Learning Tools & Ideas #1

Agenesis Corpus Callosum
Parent Teaching Tip:

Parent of 2 1/2-year-old child with ACC, says:

"I saw your email in the ACC listserv and wanted to add something that has helped my daughter. One thing that has helped her learn her letters is the Leap Frog Refrigerator Magnets."

LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set (uppercase)

LeapFrog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Letter Set (lowercase)

Note: there are a few older versions of this LeapFrog toy that look different

"I got it for her 2nd birthday and her speech person told me it wouldn't help her at all. But she loves the music and whenever I am in the kitchen cooking dinner she would play with it. She is just about 2 1/2 and now knows a lot of her letters and even goes in the kitchen, takes a letter off the fridge and brings it to me in another room and tells me the letter and what sounds it makes."

I asked the parent if her daughter uses it with uppercase or lowercase letters.

Parent's reply:

"We are using it with the uppercase letters."

Parent also said:

"Another thing that has helped her (I forgot until you mentioned the lowercase letters) is the Rock 'N Learn: Letter Sounds DVD. (We only focus on the beginning part with the letter sounds. The later part of the DVD goes into sentences and things that are a little advanced for her right now). It has both upper and lower case letters and says the letter, the sound and a word that begins with that letter with a picture. It also shows a mouth of a person saying the letter and sound."

click picture to enlarge

Read more about the DVD:
http://www.rocknlearn.com/html/letter_sounds.htm

Surprisingly, I recognize and am very familiar with both of
these learning tools, mentioned by the parent. I have owned
both of these learning tools for several years and use them
with my own child, Matthew, who has complete Agenesis of
the Corpus Callosum.

My child LOVES watching the part in the video where the
person's mouth/lips move to say the letter, make the sound
of the letter and say the word of the object that begins
with that letter! This DVD has a lot of music and singing
in it, a big plus!

The LeapFrog Fridge Phonics toy also helps encourage fine motor skills, requiring a child to manipulate the letter, turn it to the correct position to put it in the toy, then take it back out.

We own the older version of the LeapFrog Fridge Phonics toy below.

Note: Please be aware that the magnetic alphabet letters are not interchangable between the old and new versions.

Put the letter "A" in...
Push the "A"...
And you hear it say and sing (in a kid voice) with music...
♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫ ♪ ♫

"A"
A says "A"
A says "ah"
Every letter makes a sound
A says "A" and "ah"

And when you push the musical note, you hear the "ABC's" song (in a kid voice).

Lastly, the parent adds this info regarding Sensory Input:

"Some sensory related things that have helped her lately are the swing and the pool (which I found out just kind of by chance since it is summertime and we are outside doing those activities a lot more now)."

"Her speech has improved greatly just recently and it seems to be a lot better when she is on the swing or in the pool. Her OT and PT say it is all sensory related. The swing is because of the motion and how it relates to her vestibular system and the pool because of the added pressure the water has on her body."

OT = Occupational Therapist    PT = Physical Therapist

Thank you to the parent of a 2 1/2 year old child with ACC for all of your very informative input and ideas!

Have a learning tool that YOU want to share on the ACC blog?

Tell me all about it here. I'd love to hear from you and so
would a lot of other people, too, who will be able to
see and read all about the learning tools and ideas
that you use with your child who has Agenesis of the
Corpus Callosum.

It is my hope that this section will become a collection
of multiple learning tools (for families to browse, see and
read about) to find a variety of new and inspiring ideas to
help their young child, teenager or grown child in many
different areas--from academics, to fine motor/large motor
skills, to sensory issues, to potty training--and anything
else that comes to mind.


Note: this new topic was inspired by Amanda, the mom of a child with ACC, at Blogging for Beau, where she shares some excellent ideas and fun "Learning Tools".