Special Education Valentine’s Day Life Skills Ideas!
Hey there, teacher friends! Roses are red, Violets are blue. In my Special Education class, what should I do? ❤️ Love is in the air, and Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. However many of us as teachers are faced with… what in the roses am I going to do in my classroom this Valentine’s Day? How can I make it extra special yet cater to my students specifically? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Let’s think of it this way: It’s the perfect time to show your special ed students how much you care and provide them with a fun-filled day of love, creativity, and learning. In this blog post, we’re sharing 6 Valentine’s Day ideas that will not only engage your students but also help them develop their sensory, social, creative, and cognitive skills. Get ready to spread the love and make this Valentine’s Day unforgettable for your students! 1. Social Skills activities Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to work on those social skills! How about having your students practice giving compliments in class when passing out equipment. Or showing gratitude by completing a gratitude jar with post-it notes. You could express appreciation by making cards for their classmates and turning it into a social skills/literacy lesson. This will help them learn how to show love and appreciation, and work on those writing skills. It’s a great way to celebrate Valentine’s Day and build positive relationships in your classroom! Click HERE to grab the FREE Valentine’s Day Gratitude Jar 2. Story Time I won’t lie, our special education classes still love an illustrated book! Why not make Valentine’s Day extra special by getting some Valentine’s Day-themed stories from the library and having your students read them? Ask your librarian to help you choose books that focus on themes like kindness, friendship, and love. You could add comprehension questions or activities that go along with the story to make it more engaging and exciting for your students! Our top three favorite books to read together as a class are “I Need a Hug” by Aaron Blabey, “The Invisible String” by Patrice Karst, and “Romeo and Juliet” by Sweet Cherry Easy Reading Publishing. These books not only teach important values but also provide a fun and engaging way to practice reading and comprehension skills! So why not make Valentine’s Day a special reading day and share some love through the magic of books! 3. Art Projects Valentine’s Day provides a great theme for art projects! Why not try doing a gratidoodle drawing page, in which students can fill out each day of the month for February with a simple drawing expressing why they are grateful today? It’s a fun and engaging way for students to practise gratitude and develop their artistic skills! Another great idea is to make kindness rocks! With painted messages of kindness and love, you and your class can hide them around the local community gardens or your school. It’s a fantastic way to spread positivity and kindness, while also getting outside and exploring your surroundings! Both of these projects are sure to engage your students and help them learn important values such as gratitude and kindness. Give them a try and see the positive impact it can have on your classroom and community! 4. Colour by Code Want to make Valentine’s Day even more exciting for your students while also reinforcing their numeracy skills. Why not try our color by code – Valentine’s Day Unit? This unit is filled with 10 differentiated sets of illustrations that use rounding up money skills. It’s a fun and engaging way to celebrate the holiday while still focusing on those important life skills. Your students will love the challenge of figuring out the codes while also creating beautiful Valentine’s Day-themed artwork! And the best part? This activity is flexible and can be easily adapted to fit the needs of your students, making it perfect for any classroom setting. Click here fro link for colour by code – Valentine’s Day Task 5. Maths Centres Want to add some excitement to your maths lessons this Valentine’s Day? Why not set up a maths centre where your students can practise counting and sorting heart-shaped candies or other Valentine’s Day-themed objects? This hands-on activity is not only fun but also provides a great opportunity for your students to practice their numeracy skills. And why stop there? You can also create a graphing activity where your students can count and categorise Valentine’s Day items and then graph their findings. This is a great way to reinforce their data collection and analysis skills while also getting into the holiday spirit! 6. Life Skills Routines Get your class excited and ready to celebrate Valentine’s Day with our morning warm-up bundle! This fun and friendly activity will help your students develop key developmental skills such as ⏰ time management, calendar writing, life skills, numeracy, literacy skills, and social-emotional check-ins. Plus, it’s available in two differentiated levels, so you can easily meet the needs of your diverse learners. Start your day off on the right foot with this engaging and interactive Valentine’s Day warm-up! We hope these Valentine’s Day ideas for special ed students have got your heart pumping and inspired to give your students an unforgettable Valentine’s Day. ❤️ Don’t forget to spread the love, have some fun, and show those kids how much they mean to you! Come and Join us next time when we talk all about “Tailoring your Morning Routine in Special Education” Thank You! ❤️ Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you found this post helpful to both you and your special students. Be sure to check us out when it comes to special education teaching resources and ideas, The Special Education Studio is where it’s at. Visit our website and socials for helpful tips, resources, and personalised support. And remember, You put the special in Special Education!
Supporting independence
Hey there, teacher friends! If you’re a teacher working with students on the Autism Spectrum, you know that every child is unique and requires special attention to help them succeed in the classroom. One way to support your students is by promoting their independence. When students feel confident and capable of completing tasks on their own, they are more likely to engage with the material and develop important skills that will benefit them throughout their lives. In this post, we’re going to share with you some exciting strategies and tools that can help your ASD students thrive in the classroom. So, let’s dive in and discover how you can help your ASD students thrive! Offer choices and opportunities for self-direction Giving students with ASD choices and opportunities for self-direction can help them feel more in control and engaged in their learning. You could offer choices for assignments, such as letting them choose between two or three different projects, or letting them choose the order in which they complete tasks. Encourage them to take ownership of their learning by setting goals and tracking their own progress. Use visual schedules and cues Visual schedules and cues can be very helpful for students with ASD, who may struggle with transitions and changes in routine. Create a visual schedule that outlines the daily schedule and the tasks that need to be completed, using pictures, symbols, or written words depending on the student’s preference. In my classroom, I adopted a method where we use pictures and symbols to represent each task per lesson and have a digital time of when that task will start and end. This allows all students to visually see the morning – and if we need to make changes, we can easily do so with the magnetic whiteboard. Menu Maths If you’re looking for a resource to promote independence in maths, check out Menu Maths. This resource offers a fun and engaging way for students to practise maths skills independently. Menu Maths provides students with a menu of maths problems to choose from, allowing them to select problems at their own level and pace. Students can work on Menu Maths independently or in pairs, and teachers can use it as a supplement to their regular maths curriculum. Click here for Menu Maths resources Interest-Based Learning Positive reinforcement and interest-based learning can help your students stay motivated and engaged. Acknowledge their hard work and achievements with specific, sincere praise, and reward good behaviour and progress with incentives that they care about. Incorporate their interests into the curriculum to make the material more relevant and engaging for them. Foster a Growth Mindset Fostering a growth mindset can help your students develop resilience, perseverance, and a positive attitude towards learning. Encourage your students to view mistakes and setbacks as opportunities for learning and growth. Use language that emphasises effort and progress over innate ability, and provide opportunities for your students to reflect on their learning and set goals for improvement. When supporting independence in an ASD classroom it requires patience, understanding, and the right strategies and resources. By providing some clear instructions, using visual aids, offering choices, and using positive reinforcement, you can help your students become more independent and successful life-long learners. Thank You! ❤️ Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you found this post helpful to both you and your special students. Be sure to check us out when it comes to special education teaching resources and ideas, The Special Education Studio is where it’s at. Visit our website and socials for helpful tips, resources, and personalised support.
St. Patricks Day in the Classroom
Hey there, teacher friends! As St. Patrick’s Day approaches, teachers everywhere are looking for engaging activities to celebrate the holiday in their classrooms. With its rich history and traditions, St. Patrick’s Day offers a wealth of opportunities for students to learn and have fun at the same time. In this blog post, we’ll share some of the best St. Patrick’s Day activities for the classroom, suitable for students of all ages and abilities. So, grab a shamrock shake and let’s get started with these fun and educational St. Patrick’s Day activities! Color By Code A “Color by Code” activity is a fun and engaging way for students to learn about St. Patrick’s Day while also practising their coding and colour recognition skills. In this activity, students are given a picture or design that is divided into sections, each with a code (money amount)l that represents a specific colour. The students then use the key to determine the next dollar up in money value – to which colors to use for each section, and colour the picture accordingly. It’s a great St. Patrick’s Day activity and is differentiated for all learners. Click here for St. Patricks Day Color by code resource Menu Maths ☘️ Menu Maths” is a fun and educational way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day and promote maths skills in the classroom. It encourages students to use real-world examples and apply their maths knowledge to practical situations, helping them to develop their problem-solving and critical thinking abilities. This activity can be used to reinforce a variety of maths skills of addition, while also incorporating elements of Irish culture. It can be used as an individual or group activity, and can also be customised to different learning styles and preferences. Click here for St. Patricks Day Menu Maths resource Morning Warm Ups ☀️ The St. Patrick’s Day morning warm ups are a must for any Special Education classroom! This special Saint Patrick’s Day edition of the Life Skill Daily Morning Work is full of Daily Emotional Leprechaun check ins for students and Differentiated activities across a range of curriculums and key learning areas. Super Easy No prep, great for the busy Special Education Teacher ❤️ Each Warm Up page comes with St. Patrick’s Day Based: ✅Emotional Emoji Check in ✅Weekly traceable days ✅Calendar skills ✅Life Skills ✅Telling Time ✅Community Signs ✅Maths Skills ✅Literacy Skills ✅Daily Vocab words ✅World Culture ✅Binder Cover ✅Student Monitoring Page ✅Monthly Title Page ✅Completion Certificate Click here for St. Patricks Day Morning Warm Up resources Task Cards Task cards are a versatile and engaging teaching tool that can be used to promote active learning and student-centred instruction. The Life Skill and Vocational Saint Patrick’s Day – Next Dollar Up Task Cards are full of Differentiated activities (120+ Cards). Including student progress and IEP/ ILP prewritten goals, and answer pages for teachers! Also including numbered cards, Designed box covers, SMART Goals and Special Education Data tracking for students Click here for St. Patricks Day Task Card resource ❤️ Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you found this post helpful to both you and your special students. So, what are your favourite St. Patrick’s Day resources to use in the classroom? Let us know in the comments below! And if you’re looking for some amazing teaching resources to support your special education students, check out our website for some great ideas! And remember, You put the special in Special Education! Thank You! ❤️ Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you found this post helpful to both you and your special students. Be sure to check us out when it comes to special education teaching resources and ideas, The Special Education Studio is where it’s at. Visit our website and socials for helpful tips, resources, and personalised support.
6 Easter Ideas in the classroom!
Hey there, teacher friends! Easter is a fun and meaningful holiday that can be celebrated in special education classrooms in a variety of ways. In today’s egg-citing blog post, let’s hop into six simple ways you can celebrate Easter with your students. So grab your bunny ears and let’s get cracking! Easter Egg Hunt An Easter egg hunt is a classic way to celebrate the holiday! You can adapt the activity to meet the needs of your students by hiding eggs with different textures or sounds, or by placing visual clues around the classroom to help students find the eggs. Easter Crafts Arts and crafts activities are always popular with students. You can create Easter-themed crafts like Easter baskets, bunny masks, or colourful eggs with different materials like construction paper, paint, or even sensory materials like rice or sand. How about making your own watercolour surprise eggs. Simply grab a white crayon design for your egg and then paint the hidden marks using watercolour paints! Super simple. Easter Story Time Reading books about the Easter story can help students understand the meaning behind the holiday. You can choose books with simple language and bright illustrations to engage your students and spark discussions about the story. Our favourites in our classroom are: The Bin chicken’s excellent easter by Ronojoy Ghosh Bad Bunny by Johnathan Bently and The classic tales of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter Easter Sensory Bins Sensory bins are a great way to engage students in hands-on learning. You can create a sensory bin with Easter-themed items like plastic eggs, bunny ears, and Easter grass, and encourage students to explore the materials with their senses. Easter Cooking Cooking is a fun way to celebrate any holiday, and Easter is no exception. You can make Easter-themed snacks like bunny-shaped cookies, egg decorated cupcakes or carrot cake, or involve students in the process of dyeing Easter eggs. Morning Life Skills Easter Warm Ups Lastly, if you’re looking for a comprehensive Easter resource for your special education class, check out My Morning Life Skills Easter Resource. This resource includes activities and worksheets that cover a range of skills, such as reading comprehension, social skills, and life skills. It’s designed to help students develop essential skills while having fun and learning about the holiday. Click here for Easter Warm Up Activities Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you found this post helpful to both you and your special students. So, what are your favourite ways to celebrate Easter in your classroom? Let us know in the comments below! And if you’re looking for some amazing teaching resources to support your special education students, check out our website for some great ideas! Thank You! ❤️ Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you found this post helpful to both you and your special students. Be sure to check us out when it comes to special education teaching resources and ideas, The Special Education Studio is where it’s at. Visit our website and socials for helpful tips, resources, and personalised support.
5 ways to make Life skills engaging!
Hey there, teacher friends! Special education life skills are essential for students with disabilities to lead an independent life. However, teaching life skills to these students can be a challenging task, especially when it comes to keeping them engaged. Engaging students with disabilities in life skills training can at times a little tricky, but there are plenty of ways to make it more fun and interesting! In this blog post lets chat about 5 simple ways to make special education life skills more engaging: Incorporate Technology Technology can be a valuable tool in teaching life skills to students with disabilities. Using educational apps, online resources, and assistive technology can help make learning more engaging and accessible for students. For example, apps can be used to teach budgeting, time management, and personal safety skills. Assistive technology such as voice recognition software and text-to-speech programs can also help students with disabilities overcome challenges and become more independent. Making it Relevant One way to engage students in life skills training is to make it relevant to their personal lives. Students are more likely to be interested in and motivated to learn skills that they can apply to their daily lives. For example, teaching cooking skills by having students prepare their favourite dishes or budgeting by having them plan for a fun outing can make learning more meaningful and engaging. Working in Groups: Collaborative Learning Working in groups can be an effective way to teach life skills to students with disabilities. Collaborative learning can help students develop communication, problem-solving, and social skills while learning important life skills. Group projects can also make learning more engaging and fun. For example, students can work together to plan and prepare a meal, organize a community event, or create a budget for a group outing. Community Involvement Community involvement can be a great way to teach real-world skills to students with disabilities. Taking students on field trips to local stores, restaurants, and other community venues can provide opportunities to practice and develop life skills such as money management, social interaction, and personal safety. Community involvement can also help students become more familiar with their community and develop a sense of belonging. Use Visuals Visual aids such as pictures, videos, and diagrams can make a huge difference in engaging students with disabilities. Use visuals to teach life skills such as cooking, cleaning, and personal hygiene. Visual aids help to break down complex tasks into simple steps and make it easier for students to understand. We use “Life Skills Bulletin Boards” in our classroom. Theta are fun, visual and tactile and come in a range of different shops for your students to experience. Click here to for bulletin board resources So, what are your favourite teacher resources that make life skills more engaging in your classroom? Let us know in the comments below! And if you’re looking for some amazing teaching resources to support your special education students, check out our website for some great ideas! Thank You! ❤️ Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you found this post helpful to both you and your special students. Be sure to check us out when it comes to special education teaching resources and ideas, The Special Education Studio is where it’s at. Visit our website and socials for helpful tips, resources, and personalised support.
Why emotional check-ins?
Hey there, teacher friends! Let’s talk about emotional check-ins everyone. Why should teachers use Social emotional check ins in their classrooms… Well this is the question we will be answering in the blog today. As teachers, we all know that when establishing core relationships with our students it is essential to provide and deliver a positive learning environment. This is especially the case and crucial special education students within our classrooms. What are emotional check ins? So let’s chat about what social emotional check ins are! Well put simply they are devised ways into understanding our students feelings. Normally this is done at the beginning of the day in our classroom, but it can be done anytime throughout the school day for your students. There are many ways in which students can easily communicate how they may be feeling, and they are really crucial, especially if communication might be lacking. What do they look like? Whether you’re a high school, primary or a specialist teacher, there are plenty of ways emotional check ins can be conducted. We use an emoji system in our classroom. This allows the students to simply identify what thoughts they maybe feeling – and gives the teacher in the room a visual communication of their well-being. Social emotional methods ⭐️ Some methods of social emotional check ins can include: Flip books ⏩ Task boxes Morning work emojis Posters Personal interest items / tangible objects when feeling a particular way Check in whiteboards Placement in an area of the classroom when feeling a feeling or wanting reflection time. There are many ways this can be conducted. It just really depends upon your classroom layout and your students interests / needs. Emojis are great visual tools for communication The emoji craze hasn’t left the building, or classroom on that note. These visual emotions illustrations are a great option for students who may not want to or be able to communicate their feelings easily. Circling or pointing at the dealings they are feeling can be good ice- breakers into helping students with feelings they may have or be experiencing. It gives us a little bit more clue into their needs and how best we can assist them. We often use them in our high school special education classes. Click here to find out more about emotional check in resources Thank You! Thanks for hanging out with us! We hope you found this post helpful to both you and your special students. ___________________________________________________ ⭐️Join our free resource library (aka The Studio) to get exclusive FREE content for your classroom! ✏️ Here, in the Studio you’ll get awesome, helpful teaching resources for your class, from Daily Morning Warm Up activities, easy printing classroom tasks, games and more!!! It’s all free, and exclusive to email subscribers. Download to your heart’s content! ___________________________________________________ Shoot me an email or Instagram message if you have a suggestion for something you would like to see in the library Studio. We’re thrilled to have you!