Getting Students Involved in Spring Cleaning the Classroom (without them even knowing!)

It's that time of year again!  Time to clean out the cabinets, purge old worksheets, and deep clean... EVERYTHING!  Here are some of my favorite ways to get students involved in cleaning up the classroom at the end of the year.

1. Snowball fight - You know those extra worksheets that never got used?  Give them one final hurrah before you toss them in the recycling bin. Have the students answer questions, solve problems, or complete a task to earn a piece of paper.  They can then crumple it up to prepare for an epic snowball battle.  Do you want to step it up a notch?  Turn this into a fine motor task by challenging your students to crumple up the paper using only the fingertips of one hand!

2. Shaving cream desk cleaner - Shaving cream is a messy, but fun sensory activity.  Added bonus?  It cleans all of the grit and grime off of the table.  Turn it into an academic activity by having the students write spelling words or solve math problems in the shaving cream.  The scent of regular shaving cream can be a bit overwhelming for some people.  I recommend checking your local dollar store for woman's shaving cream.  They tend to come in more pleasing scents, so your classroom will smell like a spa instead of the bathroom of an 80 year old man.

3. Car wash sensory bin - My kids LOVE this sensory bin! I don't pull out water bins very often so this one always feels like a special treat.  Little do they know they are actually doing me a huge favor by cleaning all of our toy cars.  I add a few sponges and brushes to a bin full of cars and water.  The kids love scrubbing the cars and setting them aside to dry.  I have also used this bin as a food washing center.  It really works with just about any toy that can get wet.

4. Shredded paper art - I have a shed pile that never seems to disappear.  If you have access to a shredder in your classroom, let the kids do the work for you (with supervision, of course!).  Shredded paper can be used in a variety of art projects.  We like to stuff it in brown paper lunch sacks, wrap a pipe cleaner around the top, and paint the bag; red for an apple, orange for a pumpkin, and white for a cloud (attach rainbow streamers to make it even more beautiful!).

5. Liquid watercolor out of dried up markers - I can't be the only teacher who ends up with a giant tub full of dried up markers by the end of the year.  Let's be real... the tub is pretty full by December.  DON'T THROW THEM AWAY!!  It is simple to create liquid watercolor out of dried up markers.  Have the kids sort the dried up markers by color.  Add around 1/2 cup of water to a jar.  Place 5-10 markers into the jar, tip side down.  Let the markers sit for about a week.  That's it!

Do you have any favorite end of the year clean up activities?  Please share!

Incorporating Fine Motor into your Math Instruction

Do you know what I don't have time for?  More.

More testing.
More themes.
More projects.
More ......

There is so much to squeeze into the day.  How do you fit it all in?

Whenever possible, I like to find a way to work on two skills at once.  One of my favorite ways to maximize my time is by incorporating fine motor practice into my math instruction.

Here are my top 15 activities:

1. Sensory bins - Who doesn't love a good sensory bin!?!  Toss in a few manipulatives and have the students pull them out with tweezers.  Use the manipulatives to count, create a pattern, or as a sorting task.  I love to use the mini erasers from the Target Dollar Spot.

2. Number beads - It is surprising how much skill and focus it takes to string beads onto a pipe-cleaner.  These cards are from my Summer Counting Pack, but they are also easy to make!  Cut an index card in half, write a number on the card, punch a hole and attach half a pipe cleaner.

3. Lego counting - Why not incorporate play AND fine motor into your math activities!?!  My students love to work on sequencing numbers using Legos.  They are perfect for counting up to 10, counting backwards, and skip counting.

4. Salt tray - I typically use these salt trays during handwriting.  However, I also like to pull them out during math for the students to practice writing their numbers.  These trays are part of the Roll-a-Dough Letter kit from Learning Without Tears. This isn’t an affiliate link, I just love them!  I set aside the letter mats and play dough and use them as a separate activity. I used a silver permanent marker to draw a mid-line on the tray.  While I love the Roll-a-Dough trays, they are a bit pricey. Pencil boxes filled with salt work just as well.

5. Paperclip spinner - Who knew it was so easy to create a spinner!  Flicking a spinner is a simple and fun way to build fine motor strength.  Use a pencil to stabilize the paperclip and give it a spin! This spin and win activity is part of my Back to School Counting Pack, but you can also make a base for the spinner out of a simple piece of paper or an index card.

6. Clothes pin number sequence - I love any activity that involves clothes pins!  I keep a few bins of clothes pins in different areas of the classroom so that they are always on hand.  For this activity I used a simple paint stick that I picked up from a local hardware store (for free!). This is perfect for ordering numbers, skip counting, and even working on your phone number.  

7. Lacing plates - You can easily differentiate this activity to focus on nearly any sequencing skill - Counting, skip counting, or ordering the numbers of a phone number.  

8. Tweezers - I love to have my students use tweezers to count out manipulatives.  I found these extra large tweezers at the Dollar Tree.  This 20 frame mat is from my Back to School Counting Pack.

9. Hole punch number cards - Need a last minute activity?  Grab a hole punch and index cards.  Using a hole punch is a great way to build hand strength, not to mention the kids jump at the chance to punch holes in the paper!

10. Bubble wrap numbers - So simple, yet so motivating!  Like most kids, my students LOVE to pop bubble wrap. There are so many ways that you can turn this into an academic activity.  Have them pop the numbers in a sequence, count with 1:1 correspondence, or complete addition problems and pop the answers.

11. Cut up worksheet - Cutting up a worksheet full of math problems has two benefits.  1. It is great fine motor practice. 2. It makes the worksheet appear less overwhelming.  My students love to cut up the worksheets and glue each problem onto a piece of construction paper.  Sometimes they even race with their peers to see who can fill up their page first.

12. Hair bands on tongue depressor - This is an inexpensive activity that works on 1:1 counting and dexterity.  I was able to pick up a pack of 100 hair bands at my local dollar store.

13. Clip cards - I keep a tub full of clothes pins next to each of my group tables.  Clip cards are the perfect way to increase fine motor strength while working on academic activities!  Do you want to know a secret?  Not all of my clip cards are this pretty... I often make them on the fly using an index card.  These cards are from my Summer Counting Pack.

14. Stickers - Peeling stickers is a great way to build up tiny finger muscles.  Do you want to make it even more motivating?  Find a pack of stickers with your students' favorite things.  My sticker bin is full of princesses, Disney characters, superheros, and cars.

15. Lacing shapes - I have a GIANT bin full of these lacing activities.  For years they sat unused.  One day, one of my amazing paraeducators had the idea to write numbers on the back to help our students practice counting.  This has been a game changer.  These activities are finally getting used!

What are your favorite ways to incorporate fine motor into your academic activities?  Please share!

Top Fidgets for the Special Education Classroom

Alright friends, here are my top fidgets for the special education classroom.

1. Beaded Keyring - If you read my post from last month, you know that I LOVE these fidgets!  They are super easy to make and practically free.  Check out this post for step by step directions.

2. Tangle Jr. - This fidget is fun to twist around your fingers, but not SO fun that it becomes a distraction.  It is reasonably priced and comes in a pack of 3!

3. Fidget Pencil Toppers - Do you want to know what I love about these?  With a little bit of guidance, they can replace pencil tapping! The spinners are pretty quiet and can easily be transferred to a different pencil at any time. 

4. Spinner Ring - Ok, this may be a bit unconventional, but spinner rings are a great option when you are looking for a discrete fidget that is always available.  

What are your favorite fidgets?  Please share!

(This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.  I only link to products that I personally use and find beneficial.  Please click HERE for more information.) 

How to Create an Easy Token Board to Motivate Students

Do you use token boards with your students?  They are a great way to motivate students to complete tasks or to demonstrate appropriate behavior.  Token boards serve as a way to delay reinforcement and show the students exactly how much work they need to complete before they earn the reinforcer.

Do you want to know how to make the token board even MORE motivating? Make it a puzzle!  And not just any puzzle... THE puzzle.  What does your student love?  Elsa?  Moana?  Football?  Superheros?

Creating a puzzle token board is easy, and guess what.... I made a template to make it even easier for you!!  Click HERE to pick it up for free.  In the file you will find 7 premade puzzles.  However, if your students are anything like mine, they have very specific interests.  Most of the puzzles that I use with my kids are individualized and based on their favorite characters.  I like to do a google image search to find real images of my students' favorite things.

Now that you have the template, lets get down to business. 

1. Select your clip art or do a google image search for whatever motivates your student

2. Copy the image and paste it into the template

3. Adjust the size of the image to fit in the top box

4. Copy the image and paste it into the bottom box

5. Double click the bottom image

6. Choose the "color" option from the upper left corner

7. Select the "washout" in the "recolor" section

 *Please note, this tutorial was created for PowerPoint 2016.  The steps may vary if you are using a different version of PowerPoint.  

That's it!  You have now designed your puzzle board!  Now that the puzzle board has been created, it is time to print it off and put it together.

1. Print off the page and cut out each image

2. Laminate the images - I like to use the Scotch 5x7 Thermal Laminating Pouches - 5mm (one for each image).  The smaller size and thick pouch make them perfect for creating uniform and durable token boards.  The 5x7 size tends to be a bit pricey, unless it is on sale.  You can also use the standard 8.9x11.4 size, you just won't end up with the thick outer edge.  The key is the 5mm film.  It makes the token board so much more durable. 

3. Cut the full color  image into multiple pieces.  I typically cut mine into 4 pieces, but you can cut more in order to increase the demand of the task.  

4. Attach velcro to the pieces and the board to create the puzzle.  How do you determine which type of velcro to put on each side?  I remember the phrase:  Soft Stays, Hard Travels - The soft side stays on the board and the hard side travels on the pieces.

Aaaannnnnnd DONE!  Your token board is ready to go!  But wait... do you want to add one more visual that will support your students?  Try adding the classroom expectations on the back.  I refer to these each time my students earn a piece of the puzzle.  These expectation strips are another FREEBIE in my store! 

Do you use token boards with your students?  Let me know how they work for you!

(This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.  I only link to products that I personally use and find beneficial.  Please click HERE for more information.)

How to Create the Perfect Classroom Fidget

We all do it... we tap our pencil, we twist our ring, we doodle on our paper.  Me?  I stir (or swirl) my coffee.  I may not even take a drink, I just fidget with the cup.  Fidgeting can help us focus.  As adults, we have learned to keep our fidgeting discrete.  However, many students need help to find an appropriate way to get their wiggles out during work time.

When I think of the perfect fidget for in the classroom 2 things come to mind.

1. It needs to work for the person using it.  If it doesn't work, it won't get used.  Or even worse, it will become a toy.  Which leads us to number 2.

2. It needs to be discrete.  If a fidget is being used in a classroom full of students, it needs to be quiet and non-disruptive to everyone in the room.

Now I get to share with you my all-time favorite fidget.  Why do I love it?  Well, it is super simple to make (you probably have all of the materials hanging around your classroom), quiet and can attach to just about anything.

Here is what you need:

Pipe cleaner
Keyring
4-5 Pony beads
Paperclip (optional)

Directions:

1. Pry open the keyring.  I like to use a paperclip to make it a bit easier.

2. Slide on 4-5 beads.

3. Fold up 1-2 inches of the pipe cleaner over the keyring.

4. Twist the end of the pipe cleaner around itself.

5. Press the end of the pipe cleaner flat.

6. Attach the other end of the pipe cleaner to just about anything!

That's it!  I told you it was easy.

I like to attach these fidgets to EVERTHING.  They are on all of my desks and every leg of my tables.  I find that by making the fidgets available to everyone, they lose their novelty (which is a good thing).  The kids who don't need the fidgets get bored playing with them and the kids who do need the fidgets have them available at all times.  By attaching them to the desks and tables I know that they are always available and I can quickly redirect a student who may be getting their wiggles out in a less appropriate manner (picking at name tags, ripping their paper, etc.).

Are you looking for even more fidget ideas?  Check out this post to find out my picks for the Top Fidgets for the Special Education Classroom.

(This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.  I only link to products that I personally use and find beneficial.  Please click HERE for more information.)

Stop Picking at the Tape! - Tips for Keeping Visuals on the Table

It is the beginning of the year.  Your desks are in perfect rows, pencils are sharpened, tissues are stocked, and your classroom library is beautifully organized. Name tags carefully adorn each desk.  You are ready to rock this year.

Now it is January. You have given up trying to keep the desks in rows, the pencil sharpener is broken and half the class is writing in marker, you have been out of tissues since the November plague, and your classroom library looks like the bargain bin at your local outlet store. To top it off, a majority of the name tags have fallen off of the desks because the kids won't... stop... picking...

Sound familiar?  There are some students (and adults!) who just can't help themselves.  I get it.  You know that pimple that you have to pick?  You know it is going to make it worse but you just can't help yourself. Or, that hangnail that has been driving you crazy all day.  Once you start picking at something, it is really hard to stop.

With that being said, there are some things that need to stay on the students' desks or tables.  Name tags, sticker charts, behavior reminders, visual schedules... they need to be kept close at hand for our students, but how do you keep them on their desks?  I've got 5 tips for keeping visuals on the table.

1. Scotch Tape - Now, there may be people who disagree with me on this one, but hear me out.  I love using Scotch tape to tape down my visuals for a couple of reasons.

1.  It is cheap and I always have it on hand.  
2. As long as the tape is perfectly flat, most kids don't even notice where the edges are and they tend to leave it alone.  

I find that Scotch tape is easier to work with than packing tape and far less expensive than contact paper or self-stick laminating sheets.  I like to laminate the visual first and then tape down all of the edges.  However, I have also taped down visuals without laminating.  As long as you make sure the entire visual is covered with tape, it holds up pretty well.  The behavior visuals that I have on my table are a freebie in my store and can be found HERE.

2. Colored Electrical Tape - Do your students need a visual boundary to help them stay within their own space?  Colored electrical tape is great for sectioning off tables.  Now when I say colored, I mean any color other than black.  Black will leave a bit of a residue that can be a pain to clean off later.  Electrical tape is great because you can't pick off small pieces.  It isn't as satisfying since it is an "all or nothing" deal when you are trying to pick it off.  It is easy to peel back, but also really easy to press back down.  You can find the tape that I use HERE.

3. AVOID PAINTERS TAPE! - If you have ever used painters tape on a student's desk or table, you know what I am talking about.  It shreds as you peel it off which is way too enticing for little fingers!

4. Try Velcro - Are you swapping out your visuals on a regular basis?  Velcro may be the solution that best meets your needs.  I like to use THESE hook and loop dots.  They hold up really well, but come off with a little bit of force if I no longer need them on the table.

5. Fidgets - I've got two words for you: Replacement Behavior.  If a student is picking at the tape on the table, give them something else to do with their hands.  When used properly, fidgets can be an incredible tool to help a student focus and to keep their fingers off of the tape. I like to attach fidgets to all of my tables and desks so that they are available for anyone who may need them.  Would you like to learn how to make my favorite fidget?  Click HERE for directions. 

Do you have any tips for keeping visuals on the table?  Please share!

(This post may contain Amazon affiliate links.  I only link to products that I personally use and find beneficial.  Please click HERE for more information.) 

Teacher Planner Template for the Special Education Classroom

Guys... I love all of the adorable teacher planners that I see out there.  However, they always feel like a ton of extra work.  If you read my last two blog posts about my scope and sequence, you know that I am fairly organized and I like to outline my themes and topics for the entire year but for whatever reason the planners that I have come across never seem to meet my needs.  So I decided to make my own!

Click HERE to pick up the template for free!

In case you missed my Scope and Sequence blog posts (with a few other freebies!), here are the links:

Thematic Literacy Planning for the Year in the Special Ed. Classroom
Planning Math Concepts for the Year in the Special Ed. Classroom