Category: Curriculum

Posted on by

Snuggle Down Cuddle Up – Red Shoes Rock Challenge

Cuddle Up Challenge

Starting any day you want to begin, Furry and Mac challenge your family to a “Snuggle Down, Cuddle Up” Challenge of one month of bedtime reading. We offer a whole bunch of FREE ideas for each chapter of Furry: The Little Penguins That Could to help children grow and families enjoy time together. Or Join Our FREE Furry the Penguin Curriculum Program and take a chapter per week.

We want you and your children to cherish this time together of memory-making.

Reading is a tradition that will follow your children through adulthood and these cherished moments are gifted to your future grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

FREE when you join our Furry Program

Click to get FREE CURRICULUM

About our Shared Reading Curriculum (email us it is FREE!)

  • Curriculum Overview (Online) – 46 pages
  • Anny’s Notebook – About Mac’s Journey
  • Drawing Book

Chapter 1 Let Us Start at the Beginning

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 1 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 1 Video
  • Chapter 1 Curriculum (Download – 17 pages)
  • Chapter 1 Empowerment Sheets  (Download – 65 pages)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 2 About Stuffies

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 2 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 2 Video
  • Chapter 2 Curriculum (Download – 13 pages)
  • Chapter 2 Empowerment Sheets (Download – 41 pages)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 3 Stuffie Jobs

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 3 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 3 Video
  • Chapter 3 Curriculum (Download – 14 pages)
  • Chapter 3 Empowerment Sheets (Download – 42 pages )
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 4 I Forgot

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 4 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 4 Video
  • Chapter 4 Curriculum (Download – 16 pages)
  • Chapter 4 Empowerment Sheets (Download – 48 pages)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 2 pages)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 5 More About Stuffies

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 5 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 5 Video
  • Chapter 5 Curriculum (Download – 12 pages)
  • Chapter 5 Empowerment Sheets (Download – 36 pages)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 6 Let’s Begin

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 6 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 6 Video
  • Chapter 6 Curriculum (Download – 12 pages)
  • Chapter 6 Empowerment Sheets (Download – 32 pages )
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 7 The Day to be Remembered

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 7 Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 7 Video
  • Chapter 7 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 7 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 8 Ready-Set-Go!

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 8 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 8 Video
  • Chapter 8 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 8 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 9 The New Boy and the Kids

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 9 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 9 Video
  • Chapter 9 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 9 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 10 A Letter from a Boy

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 10 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 10 Video
  • Chapter 10 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 10 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 11 “Snack” Penguin

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 11 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 11 Video
  • Chapter 11 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 11 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 12 Sleepover Penguin

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 12 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 12 Video
  • Chapter 12 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 12 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 13 Twin Penguins

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 13 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 13 Video
  • Chapter 13 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 13 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 14 Hello, New Penguin

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 14 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 14 Video
  • Chapter 14 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 14 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 15 Furry & Mac

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 15 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 15 Video
  • Chapter 15 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 15 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 16 Furry & School

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 16 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 16 Video
  • Chapter 16 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 16 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 17 A Roomful of Stuffies

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 17 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 17 Video
  • Chapter 17 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 17 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 18 Stuffie Support

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 18 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 18 Video
  • Chapter 18 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 18 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 19 School Days Red Shoe Days

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 19 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 19 Video
  • Chapter 19 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 19 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 20 Stuffy? No School

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 20 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 20 Video
  • Chapter 20 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 20 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 21 Mom Hatches a Plan!

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 21 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 21 Video
  • Chapter 21 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 21 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 22 The Christmas Miracle

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 22 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 22 Video
  • Chapter 22 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 22 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 23 Snow Piles are Growing

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 23 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 23 Video
  • Chapter 23 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 23 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 24 Birthday Surprise

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 24 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 24 Video
  • Chapter 24 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 24 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 25 Thank You Thank You

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 25 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 25 Video
  • Chapter 25 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 25 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 26 Mac’s Back

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 26 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 26 Video
  • Chapter 26 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 26 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 27 Kindergarten Circus Graduation

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 27 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 27 Video
  • Chapter 27 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 27 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 28 Penguin Classroom Wisdom

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 28 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 28 Video
  • Chapter 28 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 28 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Chapter 29 First Grade Here We Come

  • Anny’s Notebook – Chapter 29 – Mac’s Journey
  • Chapter 29 Video
  • Chapter 29 Curriculum (Download)
  • Chapter 29 Empowerment Sheets (Download)
  • Recommended Additional Books (Download – 1 page)
  • Today I learned – let’s talk

Ripples

Resources

Red Shoes Rock

Yes, we can! Together we can do it

Posted on by

Chapter 1. Let Us Start At The Beginning

Furry’s shared reading guided lessons are a sequence of interactive discussions, games, worksheets, and other activities to guide early learners through different concepts and skills as they learn and gain skills. When you sign up for our FREE Curriculum platform – you will receive a more complete set of curriculum ideas, empowerment sheets, list of additional books for children, video access to Mrs. C reading the chapter and an e-chapter book.

For more ideas REQUEST OUR  30 CHAPTER FREE CURRICULUM and a WEEKLY MAILING FROM OUR TEAM AT FURRY THE PENGUIN.

Sample of Week One:
Chapter 1 – Let Us Start at the Beginning

  1. Furry Animated e-Chapter One – https://indd.adobe.com/view/828903c3-3159-48b3-b767-45cba7b036ce
  2. Link to Mrs. C Reading Chapter One – https://youtu.be/XtoD7LV1tVU
  3. Chapter One Curriculum – pdf will be sent to your email with hyperlinks
  4. Chapter One Empowerment Sheets – pdf will be sent to your email with hyperlinks – you may use the empowerment sheets and print as many as you desire
  5. Chapter One Additional Book List – pdf will be sent to your email

FOR ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS AND COPY OF FULL CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
email [email protected]

Chapter 1 – Let Us Start at The Beginning

(Note this is abbreviated from the download copy of Chapter One Curriculum)

Chapter 1 Introduces:

The cast of characters

  • One stuffed penguin, who does not yet have a name.
  • The “Littles” who are the children.
  • The “Stuffies” who are the stuffed animals who live in the Penguin Kindergarten Classroom.
  • A particular stuffie penguin is introducing the many kinds of penguins and their differences. To learn more about Penguins visit Defenders of the Wilderness or Google Penguins.

Life skills concepts

Time to talk together 

What is your name?

  • First name?
  • Middle name?
  • Last name?
  • Nickname? Do you like your nickname?

Learn together and dig deeper.

Talk with your child about how unique the child’s name is and if you know how they got their name. You can share that it is good people and animals and things have names, or we would have to say, “Hey you!” and no one would know which you, you are. Or for an animal we would call out, “Hello dog!” and that would not work too well either. And as for things, it never works very well to say, “I need that.” It is better to be more specific. Specific means you are telling more about something, so you know who is talking to or about who and what you really need instead of what you really do not want.

A long time ago, people only had only first names.

Then people had names with their jobs. So for example, John Cooper would be John who is the cooper or barrel maker who lives in my village which is a small town. A barrel maker was an important job. Before we had electricity and refrigerators and running water people kept dried food and liquids in barrels. The barrels kept the small animals from eating the food.

Often last names were added was with Son or Daughter. So Sam Benson would be Sam who is the son of Ben. And Amy Johnsdaughter would be Amy who is John’s daughter. Son is said differently in different countries, and you can learn more here. 

Sometimes it was a description of the person like John Small because he was a small size man, Susan Little because she was a tiny woman, or Tom Black because he had black hair.

In Native American/First Nations/Indigenous cultures names are often earned and a person’s name may change during a lifetime.  The name is a sacred gift and has special meaning to the person receiving the name. The name may mark an event or achievement; it may be a special animal.

Together Time

More Chapter 1 Discussion

  • Who are some of the Kindergarten Stuffies?
    • What are their names?
      (Penguin, Pony, Giraffe, Donkey, Cow, Bat, Mouse, Dog, Puppy, Poodle, Rooster, Goose, Chick, Duck, Owl, Pig, Lamb, Lion, Raccoon, Hedgehog, Fox, Tiger, Elephant, Zebra, Monkey, Cat, Bear, Rabbit, Dinosaur, Squirrel)
  • What is a secret?
    • What does “spill the beans” mean?
      (Information you know that is not to be told to others without permission)
  • What does it mean to exaggerate?
    • (To make something seem larger, more important, better, or worse than it really is)
    • Do you think zig-trillion-billion-million is a real number?

Animal skills concepts –
Learn more about penguins

Just for fun

Shared reading

Furry encourages ALL children to participate in “shared reading”.

  • Non-verbal children (emergent readers)
  • Pre-readers (emergent readers)
  • Early readers (beginning conventional readers)
  • Reading together (conventional readers)
DOWNLOAD FREE EXAMPLES –
FLASH CARDS AND MORE IDEAS for.

Get Your Move On

Waddle Waddle
(Download curriculum Chapter One for words)

“Flap, Flap!”
“Flap, Flap!”
“Waddle, Waddle. “Waddle, Waddle”
“Flap, Flap, Flap”
That’s how penguins move.

“Flap, Flap!”
“Clap, Clap!”
“Waddle, Waddle. Waddle, Waddle”
“Flap, Clap, Flap”
That’s how penguins move.

“Flap, Flap!”
“Huddle, Huddle!”
“Waddle, Waddle. Huddle, Huddle”
“Wrap, Flap, Wrap”
That’s how penguins move.

“Flap, Flap!”
“Clap, Clap!”
“Wrap, Wrap!”
“Waddle, Waddle. Silly Sliding”
“Flap, Flip, Slip”
Penguins on the move.

More with Furry (FREE empowerment sheets)

  • Draw
  • Color
  • Write
  • Tell
  • Show
  • Make

More Penguin Lesson Plans

We encourage you to have FUN with Furry: The Little Penguins That Could – Grow and Learn with your family.

Furry’s shared reading guided lessons are a sequence of interactive discussions, games, worksheets, and other activities to guide early learners through different concepts and skills as they learn and gain skills. When you sign up for our FREE Curriculum platform – you will receive a more complete set of curriculum ideas, empowerment sheets, list of additional books for children, video access to Mrs. C reading the chapter and an e-chapter book.

For more ideas REQUEST OUR  30 CHAPTER FREE CURRICULUM and a WEEKLY MAILING FROM OUR TEAM AT FURRY THE PENGUIN.

Sample of Week One:
Chapter 1 – Let Us Start at the Beginning

  1. Furry Animated e-Chapter One – https://indd.adobe.com/view/828903c3-3159-48b3-b767-45cba7b036ce
  2. Link to Mrs. C Reading Chapter One – https://youtu.be/XtoD7LV1tVU
  3. Chapter One Curriculum – pdf will be sent to your email with hyperlinks
  4. Chapter One Empowerment Sheets – pdf will be sent to your email with hyperlinks – you may use the empowerment sheets and print as many as you desire
  5. Chapter One Additional Book List – pdf will be sent to your email

FOR ADDITIONAL CHAPTERS AND COPY OF FULL CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
email [email protected]

Posted on by

How Stuffies Help Children Learn

Cuddle Up Challenge

Furry uses Stuffies as bridges
to help remember new learning

Furry encourages Stuffie Study Buddies

WANT TO WHOLE CURRICULUM?
It is free! EMAIL US

A Stuffie becomes the connection in the non-training settings and an educational Emotional Support Partner. Some children may work hard to learn something at home or school and they are incapable of using that new learning in another location. Generalization refers to the transfer of what is learned in one setting to another setting without explicit teaching in the second transfer setting. A Stuffie with a light scent (essential oil) that appeals to the child can become a bridge “common stimuli” between classrooms, or home and school to help connect to new learning.

Reading Furry – The Little Penguins That Could allows all children to interact:

For the word “I” non-verbal children can use a chosen movement to indicate “I” (blink, sound, or tap body).
For “penguin” all children flap their little wings or ASL sign penguin. Verbal children can say the word, sign, and/or flap. In this process, all children will be moving together creating acceptance for children who may not have more refined motor development.

Each chapter lesson builds on learning through friendships, fun, and laughing together!

Furry uses Stuffies to play and to learn!
Furry loves to play “Red Light, Green Light”

Grab a Stuffie and Ready, Set, Go for a game of Red Light Green Light. Partner participation, movement and laughter go along with two words “go” and “stop”. Over time, Furry adds “Yellow Light”, “Yield”, or “Slow” with children as they practice using listening ears, watchful eyes, or supporting peers in play as they learn the words.

While playing Red Light Green Light Furry introduces:
– Street traffic signs and lights.
– American Sign Language.
– ACC Picture words
– Braille dots
30 chapters of FUN FREE curriculum progress.

Furry encourages Stuffie Study Buddies – SIGN UP TO GET OUR FREE CURRICULUM

Posted on by

Family Fun Interactive Reading Strategies

Shared Reading

Quick Ways to Include Your Children in Shared Reading

Improve reading for emergent, beginning and conventional readers

Ann Yurcek, Jodee Kulp and Marcia Chambers are offering our 2020-2021 public school Furry The LIttle Penguins That Could curriculum FREE TO FAMILIES during this time of social distancing – SIGN UP TODAY! No strings attached!

EMAIL US FOR FREE E-Book for a GREAT 200 PAGE TURNING FAMILY ADVENTURE

Page-turning ideas, you can ask your child to:

  • Signal to turn the page
  • Turn the page
  • Provide the click to change the page
  • Provide the swiping motion.
  • After you have read the story once aloud and talked about the chapter, read the chapter again.
  • When you reach a word you and the child are practicing, keep your finger in place, pause, and allow the child to indicate the word with a sign, blink, click, breath or motion you have selected. Please do not do this with emergent readers as it will confuse their thinking process and the flow of listening to the story.
  • Act out the story as it unfolds and take turns doing what the characters are doing.
  • Pick an empowerment game card (FREE CURRICULUM FOR FAMILIES) Select ‘penguin’ or any other word you choose and say, “Look at this word. I will say the sounds in the word. You can say them in your head. Can you put a picture in your head?” More ideas available: http://web.utk.edu/~mbc/KnoxCountyNRAPresentation.pdf
  • As you read, glide your finger under the word.
  • Provide a penguin as a prop for the child and each time you find the word penguin encourage the child to move the penguin.
  • Focus on Interest. If a chapter in Furry – The Little Penguins That Could pique an interest – take a field trip online to find more books on that subject.

Encouraging families to read together

  • Growing Book By Book offers excellent ideas to share with families. One of Furry’s favorite reading times besides bedtime is the family dinner time. There is even a book club! https://growingbookbybook.com/literacy-activities/family-dinner-book-club/
  • Listen to audiobooks instead of watching television for a week.
  • Create a family reading time and ask your child’s opinion about what he or she is reading.

Promote and encourage a reading culture in your community.

  • Check out 25 Ideas to Motivate Young Readers – Arrest that book, musical books, stand up – these ideas are worth checking out. https://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson035.shtml
  • Host a “Once a Month Evening Read-In” Choose a book, add some pizza or popcorn.
  • Students can bring Stuffies and wear pjs.
  • Invite parents, community members, local television, author, or local sports figures to be mystery readers.
  • Unveil the book for next month during the read-in.
  • Run a “Get Caught Reading Raffle” – every time a teacher ‘catches’ a student reading the student gets a ticket and goes into the draw for a weekly prize.
  • Have a book drive for your local police station of children’s books so they have a selection of books for children in crisis.
  • Raise money with a Read-a-Thon Instead of spending time selling overpriced fundraising products, students focus on reading. Students commit to completing 10 reading sessions, ranging from 10-30 minutes a day for 10 days. They can choose any book they want to read. Readers build personal Read-a-thon pages that they share with friends and family using social media, email or text. Those friends and family are asked to support the reader by making a one-time online donation. https://www.read-a-thon.com/
  • Check out Kids, Communities, and Cops https://littlefreelibrary.org/community/
  • Create an online book club https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin255.shtml
  • Host a community book swap where every book is free to trade and the remaining books are given to local non-profit, hospital, clinics or other places people may be sitting and waiting.
  • Create an escape place for children to chill out and read when overwhelmed or need a break time.
  • Check out 5 fun ways to get students to read aloud: https://minds-in-bloom.com/5-fun-ways-to-get-students-engaged-in/
  • Download free lessons including a free homework pass https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8XFVX0lPaN1V29KT1Zhcmc2QzA/view
  • Have children join Storybird to write their own books https://storybird.com/
  • Launch young readers with Reading Rockets http://www.readingrockets.org/
  • Challenged readers check out Learning Ally https://learningally.org/
  • Join the Little Free Library program. Little Free Libraries inspire a love of reading, build community, and sparks creativity by fostering neighborhood book exchanges around the world. If you have public transportation set up your Little Free Library near the bus or train stop. https://littlefreelibrary.org/

Let’s Go!

Posted on by

Stuffies Help Children With Emotional Development

Cuddle Up Challenge

Stuffie Emotional Support Partners
connect bridges between children’s hearts and minds?

Think about your own comfort item as a child. Was it a blankie or a stuffie or both?

by Jodee Kulp

Emotional Development of a child provides confidence and strength as an adult. Healthy positive relationships without trauma allow children to develop compassion, empathy, and an understanding of right and wrong. They learn to trust.

Stuffies are filled with what Furry the Penguin calls “Stuffun-La-Muffins.”

Stuffies provide unbiased consistency by simply being available as a silent emotional support partner.

Emotional Support Partners are important in the development of children and actually help build skills in emotions, language, social skills and belief in the impossible.

Here are 4 ways a beloved Stuffie helps a child develop emotionally.

EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  1. Stuffie touch is powerful and cuddling with a soft Stuffies give children the touch of a friend. Children cuddle into the warmth and softness. Healthy soft touch provides a sense of peace.
  2. Stuffies are calming. Stuffies can help children calm and soothe when life is hard. Stuffies can help distract from a painful experience or give a child courage to face a procedure. They can also become the training wheels to love a pet or as Furry did to connect with other children.
  3. Stuffies help self-soothe. Stuffies help a child self-soothe without the help of mom or dad or grandparents. Stuffies are a source of stress relief. Stuffies give emotional well being when life can be scary, strange or just new.
  4. Stuffied encourage development of empathy and compassion. Stuffies are loveable and children connect to them.

LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

  1. Stuffies whisper nice things to children and help them work out unsolved problems by speaking the problem aloud plus children whisper nice things back to Stuffies. They practice positive and loving speech.
  2. Stuffies listen. Stuffies know how to remain quiet when a child is talking and not step on their thoughts or words. You can tell a story to a stuffie and they pay attention to every word.
  3. Stuffies are available. Stuffies never ignore a child when a child needs comfort. Stuffies do not take time to watch a sports show, talk on the phone, play video games or look at their cell phones. Unless Stuffies are pretending they are usually not busy with laundry, or work, or cleaning.
  4. Stuffies understand what you are saying. Stuffies know and understand the language of each special child.

SOCIAL SKILLS

  1. Stuffies understand acceptance. Stuffies help children test emotions. Sometimes we are kissed, pulled, and dropped. Stuffies are positive and they help increase the positive.
  2. Stuffies practice life skills. Stuffies are fed and put to bed. Stuffies play doctor and dentist, they ride buses, and trains, and go to school. They help build the responsibility of caring for another thing, remembering to pick it up and keeping track of a Stuffie so you do not lose your friend. Stuffies usually need care and attention daily especially in the early morning and going to bed times.
  3. Stuffies go places. Stuffies become the transitional object that allows a child to feel safe and connected in new or more challenging environments (doctors, hospitals, visiting others). Stuffies feed imaginations and are great at pretending.
  4. Stuffies are friends. Stuffies are friends that love you just for being you in all your good behavior and behavior others may not understand. Stuffies are often a child’s first playmate or the playmate available when friends return home.

BELIEVE IN THE IMPOSSIBLE – TOGETHER WE CAN!

  1. Stuffies provide possibilities. We can’t tell you why or how, but when a Stuffie becomes REAL to a child it increases – confidence, courage, and creativity.
  2. Stuffies create goal setting. Children learn to plan new events with stuffies. They can practice their events and then be more confident when working toward the goal. Stuffies encourage children to try new things.
  3. Stuffies reach inside. Somehow a Stuffie reaches the kindness of the heart of a child and from that kindness of Stuffun-la-Muffins – the child’s lovely heart emotions for nurturing another also grow.
  4. Stuffies are conversation starters. Stuffies help children say things they may be afraid to say alone and in Furry the Penguin’s case, started a whole Kindergarten talking with a a little boy who did not have words in school.

SOME OUTSIDE LINKS YOU MAY FIND INTERESTING

Visit Furry The Penguin Shoppe
Click photo to purchase.

Furry The Penguin
is a Member of the Aurora
Sweet and Softer Collection.

9.5″ PERKY PENGUIN –“Mac named him, FURRY”
Silky soft and sweet to the touch!

FURRY IS AVAILABLE AT OUR PENGUIN SHOPPE

Posted on by

Furry the Little Penguin – Shared Reading Curriculum

Developed by Marcia Chambers,
Ann Yurcek, Jodee Kulp, Jeff Peterson, Mac, his friends,
and all the Kindergarten Stuffies.

Read Together with Shared Reading

Furry – The Little Penguins That Could is designed to be a Shared Reading opportunity for children in schools, day programs, and homes. Children learn through play. Furry is playful, can be silly, and meant to be enjoyed. Shared reading creates a sense of togetherness in the classroom or at home. It empowers children to become peers and support partners. Shared Reading is an interactive reading experience that happens when students share reading a book while supported and guided by a teacher, friend, or caregiver.

The “Reader” models reading with expression and fluency. The child connects as he or she communicates with the story. As you will learn in Mac’s life, he connected through a stuffed penguin. Shared reading supports and encourages emerging readers to participate while listening and understanding the story.

The Furry -The Little Penguins That Could Shared Reading Curriculum is designed to enhance the love of reading through listening, playing, and participating with others.

We have worked hard to create a curriculum that includes almost ALL children.

The thirty chapters in this 204-page book stand-alone or can be read together. Each chapter is between 4-15 minutes of reading. Written above the reading level of many 3 to 8-year-olds, shared reading of this 30 chapter, fully illustrated book allows children to participate in a challenging reading experience regardless of ability. Children will get a sense of accomplishment. Main Readers will discover each curriculum chapter is filled with ideas to create a classroom that bridges friendships, promotes acceptance of differences, and includes everyone.

Furry provides chapter videos and links to help the main readers develop skills. We offer creative learning ideas for art projects, listening, talking, singing, movement, and playing games to build a love of reading.

Furry is a true story about a real child.
The story reaches out to all ages and stages of readers.

The Furry curriculum is designed for children ages 3-8 in three developmental reading levels:
1. Emergent readers.
2. Beginning conventional readers.
3. Conventional readers.

Emergent readers are individuals beginning to grasp the basic concepts of book and print.

Shared reading of this book with emergent readers is engaging and multi-sensory. If a child is showing interest, asking a question, or making a statement take the time to engage the child

Emergent readers are encouraged to:

  • Talk about the story.
  • Look and talk about the picture.
  • Enjoy the reading experience.

Emergent readers are learning the alphabet.
Research has shown that learning the UPPERCASE letters first, which have more variation leads to better understanding and allows for the transition to learning lowercase letters while developing many phonological awareness skills. These skills include recognizing phonemes (sounds that each letter makes), syllables, and rhyme. As they progress they begin to learn sound/symbol relationships starting with consonants and short vowels. This is why many emergent reader books contain CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words, rhyming words and high-frequency words (Dolch/Fry words).

When searching for books for early emergent readers look for concepts of interest to the person, large print with wider spacing, natural language and picture support of the story. Often these books have carefully controlled text, repetitive patterns, and limited text on a page. Furry – The Little Penguins that Could is an introduction to a larger more robust reading experience to encourage children to develop the love of reading and listening to reading.

Children move towards a more conventional understanding of literacy as they have a means to interact and communicate.
Over time the student knows most of the letters much of the time and actively engages during shared reading.

Beginning conventional readers have a grasp of the alphabet, phonemes, and early phonics.

They also know many high-frequency words. Books for emergent readers will have more lines per page, contain less repetition, patterns, and pictures. Again focus on books that hold the child’s interest to make deeper discoveries and create a love for reading.

Beginning conventional readers may share in some of the reading as they recognize a word, number, or symbol they already know. Recognizing and sharing is a time of celebration for accomplishments.

Furry has created games to play to encourage enjoyment for beginning conventional readers.

Conventional readers are able to read, decode, and write.

Furry’s wish for you is that he and all his friends with their adventures and antics will bring you a joy-filled reading experience. Our team of educators, parents, adults challenged with disabilities, and a curriculum designer have worked tirelessly to bring you an exciting and fun curriculum to include all children.

The chart below has been adapted from the Literacy For All Instructions in Canada – For more information visit: http://literacyforallinstruction.ca

Download the Curriculum Overview

Posted on by

Acceptance Changes Stigma

Furry says, “Let’s Stomp Out Stigma!”

Stigma continues due to a lack of knowledge and awareness about rights, legality and how to empower people with a learning disability.

Stigma and discrimination makes people with a learning disability more prone to lower self-confidence and increased vulnerability (Jahoda and Markova, 2004)

Stigma and discrimination

Beyond school time

  • People in the local area calling them names
  • People in the local area ignoring them
  • Violent physical contact by people in the local area
  • Their parents restricting them
  • Their siblings calling them names

Within school time


  • Being ridiculed/called names by other pupils
  • Violent physical contact from other pupils
  • Being ignored by other pupils
  • Teachers giving unwanted extra help
  • Teachers refusing to help
  • Teachers getting angry about the mistakes they made
  • Being ridiculed by teachers

(Cooney et al., 2006)

Source:

  • Cooney, G., Jahoda, A., Gumley, A. & Knott, F. (2006). Young people with learning disabilities attending mainstream and segregated schooling: perceived stigma, social comparisons and future aspirations. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 50, 432-445.
  • Jahoda, A. (1995). Quality of Life: Hope for the Future or an Echo from the Distant Past? In I. Markova and R. Farr (Eds.) Representations of Health, Illness and Handicap (page range). Singapore: Harwood.
  • Jahoda, A. Cattermole, M. & Markova I. (1989). Stigma and the self-concept of people with a mild mental handicap, Journal of Mental Deficiency Research, 32, 103-115.
  • Jahoda, A., Dagnan, D., Jarvie,P., & Kerr,W. (2006). Depression, social context and cognitive behavioural therapy for people who have intellectual disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 19, 81-89.
  • Jahoda, A. & Markova, I. (2004). Coping with social stigma: People with intellectual disabilities moving from institutions and family home. Journal of Intellectual Disability Research, 48, 719-729.
  • Jahoda, A., Trower, P., Pert, C. & Finn, D. (2001). Contingent reinforcement or defending the self? A review of evolving models of aggression in people with mild learning disabilities. British Journal of Medical Psychology

 

Posted on by

Educate the Teacher About Your Child: A Back-to-School Introduction Letters-free download

Writing a “Dear Teacher” letter is an important tool to start the school year.

I learned early on that writing a letter to Becca’s teacher was an important tool to help her with starting school.  I continued the tradition with writing Mac’s Dear Teacher Letter at the start of the school year.  A simple version of the letter is contained within Furry and Macs story.

Back-to-school introduction letters

I found this valuable resource from Understood.org.
Download your FREE Back-to-school Introduction Letters.

“Writing a back-to-school introduction letter to your child’s teacher can help get the school year off to a good start. It’s also a great way to start building a positive relationship.

You can use the letter to share important facts about your child and the strategies that have worked in the past. For example, you can call out any accommodations your child may use.

Involving your child can help him build self-awareness, too. Tell him, “Your new teacher may not know the same things about you as last year’s teacher. Let’s write a letter to give her an idea of what you like to do, what you do well and where you may need some extra help.” (Filling out a self-awareness worksheet can get your child thinking about it.)

Use these back-to-school-introduction letters as guides. There’s one for older kids and one for younger ones. You can use the one for older kids to gather information to write a more traditional letter if you and your child prefer that approach.”

I hope you have a great school year!
Anny

Posted on by

Telepresence Robot Buddies for Home Based Students

“BUDDY DOUBLE ROBOT” can provide a telepresence into a classroom for children who must remain home due to illness, injury, or disability. This “Buddy Double” can move through the classroom and record learning experiences providing in classroom participation when you cannot be in class.

In addition, studies show that humanoid robots can act as peers and help give autistic children the social skills they need…

For children like Mac, Stuffies can become Emotional Support Partner and for some children, Robots as buddies in a similar way.

Maja Matari,a professor of computer science, neuroscience, and pediatrics at the University of Southern California, who has done several studies on humanoid robots and how they can act as peers and help give autistic children the social skills they need states, “Something very special happens when you put a machine and person together.”

Plus, Double saves schools money.

 

 

Posted on by

Craft – Paint a Waddle of Furry Penguin Friends

FURRY APPROVED FUN
FURRY APPROVED FUN

Special thank you for Chester Zoo
More ideas can be discovered at
https://play.chesterzoo.org/paint-perky-penguin/

To make your own perfect penguin, you are going to need an empty toilet roll.

If you don’t have one right now, maybe wait a few days and keeping checking around the around. One will appear sooner or later! You could also find an empty kitchen roll and just cut it in two. The more toilet rolls you collect, the more penguins you can make. You’re also going to need some black and white paint, a few google eyes, and black and orange paper.

Here is your list

  • Toilet paper roll
  • Google eyes
  • Black paper
  • Orange paper
  • Black paint
  • White paint

Got everything? Let’s get started!

1. Lie your toilet roll flat and draw two straight lines upwards from one edge. Draw a curved line to connect the two straight lines. This is the outline of the penguin’s white tummy fur.

2. For the feet, use a pencil to copy our design (above) on to some orange paper. Then cut them out using scissors.

3. For the beak, draw and cut out a kite shape from the orange paper.

4. Fold over the shorter half of the kite to make the top part of the beak.

5. Cut a pair of penguin flippers out of the black paper. The look a bit like long leaves.

6. Paint the toilet roll body of the penguin, keeping within the lines you drew earlier. Do the black paint first so that you don’t accidentally get any in the white tummy area.

7. Use some glue to stick on the googly eyes and orange beak. For the beak, only put glue on the larger bottom half of the kite shape, so that the top half still folds over.

8. Use the glue again to stick on the flippers and feet. Attach the flippers to the back of the toilet roll so that they point outwards. For the feet, fold over the back of the paper and stick this to the inside of the toilet roll. It’s a lot easier than trying to stick the paper to the thin toilet roll rim!