EVERYONE COUNTS



Everybody Counts! Curriculum GuideKindergarten Introduction ProgramObjectivesTo introduce the Everyone Counts! Program to the kindergarten studentsTo help children understand that there are many differences in all people-both disabled and non-disabled.To help children understand that differences are not right or wrong, good or bad. They are just different.Materials (supplied to you, on the day of the program, by the PTA)Books, “We’re Different, We’re the Same” and “A Rainbow of Friends”Copy of pages 3.12 and 3.13 of Everyone Counts! Curriculum to help presenter with signsCopy of Happy Birthday signs to leave with the teacher (in Curriculum)Plastic bowls and containersBeads??? Socks??? Braille Shapes and Braille library booksCopy of Handicapped Logo from CurriculumSuggested Time Allowance10 minutes??? ??? Introduction30 minutes??? ??? 3 group activities, 10 minutes per group10 minutes ??? ???Group Activity, Conclusion50 minutes??? ??? Total TimeReview the 4 steps of the introduction. It is not necessary to memorize this or any of the material. Become familiar with the material and use your own words.IntroductionWhat if everyone in the world was exactly the same? What if we all looked alike- we all had brown hair, green eyes, we were all 5 feet tall and we all liked the same thing? How boring that would be. We wouldn’t even be able to find our friends or our Moms or Dads. We would all look the same.Fortunately, we are NOT all the same. How are we all different? (Cues hair color, size, age, skin color, etc.) All our differences make us special. There are not two people exactly alike in every way. Even a twin likes some things more that the other twin does. Differences are not bad or scary. They are just different.All people are different and they are able to learn things in different ways and at different times. Some people can learn things quickly and easily, while other people have to work very hard to do things that seem easy for others. Have you ever heard the words handicapped or disabled? Do you know what they mean? (Allow children an opportunity to volunteer answers).A person with a handicap or disability is the same as any other person but there is one difference. Some part of their body does not work the regular way. Read the book, “We’re Different, We’re the Same” to the class. Explain that we are all different in many ways and that is good. Life would be pretty boring if everyone was exactly the same. However, there is one thing that is the same for everyone. We all have feelings. We all want to be happy and have friends.Explain to the class that you are going to divide them into 3 groups.They will learn a little bit aboutPeople who are not able to see??? People who cannot hear??? People who have a hard time using their arms and legsMake sure that you are very clear that each child will have a chance to be part of all three groups. Otherwise the children will keep watching other groups so they won’t miss anything.Divide the class into three groups. Allow about 10 minutes for each group.GROUP 1 – Visual ImpairmentThe children will have the opportunity to learn that people who cannot see are still able to participate in many activities. They will discover that they can “see” through the sense of touch in their fingers.Ask the children if they know anyone whose eyes don’t work very well. (If children comment that they know people who wear glasses, agree that the person needs help for their eyes so they can see better.) Ask the children if they know that there are people who can’t see at all.Instruct the children in your own words, “Everyone close your eyes very tightly. Now you can’t see any colors or shapes or people. Keep your eyes closed. Listen carefully.Can you tell me what I am doing?”Clap your handsWhistleSneezeAllow the children to identify each sound. Ask them how they knew what you were doing. Remind them that they used their ears instead of their eyes. People who can’t see are able to listen very carefully and they know what is happening by listening.Introduction to BrailleAnother thing that people can do is touch things. If you can’t see with your eyes, you can still figure out what is happening by touching. People who are blind can even read by touching a special type of printing for words. This special printing is called Braille. Every letter of the alphabet has a special way of being printed in Braille. Each letter can be made by certain round bumps on a paper. Show the children a Braille library book. Let them touch the pages. Remind them that those little bumps are carefully made. Keep in mind that you are not going to teach kindergarten student to really understand Braille. You goal is to help them understand that there is a different form of the alphabet for people who are blind. People CAN read by touch.Briefly review the points that you have covered.GROUP 2 – Hearing ImpairmentIn your own words, present the following to the children.If you couldn’t hear, you wouldn’t be able to hear me talk to you. Look at my face. It would be kind of like this; “My name is _________ and I am happy that I could visit your class today.” (Start out by speaking the sentence and the just “mouth” the underlined part of the sentence.) “It would be hard for you to know what I am saying if you could never hear me talking”.“What else would you miss if you couldn’t hear?” (It may be necessary to prompt the children by suggesting a few examples – TV, birds singing, the sounds from Wii or X Box, a baby crying, etc). Allow the children to bring up several sounds so they can understand the great impact of living in a world with no sound.If you can’t hear, it is very hard to learn to talk. Explain that people can talk with their hands by using sign language. You can use signs to “say” whole words. Sign language is a little bit like making pictures with your hands for words.Show the children the sign for baby. (Refer to page 3.10 of the Curriculum). Ask everyone to try to make the sign for baby. Demonstrate the sign for book. Ask the children to repeat if after you. Sometimes the signs look like the picture of the word. Show them the sign for sleep and ask if they can guess what it is. Ask them to try it.Summarize by briefly reviewing the points you have made.People who are not able to hear can carefully watch a speaker’s mouth to see what they are saying.??? People can talk with their hands by using sign language.??? Signs are like pictures made with their hands for each word.GROUP 3 - Motor ImpairmentSome people have a difficult time controlling the movement of their body. Ask the children to think about all the parts of their body that move. Ask them to tell you a part of the body and show you how it moves. For example, fingers – they can move their fingers. Let several children make suggestions and demonstrate. Encourage them to include body parts such as tongue, eyelids and lips as well as obvious answer such as arms and legs.Explain to the children that every part of the body is important and that if one area doesn’t move well it makes it very hard to do some things.Simulation Activity for Fine Motor DisabilityThis activity should be done on the carpet.Explain to the children that if you have a hard time moving your fingers, it will make many jobs very hard to do. Ask them to think about some things that would be hard to do if their fingers didn’t work very well. If prompting is necessary suggest zipping a coat, opening a lunch box, opening and closing a school bag, etc.It is difficult to eat if it is hard to move your fingers. Explain that you will help them understand how hard it is. Give each child an empty plastic bowl and a container with some beads in it. Put a sock over each child’s dominant hand, (ask them which hand they eat with). Instruct the children to carefully pick up one bead at a time and put it into the empty container. They must use their hand that is covered by the sock. Explain to the children that this is not a trick and it is something they can do but it takes a lot of work and they must be careful so they don’t spill the beads. They can try to pick up one bead with their uncovered hand to demonstrate and contrast. When they are finished, be sure to take the time to explain to the children what they have done. You don’t want this to be a party game. Remind them by holding up your hand and explaining that if it is hard to move your fingers, it is hard to do many things that are usually easy for most people.Remind them that if they always had to work this hard to eat, they would get tired. Some people have to work very hard. You are trying to help them respect the effort. It is important to use language that is appropriate for Kindergarteners.Show the children the sheet illustrating the Handicapped Logo. Ask them if they have seen this symbol anywhere. They should be able to tell you that they have seen it by parking spaces. Explain that this symbol is used to identify areas that are available for people who are disabled or handicapped. It can include spaces in theaters for wheelchairs, ramps to get into a building or a parking space that is close to a building and wide enough for a person in a wheelchair. It is also seen in rest rooms. Explain that it is important that these areas be saved for people who really need them. It is wrong for people to use them if they are not handicapped. It is also against the law.Briefly summarize what you have covered.Personal Not on the Conclusion (for volunteer only)Some people are concerned about the bluntness of the questions in the book. They feel it is somehow rude for a child to ask why a person has a certain skin color or size. However, these are innocent, inquisitive thoughts that all children have. The book answers these questions in a brief direct way. Kids ask direct questions. Children have been asked very direct questions about their disabilities. It should not be more threatening to us as adults to have children ask direct questions about more normal differences in people. Our goal is to help children understand that the difference of a disability is no more threatening than differences in people who are not disabled. Please remember that the book is directed at primary age children. Our adult interpretation is much deeper and more complicated. We want children to ask us questions about differences, but we also want them to learn to ask in a quiet voice or maybe accept a short answer with more explanation given later at home. It has been difficult for me to have parents’ respond in two uncomfortable ways to my children with disabilities. They either loudly “Shhh” their child and tell them not to look or they go into lengthy explanations that could be a chapter in a medical journal. Please remember that a brief honest answer, with emphasis on respect, is always preferable.ConclusionThe children can all come back and sit together as a class. If time permits, read the book “A Rainbow of Friends”teach the class to sign the “Happy Birthday Song” If not, one of the volunteers can lead or just distribute the HAPPY BIRTHDAY SONG SIGN AND SING sheet to the whole class.Explain that you are going to teach them to sing and sign a song. This is very simple and only requires learning 5 signs and the manual alphabet letter (just the first letter) of the person’s name you are using. Show the children a copy of the Manual Sign Language Alphabet (page 3.12 of Curriculum). When naming a person for the song, the first letter of the name is made with the right hand and tapped on the left shoulder. Hopefully the teacher will encourage the class to sing and sign Happy Birthday every time a child’s birthday is celebrated by the class.Refer to sign sheet for signs for the song. The sign for the word “to” has been omitted. It is not always necessary to sign every word and it makes it much easier for the children and you!Review the goals of the program, listed below, with the children. Feel free to use your own words.The main goal of the Kindergarten program is to help children understand that differences are not good or bad, just different. All people are important and it is OK if they do things in a different way or if they look different. It gives the children an introduction to the Everyone Counts! Program and makes them feel included in Everyone Counts! week at their school. Try to imagine how difficult it would be for you if people turned to look or children loudly questioned something about your physical appearance. If you can make children feel more comfortable and understand the right way to question differences, YOU have given a successful program. ................
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