Awakening Minds Update: On scaffolding and customising learning materials for all learners incl those with special needs

Dear everyone:

Teachers and caregivers often struggle to teach learners with special needs due to the latter's cognitive, communication, interaction, sensory and behavioural challenges. However, it is my belief that all children can learn; the onus lies on us adult caregivers and professionals to rise to the occasion and identify the right type of scaffolding, or educational support, to enable these children to learn. My homeschooling journey with Sebastien, my son with classic autism, over the last five years, has been an eye-opening and humbling experience, which have led me to design and implement customised learning materials and curriculum not only for him, but also other learners.

In this latest Awakening Minds update:

1. I would like to introduce you to some of the learning materials and working templates that I have been inspired (from my work with Sebastien) to develop for all learners including those with special needs.

a. The featured product that is available for sale is my Words, Pictures, Story! (WPS!) Story template. This story template offers typical learners (aged 6-8) an enjoyable initiation into the storywriting experience without the pressure of facing an empty page. At the same time, they are also applying their knowledge of parts of the speech. This product (SD$15.00, 21 pages) will be emailed to you as a pdf document upon receipt of payment.

It is also accompanied by a workbook (SD$15.00, 20 pages) that accompanies this story template. It covers Reading Comprehension, Vocabulary, Grammar and Creative Project. For more information about both products, please go to www.awakeningminds.sg, BOOKS tab.

b. I would also like to highlight other customised learning materials that I have designed for young learners and those with special needs. These visual and tactile learning materials offer a new dimension to the language learning experience for learners, which can serve to supplement pen-and-paper learning. To check out the products, please go to www.awakeningminds.sg, EDUCATION tab, LEARNING MATERIALS (on the left).

c. As part of my ongoing endeavour to promote open-minded thinking and compassion towards children with special needs, I would like to highlight my idea of a book reading/talk that features my self-published picture book, All Because of the Hummingbird Or the Horse (This book is ideal for primary school children). I could accompany the book reading with a personal sharing of Sebastien, my son with autism, with compelling photos, targeted at young learners. I had a wonderful experience conducting such a talk with an international school in Singapore.

This talk ("What If It Were Me?") could be part of the schools' character-building campaignss. This 90-minute talk/book-reading (SD$250.00, negotiable) also includes a give-away of five picture books to students whom peers/teachers consider to demonstrate qualities of kindness and compassion (www.awakeningminds.sg, BOOKS tab).

d. Finally, I am grateful for Carol Hee's outstanding coverage of my homeschooling journey with Sebastien in the Chinese section of My Paper, published on February 24, 2010. To take a look at this article, please go to www.awakeningminds.sg, MEDIA tab.

If you have any queries or interest in any of these products and talks, please feel free to email me.

Best regards,

Kah Ying

+658163-4509