Thoughtful Learning
Using Positive Self-Talk
Boost positive self-talk with a chart that turns negative feelings into happy ones. Scholars write down their negative emotions then rewrite them with a positive flair to aid in changing their outlook.
Curated OER
Investigation--Can You Build This?
Early learners explore shapes using colored blocks. They first get some hands-on time with the blocks and then look at beginning math concepts regarding spatial relationships. They work with a partner to build a 6-8 block tower...
Curated OER
Paper Spiders
The positional words up and down are the focus of a language and visual arts lesson. Learners get a paper plate and eight strips of construction paper. They create a spider out of their paper plate, and cut out a circle out of a piece of...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Alexander, Who Use to be Rich Last Sunday (Viorst)
Although this vocabulary-in-context activity is focused on Judith Viorst's book Alexander, Who Use to Be Rich Last Sunday, the strategy can be applied to any book budding learners read with you. First, introduce the three...
Curated OER
What's in Front?
Front and back are common prepositions. Early readers will practice understanding relative positions while using common prepositions by placing a check next to objects in front. Then they draw a cat in front of the house. Tip: Discuss...
Curated OER
Word Phrases And Picture Card Matching
In this language arts worksheet, students use 16 phrase cards and 16 color picture cards to play a matching game. Students read the phrase on each card and find the picture card that illustrates it. Example: a cat on a bed
Florida Center for Reading Research
Picture the Word
This is an excellent way to make onset and rime visual for beginning readers. They examine CVC-word picture cards that are all missing the first letter. Using plastic letters (or whatever you have), they complete each word and record it...
Curated OER
Creative Position Word Center Activity
Students use positional words to describe the location of objects and demonstrate the ability to follow multi-step oral directions. Seasonal shapes are decorated in relation to the directions and positions stated by the positional word.
Curated OER
Birthday Vocabulary Words
Happy birthday! Use this resource while reading about or preparing for an upcoming birthday in your special ed class. Each of the twelve pages include a vivid image and boldly printed vocabulary word related to items associated with...
Curated OER
Reading Phonetically: /an/ words
What do the words van, man, and pan have in common? The /an/ sound! Reinforce this target sound with this resource, intended for an audience with autism or other special needs. Your learners will see an image and the corresponding word,...
Positively Autism
"Saying 'No, Thank You'" Social Skills Story
Teach learners to use polite words when they do not want something, rather than being rude or aggressive, using these simple presentation slides. The presentation walks students step by step through what it means to say "No,...
Curated OER
Relative Position Step-by-Step Lesson
Kindergartners demonstrate their ability to describe the relative positions of two objects. The two problems at the top of the instructional activity are followed by written and illustrated explanations of the meanings of inside and...
Curated OER
Shake Your Star
Students recite poetry. In this poetry lesson plan, students make star sticks and use the sticks to act out a star poem that features positional words.
Curated OER
Blending into Good Speech
Your class can increase their production of the target phoneme /sh/ through the use of video, the Internet, and hands-on activities listed here. Sound out the phoneme altogether, then model words that include /sh/ at the beginning....
Illustrative Mathematics
Making a Clock
Have a fun time teaching children to read analog clocks with this whole-group math activity. Using large sets of the numerals 1-12 and 0, 5, 10...55, the teacher creates a large clock on either the carpet or the white board, explaining...
Curated OER
Introduce Vocabulary: Night Shift Daddy (Spinelli)
Do any of your budding readers have parents who work the night shift? Eileen Spinelli's book Night Shift Daddy, which can be found on YouTube if you don't have it, examines this family dynamic in a positive light and is an...
Florida Center for Reading Research
Phonological Awareness: Rhyme, Rhyme Memory Match
Young scholars play a memory-matching game to practice recognizing rhyming words and sounds. With picture cards, they flip over two cards and say the pictures' names. If the pair make a rhyming match, the learner keeps the cards. The...
Curated OER
Where Am I? Determining Relative Location
Students use position words to describe where their teacher is sitting and read a story that makes use of position words. For this spatial lesson, students make a stick puppet and play Simon Says focusing on using position words in the...
Curated OER
Train Phonics - /an/ Words
Follow the phonics train and get your special needs class on the reading track. To promote the /an/ sound and phonemic awareness, each page contains an image of a train, and each car contains an item. The word representing that item...
Curated OER
Vibrant Animals: Using an Actor's Body for Character Attributes
Students identify and portray specific character attributes through uprigth movement, creating a portrayal of an animal. They use vibrant, upright movement to convey the characteristics and temperament of specific animals. Finally,...
San Diego County District Attorney
Emotions/Feelings
Three lessons delve deep into the topic of feelings and the importance of expressing one's emotions. Through grand conversation, hands-on learning experiences, and reflective writing, scholars interpret the ups and downs of everyday...
Curated OER
Rate It - Working With Positive and negative Numbers
Students practice rating things using numbers between -2 to 2. In this rating lesson plan, students determine what a rating scale is before rating things such as the weather, a book, or a day using the numbers -2 to 2. They examine the...
Curated OER
Word Relay
Students identify words from the class word wall or other vocabulary lists. They form teams and read words in an effort to identify as many correctly as they can. They utilize words from a variety of sources within the classroom to...
Curated OER
Three Little Pigs: Verbs
The story of the Three Little Pigs is a classic. Prep your special education class for a telling of this tale by previewing verbs commonly found in the story. Each page of this printable resource include the verb and an image showing the...