Sensory Numbers
I have a Kg student this year that is really struggling with naming and writing her numbers. So I have been trying to add more sensory activities to her lessons. This week I made some numbers with fuzzy balls from Dollar Tree. It was super easy. I bought two bags, and it was enough to make numbers 0-9. We practiced naming, touching, and tracing the numbers. She also counted out manipulatives to match the numbers. Any thoughts? Comment if you have any other ideas that work with some of your struggling students.
Fine Motor Activity with Sand and Salt Trays
Do you have any students struggling with letter/number formation? I have a Kindergarten student this year that really struggles with fine motor skills.
I decided to make a salt tray for her to practice writing her numbers. So I went to our local Dollar Tree and picked up the supplies. As I was walking through the craft section, I noticed they had bags of colored sand! OMG! I got every color that they had left.
So I made a tray with sand and a tray with salt. She loved it! We practiced our numbers 1-20. She struggles with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8. She could write them perfectly in the salt/sand tray. I was so proud of her! It definitely helps to switch things up in the classroom and get away from the paper and pencil.
I decided to make a salt tray for her to practice writing her numbers. So I went to our local Dollar Tree and picked up the supplies. As I was walking through the craft section, I noticed they had bags of colored sand! OMG! I got every color that they had left.
So I made a tray with sand and a tray with salt. She loved it! We practiced our numbers 1-20. She struggles with the numbers 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8. She could write them perfectly in the salt/sand tray. I was so proud of her! It definitely helps to switch things up in the classroom and get away from the paper and pencil.
Equivalent Names and Pumpkins!
We do center activities after our weekly assessments on Friday. Since my 2nd and 3rd graders had worked on equivalent names that week, we made equivalent names on pumpkins. I gave each student a number and they were able to do the rest on their own. I monitored and made sure that they were using a variety of ways for making the names. Here is one below:
The leaves were done by my upper grade students (5th and 6th). I put review problems on the leaves (number sense, probability, data analysis, etc) and they had to solve the problems. Simple, I know, but the kids enjoyed it over another pencil and paper worksheet.
(Side note: I am in the Kindergarten hallway this year. They are constantly rubbing up against my door. So please excuse the curled leaves and pumpkins!)
Great Math Website for Students
It's hard to believe that summer is almost over. We have been in school for 4 weeks (yes, that's what I said) and it's definitely time for a break!
Anyways, back on topic, I found an awesome website for students to work on math skills. It was recommended by spellingcity.com, and I jumped at the chance for a free license for the whole school year! The website is splashmath.com. Check it out and tell me what you think!
Anyways, back on topic, I found an awesome website for students to work on math skills. It was recommended by spellingcity.com, and I jumped at the chance for a free license for the whole school year! The website is splashmath.com. Check it out and tell me what you think!
Teaching with Task Cards
I have been on a task card frenzy this quarter. My SPED kids need constant review and these cards are perfect for centers, warm-ups, closing activities, or whole group instruction with a smartboard and document camera. The kids love working with them! This picture shows some of my students working with my place value task cards.
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| Task Cards for Place Value Concepts |
I love Dry Erase Pockets!!!!
This year I have cut down on a lot of copying due to dry erase pockets. I love using them in my centers. I usually have 3-4 students per center. I have a checklist with the names of my students and the skill they are working on in the center. I go around to the different groups and will check 4-5 problems to count towards a grade. It has been a time saver and the students enjoy doing their work this way. I bought my pockets at Lakeshore Learning. Here is a pic of my students using the pockets. In this pic we are working on input/output tables.
Uh....Mom???
I always find amusement in my students when they slip up and call me "mom"......I get a litttttle upset when I get the "grandma"...uh...wtf!?! I am only 35 years old!! Then I remember that a lot of our kids are living with grandparents. So I try not to take it too personally.....I love my kiddos and they always find a way to bring a huge smile to my face every day!
Well as I sit on my cozy couch in my cozy snuggie, we are getting ice and sleet (along with thunder...which is strange but cool) and I am planning on how I will use my time off tomorrow (ANOTHER day of missed school.) 1. Grade papers (ick!) 2. Work on TpT products (yeah!) 3. Laundry and a Budlight Stawberita (oh yeah!)
Okay folks, I am off to watch the Oscars and I am rooting for Lupita and Jordan Catilano...oops...I mean Jared Leto. :)
Great Website for Spelling!
One of the websites my students looooove using in my classroom is Spellingcity.com. It has various games that students can play using their custom-made spelling words from their teacher. They can play them on computers, tablets, and smartboards. I use this as one of my centers. I pull up the program on my laptop and put it up on the smartboard for the students to use. Even my 6th graders love it! (Trust me when I say that 6th graders are notoriously hard to please.....) Check it out and tell me how you use it in your classroom.
3rd Grade Frustrations in Oklahoma...Many Children Will Be Left Behind...
This year is the first year that 3rd grade students will be held back if they don't pass the spring test in April. Oklahoma's brilliant politicians....and I say this with a heavy dose of sarcasm....thought that this would be a good way to hold schools accountable. ELL and IEP students are NOT exempt. So a student that has been identified with a disability under IDEA can and will be held back if they don't pass their grade level test this year. My students already have test anxiety due to the amount of assessments that are occurring more and more often every year (weekly assessments, monthly assessments, quarterly assessments, Easy CBM, Gates, etc...etc...etc....) When will it all stop? I am not saying that assessments are bad. We have to have assessments to document student progress. I feel that we need to look at growth models instead of a one-size fits all assessment. Your thoughts?
Welcome and Hello!
This is my first post for my first blog ever! So excited! I am a special education teacher in Oklahoma (13 years and going) and I have worked with students with SLD, ID, Autism, OHI, TBI, ED, and many others. Our field is growing but there is an extreme shortage of SPED teachers. I have had a caseload of 35-40 students the past 5 years. Although it's hard work, it is extremely rewarding. I love my kids! Well I am signing off for now. If you happen to drop by my new little blog, please introduce yourself. I would love to hear from you!