Get The Toy Bag Monkey Off You Back! (picture of various toys, and an frowning woman with a monkey on her back)
Marla Garstka
Michelle Clyne
IAER 2015
Brought to you by… (logos of Chicago Lighthouse, Project Reach, and OSEP)
Today we hope to
Discuss reasons use of a toy bag should be thought about carefully for each family served
Learn/review recommended practices that support family confidence and child outcomes when used during home-based early intervention sessions
Participate in small group role playing of discussions one might have with families unused to a coaching-based family-driven intervention model
Division of Early Childhood Recommended Practices for EI/EC
E1. Practitioners provide services and supports in natural and inclusive environments during daily routines and activities to promote the child’s access to and participation in learning experiences.
F6. Practitioners engage the family in opportunities that support and strengthen parenting knowledge and skills and parenting competence and confidence in ways that are flexible, individualized, and tailored to the family’s preferences.
INS5. Practitioners embed instruction within and across routines, activities, and environments to provide contextually relevant learning opportunities.
INS13. Practitioners use coaching or consultation strategies with primary caregivers or other adults to facilitate positive adult-child interactions and instruction intentionally designed to promote child learning and development.
http://www.dec-sped.org/recommendedpractices
Article in your Handouts
Blog: Problems with the Toy Bag:
Robin McWilliam
http://naturalenvironments.blogspot.com/2007/10/toy-bags.htmlrelated to
Toy Bag Realities
Working from the bag implies that the one hour a week between the visitor and the child is the intervention
Adults are better equipped to learn from a one hour weekly session and use that information for the rest of the week.
Toy Bag Realities
The toy bag implies that what the family has is inadequate
Home visits should be about reinforcing the family’s feelings of competence
Toy Bag Realities
If the toys in the bag are so important to the child’s development, why are they removed from the home at the end of the hour?
Home visits should prepare the family to provide the real intervention during regular routines throughout the child’s entire day, week, and month.
Toy bag play tends to be 80% adult/child/toy interaction.
In real life, most families spend little time with adult/child/toy interactions during daily routines (5-15%)
Marla’s Story
In the Beginning (picture of young girl standing erect and smiling with large backpack on her back)
Later on (but we won’t say how much later…) (pictures of young girl hunched over and a sad expression with large backpack on her back).
Marla spoke with her families
Mixed group of about 15 families
Asked open-ended questions about what they thought about toys coming into the home
And the survey said….
All of them LIKED the toys she brought
She brought toys that were new, and they liked seeing something new
They felt kids were getting new skills, or a new angle on a previous skill
They felt it was something a DT-Vision would bring in as opposed to another early interventionist
Back to the Blog
When Robin posted his article, there were MANY responses, both some that agreed and some that disagreed.
Some were from newcomers to the field, some from people with many years of experience.
Here are some examples.
Mary said...
I have often had to "wean" families off of the toy bag expectation. I use this as an opportunity to talk about meaningful learning opportunities (daily routines) and help them support their child with those- … asking questions about "What they notice when..." and, among many other things, adapting an interaction, (or how a toy or other household material may be utilized) to make growth toward outcomes. I have never had a family (after two or three "weaning sessions") ask for the toy bag- they usually are too delighted in the increased competence, engagement and/or participation on the part of the child and an increase in their confidence in supporting their child.
Sonia Pinasaid...
I'm currently doing my student teaching and I have found that bags are fun for children. The EI usually takes a bag for children and leaves it for at least a month. I work with some families that don't have many resources to buy toys or need assistance in finding adequate toys. I think that this is a good use of toy bags.
Stevensaid...
Wow, someone really has strong feelings about NOT BRINGING TOYS to a home visit. I agree with some of what was said. However, in the beginning I do not see anything wrong with bringing a few toys to help break the ice with the child you are seeing in the house. In addition, I would think that you could use the toys to help provide service to the child and to model for the family on how they can play and teach the child. Then, you can slowly fade the toys away.
Lisa Henggelersaid...
Maybe we could meet in the middle!!! Although my experience is in a center based program, is it possible to expose the child to both teacher provided toys and home toys and let the child decide? Don't we take our lead from the child? If the child's preference is the teachers, perhaps the teacher could leave it at the home for a short period of time.
Sarahsaid...
I see do see the points you are making however I feel most of us cannot go from bringing toy bags to not having them at all. It is a little discouraging to read the blog, maybe we as professionals need some more ideas on how transition to no bags or have a happy medium. I feel there needs to be more discussion on the in between areas. I feel there is room for bags and no bags.
Why Do We Love the Toy Bag?
Curriculum
Resources
Skills
Lesson Planning
Assessment (ongoing)
Does the Bag become the Focus of the Intervention?
Do the children play with toys at the expense of opportunities for interaction?
Do we not take advantage of opportunities for natural routines?
Are parent questions about other situations not answered within those situations?
Are you relegated to the “nicest” room in the house, where the toy bag lands, instead of the rooms where real life happens?
Transition Ideas – Let’s Build this Together
Start with a New Family
Questions? And Evals (picture of smiling monkey)