Lucia Matuonto's Blog
November 22, 2020
The Need for Special Needs Inclusion
There are many things that are different for all of us. We have different parents from our friends, and different colour and food favourites from those around us. Some people have abilities, too, that are different and some people have disabilities. Children with disabilities may seem different and do things differently, but they can also teach everyone all about diversity and the importance of inclusion so that everyone can have a fulfilling and exciting life.
What is inclusion?
Inclusion is when you allow for everyone (including children with disabilities) to be a part of the classroom or social group. Sometimes children with disabilities are dismayed because they are different, but inclusion takes the opposite approach. In an inclusive point of view, children with disabilities are accommodated so that everyone can participate.
What does inclusion look like?
There are quite a few different ways that inclusion can take place in school as well as in social gatherings. Some examples may be:
Someone with a hearing disability may have an interpreter in class: If someone has a hearing disability, they may need someone to “speak” to them in their own language using sign language, or subtitles (such as on TV).
Some people may need more time to understand a question and make a reply: Some people have mental disabilities where it takes them longer to understand an audio or written question and they must also have more time to figure out how to answer either in writing or out loud.
Some people may react stronger than others: Other people will have very strong reactions to something. For example, fear becomes strong fear. Excitement becomes very strong uncontrollable excitement.
With these examples, children with disabilities are included and part of the crowd just like everyone else, but they have accommodations to help make it easier and fun for them, too.
Why is inclusion important?
There are a lot of reasons that inclusion is important in our world! Some reasons include:
Disabilities are seen as differences: Instead of seeing disabilities as weaknesses, we see them as differences! For example, in the animal kingdom: crabs jump, snakes slither and the rabbits lope. No one is disabled, just different.
Everyone has realistic expectations: Since everyone is sharing an environment, everyone learns how to set realistic expectations for everyone and still make sure that no one’s expectations are too low or high. They’re matched to each individual child and their needs so that they can succeed.
Everyone learns to get along: When children with and without disabilities are blended together, they learn to accept each other and get along so that everyone can enjoy fun and exploration together. Every part of life is better together, right?
Special needs inclusion doesn’t have to be scary or confusing. It’s all about bringing everyone together so that everyone has the same chance at enjoying themselves and getting the most out of every experience in life. Life is full of differences and disabilities can be nothing more than “differences” with the right inclusion in place.
What is inclusion?
Inclusion is when you allow for everyone (including children with disabilities) to be a part of the classroom or social group. Sometimes children with disabilities are dismayed because they are different, but inclusion takes the opposite approach. In an inclusive point of view, children with disabilities are accommodated so that everyone can participate.
What does inclusion look like?
There are quite a few different ways that inclusion can take place in school as well as in social gatherings. Some examples may be:
Someone with a hearing disability may have an interpreter in class: If someone has a hearing disability, they may need someone to “speak” to them in their own language using sign language, or subtitles (such as on TV).
Some people may need more time to understand a question and make a reply: Some people have mental disabilities where it takes them longer to understand an audio or written question and they must also have more time to figure out how to answer either in writing or out loud.
Some people may react stronger than others: Other people will have very strong reactions to something. For example, fear becomes strong fear. Excitement becomes very strong uncontrollable excitement.
With these examples, children with disabilities are included and part of the crowd just like everyone else, but they have accommodations to help make it easier and fun for them, too.
Why is inclusion important?
There are a lot of reasons that inclusion is important in our world! Some reasons include:
Disabilities are seen as differences: Instead of seeing disabilities as weaknesses, we see them as differences! For example, in the animal kingdom: crabs jump, snakes slither and the rabbits lope. No one is disabled, just different.
Everyone has realistic expectations: Since everyone is sharing an environment, everyone learns how to set realistic expectations for everyone and still make sure that no one’s expectations are too low or high. They’re matched to each individual child and their needs so that they can succeed.
Everyone learns to get along: When children with and without disabilities are blended together, they learn to accept each other and get along so that everyone can enjoy fun and exploration together. Every part of life is better together, right?
Special needs inclusion doesn’t have to be scary or confusing. It’s all about bringing everyone together so that everyone has the same chance at enjoying themselves and getting the most out of every experience in life. Life is full of differences and disabilities can be nothing more than “differences” with the right inclusion in place.
November 18, 2020
Creativity and Children: How Reading Inspires Young Minds
Maya Angelou once said, “When I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young.” The power of literature on a young person’s sense of identity is no secret, Angelou herself declaring its necessity in finding one’s place in the world. Literature holds a significant title in the process of discovery in children, and it does so through its promotion of creativity.
Often referred to as “the brain's invisible muscle”, creativity is stimulated in young minds while reading, allowing it to be developed by exercise like any other muscle. For this reason, the more you read, the stronger and more flourished their creativity becomes. My mother always told me that she never missed any of my bedtime readings when I was growing up. I often found myself thinking “what would the protagonist do?” whenever I was confronted with an issue that I wasn’t quite sure how to solve. Adding reading into my nightly routine promoted a constant flow of inspiration and, thus, creativity.
The courageous characters, exciting adventures, fascinating settings and, of course, the nail-biting challenges are all key to creative inspiration. Stories, whether fiction or not, expose children to scenarios which they can relate to their own lives. A developing mind sees a valiant warrior overcoming their biggest fear and their imagination runs wild, allowing them to picture themselves as this very champion. The creativity promoted through reading about these adventures encourages their own moments of discovery in the real world.
I’ve written poetry for as long as I can remember, it’s nothing new to me. But, like many other teenagers, I too went through the “reading is so lame” phase in high school. What I didn’t realise back then was that, with my book drought came a confidence drought as well. The vocabulary enriched by frequent reading provides children with the tools to share their ideas and opinions. Confidence in expressing themselves through the creativity promoted by reading is vital, right from the start in having faith in their decision to choose which book to read. I learned that Kate DiCamillo was right, and “Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.”
Furthermore, a recent study found that increasing the study of creative texts in a scholarly setting resulted in an overall improved GPA, proving that the creativity promoted in reading is a broad benefit. The study claims that “creative thinking (divergent thinking) can be enhanced with reading and writing activities implemented through cooperative learning in school-age children”. Reading regularly enables young minds to consider possible solutions for the issues covered in the book, consequently encouraging the development of creative problem-solving. The images and characters described in the texts elicit inspiration in children’s minds, increasing their ability to make sense of the situation at hand and how to deal with it creatively. These new ideas and experiences endorse exploration of their own, looking beyond the words on the page and using creativity to think deeper into their own interpretations. All these qualities gained from the creativity promoted by reading molds children into successful futures because, as Margaret Fuller famously says, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”
Often referred to as “the brain's invisible muscle”, creativity is stimulated in young minds while reading, allowing it to be developed by exercise like any other muscle. For this reason, the more you read, the stronger and more flourished their creativity becomes. My mother always told me that she never missed any of my bedtime readings when I was growing up. I often found myself thinking “what would the protagonist do?” whenever I was confronted with an issue that I wasn’t quite sure how to solve. Adding reading into my nightly routine promoted a constant flow of inspiration and, thus, creativity.
The courageous characters, exciting adventures, fascinating settings and, of course, the nail-biting challenges are all key to creative inspiration. Stories, whether fiction or not, expose children to scenarios which they can relate to their own lives. A developing mind sees a valiant warrior overcoming their biggest fear and their imagination runs wild, allowing them to picture themselves as this very champion. The creativity promoted through reading about these adventures encourages their own moments of discovery in the real world.
I’ve written poetry for as long as I can remember, it’s nothing new to me. But, like many other teenagers, I too went through the “reading is so lame” phase in high school. What I didn’t realise back then was that, with my book drought came a confidence drought as well. The vocabulary enriched by frequent reading provides children with the tools to share their ideas and opinions. Confidence in expressing themselves through the creativity promoted by reading is vital, right from the start in having faith in their decision to choose which book to read. I learned that Kate DiCamillo was right, and “Reading should not be presented to children as a chore, a duty. It should be offered as a gift.”
Furthermore, a recent study found that increasing the study of creative texts in a scholarly setting resulted in an overall improved GPA, proving that the creativity promoted in reading is a broad benefit. The study claims that “creative thinking (divergent thinking) can be enhanced with reading and writing activities implemented through cooperative learning in school-age children”. Reading regularly enables young minds to consider possible solutions for the issues covered in the book, consequently encouraging the development of creative problem-solving. The images and characters described in the texts elicit inspiration in children’s minds, increasing their ability to make sense of the situation at hand and how to deal with it creatively. These new ideas and experiences endorse exploration of their own, looking beyond the words on the page and using creativity to think deeper into their own interpretations. All these qualities gained from the creativity promoted by reading molds children into successful futures because, as Margaret Fuller famously says, “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.”
