 As a speech language pathologist who treats young children, I love incorporating real or pretend food into my therapy sessions. Why? Because playing with food allows for many opportunities to target specific objectives in a developmentally appropriate context. For this guest post, I will share how to incorporate food into play routines to target particular language concepts. Specifically written for the preschool age group (children 3 to 5 years or those performing at that developmental level), I will also provide 3 reasons why we should play with our preschoolers to encourage language development and give one example of a play routine involving food. Children learn language through experiences. For those who struggle to acquire language, or have difficulty combing words to form longer phrases or sentences (aka utterances) or omit or confuse certain grammatical structures or morphemes, like the plural –s, learning these skills via conversation or during daily routines is just not enough. Drills, flashcards, and worksheets are also not effective. Such learners need to acquire these skills with hands on, developmentally appropriate and purposefully structured play. Speech language pathologists are very effective in using play to model, elicit and promote specific responses. Want to learn how to do this? Keep reading J First off, why play? Here are 3 reasons: 1. Play provides a relaxed and safe context to practice new words and language structures. 2. Play can be structured so that lacking or missing language forms (such as the possessive –s or the present progressive –ing) are more obvious to children than would be in casual conversation. This is because, we, the adult can intentionally design situations that will prompt children to repeatedly produce the lacking or missing language forms. And, the beauty is that since it’s occurring during play, it’s fun and motivating. If this isn’t clear yet, hold onto your hats, an example will follow. 3. Play can be structured so the interaction is meaningful and socially appropriate. Let’s pretend that we are working with a child whose utterance length (also known in the speech world as Mean Length of Utterance or MLU) is very short and simple considering his age. Because this child speaks using limited word combinations, sometimes it’s difficult for his communication partners (family, friends, teachers, etc.) to understand his true intentions, needs or wants. Therefore, we expand his utterance length by systematically increasing certain words, like his use of attributes (adjectives) to describe desired food items. Or, we increase his use of action words (verbs). Or, we target other language concepts and forms that we think will help. BUT, to make it a truly meaningful for the child, it has to be intrinsically motivating. This means you have to devise play routines and select toys that interest him and you have to select targets that will help the child effectively and efficiently communicate his wants and needs. For example, you’re working with a language delayed 3 and a half year old whose average mean length of utterance (MLU) is only 2.5 words. Let’s call this girl, Keisha. Keisha is an aspiring baker. Her favorite thing to do is to pretend to be mommy and bake cookies in her play kitchen. However, she struggles to describe the cookies she wants to make and it’s a source of frustration. She may say “this cookie, mommy” but she is unable to tell you the type of cookie (a big cookie? a small cookie? a chocolate chip cookie?). Designing a play routine focused on baking different types of cookies and targeting attributes will be motivating for Keisha. 3 Thoughts to Contemplate When Using Real Food in Play: When selecting food to use in play be mindful and ask yourselves the following questions: 1. Does the child have any food allergies or sensitivities? If the child is going to ingest, touch, or smell real food, make sure he or she is not allergic or sensitive to it. Food allergies are significantly on the rise and more and more children have allergies than ever before. If the child does have an allergy or sensitivity, get clearance from the parents. Carefully read the ingredients too. My own daughter has had and still has multiple food allergies and sensitivities, including soy and apple. Soy seems to be in EVERYTHING that is processed and apple is in many more food items (juices, purees, snacks) than you would think. Check the ingredients or tell the parents the specific food and or brand you intend to use. 2. Will the child be using the food as a tool? If you plan to use food as an art tool (and therefore wasting thefood), like using a potato as a stamp for an arts and crafts activity, consider the child’s background. If the child is from a low-income household where his or her family struggles to find a meal, it may not be sensitive to play with (and wasting the) food. If you’re uncertain, ask the parent or caregiver if it’s okay to play with food. Lisa Murphy, an early childhood specialist and CEO and Founder of Ooey Gooey, believes that adults should use courtesy and common sense when selecting materials and making choices. She states in her blog: “If you know, and I mean know, that there are families in the program who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, then playing with beans and rice in the sensory tub is not a respectful choice. But knowing is different than assuming. And, if there really are families in this situation I would pose the following challenge: Are we assisting these families in getting the service and assistance they require or is our level of involvement making sure they aren’t “offended” by the contents of our sensory tub?” 3. How will the child’s senses react to playing with food? Some children crave sensory input and will touch, mouth, rub, squeeze, sniff and bang everything put in their little hands. Other children may cry or tantrum if their hands get dirty, sticky, or wet. These are all things to consider when selecting foods. .How will my child react to the smell of vinegar? What will he do if he tastes a sour lemon? If a child’s sensory system is particularly sensitive, it’s wise to carefully and slowly desensitize their system by gradually introducing different textures. To learn more, check out this helpful post by Therapy Street for Kids Play Routine: Making Lemonade to Produce the Missing Present Progressive -ing In my book, My Toddler Talks, I created 25 play routines to help develop toddlers’ language skills. Quoting from my own book: “A play routine is established when participation in a fun activity follows a predictable pattern or sequence.” In the play routine that follows, I use a similar format found in My Toddler Talks. However, there are some key differences. In my book, the play routines are flexible and emphasize following the child’s lead. However, preschoolers (those chronologically or developmentally aged 3 to 5) are capable of following along in adult directed play, so this routine is a tad more structured. Materials: 3 to 4 Lemons (cut into wedges) 1 cup of pure sugar cane (an alternative to white sugar) 5 cups of water A wooden spoon A spoon or scoop (for the sugar) Ice Cubes (Optional) Pitcher Cups Gloves (optional) but I highly recommend washing hands before handling food J Paper towels (for cleaning) Since this play routine focuses on the present-progressive tense, they’ll be lots of opportunities to produce –ing while acting out various actions. Target sentences may include: Vary or add verbs based on your preferences and the abilities of the child. · I’m squeezing the lemon. · I’m scooping up the sugar. · I’m pouring the sugar (into the pitcher). · I’m pouring the water (into the pitcher). Tip: The length of your sentence will vary depending on the needs of the child. For a child, who is struggling to combine longer sentences you do not have to repeat the words in the parentheses. Play Routine Beginning: I show the materials and ask, “What do you think we’ll make today.” This gets them thinking and focused. Usually, the responses are hilarious and include cookies and cakes. If they can’t provide the correct response, I give hints like – “It’s something you can drink?”, “It’s sweet” “It’s made from lemons…” It’s called lemon _______” then I pause and see if the light bulb went off. I also give the child his or her own lemon wedge so he can smell or even taste it. It’s fun to see the sour looking faces! Middle: I start by squeezing a lemon wedge into the pitcher and while I’m squeezing, I say “I’m squeezing the lemon.” Then, I give a fresh lemon wedge to the child and say “It’s your turn to squeeze the lemon. Make sure you say, “I’m squeezing the lemon”. If the child does not say the targeted phrase, you must model it. The turns repeat until all the lemons are squeezed. At each turn you are encouraging repetition of the target sentence: “I’m squeezing the lemon”. Next, I scoop a spoonful of sugar from a sugar bowl (or bag) and say “I’m scooping up the sugar” then I pour the sugar into the pitcher. While I’m pouring I say, “I’m pouring the sugar (into the pitcher). The child can then have a turn. The turns repeat until all the sugar is scooped. Then, I take the water and pour the majority of it into the pitcher (this way decreases spills), while I’m saying, “I’m pouring the water (into the pitcher). The child can then attempt to pour the water into the pitcher while saying, “I’m pouring the water (into the pitcher). Once all the ingredients are in the pitcher, it’s time to mix or stir! Depending on the child, I alternate between saying mixing and or stirring (“I’m mixing the lemonade” or “I’m stirring the lemonade”). Alternating the verbs shows the child that mixing and stirring have the same meaning (or are synonyms). End: Taste the lemonade! Ask the child to taste the lemonade. While the child is tasting, vary the pronoun and say “You’re tasting the lemonade.” This is also a great opportunity to talk about its flavor. If the child likes the lemonade, you can practice sipping, gulping, or slurping. Have fun with it! Children learn verbs by performing the actions! Other Tips: Juice lemon halves using an old-fashioned citrus juicer. BUT, if you choose this method, you’ll have to use a verb to replace squeezing. Extension Activities: Read picture books about making lemonade! Two of my favorites are from this list. Have a picnic. I hope you have enjoyed this post! To purchase Kim's book My Toddler Talks, click on the link below!  Kimberly Scanlon, M.A. CCC-SLP, is a speech language pathologist practicing in New Jersey. In addition to running a small private practice, Scanlon Speech Therapy, LLC, she is a devoted mom, wife and dog lover. She blogs at www.scanlonspeech.com andwww.mytoddlertalks.com. Recently, she published her first book My Toddler Talks: Strategies and Activities to Promote Your Child’s Language Development and has started her second.
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 My daughter is 4 and my son is 2 1/2 years old. And they couldn't be more different in personality, eating styles and food preferences. My 4 year old typically eats like a bird with a few exceptions. One of these exceptions is pancakes. She can out-eat me any day of the week if pancakes are on the menu. And she's a minimalist: no butter or PB, just sweet stuff (which is typically syrup or fruit sauce). My 2 year old generally has a much heartier appetite and is far more willing to try new foods. While my daughter has not yet acquired a taste for beets, my son scarfs them down so fast you have to be quick to get your share. He literally eats them like most kids would eat candy. While I typically serve them cooked from fresh, he has consumed nearly an entire can of beets all by himself. A couple of months ago, I came across what looked like a marvelous recipe for beet pancakes. The blog showed the most beautiful heart shaped, magenta beauties that I was sure would get my kids excited. This was a week where I had it together enough to plan several meals and purchase all the necessary ingredients. I prepared the night before by cooking my beet in advance and reviewing the recipe--something I often skip. The next morning I got my ingredients together, began the work to make pink pancakes with raspberry fruit sauce and I went to work. The recipe on the blog said it made 6, so I naturally doubled (or was it tripled?) the recipe. Full of great ingredients (all whole grain, mostly oats, BEETS), I was excited to make something that was going to be nutritious , delicious, and cool looking. A couple of pancakes into the process, I decided to sample a broken one. Um. Hmmm. All I tasted was beets, and I was not pleased. BEETS! This can't be. They looked SO good in the blog. What was I going to do!? "There's NO way my kids will eat these," I panicked. I stared at the giant mixing bowl full of batter. I checked the recipe again. I had read it wrong. It didn't say 6 pancakes. It said 6 servings! I had just made enough to feed 3 families. But still, what was I going to do with SO MANY REJECTED PANCAKES? *sigh* There wasn't much I could do at that point but cross my fingers and hope that the raspberry sauce would mask the beety flavor and nobody would notice. So that's what I did. I served up the kids, topping each little pink disc with plenty of sauce, cutting each one into bite sized pieces, as requested, then slipped back into the kitchen. I held my breath and braced, ready for cries of "Eewwww, what's wrong with these?" I heard...nothing. Nothing but the happy humming my daughter makes when she's eating something she likes--a totally involuntary sound she's made since she was in a high chair. WHAT? Proof of eating pleasure? Not only did she not reject the pancake, she was enjoying it!  Oh the relief. It was not a total fail! The beet pancakes were actually A HIT! It's amazing how much joy a mom feels when her kids enjoy the food she's cooked--more so when you expect rejection. Conversely, it can feel pretty crummy when you've worked hard to make a yummy meal and one or more of your kids won't even touch the dish. Expectations can really make or break your experience in feeding your family. If you expect them to love something and they don't, it's easy to either feel bad or push your need-to-feel-successful onto them, thereby ruining their experience too. Even something as innocent as cooking with your kids can disappoint you if the cooking was coupled with the agenda of getting them to eat what they helped cook. Sometimes your expectations might be set by what you see other kids eating...or what it seems other kids are eating. You know, the Pinterest effect. Every internet mention of kale chips suggests that kids will just eat them like candy. Um, not mine! Same with spaghetti squash. Oh if I had a dollar for every time I've read something like "we use spaghetti squash instead of pasta and my kids can't even tell the difference!" My kids can. Children, particularly those in the food neophobia (fear of new foods) stage that occurs between ages 2 and 6, have very erratic appetites and preferences. You just never know what they'll try, what they'll eat, or what they'll like. And even foods they liked yesterday might not get touched again for weeks, despite your best efforts to make them look mouth-watering good. The lesson I've learned, ahem...am learning, from my beet pancake/kale chip/spaghetti squash efforts is to change my expectations. Or better, yet, don’t set any. Just cook and serve with consideration. I will still serve kale and spaghetti squash in different ways, that's the only way they'll get gradually accustomed to these foods. But I won't sit there on the edge of my seat waiting for approval. I will never be able to predict with certainty what my young kids will eat. Trying too hard to make these predictions is a sure fire way to drive myself batty and ruin my motivation to even serve interesting new foods. My job is to plan balanced meals, expose them to new foods (alongside the tried and true) and then let it go. Their job is to surprise me (for better or for worse) ;-)  Adina Pearson lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, 2 kids and 2 labradoodles. She has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for over 10 years. However, it wasn't until she had her own kids that she became interested in pediatric nutrition and family feeding dynamics. She has always been an "everything" dietitian and is currently working in a medical clinic doing nutrition counseling for everything from type 2 diabetes to celiac disease to weight concerns. She is most excited about work when she sees a pediatric patient on her schedule.. Adina has recently started blogging on her new blog Healthy Little Eaters. You can also find her on FB.
"AMY SALTZMAN, A RESEARCHER OF MINDFULNESS EDUCATION, STATES THAT, “ONE OF THE PRIMARY IRONIES OF MODERN EDUCATION IS THAT WE ASK STUDENTS TO “PAY ATTENTION” DOZENS OF TIMES A DAY, YET WE NEVER TEACH THEM HOW.” At a time when teacher demands and student expectations are at an all-time high, one of the last things you would probably expect to see being embraced by educators and school administrators alike is the idea of teaching mindfulness to children in the classroom setting. However, all across the United States this is becoming a hot topic in education. The reason? It works! What is Mindfulness? Jon Kabat-Zinn, a leader in the mindfulness movement, defines mindfulness as paying attention in a particular way, on purpose, in the present and non-judgmentally. Amy Salzman, author of Still Quite Place, defines mindfulness as paying attention with kindness and curiosity, and then choosing your behavior. To further expand on those definitions, Mindfulness is a meditation practice that begins with paying attention to breathing in order to focus on the here, not on what might have been or what you're worried could be. The ultimate goal is to give you enough distance from disturbing thoughts and emotions to be able to observe them without immediately reacting to them. Why Teach Mindfulness? Regardless of race, religion, or socioeconomic status, an alarming number of children and adolescents are being diagnosed with ADHD, depression, anxiety, obesity, eating disorders, and addictions, and engaging in cutting and other self-destructive behaviors, including suicide. (Luthar & Barkin, 2012) Patty O’Grady, a professor at the University of Tampa, makes the case that there must be a long term commitment to teaching emotional literacy as a priority in every classroom. The research is clear that teaching kindness and other emotional content, has significant positive effect on mental health, academic accomplishment, and overall well-being. How Mindfulness Helps Students
Teaching Mindfulness to Students
Explain that by stopping and focusing on the breath, the students can clear their minds in order to be better prepared for learning. Set a timer for 5 minutes and guide the students through a short meditation. Sitting Still Like a Frog by Eline Snel is a fantastic resource that I use with my students that guides them through a variety of meditations geared specifically for children. After the short mindfulness meditation, children are encouraged to open their eyes and examine the Mindful Jar. The jar will be clear as the sand, dirt, and glitter settled. Discuss that just like the jar, our minds can become clear and calm by stopping for a moment, closing our eyes, and focusing on our breathing. 4. Mindful Movement: Brain Gym is just one source for mindful movement. Brain Gym® movements, exercises, or activities refer to the original 26 Brain Gym movements, sometimes abbreviated as the 26. These activities recall the movements naturally done during the first years of life when learning to coordinate the eyes, ears, hands, and whole body. The twenty-six activities, along with a program for “learning through movement” were developed by educator and reading specialist Paul E. Dennison and his wife and colleague, Gail E. Dennison who say that the interdependence of movement, cognition, and applied learning is the basis of their work. Another great source for simple mindful movements which can be implemented easily throughout a school day is Mindful Movements by Thich Nhat Hanh. 5. Mindful Tasting: Introducing mindful eating is a unique way to get children to focus in on using one of their senses. In this case, children will focus on the sense of taste. The traditional food used for mindful eating is a raisin, but oranges (or even chocolate) work great, too if you have a group that would be turned off by eating raisins.
6. Guided Visualizations: As mentioned above, one of my favorite CDs for guided visualizations for kids is Sitting Still like a Frog by Eline Snel. I also like Still Quiet Place for Children and Still Quiet Place for Teens by Amy Saltzman. 7. Yoga: There are many great Yoga for kids boxed card sets that work well in the classroom setting. My favorite is Yoga 4 Classrooms by Lisa Flynn. There are yoga poses that kids can do at their desks or right next to their desks with their shoes on and you don't need any fancy equipment. I do yoga throughout the day in may classroom when I see my students sleepy and having a hard time paying attention, when they are full of lots of energy and having a hard time paying attention, right before writing to help activate both sides of the brain, before a test to help calm the stress response, just to name a few. 8. Mindful Art: Zentangle art is a contemplative, relaxing art form that emplys structured and coordinated patterns as a means of creating beautiful and interesting pieces of art. There is no right or wrong way to create pattern. Its focus is on the journey, not the end result. There are many Zentangle "coloring" books to get children started in this fun, relaxing art form. Do you or have you practiced mindfulness yourself or within your classroom? How? Get instant access to more ideas that help your child attend & learn!  Lisa Joesten, M.Ed, E-RYT, has been an elementary special education teacher since 1991. In addition to teaching, Lisa has dedicated herself to the study, practice, and teaching of yoga since 2002. Her two passions intersected when she began bringing mindfulness and yoga into her own classroom and school. Lisa’s vision is to see mindfulness being embraced and taught in every school. She currently leads workshops for teachers, administrators, and parents on how to implement a mindfulness curriculum into the classroom setting. To learn more, you can contact Lisa at joestens2@comcast.net or 219-728-8255.
 OK. So sorry to Babybel but I just can't enjoy your product. I've tried on two different occasions, from two different stores and two different flavors but I just don't like the taste. Why is this worthy of a blog post? Well, my absolute love of cheese aside, because this is what many of my clients and their children experience on a daily basis. The Babybel experience begins typically enough with good texture and good flavor and THEN after the swallow, there is an aftertaste that I simply can't deal with. It's like plastic. No, maybe mildew. It's "off." It ruins the experience for me and after one bite, I'm done. I WANT to like the cheese. {mostly because of the cute little, round packages} I really do. I just can't. Ironically, I think it may be the way it is packaged but I can't be sure. I know it's not just me as 2/3 of my family members agree on the presence and possible source of the aftertaste. Why does my picky eater take one or two bites and then stop?It's very likely aftertaste. Much like my Babybel experience, they at first enjoy then food and then they suddenly don't. There is definitely a process to "tasting" a food and we are each different due to our sensory differences. Aftertaste can also be determined by things like:
Aftertaste be gone!Thankfully, there are ways to deal with the aftertaste issue that stops many kids from trying more than a couple of bites of a new food. Whether it's a too bitter flavor, too salty, too sweet or "off" like I described above you can help greatly by using the following techniques:
Each of the above techniques is part of the Food Chaining protocol and are very effective in dealing with the issue of aftertaste. The key is making sure you are properly using the strategies and that they are individualized for your child. Many children develop these strategies on their own but many don't and need to be helped a bit. The techniques are easy to implement without pressure for the child. What are your thoughts on aftertaste? Are there some foods that you feel have more than others? Until next time, keep growing and blooming. Jen  Today, I {Jennifer} am guest posting over at Rachel Wynn's Gray Matter Therapy. If you've ever wondered why speech language pathologists, aka speech therapists, are the best choice for working on executive functioning skills, you'll want to head over and read the post. We, slps, do so much more than work with kids on learning to say their speech sounds correctly. Take a read for yourselves!
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