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"Early communication and language skills depend on the important work of child’s play"
By Christina Knott
At any point during the weekday, preschoolers at schools across the north country are busy passing toy cars back and forth, baking cakes in pretend kitchens or dancing along to their favorite song.
It may look like all fun and games. But according to speech language pathologists Mary C.T. Runge and Dani E. Shirkey, the Arc of Jefferson-St. Lawrence, those preschoolers are hard at work, developing language and communication skills they’ll depend on throughout their lives.
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"Ready and set for success: How to encourage early literacy and language skills"
By Christina Knott
Reading and literacy skills have been correlated with student success throughout life — from increased odds of graduating high school to the probability of attending college. According to the Children’s Reading Foundation, students who lag behind in kindergarten often fail to make up the difference between them and their peers, and by high school, make up the largest portion of those who fail to graduate.
The statistics may be dire, but experts say encouraging literacy in children doesn’t have to be a chore.
Speech language pathologists Mary C.T. Runge and Dani E. Shirkey, the Arc of Jefferson-St. Lawrence, support early literacy and reading development as part of their mission to build language and communication skills. As part of Better Speech and Hearing month, they offer several easy ways for parents to encourage their child’s success in reading.
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"Table troubles: Picky eating may be a sign of bigger issues"
By Christina Knott
Many parents at one time or another will struggle with getting their child to eat what he or she should — from refusing vegetables to avoiding certain smells or textures.
At the Arc of Jefferson-St. Lawrence counties, speech language pathologists Mary C.T. Runge and Dani E. Shirkey work regularly with children who have feeding or swallowing disorders, in which the infant or child avoids eating certain foods.
“Like they only eat mushy food. They only eat certain foods. They only eat foods that melt in your mouth. We see a lot of that,” Shirkey said.
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“An overview of recent Supreme Court rulings”
By Christina Knott
Supreme Court rulings have been in the news lately as the justices have issued a flurry of new decisions this month. From the right of individuals to carry a concealed pistol to allowing states to restrict access to abortion, half of all the decisions of the judicial session, which began in October, have been in the month of June. With rare exception, the verdicts have been decided by a split majority, reflecting a national divide on many of the issues.
For those who haven’t been able to keep up, here is a quick summary of the cases decided from June 21-30, according to information gathered from Ballotpedia.org and SupremeCourt.gov.
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"Asian Market offers a taste of authentic world cuisine in Watertown"
By Christina Knott
WATERTOWN — Bright red snapper, frozen, peek out of a display case. A colorful sign on the wall displays the price of sokkori, samgyeopsal and ojingeo, all written by hand in Korean hangul. The English translation — ox tail, pork belly and squid — help those shoppers who may be stumped.
On nearby shelves, cartoon characters on various packages reflect an animated product line.
With its diverse products, ranging from biscuits to brooms, Asian Market, 552 State St., is an enclave of cultural cuisine and things that many people don’t expect to find in a city the size of Watertown.
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“Huckleberry Charlie” Sherman: A colorful north country legend”
By Christina Knott
Charles “Huckleberry Charlie” Sherman, born on Feb. 15, 1842, in Watertown was a conspicuous figure of the north country, with a reputation that continues to intrigue local historians, including his own chapter in the book, "Colorful Characters of Northern New York" by David Shampine.
Huckleberry Charlie made his money (and earned his nickname) picking and selling huckleberries. He claimed that the huckleberries he picked on Pine Plains, which is now Fort Drum, were the best there were.
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"Frank Olean: The man who helped make Public Square friendly"
By Christina Knott
Watertown Daily Times
Frank Olean was a young, 17-year-old boy walking down the street on Public Square in Watertown when the clothing store that would one day be his called out to him. Literally.
The owner of Smith and Streeter, John C. Streeter, was standing in the doorway of his store in need of an errand boy. He saw Mr. Olean walking and asked if the boy wanted the job. He did. And on Jan. 20, 1868, his career with the clothing company began.
There Mr. Olean stayed, rising quickly from errand boy to clerk and, eventually, part owner. bought out the man who hired him to own the store, along with Mr. Streeter’s son, Fred W. Streeter, and another associated, Henry J. Brimmer.
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"Fact vs. opinion: What's the difference?"
By Christina Knott
Have you ever wanted to know something new about the world?
Maybe you wanted to know if ice cream was good for your body. (If it is, maybe your parents will let you have as much of it as you want.)
Or maybe you wanted to know what the best flavor of ice cream is. (Maybe they are all the best?)
There are a lot of big ideas in the world today. Both kids and adults have a lot of different questions and sometimes they have even more answers.