Receptive Identification

Hello!
I promised a post about receptive identification and here it is (with a lot of pictures)! I have a few non-verbal students this year and I am trying to find more ways to hear their voice.

Let's begin with our morning meeting

Here is the board behind our circle time. You can see the stoplight behavior plan (new) the temperature graph, a rainbow thing which is a ring of cards for the weather each day, our color paint buckets and the calendar. When we get to the weather part of our circle, the students identify the weather first by condition, then we look up the temperature and count by tens up our thermometer to see what our temperature feels like. Then, I have students identify numerous things:

Here is the file folder I made to go along with our temperature. They can find what color our temperature is in, they can determine what that feels like and what you wear in that particular temperature.

Also, we do the calendar. I have a bound book that I cannot take credit for, another teacher used it last year and gave it to me. It is awesome. Here you can see they can identify the month...

Then the day....

Then the date....

And the weather condition (then we would do the temperature).

I have also made another version with colors...

numbers.. and I didn't take pictures but both upper and lowercase letters. This helps when I ask a question and forget that a student can't just give an answer...this helps them choose the correct answer so I know they still know and I am not just giving them one choice and saying "good job"

We also make our names each day in circle with the song "there was a boy/girl that came to school and ____ was their name-o...then we spell the letters in the name" to the tune of "B-I-N-G-O". Some students are working on their last name, some students are working on just uppercase their first name and not grabbing the throwing the pieces, etc. It is differentiated.

We also do other activities throughout the day and here are some ideas on how I am using receptive identification.

Here is the greater than/less than alligator. He looks the same on the back too and is laminated. Right now my students are just working on me showing them how the alligator is hungry and always wants to eat the side that has "more" but eventually I am thinking they will be able to position the alligator to show me they know which one is greater and which one is smaller.

Here is a big ABC identification book that I also cannot take credit for because the same teacher gave it to me (She is amazing). It has each letter of the alphabet that has a big page like this (poster size) where the kids can pick the letter of the week in different sizes and fonts and put it up on the yellow strip so they are differentiating not only from other letters but getting exposure in different fonts and sizes.

I have one student who is GREAT at matching colors, shapes, animals, objects, letters and numbers, but we are not introducing words. He only looks at the first letter and gets frustrated with new things...this task is hard for him. I have created him a book of words. We began at matching letters (a task he knows) and have now introduced two letter words using those letters (a, s, n, and t) so that the first letter always remains the same and he has to look at the last letter to match the word. We will keep increasing the difficulty and are always pairing this with the verbal word so that he begins to hear the word with its written form.

I am using the common core extended standards to guide my instruction as one of the various tools and one of the standards is to differentiate day and night so I made this with day and night activities and they can determine what side they go on.

There is more receptive ID pictures down below but I also wanted to share a few activities we have been doing so far. We did an "All About Me" unit and we traced their bodies and painted them, stamped our names, and now we are moving onto "Family" theme. We read a really cute book by Todd Parker (I can't remember the title!) I think it is just called "Families". Then, we made this graph to determine how many boys and girls are in our families. The kids were shocked that I knew who was in their family and just lit up when we were talking about them! We also tried to make our people look like "Mat Man" because we have been working with him lately (Handwriting without Tears)

Also in the family unit I have made this activity where they can color a house and write their name and then glue colored squares on their house depending on who lives in their house with them (see the key). This was an idea I saw on Pinterest!

I have a numeracy board that we do each day for the number of the week. It has a 5 frame, counting pennies, a number line to find our number compared to other numbers and beads for pattern making. The kids get excited to do this. I will add to it as our number gets larger (10 frame, using nickels, etc)

Here is a receptive piece to identify the author and illustrator.

I made all 4 of the cards on velcro so the kids don't just memorize what side they go on but really think about who writes the words and who draws the pictures.

From my last post here is how we are using those touch number cards in action (a few ideas)

Also, we study a color each week and this week is yellow. We made suncatchers. We pained a paper plate then I cut out the middle. I put contact paper on the bottom and they tore up tissue paper and glitter in the middle. Then, we put contact on the top as well. They painted their hands as the rays. They look neat!

And finally, I have students working on saying yes and no appropriately and asking what they want. Breakfast is a great time to work on this because food is such a good reinforcer (unfortunately). I have also borrowed this from the teacher who gave me a lot of things to use!

Hope you enjoyed seeing what Room 5 is up to! Please leave your comments! What is your classroom looking like this far? What has worked well? Any family unit ideas?? 

Common Core Rainbow

Hello there!!
It's pretty funny my last post was about substitute plans because yesterday at 3:30pm my principal came to me and said I would be out on PD these next two days so I was happy I was (somewhat) prepared! Having a blast learning about PLC's and excited to bring it to my new school...let me know if you do PLC's and what your format is like, how typical meetings look, some good advice, etc.

This post is going to be about the new extended standards in the common core. So...we got the new extended standards and have yet to get trained on them, etc. but...I am excited to get off the ground running and NOT make excuses...my students are special needs but that does NOT mean I can't adapt these standards (even though they are already supposed to be modified for my students but they aren't always practical for their levels) so that my kiddos can participate and try their best to be learning ALL these extended standards this year.

This is based on the K-2 common core extended standards in all 4 areas: social studies, science, math and language arts. I used the Least Complex part of the extended standards.

I am a visual person and I need something to be IN MY FACE everyday in order to remember to do it, teach it and have my students LEARN it. So, I decided what a better way than to color code them and make them in language Room 5 can understand! Then, I want to keep them in a desk pocket folder by my desk so I can look at them everyday, make sure I am incorporating them and that my students are meeting them.

Here are the color coded extended standards that I made on the computer. Email me if you would like the template: mfdemski@gmail.com. I am going to write in them basic, "I Can" statements that make sense to both my students and I so we can be successful in the classroom activities and keep the team on board and understanding what we are focused on learning. I am also going to write on them a number 1-4 according to which grading period they are assessed.

Red= Science

Yellow= Social Studies

Green=Math

Blue=Reading

The different shades of colors are for the different strands within each subject (ex. Math and one color is Geometry)

Here are the envelopes I am going to keep each standard in (I am going to cut them up according to box once I write the "I Can" statements and grading period on them). Each subject has 4 envelopes that look the same, have the color coded strand legend on them and are 1-4 according to grading period.

Here is one of my reading pages

Here is a close-up so you can see what the text looks like.

And, just for fun...

I made these Touch Math numbers 1-9  to help my students, I am going to cut and laminate them, and then have them trace with their finger, count out objects, put clothespins on each touch point, etc. Let me know if you want it!

LEAVE SOME COMMENTS!!!! :-) 

Substitute Plans

I've been so busy with the beginning of the year! Can you tell with my lack of posts??

I have been focused more than ever on my data and getting a routine and schedule established for Room 5! As well as learning about my new students :-)

I have already implemented IEP Work Bins very similar to a previous post...I have purchased large wash tubs that include many activities for students to work on during IEP time including independent activities (such as puzzles or reinforcers) to keep them busy, on task and in-seat while we work with all students individually. I have all of their data sheets on clipboards in their bins. For each academic goal, I write the objective in the most left column on a chart with additional columns for each day of the week. In each box I try to make the data as easy as possible (ex. for sight words, # correct, # incorrect, and %). Daily visual schedules and behavior goals are tripping me up this year because they are SO HARD to measure (even though they are supposed to be written measurable, observable, etc...they aren't always easy to interpret) so I have been leaving those boxes blank to take notes each day in. I have decided to do IEP work time right after breakfast...to make sure we get to it no matter how crazy the day is and the kids seem more ready to go right away instead of later on in the day-especially after lunch.

I will have to take some pictures as I am getting my room organized for ideas on how to keep everything in sight and easy to access. I have been doing a few projects :-)

But, my post today is directly related to the deadline I have on Friday: getting a classroom schedule and substitute folder turned into the office with lesson plans, etc.

I worry about EVERYTHING and substitutes in my classroom, for whatever reason, makes me worry. I know GREAT substitutes and it is not about their ability...but my ability to prepare them for the students and the classroom. Also, thinking of these things has helped make some resources that I will use in the beginning of the year also!

I typed up a "quick info" sheet on each student to put in their IEP binder (a binder for each student with quick info, information from home, current IEP/ETR, previous IEP/ETR, progress reports, data sheets and work samples and misc.) This quick info sheet has come in handy for my instructional assistant and I in getting to know our students at the beginning of the year. It has their names, birthdays, age, parents names, address, phone numbers, additional contact information, student ID #, bus information, allergies, diagnosis, behaviors, strengths/likes, weaknesses/dislikes, and important information to know: student is a runner, student can only eat soft foods, etc. For the substitute folder, I have simply copied these sheets and stapled them together with a cover page that says confidential quick student information to review before the students come into the room. I think this will help to give them an idea of what types of students they will have in the room.

Also, some of their quick info is written on an index card and placed in a library card pocket on the bulletin board behind the teachers desk in case they, I or the instructional assistant need to grab it for quick reference.  Below the bulletin board is a communication/data 5Star notebook in which each student has their own paper section to write up any quick information to document or any communication with the parent over the phone, in person, etc. Each student also has a colored file folder in an incline sorter next to this notebook for copies of any communication sent home that is not written in their notebook. It's all about easy and convenient, but making sure you are documenting everything going on with these kiddos.

I made a chart of our basic weekly schedule and hung it in plain sight. Specials are color coded to see easily. I typed up "blurbs" about a typical day and typical activities like circle time, math and reading/writing. I also typed up a sheet called "Emergency activities in case the teacher has left NOTHING!" which includes a lot of hands-on, involved tasks to keep the kids bodies and minds busy during the day to make it hopefully a stress free, easy going day. Let me know if you want a copy. I was finding it hard to get "Emergency sub plans" on the internet since most of my students don't hold a writing utensil let alone respond to writing prompts...

And finally, for each basic activity/routine thing that we do each day, I created a file folder:

And inside the file folder...to help myself at the beginning of the year and any substitute teachers:

The basic lesson plan for that area. This is circle time. It includes lyrics and tune helpers for all the songs we sing, how we identify things like the month receptively and expressively, what the objectives are for the class and where to find materials, etc. I try not to be wordy because who has time to read while teaching?

And finally, as I said each student has a color in the classroom (their colored file folder for communication) so I typed up their IEP objectives and highlighted them in their color, printed them and cut and pasted them (real cut and paste lol) according to subject and put them in a protected sheet cover connected with brads in the middle of the file folder. It's a quick way to glance and see that you are covering that student's IEP objective in the group lesson.

Hope this helps teachers when they are setting up and preparing for a substitute...even though we NEVER want to be out of the classroom, it HAPPENS so it's best to be prepared and organized! 

Be looking out in the next couple of days (let's be real-weeks) for posts with pics of my classroom organization ideas and receptive identification ideas (I am learning a lot about very intelligent, non-verbal students) and other ideas that I am doing...and PLEASE...POST COMMENTS-your ideas, suggestions, what is your classroom like in these first couple of weeks, do my posts make sense-like/dislike?