Feedback for Activity 1

Who: Parent (E) of kindergartner with Down Syndrome (L)

Date of activity implementation: Nightly at bedtime by parent since Sunday, March 27, 2022. Live implementation by myself in L’s kindergarten class on Thursday, March 31, 2022.

Date of feedback: Thursday, March 31, 2022

Goal: Improve expressive communication (for the purpose of L communicating with her parents)

I never would have thought that a children’s book would give me, a 24-year-old graduate student, so much joy. However, it wasn’t just the book that gave me joy. It was the process of using this book to help another family. Seeing the “results” of this one activity have been so lovely and encouraging.

When I interviewed E, she sent me a list of several children’s books that L enjoys. I had been meaning to build up my children’s library, so I purchased a few. After reading All The World, I thought, “This is such a cute book with a sweet message. How would I use music with this to help with communication?” Luckily, the words and prosody lended themselves to a simple, repetitive melody. I felt so proud of myself the first time I sang through the book.

My assumptions about the family were well-informed by the Pathways Coordinator at the school. I had a solid background before E answered my interview questions. The Pathways Coordinator had told me that L’s family was “very involved.” However, I did not think they would be so dedicated and interested in what I had to offer them. We had several conflicts and bumps along the road, that it would have been so easy for them to just say no or for me to try and find another family, but my instinct told me to stick with it.

My previous coursework and annotated bibliography really came in handy, especially the source from Yokoyama because of all her ideas for activities. My communication with E was also invaluable. We exchanged several emails during this process, and she was super clear in not only L’s needs but their needs as a family. Something I gained from this experience was confidence. I was confident in my musicality, and based on what I learned in the interview, I was confident that this resource would be useful for the family.

When I created this resource, I did not plan to implement it live, as the resource is a YouTube video, but I thought “Why not try it? I bet the other kindergarteners will like it, too.” From the moment I pulled the book out of my backpack, and I saw everyone’s eyes light up (L’s affect is not usually this animated), I knew she had watched the video with her parents. I started singing and reading, and L did not miss a beat. Not only was she engaged in her affect, but she was singing every word with such clear diction, pitch, and projection. All of these skills are transferable from singing to speaking. Her teachers expressed to me that they had never seen her smile so big, and below is an email from E: 

Hi Laura,

I've been meaning to email you! We've been watching your video at bedtime and each time we get to the end, she quietly says, "again!" before she goes on to belt out the words along with you. It's a wonderful video!! Thanks so much for sharing this beautiful resource with our family. And I'm so happy her teachers got to see it in action, too! 

After all of this, I am so happy that the family is pleased and benefiting from this resource. However, I have some anxiety because what if I’ve set the bar too high for myself? E did not provide me with any “negative” feedback or constructive criticism. With the next resource, I am hoping to create something targeted at helping L’s whole family get involved, but I am still brainstorming ideas.