Posted by: Breezy Special Ed March 2020
You can find the full article here: http://www.breezyspecialed.com/2020/03/distance-home-learning-packets-and.html?fbclid=IwAR2nyhUEUfb1kD1sBpiIo1aMKwE6jvPgYAVgefd82MaPzRqFag2qF-WbNcc
With students out of school, we need more resources to help parents teach their children. Here are a few suggested by Breezy Special Ed:
This definitely presents a unique challenge for all teachers (and families), and especially special education teachers who are wondering how in the world am I going to do that? Here’s a few ideas, including some FREE (and some paid) resources.
Give Suggested Learning Activities:
Make a BINGO board with suggested activities for parents and students to complete together.
I love this Homework Choice board that Taylor, a member of our Breezy Special Ed facebook group, made for home learning days. She was so nice to share her template if you are looking for something similar! CLICK HERE, then choose “make a copy” and you should be able to edit your copy.
On a bingo board / list like this you can come up with functional, real things that students can do at home that they might not otherwise get the chance to do! It will also help give parents some ideas and strategies to pass the time.
Send Home Packets:
I know many teachers are scrambling to print at home packets. Let me help! I picked out a few 2 week resources in my store that I think would be great to use as home packets.
Search #homepacket in my TpT to get these zoo themed writing, math, and reading activities for FREE. (The regular price of these combined resources is $14.)Then all you need to do is:
- Download
- Print by level (there are 3 levels for beginning learners in both the life skill math and journal sets and 2 levels for the reading comprehension)
- Staple together
- Send (or mail or email*) home with your students
*email is not typically allowed but due to these unique circumstances is allowed If you need more than two weeks, you can also grab these packets at 50% off
Google Classroom:
Wondering how to do e-Learning with your students? Interactive self-checking PDFs with a Google Quiz might be the answer!
All BSE digital resources are extremely VISUAL and require NO READING.
See how to use the BSE Digital Activities in Google Classroom in this video below.
Digital Activity bundle found HERE.
I will be adding more of these digital activities to the bundle during the next few weeks as well to help with this kind of distant learning. If you own the bundle, all future downloads will be free (otherwise all new digital activities will be listed at a heavily discounted price of $1 during the duration of these school closures)
Online Resources:
Many companies are making their subscriptions free during this time. Here are a few that I have heard of and am familiar with.
- Brain Pop and Brain Pop Jr. free during school closures: https://go.brainpop.com/accessrequest
- Storyline Online (always free): Books read out loud by authors / famous people: https://www.storylineonline.net/
- Scholastic: https://classroommagazines.scholastic.com/support/learnathome.html
- Learning A-Z: https://accounts.learninga-z.com/accou…/marketing/trial.do
- Accessibyte makes fun, funky, fully accessible apps for users who are blind, visually impaired, deaf, dyslexic, or have other reading difficulties: https://www.accessibyte.com/stay-safe
See a large list of more resources HERE.
Explaining COVID-19:
Are your students feeling anxious about COVID-19 and school closing / the possibility of school closing? There’s so much talk about the virus on the media and no reason for our students to feel nervous because that doesn’t help anything!I wrote some social stories (available with or without symbols) to help your students know:
- what COVID-19 is
- how to prevent
- what might happen if schools close
All in a non-threatening, not scary way.
Knowledge is power! Download these free COVID-19 resources HERE!
Visual Schedules:
Widgit Online offers a free 21 day trial that would be perfect for creative visual schedules for kids to use at home to help provide some structure and predictability in each day.
Widgit Online is very user friendly. You just type and the symbols appear! They also have templates you can use to make it even easier.
Here is a sample one I created:
Even with school out, you can get help for your child! Do you need speech and/or occupational therapy for your child? Cincinnati Therapy Connections is a Jon Peterson and Autism Scholarship Provider! We are currently submitting applications for the 2020-2021 school year.
Cincinnati Therapy Connections provides speech therapy and occupational therapy to children in Cincinnati and Dayton. Our highly experienced therapists work 1-1 with your child. We can provide therapy in your home, our Mason office, or your child’s academic environment.
Not sure if your child will qualify or what the Jon Peterson or Autism scholarships are? Give us a call and we can explain it very simply!
Have questions about IEP’s or ETR’s? We can help! We walk you through the process and help get your child on a scholarship to get free speech and occupational therapy to help your child in their fine motor and speech and language needs!
Ph: 513-444-0770
email: [email protected]