By Shara Lawrence-Weiss

April is the month of many awareness holidays including:

      National Autism Awareness Month
National Volunteer Month
National Frog Month
National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness Month

      Here are a few websites you may want to bookmark:


National Autism Awareness Month:

1. Signing Families: For ASL DVD's, charts and emergency sign language products. Great for special needs parents, classrooms or hospitals.
    
2. Personal Child Stories: For custom stories or sequencing stories, behavior books and individualized products using personal photographs.

National Volunteer Month:

1. Points of Light: Helps place people at the center of transforming their communities.
    
2. Volunteer Spot: Puts parents and schools in contact with each other to set up volunteer opportunities. FREE service.

National Frog Month:

1. Early Childhood News and Resources: Frog crafts, printouts, activities and more.
    
2. All About Frogs: Frog facts, international frogs, frog books and funny frog tidbits.

1.  Kidlutions: Information and products that encourage kindness, empathy, helping children through tough situations and helping parents manage the stress of parenthood.
 
2. Champions Against Bullying: Workshops and help for parents, teachers and community members: building empathy and kindness in children from Preschool on.

There are several other awareness holidays taking place in April as well. A simple search of these names will give you several ideas on how to incorporate them into your teachings. Remember that some may only be suited to upper grades or certain classes.

Alcohol Awareness Month
Counseling Awareness Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
Listening Awareness Month
Mathematics Education Month
Multicultural Communication Month
National Anxiety Month
National Garden Month
National Poetry Month
Stress Awareness Month
STD Awareness Month
Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month
World Habitat Awareness Month