Contact Me Today!!!!
Email jodiemaddoxicoach@gmail.com
Facebook Jodie Maddox - Parent Coach & Consultant
Instagram - jodiemaddoxparentcoach
Dear Friends,
Happy Birthday America! I love July for many reasons, but this year we get an extra dose of special with the Olympics starting at the end of the month. Watching athletes worldwide compete with enormous amounts of athleticism and grit is always a moment to celebrate. Watching the Olympics, children can learn about geography, their country, sportsmanship, loss, and perseverance. A great opportunity to connect with your kids and plant seeds of resilience!
Speaking of playing, did you get to play with your friends over the holiday weekend? This week, we will reflect on the significance of imaginary and free play in a child's life. As we prepare for school next month and enjoy the rest of the summer, it's important that we understand why play should certainly and rightfully be the priority for the next few weeks.
It's time to fly the red, white, and blue high with pride as we cheer on Team USA as they prepare to bring home the gold.
With A Grateful Heart,
Jodie Maddox
Parent Coach & Education Consultant
The Power of Play
When my own children were about 3 and 4 years old, instead of playing “house,” they would play “Steve and Jodie” (my husband is Steve). In their imaginary world, Jodie was always busy caring for her 5 or 6 children (in real life, I only have two children). She was always exhausted from cleaning the house, making enormous amounts of food, running to the store, and telling Steve what he needed to do to help her gain control of her long to-do list. “Steve” was always quick to remind “Jodie” that he was a Harlem Globetrotter and was too busy riding his Harley Davidson to listen or worry about what she needed. My husband, an engineer in real life, always got such a kick out of Jack’s twist on his career and Grace’s impersonation of my busy, bossy, and oh-so-sassy style. Oh man, do I miss those days!
Free play is a powerful tool for a child’s development. It allows children to create, imagine, express themselves, process their emotions, and develop resilience. Imaginary play provides an important outlet for coping with stress. Unlike structured activities, free play offers a safe space for children to experiment with different scenarios, take risks, and learn from failures. This experiential learning is invaluable for fostering a growth mindset that is beneficial throughout life.
In a little over a month, many children will transition back to school; some will even attend school for the first time. Parents look forward to their children starting kindergarten for many reasons. School promises endless possibilities, such as exploring new interests and making friends. Of course, this is typically when and where children learn to read and write. Reading and writing are big milestones for children. Most parents are super proud of this accomplishment. They are sometimes so eager to help their children grasp the gift of literacy that their child may already come to kindergarten knowing and practicing many pre-literacy skills like knowing their alphabet, spelling their name, and knowing how to use some small sight words.
When I was a principal, during the kindergarten roundup, I always had several parents excited to tell me how their child would probably be bored in kindergarten because they already knew how to read. While reading and writing are undeniably goals associated with school, we also need to recognize the equally, if not more important, value of socialization and free play in a child’s development. Free play is the cornerstone of healthy development. Playing fosters creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills foundational for academic success and well-being. While playing, children learn to navigate social dynamics, negotiate with peers, develop empathy, create, design, imagine, and dream.
While literacy skills can be taught and honed at any stage of development, the foundational skills gained through free play are best developed in early childhood. By prioritizing free play over structured activities, technology, and even organized sports, we nurture well-rounded, resilient, and creative individuals and lay the groundwork for academic and personal success.
Remember that while you are helping your little one prepare for school this summer, playing can help set the stage for a balanced and successful life. Encourage your children to get outside this month and build a carnival in the backyard, make the littlest child the mayor, and imagine a world that runs on cotton candy and juice boxes!
Helping Neurodiverse Kids Stay Organized & Productive
- Be realistic about what the child can and cannot handle. Leave time for transitions
- Look for progress, not perfection.
- Take a 40,000-foot view. Minimize distractions and noise to optimize attention and focus.
- Stock the space. Ensure all supplies and resources are available before tackling the task or project.
- Fun first. Get dopamine flowing first before introducing a challenge or tough task.
- Chunk tasks into small, doable bites.
- Brain dump everything! Teach kids to make lists and check them twice by making them yourself and letting them check things off with you.
- Don’t only rely on your phone for notes and a calendar. Post a calendar on a wall, refer to it, and let kids write on it, too!
- Make praise pointed and polished so kids know what they did right; say things like, "Thanks for making your bed; you are so independent and dependable!"
- Save technology for learning and processing valuable information. Stay away from using it for rewards and entertainment. Use books, art, music, toys, playing, and other activities for entertainment. Keep the dopamine hit given by technology for learning.
ADDitude Magazine 4/15/2022
Parent Coaching
Parent coaching provides parents with comprehensive knowledge about ADHD, anxiety, and other neurodiverse abilities, including symptoms, causes, and effects on behavior. Parents learn easy strategies to help calm emotions and elect change. Sessions provide a strategic yet organic approach to helping parents better understand and comprehend their children’s struggles, behaviors, and needs. If your child is neurodiverse, let's connect! I am here to help you empower your child to be the best, feel confident, and know their own strength.
For a free consultation contact me today for your free consultation at jodiemaddoxicoach@gmail.com
Professional Services for Schools
The benefit of strategic and consistent instructional coaching is a real game changer for new and veteran teachers. Whether you're interested in coaching for a specific teacher or a team, or you're still trying to plan your professional development schedule for your entire staff, I'm here to help. My services are flexible and are available to help you design professional development specific to your community's unique needs and vision.
Professional Services Include:
Instructional Coaching
PLC Team Coaching (Grade Level Teams, Middle School Teams, and Intervention Teams)
Leadership Coaching
Strategic Planning
Group Professional Development Available In:
- Inclusion/Classroom Management
- Data Driven Lesson Planning/Using Pacing Guides
- Differentiated Instruction
- Science of Reading
- Multi-Tiered System of Support Training
- Social Emotional Support and Strategies
- Building Healthy Relationships
- Early Education and Early Literacy
Parent Workshops Offered Over the Following Topics
- Executive Functioning Skills
- Parenting Your Unique Child (Strength-Based Parenting)
- Helping Children Manage Anxiety
- Setting Healthy Boundaries
- The Effects of Technology On Brain Health, Motivation, and Behavior
Title funding can be used to pay for these services. Last year, I worked with close to 20 different schools in over 10 different school districts. Don't miss out on these opportunities to support your community!
For a description and full list of other topics I am currently offering click here.
Subcribe To This Newsletter
Past Newsletters and Topic
Flourish Bound Website
Jodie Maddox Coaching and Consulting
Email: jodiemaddoxicoach@gmail.com
Website: jodiemaddoxicoach.com
Phone: (913)908-8220
Facebook: facebook.com/Jodiemaddox-ParentCoach&consultant