Hey there, teacher friends!
Have you heard of task boxes?
I’m assuming you have seen them somewhere…These nifty little tools are a fantastic way to help you in your Special Education classroom!
I mean seriously, who knew that these simple tiny colourful boxes can cause a huge wave of awesomeness for any teacher. They come in a variety of colours and sizes, and I can first handedly admit their super powers or effectiveness.
So grab your favourite cup of teacher fuel, ☕ and let’s dive into the world of task boxes!
Classroom organisation
Classroom organisation can often be a massive task in itself when trying to set up for particular materials and plan for the diverse learning needs in a variety of settings.
That’s where task boxes come in! These little guys are like personal assistants, helping you improve productivity, organisation and efficiency in your classroom.
Once upon a time in our classroom, we used to have a major problem finding all our dice for Maths tasks… We were constantly saying “Where the heck did I put that?” and “I haven’t seen that in a blue moon..”!
Not anymore! We use task boxes! They are all labelled and sooooo easy to find and the best part about it, students can access them now easily too.
We have an order and a plan for our learning 🙂 Our classroom is structured in an orderly way. We have a system for our learning and supplies.
Incorporating for Differentiated instruction
As teachers understand that differentiated instruction is like the secret sauce that makes learning stick. It’s about creating an environment where every student receives the support they need to learn and grow. And when it comes to bringing this approach to life, task boxes are the way to go!
Task boxes are like magic treasure chests that can be filled with all sorts of goodies to cater to every kind of learner. Maybe you could try placing their colourful visual aids inside, or fill them with engaging hands-on projects, how about thought-provoking task cards, or even smaller resources that are labelled for a particular student’s sensory needs. Task Boxes are made for individualised differentiated learning.
Cross Curricular Learning
Task boxes are also great for creating cross curricular learning opportunities. In a special education setting as many teachers know and understand, we often have to multi-task and teach in multiple different methods and ways. This is where task boxes can become so handy!
Let’s imagine I wanted to teach a history lesson based upon ‘Ancient Egypt’.
One box may be dedicated to physically touching things from the past or a box with supplies to create a mummification process. This would be great for my kinesthetic learners or STEM learning.
Another box I might set up could be, ordering dates in chronological order and doing a writing task. This would be a great task for my reader/writer and mathematics groups.
Whilst another task box could contain a visual hieroglyphic secret message. In which my students have to decode to get an answer or recreate their own hieroglyphs. Great for art/design based learning.
See how we are all studying history in this lesson, yet we are covering different methods and cross curricular learning opportunities for our students…
Task boxes, yep, task boxes.
Classroom Centre Stations
Classroom centres are always a regular go-to in our classroom. Centre activities give our class multiple learning opportunities yet still allow us as teachers to target very specific goals for each of our students. This is again where… drum roll please ‘Task Boxes’ can come in handy!
For example, in our High School Special Education class – I might have one student that really needs to work on their times tables as part of his IEP goals.
Another student in my class may need to spend some more time on maths tasks in simple mathematical equations as part of her goal this year.
And one student may need to have extra fast finishing work once they have completed what I have arranged for them….
By creating task boxes centre stations, allow me to simultaneously – provide various learning opportunities in different areas to what individual students need.
These boxes can deliver multiple different key learning areas to students at one time! It can also help students become more independent and empowered in their own learning experiences.
Life Skill Learning – Task Cards
Do you want to know what’s really exciting in the world of task boxes? TASK CARDS! Yes, I said it, task cards – they fit right inside a plastic task box perfectly!
Some of you may be wondering though, what exactly is a task card? Well, task cards are small cards that provide instructions or questions related to a specific skill or topic. They’re versatile and can be used to teach a wide range of life skills for Special Ed students.
Life skills task cards cover a range of skills, from basic hygiene and safety to more complex skills like cooking and money management. By using task cards, we can help our students become more independent and confident in their daily lives.
So why not add a little fun to your classroom and start using life skills task cards? I include task cards in many of my lessons. If you’re pressed for time, I’ve even made a mega bundle life skill set for special education teachers. Check it out!
Click here for Task Card Resources for your classroom
This Bundle is full of Differentiated activities (120+ Cards per each set). Including the following 24 TASK BOX SETS!!!
| ⭐Workplace Signs ⭐Road Signs ⭐Abbreviations ⭐Fractions Pizza ⭐Beach Safety ⭐Sorting Recycling | ⭐Laundry Skills ⭐Community Places ⭐Next Dollar Up ⭐Emergencies ⭐MAB Blocks ⭐Calendar Skills ⭐Email Skills | ⭐Kitchen Appliances and Utensils ⭐Cleaning and Supplies ⭐Do I Have Enough Money? ⭐Measuring Cups ⭐What To Wear?⭐Etiquette Skills | ⭐Community Helpers⭐Travel Skills ⭐Food Storage ⭐Directional and Positional ⭐Nutritional Eating⭐Email Skills |
What is your favourite way to use task boxes in your classroom? I would love to know!
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.
