Ava
When Ava first arrived at Child Development Institute's social skills camp, she barely spoke. Not even at school. She was reluctant to take part in any group activities and almost never initiated interaction with other children.
And when she did talk, it was a struggle. “She was so quiet and it was difficult to understand her,” says Ursula Ziegler, Community Child Worker in the Social Skills program. “It was hard for her to talk because she didn't get enough practice.”
That's where the Start Right summer camp can help. Every August, the Start Right summer camp has worked with children who need help improving their social skills. Through games, stories and other activities, children, aged 4-6, develop skills to help them play cooperatively and articulate their feelings. The program supports social, emotional and behavioural learning so that children can relate better to others and get ready for learning in the classroom.
Ten children are enrolled in each morning session, with only 5 children in each group. Working in such small groups means fewer distractions and more opportunities for turn taking and sharing. The camp has been such a success in previous years that this August, sessions were extended to two weeks. And that extra time clearly benefited children, like Ava.
After the first week, Ava showed remarkable progress. Suddenly she was responding to others. Her words were increasing everyday. She was raising her hand to answer questions.
“Ava was smiling more and laughing,” says Ursula. “Seeing her as an active part of a group was really exciting. And seeing the joy she got from succeeding was so rewarding.”