Check your local library...

Besides having a practically endless supply of books, your local library is a treasure trove of free resources.  Our local library here has 2 great resources that I wanted to share with you, in the hopes of encouraging you to check your local library for something similiar.

Zinio
Zinio is a magazine reader that is available on your iPhone/iPad, Android device, or computer.  Normally you would have to purchase a subscription for each title you want, but my library has over 100 titles available for FREE.  There's a sign-up process where I have to create an account using my library card, but once it's all done, I can read the magazine anytime from my iPhone or iPad.

And we're not talking about obscure magazine titles either.  There are great titles on there like Good Housekeeping, Parenting, National Geographic...etc.  There's even gossip magazines like Star that are one of my guilty pleasures in life - perfect for those days when it's just been rough and I need to veg out...

Tumblebooks
Our library also has a Tumblebooks library.  Tumblebooks is a great online resource that actually reads the books out loud.  Some of the images are animated, and each word is highlighted as it is being read.  It is a great way to work on literacy skills! 

What are some of the resources that your local library offers?

Visual Timers Options

Time Timer (www.timetimer.com)

Visual timers are a great way for children who have yet to master telling time grasp a concept of time.  Visual timers are exactly what they sound like - timers that are visual.  They give the user a visual reference to how much time is left, instead of relying on numbers.

We use visual to keep Bugsy on task.  She likes to take half a century eating, especially dinner.  And she loves to skip out on brushing her teeth.  We also use visual timers to give her transitional warnings.  Saying "5 minutes left" is pointless when the child has no idea what 5 minutes mean.  Saying "you have until the red is all gone" means something because she can tell the red is getting smaller and smaller.

When we were first introduced to the concept of visual timers, I was a bit daunted by the cost.  Time Timer makes a 12", 8" and 3" version, but the 8" one costs $35!  They do make mobile versions for your iDevices, but the iphone app costs $3.99 and the iPad app costs $6.99.  $3.99 is a far cry from $35, but in terms of apps, $3.99 rests on the more expensive side in my opinion.  However, there are other alternatives for visual timer apps for the technologically inclined.   Timer+ Touch from SixAxis was recently free this past Labor Day for the iPad, but normally is priced at $1.99 for both iPad and iPhone.  I personally downloaded the iPad app this past Monday at the very economical price of free =).

There are pros and cons to having a timer on your device.  If you already down an iDevice, the cost for the app is much lower than buying a stand-alone timer.  However, your device is essentially unusable during the entire timing period.  If you minimize the app, it's just as useless as telling the child "5 more minutes" when he has no idea how long 5 minutes actually is.

There is also a FREE online version at www.stop-watch.com (select "countdown").  However, it will not work on mobile device (or at the very least, the timer will work but the visual part of the timer is missing).  This may be an alternative for classrooms or homes where a desktop is conveniently placed but not in use during the child's activity.  Because again, if the timer is minimized, it becomes essentially pointless and useless to the child. 

Amazon.com: $14 with prime shipping

Other alternatives include a pie kitchen timer made by Joseph Joseph and sold by Amazon.com for $14 with free prime shipping.  I considered making the purchase, but was swayed by the multiple reviews that stated the timer stopped working a few months later.  I have not had personal experience with this timer, so I can't speak for it either way. 

Lakeshore Learning: Giant Sand Timers ($49.95)

And of course, there are the traditional sand timers.  This was my first thought when we were looking for a visual timer for bugsy.  However, I quickly learned the cons of using sand timers.  First (and most important for us), a sand timer is fixed.  If I purchase an hourglass that runs for a minute, and it will only ever run for a minute...meaning I can only ever it for activities spanning a minute.  You also need a larger hourglass to be able to really see the sand clearly.  Lakeshore sells a set of 4 giant sand timers for $50.  Also, sand timers don't have alarm.  It empties all of its sand, and if no one is watching it, nothing happens.  I use these timers for me as well, because I can give Bugsy a 5 minute warning to clean up and then not have to watch the clock the entire 5 minutes.  I can multitask can go do something else.  With a sand timer, I risk not being able to follow through.  Sand timers might be perfect in structured settings like classrooms or therapy sessions, but not so much for a situation where I might not be sitting in front of the timer!

Do you use a visual timer?  If so, what method works best for you?

Encourage pointing with beams 'o light!

Pointing is a very important skill.  It's a form of communication and joint attention.  When a child points to the passing firetruck, he is telling you "Look at that!".  He wants to share something with you.  He wants to make a social connection with you, and wants your attention so he can tell you about something.  Joint attention is essential for communication and social exchanges.

Inadvertently, pointing also triggers multiple learning opportunities.  When the child points to something, the response from the adult is something along the lines of "Oh?  What do you see?  It's a big red firetruck!  Where do you think the firetruck is going?  He's going fast, isn't he?".  Such a natural response is a wonderful learning opportunity, because we just labeled the thing he was interested in and pointed to ("firetruck"), and also presented characteristics ("big", "red", "fast").  We are having a conversation with the child, even if the child cannot verbally answer yet.

A lack of pointing is also one of those warning signs for autism.  Bugsy didn't point (at all) until she was 2 years old, and only after some pretty intensive therapy.  We did hand-over-hand a lot, modeling, and enlisted the help of toys with tiny buttons that could only be pressed with one finger.  Like an alphabet board toy where she had to isolate her index finger in order to press one button at a time.  Even after she started pointing, it was only under certain circumstances and only with prompting.  It wasn't until she was 3 years old that she was reliably and independently pointing to communicate her wants and needs. 

OTC 12 Finger Beams $8.00

The other day, a family friend gave Bugsy a toy that I wished I knew had existed 2 years ago.  It would have saved us a lot of sweat and tears.  They're finger light beams.  A little elastic allows you to put it on a finger (any finger), and then the light shines on whatever you're pointing to.  You can buy them online from Oriental Trading Company (12 for $8) or Amazon (40 for $7 with prime shipping: here or here).  


Now, granted, the toy will work and the light will still shine if the child isn't pointing but just making a fist or whatever.  But that's where the adult supervision, modeling, encouragement, and prompting comes in.  I particularly like the set that Bugsy got, because instead of just shooting a light, it actually makes pictures.  If she's not pointing at a blank wall, then the picture gets distorted and she can't see it, so it encourages her to target a specific location.  Also, if she's shaking her hand/arm/finger, the picture starts bouncing around - so it's motivation to hold her hand steady.  It's a good way to work on strengthening, because she can actually see that she's being unsteady.  Bugsy will say "uh-oh" if she drops her hand and loses her picture =).   

As you can tell from the picture, these things are pretty tiny.  Adult supervision is DEFINITELY needed because it's totally swallowable.  Besides the fact that swallowing anything non-food is not so great for you, these things are powered by 3 watch batteries...so that's something you definitely don't want to add to your diet.

The one thing I really don't like about this toy is that little elastic band.  Bugsy has come a long way with tolerating things on her, but when she first got this toy she was still a little bit hesitant.  I had to actually force it on her little finger, and she was about to make a fuss before I turned it on and she was too mesmerized by the pretty pictures to remember that she was mad at me.  Now when she knows we're playing with these she readily sticks her finger out for them.  However, I wouldn't be so confident 2 years ago the pretty pictures could have overpowered the tantrum.  This toy also requires a pretty dark room for it to work.  So if your kiddo has sensory sensitivities, this might be more trouble than it's worth for your family.

Has anyone else seen these things and had success with them in working on pointing?  I didn't know they existed until 2 weeks ago, and Bugsy has already mastered the pointing skill, so I'd be interested to know how it works for kids who are still working on pointing.