By Ellen Walters, Director, Learning Initiatives in Early Childhood Education
Yesterday, early childhood teachers from four schools gathered at Jewish Learning Venture for a workshop with Aviva Weiss, MS/OTR/L and Founder of Fun and Function. Aviva described the issues of Sensory Integration so that teachers would understand the differing needs of their students. She brought many products for teachers to sample such as squeezy balls, putty, and “fidgets.” She helped teachers to validate the feelings of their children while setting realistic limits. In her presentation, she displayed an “Action Room” including a small trampoline and a climbing wall that would be helpful to all children. Participants shared great feedback, including the “instructor was insightful, knowledgeable, and passionate about her field,” and “I will spend more time listening to the children about their feelings.” Sessions such as these with experts in their fields help teachers to become better practitioners, which is better for our children and better for our community!
For more information, or to view the resources that Aviva shared, contact Ellen Walters.