Alright so this isn't really an idea for an activity or lesson but I need advice/help. As I've been struggling with this situation I realized this was the best place to ask it because so many great people would be able to! So please respond as quickly as you can and let me know what you think.
I am in the Primary. We have twin girls who just came into Sunbeams. They didn't regularly attend Nursery. They are developmentally delayed. Their parents haven't specified in what areas or what ways but it is obvious. They pretty much act like 18 month olds. Let me tell you about each girl.
Twin #1 is more advanced of the two. She loves to draw and play pretend. She, like her sister, can't seem to sit for a long time and can frequently be found at the microphone at the front of the Primary room. She talks in two word sentences and her speech is that of a two year old. She pronounces things well so she can be understood. But she wanders.
Twin #2 is very head strong and when she can't have her way it ends in yelling/crying fits. She too doesn't sit still but keeps moving to sit by different people. This wouldn't be a problem but she changes seats (varying sides of the room) every two minutes. Her speech is very limited and she doesn't form sentences.
Their mother is a stay at home mom who I think is burned out. Her husband says he doesn't quite know what to do any more. They are out of ideas in how to get them to stay in Primary. We would like to come up with a game plan and present it to their parents to make sure that we are on the same wave length. I would really like to get more points of view on this matter. It effects our whole Primary. I think that as of right now the main concern is how to get them to sit for an extended period of time.
ANyways, please let me know what you think. I would love to get some advice on how to approach the matter and ideas on how to get the girls sitting. Thanks you guys!!
Jenni Hogman
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I don't know when you posted this but I thought I would repsond with ideas that we have talked about as a presidency and what I have seen in other primaries. Hopefully it can help.
ReplyDeleteFirst, is it all possible to give them something to do with their hands? One little boy was given a tractor every Sunday in Sharing Time and if he used it right he could keep it until the end of primary. and he did. my m.i.l. is giving one developmentally delayed boy in her class things that he can manipulate with his hands, forming different shapes. maybe a ball with some texture on it or that squishes. This could help keep them occupide so that they will sit. In the situation with the little boy and the tractor (he was sunbeams) none of the other kids cared at all in sharing time or class time.
Also if they had jobs ment only for them that could help too. They don't have to be big jobs. Maybe to put the step in or pull it out when a speaker is at the micro phone. this way its not a power struggle, its a job that will help them focus.
Another thing you could do for twin #2 is to make a special seat cover and before primary starts have her pick her own seat and put her special cover on it, so every one knows its just for her. At first you can give her the option of any chair and then bit by bit rule out rows or certain chairs until the only chairs she can choose from is her class row.
Try to encourage mom and dad to get them tested, if they are delayed at all now is the time to act and they can be put into programs to not only help the twins but also help mom not to be so burnt out.
Good luck!