Sometimes it is hard to find jobs and things that she is capable of doing. Miss K has the job of wiping the table and she is able to do that without too much of a problem. She is also learning to sweep the floor.
She is a good helper and still considers most things fun so this is a good time to be teaching life skills. The other day I brought the basket of laundry down and asked her to sort it into lights and darks and she did. She had worked with me and we would talk about it so I thought she would be able to do it. She learned this skill by working with me as I talked to her telling her what I was doing. She helped and then was able to begin doing it on her own.
Sometimes it is easier to just do it yourself because it takes a bit longer but is it a help and a skill she needs to learn.
This morning I brought the laundry down and asked her to sort it. I walked away and he finished the job. I have to help put the detergent in and so I just check to make sure the sorting was done correctly. I don't spot treat that much so that is not something that she has to do.
Another skill that we have been working on recently is pouring. I have used some Montessori type activities in the past and still like to do that for an activity. I have also begun to give her the job of pouring water for breakfast. There is quite a bit of skill required -- the ability to hold the pitcher and pour at the same time as well as eye-hand coordination to know when to stop. Right now she is stopping too soon so we are working on that.
One of the books that I have in my shipment and need to read and work on creating a checklist is called Steps to Independence. As I was talking with a friend, she reminded me of a life skills planner that she had found online and which I had pinned. I want to make it a priority to be intentional about teaching life skills. Some of that means taking the time and having a plan.
What resources have you found for teaching life skills?
Beth
Yay for no nappies! That's a huge step! Well done Miss K!
ReplyDeleteFor self-help activities I have used a set of skills listed in a book called Instructional Activities for Children at Risk, Adaptive Domain. It is obviously intended to be used in classroom with a variety of special children, but the skills and some activities were helpful. The lists were for developmental ages 2-6, and covered basic areas (eating, dressing, crossing the street, using the bathroom.) Although we are still working on some things in each list in this book, a more comprehensive and extended set of skills lists would be good. What do you recommend? (Carissa was daytime potty trained at 6 years and we just worked off the nighttime pull-up this summer. Accidents still occur but are less and less often.)
ReplyDeleteHere is the book that I found. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/170785010842459432/ I have not spent much time looking at it but want to. I will try to do that and post some of our goals. Miss K was not daytime potty trained until she was 8 and so we ended up daytime and nighttime close together. Accidents still happen here.
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