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Minecraft Education Edition aligns with Piaget's theory of cognitive development, specifically the concrete operational stage. This stage is characterized by logical thinking, problem-solving, and the ability to understand abstract concepts.

Spatial Reasoning: Building structures in Minecraft helps children develop spatial awareness and understanding of geometric shapes.

Problem-Solving: Players must overcome challenges, such as resource gathering, crafting, and building, which promotes problem-solving skills.

Critical Thinking: Minecraft encourages children to think critically about their actions and the consequences of their decisions.

Creativity: The open-ended nature of Minecraft allows children to express their creativity through building, designing, and storytelling.

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Get Minecraft Education for your classroom. Find out how using this game will take your students’ learning to the next level.

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5 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids 🌟😊 | Cosmic Kids

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5 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids 🌟😊 | Cosmic Kids

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5 easy and practical mindfulness techniques kids from the age of 5+ can use to self-regulate, calm down, tune into their listening and sharpen concentration.

Erikson Industry vs. Inferiority: By encouraging self-awareness and self-regulation, the video helps children build a sense of competence and industry.

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5 Mindfulness Exercises for Kids 🌟😊 | Cosmic Kids

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Yoga Mirror Game is a quiet, mindful game for children where partners imitate each other's yoga poses, acting as mirrors.

The Yoga Mirror Game also contributes to the development of various motor skills:

Gross Motor Skills: Balancing, bending, twisting, and stretching are all essential gross motor skills that are practiced during the game.

Fine Motor Skills: Children must coordinate their hands and fingers to perform precise movements, such as touching their toes or placing their hands in specific positions.

Sensory Integration: The game engages multiple senses, including sight, touch, and proprioception, which helps to improve sensory integration skills

Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Concrete Operational Stage: For children in this stage, the Yoga Mirror Game can enhance:

Spatial Awareness: As children mimic each other's poses, they develop a better understanding of spatial relationships and body positioning.

Logical Thinking: They learn to sequence movements and coordinate their actions based on the leader's cues.

Problem-Solving: If a pose is challenging, children can experiment with different ways to achieve it, fostering problem-solving skills.

Erikson's Theory of Psychosocial Development

Industry vs. Inferiority: This game can contribute to a sense of industry by:

Encouraging Cooperation: Children work together as a team, building social skills and cooperation.

Boosting Self-Esteem: Successful imitation and coordination can enhance self-confidence and a sense of competence.

Promoting Initiative: Children can take turns as the leader, fostering initiative and creativity.

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This resource provides a comprehensive guide to using role-playing for social skills training with young people on the autism spectrum. It offers practical tips, free downloadable resources to help professionals effectively implement role-playing techniques. By using role-playing, therapists can create safe and supportive environments for individuals with autism to practice social skills, build confidence, and improve their interactions with others.

This resource aligns with Erikson's psychosocial theory, specifically the stage of Industry vs. Inferiority. By providing structured opportunities for practice and positive reinforcement, role-playing can help individuals with autism develop a sense of competence and industry in social situations.

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory: Through social interaction and guided practice, individuals with autism can learn to regulate their emotions in different social contexts.

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Role play practice in social skills work for children with ASD. How to do them. Free printables to help. – Social Skills Activities for Children with Autism

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Role playing is an essential social skills training method when we are working with young people on the autism spectrum. Most of us probably employ them often in our work. But years ago when I was learning how to use role plays, I muddled through it on my own, and if there was anything out there that instructed professionals how to do role plays, I was unaware of it.

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Teaching Children Emotional Regulation | Autism and Emotional Regulation

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Teaching Children Emotional Regulation | Autism and Emotional Regulation

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Helping children understand emotion and identifying emotions for kids is essential to teaching emotional regulation. In this video, we will go over some behavior resources for ABA that will help teach kids about labeling emotions so they can better regulate them.

Emotional Intelligence:

Self-Awareness: Recognizing and understanding one's own emotions is a fundamental aspect of emotional intelligence.

Self-Regulation: The ability to manage and control one's emotions is crucial for healthy social interactions and well-being.

Social Skills: Understanding and responding to the emotions of others is essential for building strong relationships.

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Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory:

Concrete Operational Stage: Children in this stage can understand and categorize emotions.

Formal Operational Stage (for older children): Older children can analyze complex emotions and develop strategies for managing them.

Erikson's Psychosocial Theory:

Industry vs. Inferiority: Helping children understand and manage their emotions can contribute to a sense of competence and industry.

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Teaching Children Emotional Regulation | Autism and Emotional Regulation

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A great experiment on how a positive story about doing a good moral thing impacts children rather than a negative story that includes punishment.

Positive reinforcement, such as praising a child for a good deed, can significantly impact moral development. It reinforces desired behaviors, making them more likely to be repeated. When children experience positive consequences for their actions, they are more likely to internalize those behaviors as morally correct.

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Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development:

Preconventional Morality: Positive reinforcement can help children move from a focus on avoiding punishment to a focus on gaining rewards.

Conventional Morality: By praising acts of kindness and cooperation, adults can encourage children to internalize societal rules and expectations.

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Children with Asperger's Syndrome often show no delays in their overall language development (e.g., grammar skills and vocabulary), but can have trouble using language in a social context. They may have average intelligence but can have problems with attention span and organization.

https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/aspergers-syndrome#:~:text=Children%20with%20Asperger's%20Syndrome%20often,with%20attention%20span%20and%20organization.

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Language letter songs are a valuable tool for developing language skills in children with Asperger's Syndrome. These songs often incorporate catchy tunes, repetitive lyrics, and visual aids to enhance learning and engagement.

How Language Letter Songs Benefit Children with Asperger's Syndrome

Phonological Awareness: Songs help children develop phonological awareness, which is the ability to recognize and manipulate sounds in spoken language.

Phonics: By associating letters with sounds, these songs can strengthen phonics skills.

Vocabulary: They introduce new vocabulary words and reinforce existing ones.

Memory: The repetitive nature of songs aids in memorization and recall.

Social Skills: Singing along with others can foster social interaction and communication.

Sensory Integration: The auditory and visual components of songs can stimulate sensory processing.

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Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory:

Social Learning: Children learn language through social interaction and cultural tools like songs.

Zone of Proximal Development: Songs can be adapted to challenge children within their individual learning zones.

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory:

Concrete Operational Stage: Children can use songs to categorize and classify information, such as letters and sounds.

Formal Operational Stage (for older children): Songs can help older children think abstractly about language and its structure.

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ChuChu TV Classics - ABCD Song in Alphabet Water Park | Nursery Rhymes and Kids Songs

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EYFS – Physical development – Fine motor skills

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EYFS – Physical development – Fine motor skills

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Fine motor skills involve the small muscles in the body that enable movement in the fingers, feet, toes and face, including the mouth and eyes. Practitioners give their top tips for developing children’s core strength and co-ordinaton.

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EYFS – Physical development – Fine motor skills

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Outdoor Activities to Build Social Skills

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Outdoor Activities to Build Social Skills

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Outdoor activities provide a unique opportunity to practice and develop essential social skills. These activities align with social development theories and can benefit individuals with Asperger's Syndrome as well

Social Development and Outdoor Activities

Social Interaction: Outdoor activities often involve interacting with others, whether it's a team sport, a group hike, or simply socializing with friends and family.

Communication Skills: Engaging in conversations, sharing experiences, and collaborating with others can enhance communication skills.

Empathy and Perspective-Taking: Observing nature and interacting with others can help individuals develop empathy and understand the perspectives of others.

Cooperation and Teamwork: Many outdoor activities require cooperation and teamwork, fostering a sense of belonging and shared goals.

Emotional Regulation: Spending time in nature can reduce stress and anxiety, promoting emotional well-being.

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Connecting to Developmental Theories

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory:

Social Learning: Children learn social skills through observation and interaction with others in outdoor settings.

Zone of Proximal Development: Outdoor activities can provide opportunities for children to learn and grow within their capabilities.

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory:

Concrete Operational Stage: Outdoor activities can stimulate cognitive development by providing opportunities for exploration, problem-solving, and critical thinking.

Formal Operational Stage (for older individuals): Complex outdoor activities, such as hiking or camping, can challenge individuals to think abstractly and plan ahead.

Erikson's Psychosocial Theory:

Industry vs. Inferiority: Outdoor activities can boost self-esteem and a sense of competence.

Identity vs. Role Confusion: Adolescents can explore their identity and values through outdoor experiences.

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Working on social skills isn't just an activity to take place in the classroom. We, as kids and adults, use social skills every day out in the real world. This gives lots of opportunities for practicing and strengthening those skills everywhere - even outside.

Whether you are a parent looking to boost your child's social skills at home over the summer or an educator seeking some non-worksheet strategies for improvement, I hope these ideas are helpful to you.

Some important points to help as you work on these social skills through outdoor activities:

Be intentional with the skills you are working on. Talk about the social skills and why they matter.

Give plenty of practice. So often, one experience isn't enough to really target a skill. Give it time!

Allow choice. Give kids an option of two different activities. This will help them buy-in and feel empowered before they even start.

Here are some activities to build social skills outside the four walls of the classroom.

Gardening
Gardening can sometimes be a favorite activity for kids and teens. Even though there is a bit of work up front, it's so fun to see something you yourself have grown! Most obviously, this can build a great deal of patience. This can also be extremely rewarding and even act as a coping strategy to see something grow over time.

In addition to these skills, you can work on skill for planning while listing out ideas for a garden, choosing what you want to grow, and designing a map for where to grow each item. This can also involve some research, as it's helpful to know what conditions different plants need.

Writing Sidewalk Chalk Messages
Grab some sidewalk chalk on a nice day and write thoughtful messages. This activity lends itself to promoting kindness, empathy, and compassion for others.

If you're not sure what to write, spend some time looking up positive and kind quotes before you head out.
Walking and Talking
A simple activity, walking and talking is just what it sounds like - building conversation skills while walking together. Spend time talking about feelings, interests, thoughts, and hopes for the future. Give plenty of time for back and forth discussion. This activity also provides practice with turn-taking, active listening, and empathy. All the while, you will also be improving relationship skills.

If you're running out of ideas, grab these free discussion starters to give some ideas.

Birdwatching
Birdwatching is an activity that can help build attention skills while also practicing mindfulness and coping strategies. To start with birdwatching, you don't need anything special. Just pick a spot in a yard or while out on a hike. Then, use your senses to notice the wildlife around you.

This is a favorite activity, as it also encourages a sense of curiosity, leading to more discussions and learning. If you see or hear something that you're not familiar with, take extra note of it or take a picture. Then, look it up once you're back inside. This is a great way to create a positive connection with nature while working on social skills at the same time.

Tidying the Yard
Cleaning up after ourselves is a critical self-management and organizational skill that we all need in our daily lives. You can use these activities to teach about why it's important to clean up and stay organized on a regular basis. When we have routines for staying organized, it really makes the clean-up process much easier.

Just a few activities kids and teens can help with include weeding, raking, spreading mulch, cleaning patio furniture, and gathering toys.
Picking Up Trash
Taking care of the environment is important! Spending time picking up trash can promote responsibility and respect for the world around us. It can also encourage discussion about responsible decision-making and learning that our choices impact those around us.

Picking up trash can be done at any local park or just when you are out on a hike. Make it fun! Give yourself "one point" for every trash item you find and put in a bag.

During the clean up process, discuss that even though you didn't leave the trash, it is part of our collective responsibility as humans to help clean up. Of course, this also fosters compassion and care for the environment.
Going on a Scavenger Hunt
Work on attention skills with an outdoor scavenger hunt. You can make the list ahead of time or find one to print out. Have kids mindfully look for different items, like a green leaf or a rock. Mark it down on the checklist and keep looking for more.

Jogging
Jogging, running, and walking are extremely healthy ways to practice coping strategies outdoors. Just like any other aerobic exercise, jogging is known to raise heart rate, burn calories, increase lung capacity, and improve the immune system. While these are generally seen as physical impacts, it's worth noting that this boosts mental and emotional health, too.

Going for a quick jog is a great way to promote a positive coping strategy when feeling stressed, angry, or even sad. Even more, jogging can be used as a proactive self-care strategy.
Basketball (or any sport)
Basketball, or really any sport, is an ideal activity to work on sportsmanship, fairness, and perseverance, to name a few skills. Choose a sport that your kids and teens enjoy most, whether it is basketball, baseball, soccer, or bowling.

If you want to work on flexibility skills, try a sport or activity that your child doesn't know well. Practice and learn together!

Leaf Rubbing
Another strategy for focusing on mindfulness, leaf rubbing is an easy and quick activity that can be done almost anywhere. All you will need is paper, a clipboard, and a crayon (or two). Have kids find a leaf on the ground that they like. Place it under the paper on the clipboard and shade in the paper.
Planning a Picnic
Grab a clipboard and start a checklist to work on planning your ideal picnic. Have kids take the lead to work on their planning and organization skills. Rather than telling them what they should bring, ask prompting questions like, "What do you think we might need?"

Letting kids and teens lead an activity like this also helps build self-confidence!
Go Fishing
Grab a fishing pole and head out to a local body of water to go fishing together. Fishing is an excellent activity that builds self-control, patience, and perseverance.
Play Freeze
In this activity, you will be playing music and giving dance time. After a minute or so, pause the music and make sure everyone freezes on the spot. After a quick pause, play the music again and resume.

Use this as a memorable way to practice and talk about self-control. Of course, this is a game that can be played either indoors or outdoors!

Again, it's important to note that the possibilities are working on social skills outside are limitless!

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Outdoor Activities to Build Social Skills

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Working on social skills isn't just an activity to take place in the classroom. We, as kids and adults, use social skills every day out in the real world. This gives lots of opportunities for practicing and strengthening those skills everywhere - even outside.

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Children’s Movies With Strong Moral Lessons

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Children’s Movies With Strong Moral Lessons

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Children’s movies are an easy way to model characteristics we would love for kids to develop. A flick on sibling relationships, values like courage or honesty, or the importance of appreciating cultural heritage.

Foster Moral Development

Modeling Prosocial Behavior: Children's movies often showcase positive behaviors like empathy, kindness, and honesty. By observing these behaviors in characters, children can learn to emulate them in their own lives.

Promoting Empathy: Films can help children understand and share the feelings of others, even those who are different from them. This can be particularly beneficial for individuals with Asperger's Syndrome, who may have difficulty recognizing and responding to emotional cues.

Encouraging Moral Reasoning: Many children's movies present moral dilemmas and ethical challenges. By watching how characters navigate these situations, children can develop their own moral reasoning skills.

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Connecting to Developmental Theories

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory:

Social Learning: Children learn moral values through social interaction and observation, including watching movies.

Cultural Tools: Movies can be seen as cultural tools that shape children's understanding of the world and their place in it.

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory:

Concrete Operational Stage: Children can use movies to understand abstract concepts like fairness, justice, and empathy.

Formal Operational Stage (for older children): Complex movies can challenge older children to think critically about moral issues.

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development:

Preconventional Morality: Movies can reinforce the importance of avoiding punishment and gaining rewards.

Conventional Morality: By watching characters conform to societal rules and expectations, children can develop a sense of morality.

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Children's movies are an easy way to model characteristics we would love for kids to develop. Whether you're looking for a flick on sibling relationships, values like courage or honesty, or the importance of appreciating cultural heritage, we've got you covered! Here's a list of 10 favorites that impart strong moral lessons.

Moana
This semi-recent Disney release teaches kids to follow their heart and face their fears with a strong female lead and a fantastic soundtrack by Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda
Heads Up: Peril, scariness, death, mild language
Sign up for Maria Dismondy email list and download free affirmation cards to inspire confidence in your home!
These ten movies entertain, educate, inspire, and uplift. Join the Empowering Kids With Character email list and download free affirmation cards to inspire confidence in your home!
Related Links:
Summer Movies for Children

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Children's Movies With Strong Moral Lessons - Maria Dismondy

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Children's Movies With Strong Moral Lessons-Here's a list of 10 favorites that impart strong moral lessons.#ChildrensMovies #StrongMoralLessons #MoralLessons

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How Children’s Memory Games Enhance Cognitive Skills?

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How Children’s Memory Games Enhance Cognitive Skills?

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Memory games rely on the players’ ability to recall information. They were designed to enhance working memory, brain function, and mental health. They also help improve memory retention as they strength the neural pathways associated with it.

Cognitive Development and Memory Games:

Working Memory: Memory games directly target working memory, the ability to hold information in mind while performing a task.

Long-Term Memory: Repeated exposure to stimuli in memory games can strengthen long-term memory.

Attention: These games require focused attention, helping to improve concentration.

Problem-Solving: Some memory games involve strategic thinking and problem-solving skills.

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Connecting to Developmental Theories:

Vygotsky's Sociocultural Theory:

Social Learning: Playing memory games with others can facilitate social interaction and learning.

Cultural Tools: Memory games can be considered cultural tools that enhance cognitive development.

Piaget's Cognitive Development Theory:

Concrete Operational Stage: Memory games can help children develop logical thinking and problem-solving skills.

Formal Operational Stage (for older individuals): More complex memory games can challenge older individuals to think abstractly and strategically.

Benefits for Individuals with Asperger's Syndrome:

Improved Cognitive Function: Memory games can strengthen cognitive abilities, such as attention, memory, and problem-solving.

Enhanced Social Skills: Cooperative memory games can promote social interaction and communication.

Reduced Anxiety: Engaging in a focused activity like a memory game can help reduce anxiety and stress.

Increased Self-Esteem: Success in memory games can boost self-confidence and self-esteem.

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Memory Games for Kids Enhance Cognitive Skills in 2024

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Playing memory games can actually enhance your child’s cognitive skills and also develop interest of learn coding, read this blog to find out how.