Feed Me Books Friday: Velcro?
Friday, October 14, 2011
Independence versus Skills
My son’s teacher has a shoe-tying policy. I haven’t
decided if I find it funny or disturbing. I’m navigating this new world of not
knowing EVERY SINGLE DETAIL of what goes on in the classroom, and I’m trying not
to rush to judgment. She mentioned her policy at back to school night. Children
who have not learned to tie their shoes by Halloween should wear Velcro because
she will not be tying them in November. In some ways, this is a very logical,
common sense position: 64 untied shoelaces could take up the bulk of her
just-over-3-hour session. At the same time, isn’t there a difference between the
child who is chronically dragging his untied shoelaces along behind him and the
one who is struggling with the dexterity and has an occasional moment of
frustration? (Even writing this, I’m feeling like an enabler…)
Make it IM-personal
B has started to practice shoe-tying. He WANTS to be able
to do it. He tied his own shoes every day of our recent trip (even though I
sometimes had to re-tie later) and even tied his brother’s (which is no easy
task on a squirmy 2 year old). But this week he’s back to wanting me to do it,
which I believe is thanks to a combination of morning sluggishness and a lack
of confidence in his (often loose) tying abilities. He is concerned they’ll
come undone at school and he’ll either have to take the time to fix them or ask
for help. Some of the best advice I’ve read about teaching to tie shoes is to remove the pressure of getting
ready and make it more maneuverable at the same time by having them practice on
someone else’s (often larger) shoe whether or not it is currently on a foot. So
when I saw Don’t Lose Your Shoes in the scholastic book order from B’s
preschool teacher last spring, I thought it would be a great practice tool! The
book has a three part cover. A laced-up “shoe” panel folds open next to the
pages bound between the front and back so that children can practice the
actions along with the story. The text tells the plight of Eric, a monkey who
is plagued by untied shoes tripping him up at the playground. With the help of
some animal friends, Eric learns to lace and tie his shoes. Each page of the
book illustrates a different step in the process as Eric learns it. Children
can follow along on the shoelace panel. The inside cover also has a visual
reminder of the steps for practice. Following the steps in the story produces a
double-loop or “bunny ear” style knot and bow. If intend to teach your child a
different tactic, this story won’t be much good to you. Otherwise, the story is
engaging, the tool is useful, and the connection of a narrative to the
manipulation of the laces might just be the bridge between cognitive and
physical development that your child needs.
Appropriate for preschoolers, (and primary students still
practicing).
So help me out, do you think the teacher is using humor
to encourage parents to work on this skill at home, or do you think she’s a
burned-out shoe-tier? Should I be pushing the practice with laces or shopping
for Velcro and cinch-ups? Is one tying method superior to another? Should I
teach more than one to see if it comes easier or will that just confuse him?
Hope you’ll help me out! (and share what you’re reading, too!)
photo courtesy kasahara on flickr
Read more...
It’s easy to get wrapped up and weighed down by frustration like I’ve experienced this week with the swimming lesson stand-off. I’m trying to walk a fine line between taking it seriously enough to show B that his fear is irrational and his commitment is required, and taking it lightly enough to not let it ruin my day. Books that turn expectations upside down are just the thing to lighten the mood. One we recently enjoyed that fit right into our discussion of bravery is Ogden Nash’s 
. I came across it on 
He’s excellent at the sound effects. Mommy’s favorite is hard to pick between 
and 
. I have a fondness for the light-hearted but genuine message of each. B can’t commit to a favorite. It depends on the day, but it seemed only appropriate to enjoy 
in honor of Dr. Seuss and it is one of B’s top picks.
, by Nancy J Skarmeas (and part of a “Story of…” collection we enjoy). This board book introduces the quest for religious freedom, the challenges of the journey, adjustments to the new land, relations with Native Americans, traditional Thanksgiving foods, and the concept of giving thanks for the things we have been blessed with. After reading, we made a 
, by W. Nikola-Lisa. The narrative tells the story of some turkey art in progress. The narrator explains how to make a turkey with a paint handprint, and then decorates it with toothpick legs, and some sparkles and decorations. Next he creates a backdrop for his turkeys with a pen, some woods, and some clouds in the sky. Unfortunately, a fox appears and frightens the turkeys (and the narrator). His efforts to protect the turkeys are fruitless, and as a last resort he takes down the pen and releases his turkeys to escape to safety. The thwarted fox retreats, but the narrator misses his turkeys, so he lures them back by adding some dry corn kernels to the pen for them to enjoy! The illustrations are done in oils and collage elements that your child is sure to want to emulate. Discussion of the story is an opportunity for cognitive practice in problem solving, and your child will enjoy some fine motor development if you get out the paints. 
, by Judy Cox, at our library, I expected it to be a silly Thanksgiving giggle like the story above, but it turned out to have a lovely lesson. The story begins when Thanksgiving dinner is over, the family members are occupied in other areas of the house, and a mouse notices one “luscious” pea all by itself under a plate. The mouse decides to creep up to the table and take the pea back to his mouse hole, “because one is a feast for a mouse.” But, before he leaves the table, he notices some cranberries (he takes just one) and some olives (again just one) and just one carrot stick, and his pile of goodies grows. He adds just a bit of mashed potatoes, a little gravy, the meat left behind on a turkey drumstick, and some bites of unfinished pumpkin pie. What he doesn’t notice as his loot grows is the cat coming to investigate. You can imagine the meeting of the mouse and the cat is not a pleasant one, and the accompanying clatter and mess alert the family. The mouse is relieved to escape to his hidey-hole, even without his goodies, until he notices that one “toothsome” pea which had rolled across the floor to a corner. He retrieves it and enjoys it with great relish, uttering, “Give Thanks! One is a Feast for Me!” There’s plenty of humor in the mouse’s attempts to balance all his goodies and his encounter with the cat, but the mouse’s lesson on the dangers of greed is not to be missed!
Wanna Play?
