• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Momma 'N Manila

Growing through parenting

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Blog
  • Nourish
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Desserts
    • Cheers
    • Guest Recipes
  • Advocate
    • Autism
    • Best Buddies
    • Down Syndrome
    • Special Needs
  • Gather
    • Crafternoons
    • Entertaining at Home
    • Events
    • Mothers Who Brunch
    • DIY
  • Review
    • 4 KIDS
    • Dining
    • Travel
    • Home & Hearth
    • Health & Beauty
    • Giveaways
    • Fashion
  • Nurture
    • Education
    • Parenting
    • Relationships
    • Yoga
  • MWB

Advocate Down Syndrome Education Parenting

Guest Post Megan Landmeier

There are a few blogs that I make sure to read each and every time a new post is sent to my inbox. I have subscribed to some, but  most of the time because I feel like I’m chasing time and doing five things at once, my only time to sit down and read them is right before bed on my smart phone. (C’mon Mommas, you know egg-sactly what I’m talking about.) 

I’ve been reading My Stubborn Little Miss since I stumbled upon it from another blog that I like to visit. Enjoying the Small Things, blogger, Kelle Hampton and Megan are friends on social media, and when I was catching up on some posts, I saw that Megan had a baby girl who looked about the same age as Gellibean.

When I read up on her blog, I realized that Megan is a  teacher like me. Whenever she writes about Ellie’s activities I am reminded once again how the simplest of activities can be learning for Gellie. (Ellie and Gellie…do you see a similarity here?) I love reading Megan’s posts because she keeps it real and shares what it’s like to raise a child, have a career, and still carve out time for herself and for her running.  

Thank you Megan for agreeing to guest post and share some rock solid tips and tricks of how to work speech therapy into Ellie’s day in a way that is painless, and fun. Because like you, I do believe that learning (and therapy for our lils’) should be fun.

Parenting is a balancing act.

I want to make sure my daughter reaches her fullest potential.  I want to provide her with every possible opportunity.

I do not want to suffocate Ellie with my overinvolvement.  I want to give her freedom to play and be a kid.

I want to make sure that Ellie isn’t treated as less because she has Down syndrome.  I want Ellie to believe in herself.

I want time to make dinner.  I want to use the bathroom by myself.  I want Ellie to go play alone for ten minutes so I can check Facebook.

I want time to work on my photography.

And I work full time, which I’ve done most of my daughter’s life, as a special education teacher and as a kindergarten teacher.  For that reason, I try to find activities that are fun and help Ellie develop skills.

1wmchalk

My favorite activities tend to be speech focused.  Like all children, kids with Down syndrome have their own relative strengths and weaknesses.  Not surprisingly, Ellie, who has a chatterbox for a mom, would much rather work on speech than fine motor skills.

My absolute favorite speech activity for babies and toddlers came from DownsEd.  Their flashcards were the first flashcards Ellie used.  Early on, I showed her the flashcards and told her what the pictures were to develop vocabulary.  Later, I asked her to pick one from a field of two.  (For example, pick the bear if I held a bear and a cat.)  Soon, she could sign the words, and eventually say them.

1wmweek4

Sometimes, high interest words aren’t available on flashcards.  In that case, I make my own.  You can see an example here.   You can use your own photos or images from magazines on clipart.  I’ve found my own photos hold Ellie’s interest more than stock images, and photographs generally hold her interest more than drawings.  I always show Ellie the word, even though we haven’t pushed sight word reading yet.  She recognizes Mommy, Daddy, and Ellie, and she also knows her uppercase and some lowercase letters.

We try to keep letter learning fun.  As a teacher, I know that letter recognition and sound identification are important kindergarten skills, and as a Down syndrome mom, I know Ellie will probably sight read before she can decode.  To work on sight reading, at this point I try to use natural methods – reading everything we can!

We have books available for Ellie in almost every room in the house, and we encourage her to explore them and “read” to herself.  We also write words whenever we draw or color, including with chalk outside in the summer.  Ellie’s speech and sound/letter awareness have always seemed to build on each other.  We also write our own books.  You can download a freebie here.

1wmweekend3

But what about the skills that my kid doesn’t really have and doesn’t seem interested in building?  We sneak them in!  For fine motor, we play with magnets (ABC magnets of course) and stickers.  We grab a bucket of water and a paintbrush and we “paint” on the sidewalk on warm spring days.  We dress baby dolls and brush their hair and put away silverware and pretend to paint our nails.

Daily activities for kids with Down syndrome don’t need to look dramatically different to promote learning.  The most important thing in working on developmental skills that other kids learn naturally is simply to think about what the goal is and work backward.  If I want Ellie to be able to zip her jacket, I start with zipping a bear’s jacket so it’s not on her.  I add a big pull tag to the zipper so she can do it herself.  And now, Ellie can (unfortunately?  fortunately?) zip and unzip.  

Fun makes all the difference. 

1wmZoo1 

Megan Landmeier is wife to Matt and mom to an almost four year old girl with Down syndrome, Ellie.  When Megan isn’t busy chasing Ellie around, she’s teaching Kindergarten, taking photographs, running, or blogging.  You can also find her on Instagram and Facebook.

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)

Related


« Phi Sig, Uncle Joe, and Down Syndrome
Montessori at Home »

Hello and Welcome!


Hi! Here is where I share my thoughts on yoga, cooking, crafting, raising a special child, exploring, eating, playing, and living in Manila.
READ MORE

You can also say hi or email me at mish@mommanmanila.com

Twitter

Tweets by @mishaventajado

Pinterest

Recent Posts

  • Our Dental Experience at Affinity Dental, One Bonifacio High Street
  • Waterside BBQ Brunch Buffet at Solaire
  • LUMOS RAY Projector Review
  • A Grapeful Summer with Taste Australia
  • Suite Treat Mommy Weekend at Marco Polo Manila

Archives

Categories

Recent Comments

  • Ran on Waterside BBQ Brunch Buffet at Solaire
  • michelle on Waterside BBQ Brunch Buffet at Solaire
  • Ran on Waterside BBQ Brunch Buffet at Solaire
  • michelle on LUMOS RAY Projector Review
  • Angelie G. Y. Melsbo on LUMOS RAY Projector Review

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @mommanmanila

mommanmanila

It’s December 1st! Is there anything more delic It’s December 1st!

Is there anything more delicious than the smell of Christmas and the new found freedom as we anticipate celebrating the holidays with our families again?

@festivalmall has hosted a series of musical shows since November 5th that include Ace Banzuelo and Silent Sanctuary. Check out Michael Pangilinan on December 10th, too!

With Santa visiting, Christmas parties, arts and crafts and lots of promos, you can even enter for a chance to win a Toyota Fortuner!

Best of all-I love it when the places we know give purpose to their celebrations. Thank you #FestivalMall for partnering with @dsapi1  this holiday season. 

Thank you for sharing all the different ways we can celebrate the holidays with you!

#tistheseason #seasonofgiving #downsyndromeawareness #aintnothingdownaboutit #upsyndrome
I have always been intimidated by Cornish Hens. Th I have always been intimidated by Cornish Hens. Through this learning exercise with @usapeecphl, I have learned a bit more about these little birds that have bigger breast parts, and thank you Chef @ivoryyat for showing me how easy it is to prepare Greek Lemon Roasted Cornish Hens with Roasted Potatoes.
 
Clean and fresh flavors are perfect for these smaller birds that are rich in protein with zero carbs. Try the recipe in the comments section. I’m sure you’d enjoy it as much as I did!
 
Interested in U.S. Cornish Hens? You can buy them in stores near you. #CornishHen #USCornishHen #PoultryPerfection #CookingWithUSPoultry #USPoultry #USAPEECPHL #ad
@gi.aventajado and I played with some of the @pura @gi.aventajado and I played with some of the @puratosph products that they sent over the other day. Ready to use Bavarian Cream made these Cream Puffs easier than ever. I think we have to figure out how to temper our couverture better…

#workinprogress #wasdelicious #giabaked #puratosph #gavinosph #anyonecanbake
@mommymundo always has a way of bringing together @mommymundo always has a way of bringing together just what we need, no matter the time of year. Loving these photos of my first boy that were snapped @expomom.

Anyone else thinking about #HolidayPhotos? I am not one of those moms that has it all together before Christmas. It’s usually a mad dash for us at the end of the year, but if it’s anything that the past few years has taught me, it’s that the little things are what makes the Christmas special.

Many of us haven’t been together with the extended family or even our immediate family in so long. That means it’s the perfect time to document.

@nextbymetrophoto will be hosting one last Christmas Marathon family photo shoot before the end of year. Check them out or shoot them a message. They have some cute set-ups.
****GIVEAWAY ALERT*** 10 things I LOVE about @sed ****GIVEAWAY ALERT***

10 things I LOVE about @sedahotels listed here and on FB!

1. Each property has a Signature Dish. If you can’t make it to Bacolod, you can still enjoy Chicken Inasal in any of their properties.

2. Clean Design. So easy to work and play in a space that is light, modern, and clean in design. 

3. Beautiful views. Every chance I got, I would sit outside at @straightupatseda. 

4. Spacious Rooms and Residence Stays. Staying in the Three Bedroom Premier was perfect for our family. 

5. Attentive Service. Everyone was pleasant and accommodating.

6. Centrally Located. If you are thinking of fun things to do in Makati and want a home base, Seda Residences Makati is near a few of the museums, parks, and malls.

7. Work with ease. Internet service is uninterrupted. Meeting rooms are available and easy to book.

8. Relax and Play. From mid-day tubbies with Gelli to, taking advantage of the pool, or the children’s room, the little girl had more than enough things to keep her busy!

9. #FamilyTime. Spending an extended amount of time outside our own space led to laughter, fun conversations, and opportunities to try new things. We were comfortable and rested in the space we were in, which meant more opportunities for us to connect.

10. Homegrown with a Purpose. A Filipino brand that understands the importance of both work and travel, each property is important to the city & province location. Environmentally aware by adopting Mayumi, a Philippine Bald Eagle. 🦅

Want to win your own staycation at #SedaResidencesMakati?

Up for grabs is one night in a ONE BEDROOM DELUXE for two persons with breakfast!

Here’s how to enter to win:
1) Follow @sedahotels 
2) Follow @mommanmanila & @kitchen143 
3) Tag a friend (or more) who love(s) staycations too!
4) Comment why you should win this staycation treat!

Plus points for people who share this post in stories and the winner will be announced on December 6th.
Thankful for work that doesn’t feel like work. Thankful for work that doesn’t feel like work.

@kitchen143 is something I really do love. Sharing a little bit of my kitchen with viewers and followers brings me joy. Even better when I get to work with chefs whom I can learn from and friends who like to spend time in the kitchen too!

#Thanksgiving
Thankful for the gift of music. Wish I caught mor Thankful for the gift of music.

Wish I caught more mini moments from We Will Rock You.

Such a great musical!

@sedahotels 
#sedaresidencesmakati 
#sedaat10
Thankful for @bestbuddies_ph. @gelliaventajado j Thankful for @bestbuddies_ph. 

@gelliaventajado joined our family and led me to @bestbuddies. 

Thankful for all the ambassadors who were able to spend time with us. And for @smlpeeps  and @asurionphcareers for helping make magic happen on Saturday afternoon for #Friendsgiving.

#Thanksgiving #bestbuddiesph
Thankful for women who share their faith with me. Thankful for women who share their faith with me. 

#Thanksgiving
Is there anything better than a stuffed turkey at Is there anything better than a stuffed turkey at this time of year? Whole turkeys require serious commitment to cook. #IYKYK But because U.S. Poultry is now available here in the Philippines, that also means preparing turkey is a tad bit easier.
 
Frozen U.S. turkey products are available and ready to cook for people who want to dabble with flavors for this bigger bird but aren't sure how.
 
Thank you to Chef @ivoryyat for putting together a medley of my favorite fall flavors. This combination of apples, sweet potatoes, and maple syrup perfectly compliment  the roasted turkey leg and remind me of flavors and scenes from back in New York. 
 
@usapeecphl l has the highest standards that follow USDA requirements which are certified safe before shipping to the Philippines. Get them in stores near you. 

#ad #Turkey #USTurkey #Thanksgiving #PoultryPerfection #CookingWithUSPoultry #USPoultry #USAPEECPHL #ServeTurkey #EatTurkey
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Blog Design by Fancy Girl Design Studio

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

 

Loading Comments...