I've preached and preached about why it's SO important to teach students to work independently and use structured work systems. I want to show you three ways to use structured work systems in a variety of settings. These systems are great because they can be implemented in any classroom and at home! You can also use similar structured systems during direct instruction and groups to provide students with consistent structure. I love all of these systems because they're PORTABLE! They're small and students can easily take them from class to class or between home and school but they provide students with the structure they need! Binder system: A common structured work system a the binder system! This is different than the usual binder system that just has Velcro pieces in it though! A binder set up like this is awesome because it can include the structure of a schedule and you can use any work materials (worksheets, books to read, Velcro tasks, etc.). Binders are also great because students can easily take them to/ from different classrooms with adapted work or take them home with homework. I love to add a first/ then chart on the front of the binder to remind students what they're working for. Students can then take the reward (i.g. swing) off and take it to a staff member when they're finished working. The inside of a binder system. Hot glue the schedule on the left side of the binder. Use dividers with pockets (you could also use pencil pouches!) and then put matching schedule card on front of divider. Put a "finished" card on the back pocket of the binder for students to put their completed work. You could also include another pocket folder to put the "finished" card on, but I find it's hard for students to slip papers and work into the dividers. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Folder system: This is the easiest to master and most basic system I'm going to share. A folder system is great because they BLEND IN. I'm all about giving our students materials that look just like the materials that their peers are using. A down fall to the folder system is they aren't great for using with tasks with Velcro pieces (unless you have the pieces attached to the page somehow). Again, I like to add a "first/ then" char to the front of my folder systems. All the folder system needs is a "to do" label on the left side and a "finished" label on the right. Students just move the work over to the right as they complete it. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Small drawer system: Drawer systems are also commonly used and are great! I love drawer systems, but I try to use them less than binders and folders because they aren't as portable. It's easy for a student to take a folder or binder to their general ed classroom or home, but bringing a set of drawers home or to another classroom isn't always practical. Drawer systems are great for Velcro tasks or for larger tasks (like puzzles or true task boxes/ shoe box tasks). You'll have your schedule, a drawer system (a small one or large one) with matching schedule cards glued on, and a bucket with a "finished" card glued on. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! If you want to grab the schedules/ printables for setting up structured work systems in your classroom, head over to my TpT shop to grab them for FREE!
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A blog for Preschool, Special Education and Autism for Behavior Management, Classroom ideas and Resources
Kindergarten students will enjoy these INSTANT Tubs N Trays activities. These activities can be used for fine motor work and centers.
Use hands-on and engaging activities with math manipulatives to reinforce one-to-one correspondence skills, number formation, counting and more!
5 Activities for Teaching Colors to Preschoolers with Free Task Cards. These activities are simple prep as well as engaging for toddlers and preschoolers!
Easy morning work activities to create a smooth arrival routine in your preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom with a fine motor focus.
Make a DIY balance with a few simple and inexpensive materials from the craft store. The balances are great for math activities, your science center, or STEM/discovery center in preschool and pre-k
You're going to love these no prep + errorless cut and paste pages.
For our learners who need to work on foundational learning skills, such as simple matching, I have always love creating hands on task boxes put-in tasks and ...
Phew! What a week! The beautiful Canadian spring weather has actually come our way. While that means it is only a degree or two (or three!) it feels like the middle of summer in comparison to the -20's last week. And with this beautiful weather comes our time outside again. Almost all of our time.
Are you looking for back to school math and literacy centers for preschool and kindergarten? Then you will love our Back to School Unit for Preschool.
How high can you build? Your kids will love this STEM challenge and it requires little to no prep from parents/teachers. Start building today!
The start of a new school year brings excitement and anticipation for both teachers and students. As a Kindergarten Teacher, you understand the importance of establishing morning routines that set the tone for the rest of the day. To make your morning smooth and productive, we created a NO PREP Kindergarten Morning Work Spiral Review Worksheets packet designed for August. These differentiated activities will help your students develop independence while engaging in Math and literacy exercises. Establishing effective morning routines is crucial for a successful school year, especially for kindergarten. Start the school year by implementing engaging and independent morning work activities to captivate your students' minds and pave the way for a year of growth and learning. Our August Kindergarten Morning Work Spiral Review Worksheets provide the ideal platform for your students to develop independence and engage in meaningful math and literacy activities. With differentiated tasks, easy setup, and clear student directions, these worksheets will set the stage for a smooth and productive morning routine.
This amazing bundle of box centers will give you Low-Prep Independent Box Centers for Pre-K & Kindergarten for the whole year!
I recently created two math activities for Owen (age 4.5) using Duple LEGO®’s. Duplos definitely make school more fun! Activity #1: Put the numbers 1-12 in order. Build Duplo towers to match. This was a challenging project for Owen, but not difficult enough to be frustrating. The first step was to put all the numbers […]
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This fun Easter Bingo game is perfect for helping preschool or kindergarten students practice letter recognition and it's FREE!
I've preached and preached about why it's SO important to teach students to work independently and use structured work systems. I want to show you three ways to use structured work systems in a variety of settings. These systems are great because they can be implemented in any classroom and at home! You can also use similar structured systems during direct instruction and groups to provide students with consistent structure. I love all of these systems because they're PORTABLE! They're small and students can easily take them from class to class or between home and school but they provide students with the structure they need! Binder system: A common structured work system a the binder system! This is different than the usual binder system that just has Velcro pieces in it though! A binder set up like this is awesome because it can include the structure of a schedule and you can use any work materials (worksheets, books to read, Velcro tasks, etc.). Binders are also great because students can easily take them to/ from different classrooms with adapted work or take them home with homework. I love to add a first/ then chart on the front of the binder to remind students what they're working for. Students can then take the reward (i.g. swing) off and take it to a staff member when they're finished working. The inside of a binder system. Hot glue the schedule on the left side of the binder. Use dividers with pockets (you could also use pencil pouches!) and then put matching schedule card on front of divider. Put a "finished" card on the back pocket of the binder for students to put their completed work. You could also include another pocket folder to put the "finished" card on, but I find it's hard for students to slip papers and work into the dividers. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Folder system: This is the easiest to master and most basic system I'm going to share. A folder system is great because they BLEND IN. I'm all about giving our students materials that look just like the materials that their peers are using. A down fall to the folder system is they aren't great for using with tasks with Velcro pieces (unless you have the pieces attached to the page somehow). Again, I like to add a "first/ then" char to the front of my folder systems. All the folder system needs is a "to do" label on the left side and a "finished" label on the right. Students just move the work over to the right as they complete it. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! Small drawer system: Drawer systems are also commonly used and are great! I love drawer systems, but I try to use them less than binders and folders because they aren't as portable. It's easy for a student to take a folder or binder to their general ed classroom or home, but bringing a set of drawers home or to another classroom isn't always practical. Drawer systems are great for Velcro tasks or for larger tasks (like puzzles or true task boxes/ shoe box tasks). You'll have your schedule, a drawer system (a small one or large one) with matching schedule cards glued on, and a bucket with a "finished" card glued on. You can see a video explanation of this work system set up here! If you want to grab the schedules/ printables for setting up structured work systems in your classroom, head over to my TpT shop to grab them for FREE!
We participating in a Wednesday Play Group called Play to Write over at Cherrios and Lattes . This is week 3- Write/Spell Your Name. ...
Free Life Skills File Folder Activities for the independent work station in special education classrooms. Practice life skills for community integration!
These back to school punch cards will give your preschool child much needed fine motor practice to get them ready for kindergarten!
Overwhelmed and understaffed my first year as a special education teacher in the self-contained classroom, I discovered that implementing an effective independent workstation helped my students become more successful and independent. Click to learn how I got control using task boxes and independent workstations in my special education classroom. My students loved the differentiated math, language arts, science, and social studies curriculum with age appropriate clip art and real photographs.
Total Pages: 10 File Size: 3 MB
Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism
Are you looking for a resource to bring STEM into your phonics skills or word work stations? Or maybe you are just tired of using the same 'ole word work stations year after year..?? Maybe you are wanting to give STEM a try but nervous on how to get started...?? I get it! That's why I created Phonics STEM Sound Kits!
Discover the benefits of kindergarten morning tubs along with activity ideas and tips for getting started using them in your classroom.
This Montessori inspired Printable Preschool Cutting Busy Box is a perfects scissor cutting activity for toddlers and preschool kids for fine motor skills.
Create a preschool learning activities binder with a free printable for letters and shapes.
With these Name Tracing Worksheets Kids can all learn at different paces, but one of the best ways to start with writing is having your child practice their
For our learners who need to work on foundational learning skills, such as simple matching, I have always love creating hands on task boxes put-in tasks and ...
Try a Freebie When helping a child in Special Education to learn a new skill you need to give clear and simple instructions. A visually structured task can provide the small steps needed for them t…
Independent work centers have saved my butt this year. What felt overwhelming in September now runs like a well-oiled machine in May. It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but it is well worth…
There are 6 different types of independent work systems that you can be using in your self-contained classrooms.
Busy boxes are so much fun in preschool and kindergarten! These spring activities will give you lots of ideas for keeping your kiddos engaged, learning, and having fun! Letters, numbers, colors, and more are included!
Playdough to Plato listed some of the best Pre-K literacy centers. Students will love switching it up with each center and learning along the way. Know more!
Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism
Plastic eggs offer a great opportunity to start students on beginning packaging with lots of skills to practice. Grab the video in this post.
Task cards for Early years, Pre-K, kindergarten and Special Ed.Keep students engaged with these basic maths TASK CARDS that are simple enough for independent work and station sessions.Included in this package -FREEBIE - Find the same ShapesNEW FREE Product Added - Matching ShapesTO MAKE UP -•Print o...
Are mornings in your classroom chaotic? Come read about the benefits of giving morning tubs a try in your classroom & download a free one!
Wipe clean activity books with reusable worksheets are perfect for preschool & kindergarten morning work & make great road trip activities too!
For our learners who need to work on foundational learning skills, such as simple matching, I have always love creating hands on task boxes put-in tasks and ...
Resources, tips, and materials to help you, help children with autism
