Tag Archives: bilateral coordination

Mar15

Light and Sound

Posted on March 15, 2020 by jd785

This week our theme complements the monthly Unique Curriculum unit for our students. The sensory group explored boxes filled with light or sound. The fine motor groups made thematic crafts and the language group did some light and sound experiments!

SENSORY GROUP

Our space blanket was both reflective and also made LOTS of noise as it was moved around.

The students had a blast!

Science access point: recognize that pushing or pulling makes an object move.

More photos because this was so much FUN!!!

Colorful pasta was not only eye catching but noisy, as hands pushed through to find letters L and S.

We used regular pasta, tri-colored pasta, and pasta of different different shapes that we dyed ourselves.

Science access point: match objects with similar observable properties, such as size, shape, color, or texture.

Our light box was made by hot gluing cut up plastic notebook dividers to the sides of a shoebox and then adding lights.

It really looked cool—–especially when we turned the overhead lights off.

Science access point: recognize a source of light energy.

We thought it would be fun to put some bubble wrap sheets in one of our boxes.

The students had fun pinching or squeezing the bubbles to make them POP!

Science access point: apply a push to move an object.

There were all sorts of LIGHT producing toys in this box.

Some of them could just be turned on but others needed to be moved to activate the lights—-so fun!

Science access point: distinguish between objects in motion and at rest.

This box contained a variety of SOUND producing toys including an accordion tube, shaker bottle, and a variety of musical instruments.

The students really had fun making noise 🙂

Science access point: recognize and respond to sounds.

We added pop rocks to our oobleck this week!

Noisy, messy play—-always a hit!

Science access point: track objects in motion.

A water wheel toy made our water noisy.

Watching the wheel spin and splash water was really fascinating!

Science access point: recognize the change in the motion of an object.

It was hard finding a scent to work with our theme this week but we dug through our stash of lotion and found one called Hello Sunshine which seemed a perfect fit—-the sun brings us light after all 🙂

It was a nice sweet scent that the students all liked.

Science access point: recognize one or more external body parts.

Since we were doing a unit on sound we HAD to bring out our big strips of bubble wrap to roll or run over!

As always, so many smiles!

Science access point: apply a push to move an object.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday we made sun catchers!

First, the students identified a circle.

Math access point: recognize a common object with two-dimensional shape.

Next, they began tearing yellow or orange tissue paper into small pieces.

Science access point: recognize a change in the external appearance of an object.

The tissue paper pieces were placed on clear contact paper.

Math access point: recognize when an object is added to a situation.

TA DA!!!

Look at our sun catchers!

Let the sunshine in!

On Wednesday, the students made shaker bottles.

First, the students identified a rectangle.

Math access point: recognize object with two-dimensional shapes.

Then, they used crayons to decorate a piece of paper.

When done, the decorated piece of paper was taped around a plastic bottle.

Science access point: recognize a change in the external appearance of an object.

They put a funnel in their bottle and poured some beads into it! The students loved watching the beads drop down.

It was also a great opportunity to practice using BOTH hands!

Science access point: track objects that fall to the ground.

Next, they added 3 jingle bells.

Math access point: associate quantities with number names.

An adult hot glued the cap on to the bottle and……

TA DA!!!

Shake, shake, shake, that bottle—-of course we sang along 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

We had some fun with light and sound experiments today!

Our first experiment involved us using sun sensitive paper (purchased from Oriental Trading). To use this, you put something on top of the paper, like a leaf or a cutout of a shape, and place them in the sun. The sun paper should change in color so that you can see the shape of whatever you placed on top of it.

We started out by each student choosing a cutout of an object that they liked out of a field of 2 cutouts.

Once everyone chose their cutout, each person made a prediction about if they thought this experiment would work or not.

All but one student made the prediction that YES, it would work.

We walked outside and found a bright and sunny place to put our papers.

While we were waiting for the paper, we played a sound game. Each student had a chance to take out one thing from a bag of small objects.

Once they picked their object, they had to drop it into a tin container.

They had to indicate whether the object was LOUD when it was dropped in the container or if it was QUIET. If it was loud, students used a sentence strip to indicate “I hear it”. If it was quiet, students used a sentence strip to indicate “I don’t hear it”. We had different objects like cotton balls, feathers, toy cars, and plastic animals.

When our sound game was over, we checked out the sun paper to see if it had changed color. It worked! The directions said to put the paper in some water for a minute and then lay it out to dry.

These turned out really cool!

We are getting ready to go on a bit of an extended spring break but be sure to join us again next time for more fun and learning—–Group by Group!

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Feb4

Ancient Myths and Legends

Posted on February 4, 2018 by jd785

Ancient Myths and Legends

This week we decided to take a look at some of the characters of ancient myths and legends around the world. The sensory groups explored boxes dedicated to different characters. The fine motor groups made some inspired headdresses and the language group made a not so mythical snack!

SENSORY GROUP

Our starry night umbrella was very eye catching and worthy of Nott the Norse goddess of the night! With some twinkle lights, a moon, and silver stars this really captured the students interest.

The science access points recognize that there are many stars in the sky and recognize a full moon as a circle can be addressed here.

Zeus is associated with weather—-especially thunderstorms. In this box, we put a fan for wind, a fiber optic toy for lighting, a rainstick, and a SUPER COOL thunder tube! This is the first time we got to use the thunder tube and it really did sound like the rumbling sounds of thunder. This box was a hit!

Recognize and respond to different types of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

With glitter and sequins which made our play dough even more eye catching, the students used a butterfly shaped cookie cutter to make colorful wings like those of Egyptian goddess Isis.

The science access point recognize that the appearance of an object or material has changed, is addressed here.

In addition to a couple of ancient Egyptian figures, there were some pyramids, a rake, and 2 giant carrots in our play dirt box dedicated to Osiris who supposedly taught the world about farming. The play dirt feels similar to kinetic sand and the students had lots of fun with it.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move, is a science access point.

We think Venus would be tickled with all the hearts and valentines to discover in this box. There was red and white paper shred, heart beads, red bows, a valentine bear, and lots of other heart shaped items. Lots to explore and discover!

The math access point recognize similarities and differences in the size of objects is a math access point.

Yellow food coloring and gold glitter made our oobleck dedicated to Apollo pretty “sunny” this week.

The science access point track objects in motion can be addressed here.

Since Sedna was an Inuit sea goddess, we put some animals that might be seen around the arctic ocean regions. The students were able to scoop out toy animals such as a whale and walrus.

We also included a measuring cup for scooping fun.

The science access point recognize objects related to science by name, such as animal, can be addressed here.

Thor was associated with lots of different things including the oak tree so we used Bath and BodyWorks oak scent for our water this week. Since we didn’t have a matching lotion, we used their mahogany scent which we figured was close enough—-both truly heroic scents 🙂

Recognize one or more external body parts is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR SKILLS

On Tuesday we made headdresses inspired by Venus. We found the supplies on the give away table—–one man’s trash is another’s treasure 🙂

We started by identifying the color of supplies using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Next, we cut pieces of bulletin board trim using switch operated scissors or paper trimmers.

Recognize the appearance of an object has changed is a science access point.

Then the students glued a large heart on to their paper strip.

The math access point recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape can be addressed here.

Ta DA!

We are spreading the love!

On Wednesday we made headdresses inspired by those worn by the ancient greeks and romans.

First the students identified the color of the leaves using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Then they also chose how many leaves they were going to put on their headdress.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

The students twisted paper to make “grapevines”. Some of them could do this independently but most needed a little help. It was a great activity for bilateral coordination!

The science access point recognize the appearance of an object has changed is addressed here.

The students squeezed glue on to their leaves and then glued them DOWN on their grapevines.

Recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship, such as up and down, is a math access point.

Ta—- toga—- DA!

Our students are legendary!

LANGUAGE GROUP

Since Osiris was a god who helped man learn to farm, we decided to make a smoothie made with ingredients that need to be farmed. Here is the recipe we used: Let_s Make A Blueberry Spinach Smoothie. Don’t let the ingredients trick you into thinking this isn’t going to be good!

We started out by putting some frozen blueberries into a blender. Each of our students got to touch the bag. They communicated that the bag felt COLD. We talked about how we needed to use a measuring cup in order to measure out the blueberries.

Recognize objects or materials as warm or cold, is a science access point.

Next, we added some frozen bananas to the blender. Our students had to request if they wanted to help by raising their hand or indicating “help” on their communication board.

We added some baby spinach to the blender next. This got a few funny looks, both from the students as well as the staff!

Milk and vanilla Greek yogurt were also added to the mix.

Recognize when an object is added to a situation, is a math access point.

Finally, we added some honey. Each of our students got to taste test the honey before we put it in the blender. We talked about how it tastes SWEET.

Our students took turns pressing the switch to activate the blender so we could blend all of the ingredients up. We counted out how many cups we needed (thank you to grandma for showing the kiddos how many cups we needed!) and poured some for each student.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point. Solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions using language, such as enough, too much, or more is another math access point addressed here.

All the students and adults thought this smoothie was pretty delicious, despite the ingredients being so deceiving 🙂

YUM!!!!

Join us again next time for more fun and learning—–Group by Group!

Jan7

New Years

Posted on January 7, 2018 by jd785

New Years

It’s been an interesting start to the year for us—–we had an actual SNOW day! Snow is a pretty rare commodity around here so there was quite a bit of excitement as you can imagine. Due to the start of the semester and the snow day our week has been pretty short but we did manage to have 3 groups for our New Year’s themed unit. Happy 2018!

SENSORY GROUP

In the south we eat black eyed peas for luck on New Year’s day. This box of dried peas contained the numbers 2-0-1-8 for the students to find.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

In the Chinese New Year, 2018 will be the year of the dog—–how cool is that! Since red is a considered a lucky color we used red moon sand to go with our dog shaped cookie cutter. Moon sand has a soft texture but is moldable which makes it perfect for this activity.

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

The students had fun scooping and sifting sand using the tools we included in this “sands of time” box. It was also a great opportunity to practice bilateral skills!

The science access point track a falling object can be addressed here.

Lots of people have parties this time of year so we had a box of colorful party beads for the students to wear and explore. Also, lots of fun to shake!

Track objects in motion is a science access point.

Fireworks are a big part of the New Year’s celebrations. Our fireworks light show toy was a hit with the students. It made some pretty authentic fireworks sounds and projected small pictures—-very cool!

Recognize and respond to different types of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

There was some shiny and colorful confetti to swirl around in shaving cream this week.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

The students had fun scooping the numbers 2-0-1-8 from our “bubbly” (from Philosophy) scented water.

Identify objects by one observable property (in this case floating or sinking) is a science access point.

Bath and BodyWorks has a scent called “midnight”—-perfect for a New Year’s unit! The students really liked the scent.

Recognize one or more external body parts is a science access point.

We finished our group we some bubble wrap fireworks—-so much fun!

Recognize that pushing or pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

We made some fireworks pictures this week!

First, we identified our paint color using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property,such as color, is a science access point.

After dipping our paint tool in the paint, the students stamped UP and DOWN to make their fireworks. Our tool was made by fringing a piece of craft foam, folding it in half, rolling it up, and then securing it with a rubber band.

Recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship, such as up and down, is a science access point.

Then they added some gold glitter—–got to have some sparkle 🙂

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

TA——– ooh aah——– Da!

FIREWORKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We started out the group by re-reading a book that we had made a couple of years ago. It’s a book that looks at some of the New Year’s traditions that other countries have. Here is the book we read: It’s New Year’s Around The World

We talked about how, in the south, people eat different kinds of foods that are thought to bring good luck. One of those foods is black eyed peas—-so we decided to make some! While the peas were heating up, we counted out six bowls for the students.

Associate quantities with number name is a math access point.

We talked about how the bowls felt warm after the beans were heated. Not everyone was impressed by the peas, but everyone took at least 1 bite 🙂

Recognize objects or materials as warm or cold is a science access point.

We also had some Nilla Wafers for our students. It was a party after all so we HAD to have something sweet ! The students had to communicate how many cookies they wanted. They could choose to have 1, 2, or 3 cookies.

Associate quantities with number names is a science access point.

Since this was a party, we brought out some Sprite as a drink. This was the first time we brought soda to the group so it was interesting to see the faces our students made! They certainly weren’t expecting anything bubbly 🙂

Indicate desire for more of an action or object, is a math access point.

After our snack, we had “fireworks” using bubble wrap. This is always a hit and so much fun!

We are now ready to take on the new year—–even with snow!!

Happy New Year from Group by Group!

Sep24

On Old MacDonald’s Farm

Posted on September 24, 2017 by jd785

On Old MacDonald’s Farm

September 16-23 is Farm Animal Awareness Week and we thought what a perfect time to do a unit on Old MacDonald! The sensory groups explored boxes with a variety of farm related tactile experiences. The fine motor groups used paint to create their art projects and the language group made yummy edible mud pies!

SENSORY GROUP

In a base of raffia “hay” we put a variety of farm related items including play animals, fruit, vegetables, and a toy tractor. We also included a colorful red bandana and a dog puppet that sang when its muzzle was pressed—–too cute!

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point.

This box of corn contained the letters F, A, R, M for the students to find. Of course, they also had fun pushing their fingers and hands through the kernels. Visual and tactile discrimination skills can be addressed with this activity.

The science access point match objects by an observable property, such as shape, can be addressed here.

It was all contrast and compare with our fur and feather box! There were a variety of fake fur swatches along with some feather boas. A great opportunity to talk about which farm animals had fur and which had feathers. They made some great fashion statements also lol.

Sort objects by an observable property, such as texture, is a science access point.

We put some play food for the students to plant and harvest in our coffee grounds “dirt”. There were also pictures of fruit to find at the bottom of the box.

The science access points match plants that are the same and recognize that plants grow, can be addressed here.

Wheat flour was used to make our play dough and this gave it a slightly grittier, more crumbly texture. Another interesting tactile experience!

We put in some farm animal cookie cutters (turkey, sheep, and duck) to add to the fun.

Recognize that pushing or pulling an object makes it move, is a science access point.

This week we put cocoa powder in the oobleck to make MUD. The students had fun helping our little foam piggy get a mud bath. It really smelled much better than the real thing too 🙂

Track objects in motion is a science access point.

Our duck pond contained 2 rubber ducks—–1 big and 1 small. There was also a measuring cup for scooping fun!

Recognize differences in size of common objects is a math access point.

A fruity scent seemed the perfect choice for a farm unit so we used Bath and BodyWorks pearberry scent this week.

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday the students made “hay” using a rolling pin wrapped with some rubber bands.

We started by discussing the color of our paint and asked the students to identify it using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

The students needed to hold the rolling pin with both hands in order to make it roll properly—–great bilateral coordination practice!

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move, is a science access point.

To finish, they got to choose some farm animals (cut from the Ellison machine) to put on their pictures. Of course we counted how many each student added!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Ta Da!

E I E I O

On Wednesday the students used a craft foam tractor stamp. We hot glued a plastic thread spool to make it easier for them to hold.

First the students drew ACROSS lines on their paper using a pencil. These lines were the “furrows” in the field. They really did a great job with this!

Recognize the change in appearance of an object, is a science access point.

Then we discussed the color of our paint and asked the students to identify it using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Next the students stamped UP and DOWN to put 1 tractor on their fields.

Recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship is a math access point.

TA Da!

Look at our cute little farmers!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We made a very tasty dessert this week! We made Animal Cracker Caramel Mud Pies. Here is the recipe that we used: Let_s Make Animal Cracker Caramel Mud Pie

During the recipe, we focused on the following words that were located on each of our student’s cooking communication boards: make, put, turn, more, all done, like/don’t like. Each week, these are the most frequently used words. Other words located on the boards are fringe vocabulary words such as the different ingredients used as well as the utensils and appliances used.

We started by making our chocolate pudding. Our students helped put the pudding mix and 2 cups of milk into a bowl. Then they took turns pressing the wireless switch used to turn the mixer on. Our students helped to indicate if we needed to mix MORE or if we’re ALL DONE.

Solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions using language, such as enough, too much, or more, is a math access point.

Next, we melted the butter talked about how it changed from a solid to a liquid. We put our -already-crushed-up animal crackers in the butter and added some sugar. Then we stirred it up and put it in the pan

Distinguish between water as a solid or liquid is a science access point.

Then we put cream cheese and powdered sugar into a bowl and mixed it up with the mixer, giving each student a turn. We were SUPPOSED to add caramel to this part, but I missed that page so we added it at the end 🙂 You can do it any way you’d like! We added some whipped cream and mixed it up again.

Solve simple problems involving putting together and taking apart small quantities of objects is a math access point.

We put that mixture on top of the animal cracker mix in the pan and added the chocolate pudding to the top.

Recognize when an object is added to a situation is a math access point.

A little caramel sauce and we were ALL DONE!

We counted out how many bowls we needed and then ALL enjoyed eating these yummy mud pies 🙂

Thanks so much for joining us on Old MacDonald’s farm! Join us again next week for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Nov13

Jobs at School

Posted on November 13, 2016 by jd785

Jobs at School

This week we looked at some of the jobs at our school. We have done this theme before, but looked at different jobs this time. The sensory group explored boxes related to the people in those jobs at our school. The fine motor groups made thank you cards for the people in our book and the language group had a special guest help them make a tasty treat.

SENSORY GROUP

Ms. Latoya, our assistant principal, graduated from FAMU. This box is dedicated to her alma mater. It is filled with the colors and symbols of the university. There were shaker pom poms, beads, and a football—-go Rattlers!

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point that can be addressed in this activity.

Nurse Caitlin likes the beach and Nurse Linda likes the color pink—–so their box is a pink beach 🙂 Pink rice and some seashells to make up this fun filled box. We also added their initials and a big pink scoop!

Scooping up the rice and watching it fall back into the box addresses the science access point: track a falling object.

This box was filled with purple kinetic sand (Ms. Alexis’ favorite color) and the letter R for “registrar”. Ms. Trenisha loves elephants and we think she would really like the cute pink one we included here.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move, is a science access point.

The fun box was filled with birdseed and there were 3 little birds to find hidden in it—- Ms. Courtney’s favorite animals are birds! We haven’t used this box of birdseed in a while and the students really enjoyed feeling it on their hands.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point that can be addressed with this activity.

Ms. Lorry is from Chicago, also known as the “windy city”. Our students had breezy fun with a little hand held fan. Ms. Lori is from New York, which is filled with bright lights—-sort of like our little light toys!

Recognize and respond to different types of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

We put our fake spaghetti strands into oobleck this week to make our version of fettuccine alfredo—-Ms. April’s favorite dish! This was a lot of fun and our students were really intrigued with the differing textures.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object (contact force) makes it move, is a science access point.

Hands were rinsed in our little water garden, complete with watering can—-Ms. Leslie loves to garden. The fact that the little floating flowers in it were lighted, made it even more fun!

Track objects in motion is a science access point.

Ms. Jane has been involved with Girl Scouts for years. We found these Girl Scout cookie scented lip balms—-perfect to leave our students smelling like yummy cookies! The students got to choose between Samoa, Tagalong, and Thin Mint scents. Turned out that Samoa was the most popular! Of course, we used the balm on wrists NOT on lips 🙂

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

We wanted to thank all the staff who appeared in our book this week so the fine motor groups both contributed to the making of the thank you cards for them.

On Tuesday, the students identified the rectangular shape of the paper we were going to use.

Recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes is a math access point.

Each student squeezed pink, purple, and turquoise paint onto their paper and folded it over.

Distinguish between objects that are wet and objects that are dry is a science access point that can be addressed in this activity.

Then they rolled over the paper with a rolling pin—-great for bilateral coordination!

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move, is a science access point.

Ta DA!!!

Some pretty magical results!!!

On Wednesday, the students again identified the rectangular shape of the paper used for making our cards.

Recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes is a math access point.

The students used a paper cutter to cut each piece of the previously painted paper into 4 pieces! They also cut green pieces of paper in half to make the base of the card.

Recognize parts of whole objects and parts of sets of objects, is a math access point.

Then the students began assembling the cards by gluing a colorful front onto the green card bases.

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point. The math access point recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship, is also addressed.

TA DA—-a colorful thank you to our wonderful staff members!

Thank you for helping us grow and learn 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

This week’s language group was extra special today! One of our nurses here at school, Jill, came in to bake some of her Blonde Brownies for us!

Here is her recipe: jills-blonde-brownies

She started out by talking about what we always do first before cooking, which is to wash our hands! Next, she measured out a cup of Bisquick. Our students had to indicate that they wanted to HELP by raising their hand, by touching the symbol for HELP, or by verbalizing. Since we needed 2 cups, our students indicated that we needed MORE to put in the bowl.

Then, we added the brown sugar. Again, our students had to tell us if they wanted to HELP.

One off the most fun parts of putting all of the ingredients in the bowl was using the EZ Cracker Egg Cracker! Since the recipe called for 2 eggs, 2 different students got to use the Egg Cracker. Once the egg was placed, our students had to SQUEEZE the handle which broke the eggs without getting it all over the place! Super cool!

We added 1 cup of oatmeal and 1 cup of chocolate chips and then STIRRED it all together.

While it was baking, we had another surprise guest, Ms. Maureen, the music intern. She stood in for our music therapist (Brenda) since she was teaching another class at the time. Maureen played several songs for our students and gave them shakers so they could participate as well.

They had SO MUCH FUN!!! And not just the students but the adults as well!

When the music was done it turned out the brownies were too so we all enjoyed our special treat from Jill!

THANK YOU so much to Jill and Maureen!!! You made our day 🙂

Another great week! Join us again next time for more fun and learning Group by Group!

Jan10

Happy New Year!

Posted on January 10, 2016 by jd785

Happy New Year!

Happy 2016 everyone! To welcome the new year we thought it would be fun to take a look BACK at some things that happened in past “new” years.

Each of the sensory group boxes related to one of the historic events. The fine motor groups made art projects celebrating 2016 and the language group—-well they had a party 🙂

SENSORY GROUP

The marriage of Prince Ferdinand and Queen Isabella united the country of Spain. The red and yellow of this colorful box were a nod to the colors of the Spanish flag. In addition to sorting by color, the students were able to sort by texture since we included soft pompoms and hard beads.

Of course, the beads were also lots of fun to wear or shake 🙂

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color is a science access point.

In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed and in celebration of that historic event we made some red, white and blue play dough! We added snipped pieces of an old star garland and some glitter to give the play dough a patriotic sparkle 🙂

The students cut out stars using two different sized cookie cutters.

The science access point recognize differences in size of objects is addressed here.

At the turn of the century, people were thrilled with the construction of the Statue of Liberty. We thought our green Bubber looked pretty similar to the color of the statue as we see it today.

Bubber’s texture is a little like circus peanut candy so it is drier than play dough but it still sticks together really well.

We also included a souvenir hat just for fun——thanks Kira!

While making sculptures with the Bubber, the students addressed the science access point recognize a change in an object.

Trying on the hat addressed the “let’s have fun” access point 🙂

In 1955 the hit song Rock Around the Clock was released. Our students used finger drums and a maraca to rock out to the song we recorded on a voice output device.

The finger drums were a HUGE hit 🙂

The science access points recognize an action as fast or slow and recognize objects that create sounds are addressed here.

The movie Footloose was hugely popular in 1984 and we thought this neon rice perfectly represented the decade!

The little funnel and spoon made for lots of scooping fun and the students were especially fascinated as they watched the grains stream out the bottom. At the bottom of the box was a piece of paper with the numbers 1984—–written with neon markers, of course!

Track a falling object is a science access point.

The psychedelic 1960’s rang out with the Woodstock concert held in the summer of 1969. In homage to the fashion of the day, we made some tie dye oobleck! Watching the colors swirl around was just GROOVY 🙂

We got the tie dye effect by mixing the different colors in separate bowls and then pouring them onto a tray.

Track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled is a science access point.

Another musician made history in 1977 with his concert in Hawaii—–the king himself, Elvis! Since lei’s are made from plumeria flowers we used that scent from Bath and Bodyworks for our water play scent this week. There was a “plumeria” blossom floating in the water and a bulb syringe to “water” it with.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is addressed here.

The students really liked the aroma of the matching lotion rubbed on their arms and hands.

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday the students decorated signs made from paper plates and popsicle sticks.

We started by discussing the shape of plate and asking the students to identify it using communication symbols.

Recognize a common object with a two-dimensional shape is a math access point.

Then they painted the plate with GOLD paint—-this looked so cool!!! By having the students hold onto the popsicle stick handle we also addressed bilateral coordination with this activity.

Recognize that the appearance of an object or material has changed is a science access point.

We added even more sparkle with some glitter confetti and topped off the sign with a piece of paper with “2016” printed on it.

The paper stuck easily to the paint so we didn’t have to use glue!

Recognize that objects can stick together is a science access point.

TA DA—–Happy 2016!

On Wednesday we used the numbers 2016 again, but this time we put them on a SHIELD—-kind of like the one Henry VIII might have used!

We started by identifying the number 6 on a number line—-the students did a really great job with this!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Then we got out some BIG brushes and painted the shields with silver paint. Some of the students are still learning to use paint brushes but most of them got to work without any help from us!

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

We used the Ellison machine to cut out the numbers 2-0-1-6 and the students placed them on their shields.

To make it easier to hold, a toilet paper roll was hot glued to the back of the shield by an adult, then…….

Time for a 2016 royal TA DA

LANGUAGE GROUP

In our language group this week, we made some yummy cornbread. It is a traditional Southern food eaten for good luck because it’s supposed to resemble gold!

We started by counting out the cupcake liners while placing them in the cupcake tin. We used a visual of the number 6 to help reinforce number recognition.

The math access point match one object to a designated space to show one-to-one correspondence is addressed here.

Then, we followed the directions on the Jiffy cornbread mix box and put all of the ingredients in a bowl. We made sure to talk about the COLOR of the cornbread mix and also how it was DRY. When we cracked the egg in, we talked about how the mixture was now WET.

Distinguish between items that are wet and items that are dry is a science access point.

When it was time to pour in the milk, noting that it was a LIQUID, our students got to feel the temperature—-it was COLD!

Recognize the temperature of items, such as food, as cool or warm is a science access point.

We mixed up the ingredients and counted out how many spoonfuls we needed to put into the cupcake tin. Once finished, we put them in the oven to bake.

Apply a push to move an object is a science access point.

While we were waiting, we had a small New Years party of our own. We got out party hats, boas, and princess crowns. Our students then got to make some “fireworks” by walking or rolling over bubblewrap- —they had a BLAST!

Finally, we got to eat our “gold”. Cheers to a lucky 2016!!

Well, it was back to school with a blast and we had tons of fun welcoming in the new year! Join us again next week for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Nov8

Egypt

Posted on November 8, 2015 by jd785

Egypt

We chose Egypt as our theme this week because on November 4, 1922 Howard Carter discovered the entrance to the tomb of Tutankhamen and we thought it would be fun to learn a little more about the country of Egypt both today and long ago!

We splurged a little with our sensory group and bought the Egyptian TOOB from Amazon and really added a lot to our sensory boxes. The fine motor groups worked on their cutting skills and the language group made a yummy Egyptian treat.

SENSORY GROUP

We used paper shred as our “papyrus” base for this box. There were a lot of different items representing both ancient and modern Egypt. From our Amazon order there were lots of Egyptian gods figures, busts of pharaohs, and of course—–a sarcophagus with King Tut!

We included “lotus” petals, palm trees, a hippo (they were considered bad omens), and a giraffe (ancient Egyptians used their tails as fly swatters!). In addition to all the ancient Egyptian items we included some modern “kids” and the word HOME—-to a population of approximately 82 million people! Finally there was a little oil holder that Joy’s aunt brought back on her Egyptian vacation—-pretty cool!

Recognize differences between cultures is a social studies access point that can be addressed here.

King Tut wore a pretty amazing blue and gold headdress. We put some shiny beads with those colors in this box and it turned out to be very eye catching. Needless to say, the students had a lot of fun with this box 🙂

Match objects by one observable property, such as size or color is a science access point.

There are over 100 pyramids in Egypt and tourists come from all over the world to visit them. In addition to the pyramids and sphinx we included a couple of camels to trek around the desert. Underneath the sand there was a picture of the current Egyptian flag to discover.

Recognize an achievement of civilization, such as art, architecture, writing, or technology is a social studies access point.

If you are doing a unit on Egypt you HAVE to include a mummy box! There were a bunch of gauze strips to wrap around a small doll. In our research we learned that the ancient Egyptians also mummified cats so we included a little plush kitty to mummify.

The science access point recognize that the appearance of an object or material has changed can be addressed with this activity.

Pomegranate seeds were a favorite treat for ancient Egyptians and still are for modern ones. We didn’t have any dried pomegranate seeds but we thought these red beans made a pretty good stand in. There were 3 letter “E”s to find, as well as a couple of “scarab” beetles.

Match objects by an observable property, such as size, shape, and color is a science access point.

Our messy play shaving cream reminded us of marshmallows—-we can thank the ancient Egyptians for that tasty treat! We printed out the hieroglyphic alphabet to let students try imitating some of the letters.

Most of them were way too hard for our students to duplicate but the semi circle symbol for “T” was a great one to practice.

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move is a science access point.

Hands were rinsed in our Nile River basin complete with a crocodile! We used strawberry scented Valuetime bubble bath in our water because we learned that strawberry juice is a favorite drink for thirsty Egyptian children.

Match common living things with their habitats is a science access point.

Mango juice is another popular drink found in the refrigerator of Egyptian homes so we finished our group with mango scented lotion. It had a very yummy aroma and our students really enjoyed the scent as we rubbed it on their hands and arms. There were lots of requests for “more”!

Indicate a desire for more of an action or object is a math access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday we made an ancient Egyptian headdress. Prior to the group the base was cutout of a yellow paper plates (found at Family Dollar store). We just cut across the bottom and then cut a square piece out of the middle. The top piece was cut from the scrap and glued to the top.

First we discussed the color of our plates and asked the students to identify the color yellow using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color is a science access point.

Then the students cut strips of blue paper using the adaptive scissors.

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

We prompted the students to glue 2 of the blue strips on one side of the head dress, and 2 on the other side.

Solve simple problems involving joining or separating sets of objects is a math access point.

TA DA—-time to walk like an Egyptian 🙂

On Wednesday we made an Egyptian pyramid scene for our art project.

We started by discussing the shape of our paper and then counted it’s sides. We also asked the students to identify the color using communication symbols.

Recognize an object with a 2 dimensional shape is a math access point. Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

Then we tore 1 piece of yellow paper into 2 pieces—-great for working on bilateral coordination! These were glued down onto the blue paper to make the “sand” for our scene.

Recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship, such as up and down is a math access point.

Next we used a paper cutter to cut the 3 sides of a triangle and glued our “pyramid” onto the sand. Of course, we counted aloud as we cut each side.

The math access point recognize common objects with 2 dimensional shapes is again addressed here.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Ta DA—–

let’s visit Egypt!

LANGUAGE GROUP

While researching facts about Egypt, we found that children like to drink strawberry juice and mango juice. Since we LOVE making food, we decided to take a stab at making our own juice.

We used the recipes found here: Let’s Make Strawberry Juice and Mango Juice!

We started out by making strawberry juice. Our students helped measure out the correct amounts of strawberries and sugar and we put them in the blender.

We talked about WHERE we had to put the ingredients since all of them went into the blender. We love repetition!

Once the ingredients were in the blender, each of our students got to activate the blender by pressing a switch.

We had to practice holding the button down since our students like to tap the switch which turns the blender off and on.

Once the juice was finished, it was time to taste test!

We counted out cups for the students and then cups for the adults. We had 6 students and 7 adults, so we asked our students to indicate which there were “more” of.

Determine if the quantity in two sets of objects is same or different is a math access point.

While our students were trying out the strawberry juice, we started making the mango juice. It was nice that each of these recipes were almost exactly the same!

Once each student and adult had tried each kind of juice, we voted to see which was preferred MORE.

Mango juice was the winner!

Join us again next week for more fun and learning—–Group by Group!

Nov1

Peter Pan

Posted on November 1, 2015 by jd785

Peter Pan

We had so much fun preparing for this week’s theme which was filled with fun and lots of pixie dust :).

Our sensory groups explored boxes related to the various characters seen in the Peter Pan story. The fine motor groups both used glitter to complete their art projects and the language group dressed like lost boys while playing Follow the Leader! All of the groups had so much fun seeing their friends dressed as characters in the book.

SENSORY GROUP

The color GREEN is all over the Peter Pan story—-from Tinker Bell and Peter Pan’s clothing to that enormous crocodile! Even Neverland itself is mostly green! With all that green, we had to include a box of this fabulous green kinetic sand. Kinetic sand is always pretty irresistible but with this bright color—-it was even more so!!! There was a letter “P” cookie cutter included in this box but most of us just enjoyed watching it dribble through our fingers.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

We made a night sky for our little Wendy to fly through and included a couple of stars to count. There was also a picture of Peter Pan himself to find at the bottom of the box. The students really enjoyed running their hands through the beans—-a completely different texture compared to the kinetic sand!

The math access points recognize differences in size of objects and associate quantities with number names can be addressed here.

This Captain Hook box was filled with fun. There was treasure to find as well as some “piratey” stuff—-like a hook, an eye patch, and spy glass. There were also Captain Hook and crocodile figurines! We even put in a toy clock—–the students had a blast!

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point.

The Mr. Smee box contained red and white pompoms and beads for sorting fun. The items could be sorted by color or texture. As usual, the beads proved to be very popular.

Match objects with similar observable properties, such as size, shape, color, or texture is a science access point.

These pixie dust bottles were just fabulous and VERY eye catching. The students loved watching the the glitter swirl around!

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move can be addressed in this activity.

Peter Pan told Wendy to “fly to the second star to the right and then straight on ’til morning”. We mixed our yellow play dough with lots of gold glitter for a perfect sparkle!

With the included 2 cookie cutters, the math access point recognize differences in size of objects is addressed.

Our mermaid lagoon, scented with plumeria scented bath gel from Bath and Bodyworks, had a cute little mermaid and a water lily with an extra special feature—-it lit up! The students had lots of splashy fun with this activity and were especially fascinated by the lighted flower.

Recognize sources of light is a science access point.

The students really liked the scent we chose this week. We chose plumeria as a nod to Princess Tiger Lily—-it was the closest scent we had to lilies so we went with it 🙂

It was perfect for rubbing on hands, arms, ……..and the back of a neck!

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is a science access point.

We finished our group by turning off the lights and bringing out our fairy umbrella. This was a huge hit—-the students loved seeing all the twinkling “fairies” hidden among the flowers. Of course, we included a little Tinker Bell figure to fly around with her friends.

This is probably the prettiest umbrella we have ever made—–just magical!

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students turned into little pirates! We used this template: hook template to cut hooks out of poster board and taped them to large craft sticks.

We squeezed glue onto the hooks and used a sponge brush to spread the glue around on both sides. This was a great activity for working on bilateral coordination.

This also addresses the science access point recognize pushing and pulling an object makes it move.

Next we sprinkled on some silver glitter. Lots of glitter ended up on the bottom of our tray, so the students could also dip their “hooks” into that as well.

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

The hooks were slipped into some paper cups and……Ta Da——Captain Hook at your service!

On Wednesday our fine motor group made their own pixie dust bottles!

First the students chose which color glitter glue they wanted to use for their bottles. Then they deposited the glue into their bottles—–squeezing the bottle 3 times.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Then they got to add some regular glitter—either silver or gold to their bottle. To make things easier we used a funnel. We did help the students a little bit with this part, to make sure they didn’t dump the entire container into the bottle—-kids will be kids, after all 🙂

The science access point track objects in motion can be addressed as the students watch the glitter fall.

Warm water was added next. A 1 cup scoop was used for the water and after each scoop we asked the students if they needed “more”. When we got to the top of the bottle we discussed that we had added “enough”. Occasionally we also got to discuss the concept of “too much” 🙂

Solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions using language, such as enough, too much, or more is a math access point.

After an adult hot glued the lids back onto their bottles we asked the students to shake everything up—-then TA DA!

Can you feel the magic?!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

Following the leader was the name of the game in the language group this week and it was so much fun!

First we brought out a variety of animal hats and let the students choose which one they wanted to wear. We also used a Peter Pan hat to let them take turns being the leader. The rest of the group wore their different animal hats and headbands to dress up like the Lost Boys (and Girls).

We put on the song “Following the Leader” from the Peter Pan cartoon and set off!

Whoever was the leader had to lead the rest of the group OVER the stepping stones, THROUGH the cones, AROUND the tables, and UNDER the swing.

Recognize a movement that reflects a spatial relationship is a math access point.

Each of our students got to take a turn as the leader and they all got to be a variety of different animals as the Lost Boys and Girls.

SO FUN!

Join us again next time for more fun and learning—–Group by Group!

Oct25

Creepy Crawly Critters

Posted on October 25, 2015 by jd785

Creepy Crawly Critters

Many of our students are learning about animal habitats with their Unique Curriculum unit this month. Since it is October which has us thinking about things that bump in the night, a creepy crawly critters theme seemed like the perfect complement ! Our sensory groups explored boxes related to different animals. The fine motor groups painted their animal themed art projects using unusual tools and the language group went on a creepy, crawly critter hunt—-read along to see all the fun we had!

SENSORY GROUP

Spiders—-well those are some pretty creepy crawlies and we put an assortment in this box! One of the spiders scuttled across the table after a string was pulled, which of course elicited a few nervous giggles—-from both students AND staff 🙂 We also included a discovery bottle with some floaty spiders that wiggled up and down as the bottle was turned.

Track objects in motion is a science access point.

This little desert habitat was home to some snakes and lizards. There were 3 of each for sorting and counting. The students also had fun sliding them around making paths in the sand.

Solve simple problems involving joining or separating sets of objects to 3 is a math access point.

Owls aren’t really creepy but their hoots can give you a little shiver if you are out in the woods at night so we went ahead and included them. We put in our fabulous “owl” feather boa and a super cute, totally NOT creepy plush owl.

Recognize a model of a real object is a science access point.

Put some battery operated lights and black paper shred in a box——it looks just like lots of little bug eyes staring back at you! Light boxes are always a hit with our students and this was no exception. Pretty cool—-if we do say so ourselves 🙂

Recognize sources of light is a science access point.

We brought back our black play dough from a couple of weeks ago but this time our students used a bat cookie cutter to make the classic creepy night critter.

The science access point recognize a change in an object is addressed here.

A black light helped make both our oobleck and the 3 centipedes crawling around in it GLOW! While we couldn’t make the classroom completely dark the effect was still—–WAY COOL!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

There was an ENORMOUS water beetle to find in our “pond” this week. Our students quite enjoyed checking out this really big bug! The water was scented with Bath and Bodyworks twilight woods scented bath gel which seemed like the appropriate scent for this unit 🙂

The science access point match common living things with their habitats can be addressed here.

The matching lotion was a hit. The students liked the scent and, as usual, we asked them if they “wanted” some and “where” they wanted it applied—-hands, arms, neck, noses, or toes 🙂

Recognize one or more external body parts is a science access point.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

We made spider webs using marbles on Tuesday! First we counted out 3 marbles into a cup of white paint and asked our students to show us the number 3 using communication symbols.

The math access point associate quantities with number names is addressed here.

Then the students scooped out the marbles and dropped them onto a piece of black paper that was placed inside a lidded box. Of course the shapes of the paper and marbles were also discussed!

Recognize an object with a two-dimensional shape and recognize common three-dimensional shape are math access points.

We closed the lid and started shaking the box! The students REALLY had fun with this part 🙂

Recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move and track objects in motion are science access points addressed in this step.

After the lid was taken off it was pretty exciting to see how it turned out!

We removed the marbles and the students glued fuzzy pom pom spiders onto their webs—–great for practicing pincer grasps!

This was another opportunity to address the science access point match animals to their habitats.

TA DA—–

——–such creepy crawly spiders 🙂

On Thursday we painted with SPRAY BOTTLES!

We started by discussing the color of the paint we were going to use and asked the students to identify it using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as color, is a science access point.

The students dropped this rat stencil(made with: rat template) onto a piece of black paper and began spraying! They had so much fun with this and really did a great job of spraying onto the paper and NOT the floor or their friends 🙂

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point.

Ta ratty Da!

Pretty cute—-for a rodent 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

For the language group this week, we went on a creepy, crawly critter hunt. While the students were out of the room, we hid 6 different animals and insects from our book all around the room.

We turned off the lights to read the book and kept them off so we could use a flashlight to find the critters. We had real pictures of each of the critters hidden around the room, so one-by-one, we LOOKED for each of them.

Recognize sources of light is a science access point.

If the students needed clues, they had to request HELP and we would give them a clue about where the critter might be.

For example, for the centipede on the refridgerator, we said “it’s where we go to get COLD food and drinks” or for the owl we said “it’s somewhere UP HIGH”.

Seek assistance to clarify the meaning of pictures, symbols, gestures/signs, or words in classroom activities with prompting is a language access point.

Once our students located the critter, we caught it and let each of our friends look at it and feel it.

We counted all the critters we found at the end to make sure that we had the SAME number of real critters and pictures of critters.

We did it! The classroom is once again critter-free thanks to our critter catchers 🙂

Join us again next week for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Apr5

Plants

Posted on April 5, 2015 by jd785

Plants

Spring has sprung and since many of our teachers are busy planting gardens with their students we decided that a unit on plants would be the perfect theme for this week! Our sensory group boxes were filled with plants and plant like materials. The fine motor group made beautiful floral art projects and the language group planted some REAL flowers!

SENSORY GROUP

Lots of different things to discover in this box which was filled with play food fruits, vegetables, and flowers. We also put in some picture cards and toy animals—all plant eaters of course! A piece of fabric was included because the cotton plant was used to MAKE that fabric!

Recognize a model of a real object is the science access point addressed here. The science access point recognize objects related to science by name such as plant or animal is also addressed.

The students really had fun planting seeds (dry beans) and growing carrots (play food) in our coffee ground dirt. There was also a letter G for “grow” and “garden” and hidden at the bottom of the box was a picture of a cute little groundhog…..ok, so perhaps leftover from a previous unit BUT he is a plant eater after all 🙂

The science access point recognize that plants grow is a science access point explored here.

The different parts of plants can be explored in this fun and colorful box filled with silk flowers and leaves.

The science access point recognize the leaf and flower of a plant is addressed with this activity.

We made this pretty pink batch of play dough using koolaid and we really liked the way it turned out! The students had a choice of 2 different flower cookie cutters which allowed for the opportunity to discuss concepts of “same” and “different.

Not only can the flowers be counted, but the science access point. apply a push to move an object is also addressed.

Plant seeds are food sources for many animals such as birds. We filled this box with bird seed and put 3 little birds in it for the students to find. The bird seed had an amazing tactile feel on buried hands—-super cool!

In addition to visual and tactile discrimination, the math access point associate quantities with number names is addressed.

Our green oobleck represents chlorophyll which is the green coloring in plants. We used sour apple koolaid which made it such a pretty color gave it a very enticing aroma!

The science access point recognize the change in motion of an object is addressed here.

We put some cool LIGHTED flowers in our water play this week (thanks Ms. Kim). There was also a little watering can included so the students could water them—-such fun!

Recognize that plants need water is a science access point.

We finished the group with Bath and Body works plumeria scented lotion and the matching bath gel was used in our water play. This floral plumeria scent was very aromatic, a perfect fit for our plant theme this week and a great way to help us remember all the fun we had.

Recognize and respond to one type of sensory stimuli is the science access point addressed here.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday the science access point identify the major parts of a plant such as the root, stem, leaf, and flower with our art project.

First we used the paper cutter to cut out the green stems. Our students are getting so good at this!

This addresses the science access point recognize a change in an object.

Then we assembled the flower by asking the students to place the pre-labled (thank you Dana and Olivia) pieces on the designated places using glue as a visual cue. Our students are still practicing this skill but they are getting better at it! We discussed that the flower went on TOP of the stem, the roots at the BOTTOM, and that there were 2 leaves.

The math access point match one object to a designated space to show one-to-one correspondence is addressed here.

TA DA—-fabulous floral specimens!

On Thursday we made a fun torn paper art project!

We started by choosing which flower (cut from the Ellison machine) to decorate.

Communicate a preference for objects is a language access point.

Then the students chose pieces of tissue paper to tear, crumple, and glue onto their flowers.

In addition to promoting bilateral coordination, the science access point recognize a change in an object is addressed in this activity.

The flowers look fabulous—–especially with the addition of the students cute little faces 🙂

Ta DA!!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

The weather was beautiful when we went outside and planted some flowers during our language group. We started by showing our students the flowers we were going to plant and they took turns smelling them.

Explore, observe, and recognize common objects in the natural world through observation is a science access point.

Each of our students got to take a turn planting their own flower and we worked through the steps with them—starting with digging a hole. Typically, a spade is used. But since we couldn’t find ours, we improvised and used a spoon 🙂

This is a great opportunity to address the science access point distinguish examples of soil from other substances.

Next, we took the flower and planted it in the hole.

As the soil is pushed back around the roots, the science access point recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move.

Recognize common objects related to science by name, such as plant is another science access point addressed.

Once the flowers were planted, we watered them and discussed the fact that water was a liquid. Then we watched as the soil soaked up the water.

Recognize that plants need water is a science access point.

Finally, our nice little garden was finished! Our gardeners were pretty proud of themselves and we were proud of them too!

Happy Spring!!!!

Join us again next time for more fun and learning—–Group by Group!