sutton062

Let's face it, our jobs are tough and as much as we want to teach whole group it can be difficult! I am ALWAYS looking for activities that my students can work on independently. I had to find ways to keep my kids busy while I worked with their classmates. I came up with this fun and differentiated language arts activity that can be used in a variety of ways. With this alphabet writing activity students can work on a variety of reading and writing skills depending on their level. Reading Students can sort words into different categories. For vowels they can sort initial sounds, long and short vowels. For consonants they can sort initial and ending sounds. Depending on the independent level of your students you can pick and choose what you want them to do. Some ways I use them are: sorting all words into all of the categories, reading words for 1 category and saying them into the iPad (or other voice recording device), direct matching words. Writing After students complete the readin...

Welcome to the SPED Tricks and Treats Blog Hop. I am so excited to share my tricks and treat with you! Introduce technology into your T.E.A.C.C.H work tasks. Take pictures of various building or pattern tasks. I like doing these because it allows our students to use technology as a tool rather than a choice time activity. I also like this because it is super easy and quick to make changes for future tasks or on the fly. I store the iPad in the drawer with the task itself. Use Wiki Stixs to engage your readers in the lesson. I have some students who struggle to do paper pencil tasks. I do this to allow him to show me he knows the answer. If I need to have documentation of his work I simply snap a picture, print it, date it and put it in his file. Ever have students who are doing everything they can to get your attention? Do you struggle to ignore them because all you can think about is how difficult it will be to clean up their mess? Well...if you take the time to label EVERYTHING in yo...

Reading instruction can often times be difficult in a special education class. There are so many fun and engaging reading lessons posted on Pinterest and teacher blogs but they are mostly geared towards the general education population. Let's face it...as much as we try, those don't work in our classrooms. When I read a lesson I think, if I do that Johnny will walk away, if I do this Susie will act out etc. Now don't get me wrong, I do not limit my students and I challenge them daily, but I have had to find different ways of doing this. I teach reading two times a day.  The students in my first group range in reading levels A- I (Fountas and Pinnell) and my students in the second group are still working on emerging reading skills. For this post I am going to focus on how I structure my reading block for the first group. During this time I have 9 students and 2 para professionals. Here is a picture of my schedule break down during this time. My paras run the table work cente...

Only 2 months late but it's finally here! It is not as clean as I would have hoped but I thought it was still important to share! Door into classroom. I usually have our craft displayed. Here is our bee we made from Teaching Special Thinkers Art Packs . I also have our Severe Weather and Evacuation plan on the top of the door. Right when you walk in I have student mailboxes, homework turn in bin, daily journals and Check In and Check Out Schedules. I also have my homework printed, copied and ready to go for the entire year in the black file crate. I use the Leveled Homework Bundle from The Autism Helper .  Grab my Daily Journals here for FREE !  On the wall on the right, when you walk in, I have our schedules posted. This way anyone who comes into my room (paras, ancillary, HS helpers, admins etc.) can figure out what we are doing or where the kids are. Even though my students spend the majority of their day with me, I do not teach in a self-contained classroom. All of my st...