A little frog's journey

Fort Worth, TX

4/23/2010

By: Alexis Fernandez, Schieffer School of Journalism

Every parent hopes to give his or her child the best education possible. Every parent wants their child to feel accepted, valuable, and with a bright future ahead of them. The KinderFrogs School does just that from the beginning of a little frog’s educational journey.

As an early childhood special education program, the KinderFrogs School addresses TCU College of Education’s mission to provide research, training and service. The education facility was designed to accommodate young children and their families, and the school predominantly serves children with Down syndrome and other developmental delays. However, the school also includes children who do not have disabilities. Approximately 30 children and their families are served at the KinderFrogs School annually.

In order to jump-start a toddler’s education, KinderFrogs School has a special program that focuses on sensory-motor experiences for children from 18 months to two years old. Middleton explains how this technique of teaching and learning benefits the little ones in her classes.

“In our classroom, we incorporate all of our children's senses into their everyday learning,” instructor Libby Middleton said. “Research has shown that children are more successful learners when they are more actively involved in the things that they are learning. We strive to utilize each moment that our children are with us as teachable moments in which the children are having fun and encourage the children to explore things that they are interested in.”

A toddler class requires a lot of attention. Middleton explains that the children have important needs and they are addressed at KinderFrogs School. “In my classroom, some of the specific needs that we see -- keeping in mind that each child is unique -- are walking/crawling, feeding, language and communication.”

The class also focuses on cognitive needs, fine motor skills, and oral motor needs of the children. These needs are addressed through a number of different avenues from direct one-on-one therapy to more indirect ways, such as deliberate snack choices to help work on a specific desired skill.

The school day begins as early as 7:30 a.m. and ends at 2:30 p.m. Some of the activities the children participate in include speech therapy, outdoor environment time, and self-help skills. On selected days, the children focus on areas such as music, guided play, and cognitive skills. These activities provide not only a rich learning environment, but also learning centers that help maximize their emerging physical, sensory-motor, and social skills.

KinderFrog’s practices are based on research and evaluation of a child’s progress. “By using a sensory motor approach, we can help ensure that we are not just working on one aspect of the child's development, but instead focusing on the ‘whole picture’ to ensure that our students are successful in school and beyond,” said Middleton.

KinderFrogs School uses a team approach to educate the children and communicates constantly to make sure they are making the progress they need. Teachers working with various therapists, families, and other specialists, providing the children with a top-notch education that will ensure their future success.

“I enjoy seeing the big milestones (such as walking, talking), but I also enjoy the everyday experiences, such as the first time a child plays peek-a-boo with me. I consider myself very fortunate,” continued Middleton.

Parents are always welcomed at KinderFrogs School. Communicating with teachers is encouraged on a regular basis, and parents are notified in writing of significant or special events at school. Parents can also leave messages on the teacher’s voice mail and teachers then return calls after the school day ends.

Middleton communicates daily with parents to let them know what's going on at school and to find out what challenges/experiences the children are facing at home. “I try very hard to give parents feedback on positive ways they can help their child at home so that we can see the most growth,” Middleton said.

“Working with Down syndrome children is one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had. It is nice to go to a job where children are happy to come to school and parents are dedicated to helping their children in any way possible,” she continued.