Creating systems for success in a early childhood special education classroom
1. Creating Systems for Success:
Using Structured Teaching Strategies to Support
Students in Being Independent and Successful
Lindy McDaniel
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
Roosevelt Elementary- USD 489 Hays, KS
http://considerateclassroom.blogspot.com/
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2. Getting to Know Me. . .
• I have worked with preschool
children for over 10 years.
• Working with at risk and special
needs students, especially those
with ASD are my passion.
• I taught Head Start preschool for five
years, then in the fall of 2008, I
began teaching in the Early
Childhood Special Education
Classroom.
• I have background in Conscious
Discipline, Responsive Teaching and
Structured Teaching.
• I am currently share my work
through my blog entitled
considerateclassroom.blogspot.com
3. Getting to Know You. . .
• How many years have you been working in
early childhood?
• What age do you work with: infants, toddlers,
preschoolers, elementary age?
• In what capacity do you work in the field:
classroom teacher, home base provider,
administrator, etc.?
• Do you work with special needs students?
What types of disabilities?
4. Early Childhood. . .
is Where it’s At!
It is the time when children learn
learning to learn skills that they will
use for the rest of their live.
6. Individual Schedules
Definition: a visual/concrete
method used to tell a child
which activities will make up
their day and the order in
which they will occur
Purpose: to teach flexibility; top to bottom
and left to right progression; aid in transitions;
provide predictability; establish a routine;
teach concepts of first/then and finished;
and to accommodate receptive language deficits
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7. 2- One Cue Picture
1-Object Schedule
Schedule 3- First/Then Picture
Schedule
6- Text and Small Picture
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4- Picture Wall Schedule 5- Icon Wall Schedule Clipboard Schedule
8. 2 Individual Schedules. . .
That Made a
World of Difference!
A First-Then
Schedule
A Closer Look at the Communication System that goes along with it
9. A Mark Off
Picture Schedule
Close up of a few lines
of the schedule
Communication Prompt
to request a break
10. Schedules for Home. . .
Weekly Chart (above)
Daily Transportable
Clipboard (to the left)
Monthly picture schedule
(to the right)
11. Work Systems
• Definition: a systematic method of presenting
information in a way that is understood by
learners so they can make sense of it to be
productive and successful.
• Purpose: to visually answer 4 key questions:
– How much work?
– What work?
– When is the work finished?
– What comes next?
-SI KISN 2011
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12. Direct Instruction Work Systems
Above: one on one work area,
Above Right: a number list of the
boxes each student works on
(a work system for me)
Right: a sample task box with work
from left to right and the box on the right for all done.
14. Teaching the Concept of First/Then
• To teach this concept we often
do a very brief non-preferred activity
followed by a preferred activity to
help the child see success.
• To make it concrete, in the beginning
First-Then Marker Boards we will use objects to show where
with All Done Magnets
and what they are being asked to do
EXAMPLE: “First put in (showing a
coin they need to put in), then
marble game (showing a marble) .
A Token System to Extend Teaching Time 14
15. Independent Work Systems
Above: everyone’s independent work area
with drawers for each student
To the Right: a quiet work area designed for students to go and
regroup by doing simple fine motor and put in tasks that help them feel success.
16. An Inside Look at Taskboxes used for Direct
Instruction and Independent Work
Sample Put In Task
Storage for Taskboxes
Sample Matching Task
*See more taskboxes ideas on my blog
17. Sample Math Task
Sample Sorting Task
Sample Literacy Task
Sample Social Task
Sample Writing Task
18. Other Resources for Taskboxes
• Henry, K.A. How do I teach this kid. Ingram
Publishing Services, May 2005.
• Kabot, S. and Reeve, C. Building independence:
how to create and use structured work systems.
2012.
• Tasks Galore. www.taskgalore.com
(several publications and resources)
19. Individual Circle Time
Work Systems
Awareness Level
Low Level Middle Level
**This is the letter of the week page.
Each page is color coded to match
the Smart Board pages. Other pages
included: attendance, rules for the day,
shape of the week, number of the week,
High Level and check in with yourself.
20. Accommodations
for Circle Time
Movement Worksystem
(Layered Grouping)
Work area to incorporate
reverse training
Object Worksystem Shape Sorter Worksystem
21. Circle Time Work System for
Other Times During the Day
Step By Step Circle Time Boxes
for Language Group, and Thematic Group Times Group Time Materials
for 3 groups
22. Individual Accommodations for the
Large Group Work Systems
Individual Wait My Turn Stick
Mystery Motivating
Worksystem
Individual Systems for Circle Time
23. Work System for Art Small Groups
First- Structured Art
Lesson for the Day ( In this
picture making an elephant).
First/Then Drawer System
Then- Art Choices
TIP- A good resource for step by step Art
for the Week (In this picture
activities is Climbing Art Obstacles in Autism
playdough or smelly markers) 23
24. Work Systems for Literacy Small Groups
A closer look at the system
Library Work System- First listen to the story
of the day, Then-pick a book of your choice. 24
25. Accommodations for the Literacy System
Book work tasks: They are
interactive, have a clear visual ending,
and keep student attention.
26. Work Systems for Pretend Play
Nametags to define roles
Above: The Vets area,
to the left the
receptionist area
*See more details
on my blog
27. Work Systems for Playtime
Feed the baby, Set the table, etc
Block Knock Down
TIP 1: You can use the work systems set up for art and literacy small
groups during play time with one or two children at a time as a direct
instruction teaching time for learning play skills.
TIP 2: You can take the baby, and block work systems to the direct
instruction table to teach play skills in a more controlled one on one
setting if needed.
TIP 3: If you have students who avoid the pretend play center or block
area, etc. add items of interest to those areas to lure them in.
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29. Work Systems for Toys
Numbered and Color Coded
Train Track for Independent Building
Lettered
Marble
Game
Aided Language Board
to Support Language
during play
*Soon to be added to my blog
30. A Fun New Way to Teach
Social Communication and Play Skills
It is a series of student friendly
social stories that work on skills like,
greeting others, listening in group,
and raising your hand in group.
It provides three levels to respond
to each social situation.
31. Work Systems to Support Successful
Holiday Traditions and Class Parties
* See more holiday samples on my blog
32. Work Systems for Self Help Routines
Putting Your Belongings Away Visual Work System
Washing Your Hands Visual Work System
Flag Salute Visual Work System
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33. Work Systems for Functional Errands
Mail Delivery
Sensory Errands
Attendance Sheets and
Magnet Attendance 33
35. Work Systems for Arrival Jobs
TIP-Everyone likes to contribute and feel important.
By creating helper jobs students can be helpers which builds confidence
and self esteem and helps staff prepare for certain activities.
36. Watering the plant job
Weather Helper Job
Date Helper Job
Feeding the Fish Job
Attendance Helper Job
38. If there is a chaotic moment in your classroom
(or with a specific student), the routine needs to
be retaught or a new work system needs to be put
in place.
- Philosophy from the work of
Dr. Becky Bailey and Conscious Discipline
42. Other Visual Supports:
To support independence and success
Prompt to use one or Visual to support a
two paper towels student in putting
their bookbag on
correctly.
Visual to support students
in waiting to wash their hands. 42
43. Use quick prompts and visuals to support and
teach these skills. Visuals prompts are easier to
fade as the ultimate goal is for students to
complete work independently.
* See more detail on my Blog
*Brain Research tells us children think in pictures until they are 9 years old. -Bailey, 2002
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47. Typically developing
children have
Want
multiple ways something
to communicate
a message.
*Children with
Indicates
ASD may have Tantrum pain
Need help
only one way to
communicate
multiple
messages Wants
something
-SI KISN 2011 else
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48. Aided Language Boards
based on the philosophy of PODD
*will be posted on my blog soon
49. For more resources and ideas visit my blog.
We add a post at least once a week!
http://considerateclassroom.blogspot.com
50. Thank you for your time!
Any questions, or
comments. . .
51. Resources
Bailey, B.A. (2000). Conscious discipline. Loving Guidance:
Oviedo, FL.
KISN- Summer Institute Training and Handouts,
June 2010.
Loden Talmage, K. (2007). Climbing art obstacles in autism.
www.tasksgallore.com
Porter, G. (2009). Pragmatic organizational dynamic display.
Mayer Johnson.
TEACCH Autism Program. The University of North Carolina.
www.teacch.com
Warren, R.H. (2011). Quinn at school- relating, connecting
and responding at school: a book for children ages 3-7.
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Notes de l'éditeur
Waiting their turn, cause and effect and first- then, listening and complying, in seat behavior, and time on task. I always say that my job is the best job around. We get kids early on to shape and model their behavior for a successful education in the future but that also makes our job one of the toughest jobs around!!! When they come to use they essential have no appropriate in school behavior. They don’t know what it means to line up, sit in group, or transition from one activity to the next.
We have to put systems in place for children to learn the concept of first then and really understand what is being asked of them and what is and is not acceptable. We can do this by providing schedules and visual prompts for children.
You can also have class schedules that are manipulated by staff and students throughout the day to show when you are all done. I often put key visuals on schedules for skills each child is specifically working on. For example: I would tape a waiting hands icon to the back of a clipboard schedule or a raise your hand to talk. That way staff always have the visuals they need to shape behavior and we can all keep track of which skills specific children are working on.
To support the students at each activity they transition to using their individual schedules we develop work systems. Work systems are. . .
We wear aprons so we have needed supplies on hand.
This system is used when our SLP and OT come in for group times they lead. Although everyone leads different the children can see the pattern because the same work system is in place.
An accommodation that has been made for a few of our kids is making the first then more immediate by having the child do one step of the art project then letting them play with the preferred activity (typically play dough) for 1 minute using a timer then going back to the art project.
Showing step by step to make the system less overwhelming.
For example: our snack time looked very ugly last year. In evaluating the activity I realized that staff was busy setting up for snack making it difficult for them to help the children shape their behavior and wash their hands for snack so we created a worksystem where the student helped set up for snack and staff were available for them to help with it.
Sometimesworksystems are not enough----we have to modify the setting to train students for success.
In my classroom I like to provide color cues. Green for go and Red for stop.
Other times we use social stories and video modeling to teach specific skills
