What was Frobel’s Educational Theory? Read and review the? ‘A Sensory Case Study’ AND ‘The importance of Sensory Play’ under the RESOURCES section of Module 10. Answer the following u

Dear Preschool Teacher,

I am so excited for my first day of preschool! I can’t wait to make friends, to play with toys, and learn new things – I feel like a big kid now.

But I’m also really scared. Because, well, I’m different. And I’m scared you won’t understand me.

I have Sensory Processing Disorder. That’s a lot of fancy words to say that sometimes things are too much, and sometimes things are just not enough. I’m like Goldilocks – it’s hard for me to find things “just right.”

Mommy says you’re really good at helping kids.

I don’t know though, did you ever have one like me?

For me, sometimes things are just too much. Lights can be too bright. I really don’t like the buzzy sound some lights make too. Colors too – I like calm colors and not too many of them at one time. I know lots of other kids like rainbow colored everything, but they make my eyes so tired and it’s hard to decide what is the most important thing to look at. Can you leave some space on the walls empty for my eyes to take a break sometimes?

Noises of all kinds can really bother me. I know preschool is a noisy place and that’s just the way it is. Mommy said I can wear my special headphones if it gets too loud. If you want me to pay attention to something, just touch my arm and look at my face to be sure I hear you. I don’t want you to think I’m ignoring you, I’m really not. When it’s noisy, or even sometimes when it’s quiet, I can’t tell what to listen to first and everything is the same volume. It’s like if you were in a room with a tv and a radio blasting while a party is happening and someone is trying to talk to you from across the room.

I’m a really picky eater, but I wish I wasn’t. I only like a few foods, because most of them bother me and make me feel like I’m going to be sick. Sometimes it’s the way the food tastes, but sometimes it’s how it feels in my mouth or how it smells. During cooking activities and taste tests, please don’t be mad when I won’t try the food. I don’t want to be sick in front of my friends.

Touching things can be hard for me too. Sometimes I want to run my fingers through things and make a big mess. I might get carried away and put the fingerpaints on my arms and face because it feels SO GOOD. It makes my skin stop crawling for a few minutes. But if you want me to touch that powdery cornstarch, I can’t do it. It feels too awful on my hands. Can I please wear gloves to touch things I find icky, or maybe use a spoon? Clothes can be tough for me too. Mommy has a hard time finding me ones that don’t hurt my skin or itch. I might struggle to keep my shoes and socks on, or you might see me in the same shirt a lot.

I’m not as good at running and jumping as my friends. My therapist says it’s because I have problems keeping my balance. I fall a lot, but if you encourage me to keep trying, I will get stronger and my muscles will learn. My little muscles are tired all the time too. It is hard for me to color or write for a long time and my work might get messy. Small holes on beads are super frustrating because my fingers don’t do what I tell them to. I know you have some ideas on how to help me with those, right?

Teacher, I sometimes get overwhelmed when everything is going at once. I don’t mean to scream and shout and hit, but when I do, it’s because the world is super scary and loud all at one time. The fire truck you barely hear is super loud to me. Same with that motorcycle in the parking lot. Sometimes I’ll need a space away from my friends so I can calm down. A big hug or soft blanket might help me – Mommy said she’ll let you know.

And Teacher, know that I will love to learn things in your classroom, even if it doesn’t seem like I’m paying attention. I must move and wiggle when you are talking. That’s because if I try to sit still, the only thing I can think of is “sit still and don’t move.” If you put me in the back of the group, I will try very hard not to distract my friends while my body wiggles and bounces and rocks.

I know I’m not the easiest kid to have in your class. But I love learning and want to be with you.

Thank you for helping me to learn the best ways I can.

Love,

Your Student with Sensory Processing Disorder

A Sensory Case Study

Mary jane is a first-year pre-school teacher at Central Early Learning Center. Her

Director is observing Mary for her annual evaluation. A concern the director has

talked to Mary Jane about in the past is the fact that Mary Jane doesn’t like to

incorporate “messy” sensory play as a regular activity.

Mary Jane is really concerned about neatness and getting messy and always

wears aprons when her class is participating in activities which she might get her

clothes dirty. She doesn’t think children learn anything from this messy play. The

director wants to talk to her about ways she can get more involved in sensory

play.

What do you think?

1. What might be some possible causes for this teacher’s aversion to sensory

activities?

2. What could you tell this teacher about why sensory play is so important?

3. What are some strategies Mary Jane can use to set up an environment to

make clean up easier while still allowing children to fully explore the

sensory experience?