and breathing connection. Yoga for children with autism and other special needs encourages and teaches children coping skills and how to respond to stress, tension, worry, and anxiety. Yoga stories are a powerful way to provide calming or courage building through yoga sequences and storytelling. Through storytelling activities, the brain's emotional region is activated and supports elements of Theory of Mind and empathy. In addition to bookstores and libraries, check out websites such as kidsyogastories.com or kiddingaroundyoga.com for some inspiring ideas to include yoga stories and yoga games.

3. Balance technology With real time experiences

Technology is essential to our 21st century learners, but balance is key. Gaming, TV, and screen time are part of our everyday lives, but putting family time, chores, and homework first, or in balance, will make a critical difference in the tone of the home. Set up some ground rules that fit your family and discuss those in positive terms. Be a role model by demonstrating healthy habits, relative to tech time and real time. Enjoy device free dinners and set boundaries for yourself and your kids. Some quick tips that will create a little more equilibrium and nurture deeper engagement include:

a. Keep your child writing. Have him or her email grandparents, text aunties, or handwrite "thinking of you" messages to friends and family who are near or far from your current PCS.

b. Get the creative juices flowing. Create board games or card games together, based upon some of your child's favorite computer games.

c. Do not give up screen time, but rather help your child manage it. Share screens. No matter your child's age, watch and listen to books on devices together. Discuss as you go. Re-watch and share a laugh or a tear. Take virtual tours of interesting places your family would like to visit. Navigate some of the websites provided below to begin your family's virtual journey or discover other websites customized to your child's interests.

• The John Muir Exhibit at (vault.sierraclub.org) is maintained by the Sierra Club's John Muir Education Team. This comprehensive site features videos, old photographs, writings, and historical facts relevant to the "Father of our National Parks".

"Father of our National Parks". • Library Spot.com at libraryspot.com is an award winning free virtual library resource center that offers a wide variety library and reference sites. It is published by StartSpot Mediaworks, Inc. in the Northwestern University/Evanston Research Park in Evanston, Ill. Check it out. You will be happy you did.

• The National Park Service at nps.gov provides a wide variety of information, ranging from trip planning to historical background. Check out the Kids in Parks link together with your child or meander through the photos and multimedia pages. You and your child can navigate across the nation on this website and get up close and in virtual person with hundreds of parks, including the Statue of Liberty in New York, the San Antonio Missions in Texas, or the Channel Islands off the coast of California. So many places to go and such great resources. Enjoy the journey.

d. Keep your child talking and listening. Discuss TV commercials and who they think the target audience is geared to and why. When watching a favorite show together, encourage predictions about what might happen next or what might have happened if things were done differently in the episode. Discuss characters and their traits, settings such as time and place, and genres such as fantasy, science fiction, comedy, etc.

e. Discover new places through the world of reading by researching interesting movie locations or the setting of their favorite TV show. Explore a map or a globe to see how close or how remote the setting is from their current, past, or future PCS location.

4. honor family time

Playing, laughing, and discovering together are awesome ways to create positive learning ventures. Take turns reading aloud at bedtime. Play board games, card games, or Mad Libs together. Create an "on the go story" by taking turns adding to an idea as you travel in the car or walk in the neighborhood. Sit under the stars and gaze at the universe after dinner. Wonder at the air travel you see above and encourage discussions about the possibility of faraway destinations or favorite past destinations. Compare and contrast PCSs. What was good and what was tough about the various locations. Take trips to your community park and enjoy an impromptu picnic bought from a favorite deli or packed together from your family's kitchen.

Enjoy the journey as you navigate the highways and byways of the world within the comfort of your family. Expanding learning horizons will serve to support your child's learning and fortify the family circle this school year and beyond.•

ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Angela Shaw is a special educator who synthesizes her diverse education and experience to collaborate with families and staff, in order to promote success and encourage the students in her care to be life-long learners. Her publishing focus is on special education topics. Shaw's son-in-law is an active duty U.S. Coast Guard. Shaw and her husband spend much of their free time adventuring to various PCS locations and enjoying every possible minute with their son-in-law, daughter, and baby grandson. Reanna Shaw is a yoga instructor who teaches yoga to both children and adults, in the Los Angeles area. She enjoys teaching mindfulness through movement. Reanna is the wife of an active duty U.S. Coast Guard and enjoys sharing her knowledge of yoga with other Coast Guard service members and their families. Since graduation from college, she has also graduated from Spira (breath) Power Yoga, a Washington state licensed private yoga career school. Reanna is certified to teach yoga to children and adults. Her newest yoga student is her infant son. Discover more about what Reanna has to share relative to the practice of yoga by searching on Facebook for @reannafityoga

HALLOWEEN YOGA! Oftentimes, young children are full of anxiety and fear in anticipation of a night of trick-or-treating or an afternoon visit to the neighborhood pumpkin patch. The yoga story below blends movement and storytelling to support children and their families in their endeavor to join in the Halloween season with the joy and imagination that is intended. The empowering short story, is artfully supported with whimsical illustrations. The illustrated activity poster is the platform in which the narrative is delivered. The activity poster provides a guide to a yoga sequence, which builds courage in preparation of Halloween festivities by blending creativity, mindfulness and movement of 10 yoga power poses. Through the confident voice and engaging story line, the focus is upon the journey of encouragement and light-heartedness, rather than perfectly aligned poses. ENJOY!