Tag Archives: fine motor skills

Feb16

Fun Facts About Presidents

Posted on February 16, 2020 by jd785

Since Presidents Day is coming up, we thought it would be fun to learn about some of our past Presidents. The sensory groups explored boxes related to presidents featured in our book. The fine motor groups made art projects featuring presidents and the language group made a patriotic treat!

SENSORY GROUP

President Kennedy’s family came from Ireland.

The students used a big cookie cutter to make shamrocks—-a symbol of Ireland—-out of bright green play dough.

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

President Obama was born in Hawaii.

This eye catching box was filled with colorful flowers, leis, and a cute little Hawaiian doll.

Science access point: recognize objects as the same.

President Theodore Roosevelt once saved a bear cub and teddy bears are named after him!

The piece of faux bear fur, a big mama bear, and 2 little bear cubs here were a hit with the students.

Science access point: match animals that are the same.

President Ronald Reagan used to be a movie actor and then the Governor of California.

The numbers 4 and 0 could be found in this box of popcorn—-Reagan was our 40th president!

Math access point: associate quantities with number names.

President Eisenhower loved to cook and was known for his cornmeal pancakes!

Soft cornmeal (mixed with some potato flakes to decrease the dust), 2 different sized spoons, and a picture of the Eisenhower at the bottom could be found in this box.

Math access point: recognize differences in size of common objects.

Ice cream was one of George Washington’s favorite treats! We sprinkled jello powder into the shaving cream to get an ice cream look.

Needless to say, the students had a blast!

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

John Quincy Adams had a pet alligator—-how cool is that!

We put a little alligator in our water play this week, along with 2 different sized measuring cups.

Math access point: recognize differences in sizes of containers that hold liquids.

We chose Bath and Body Works cherry blossom for our scent this week. President Taft’s wife planted the first cherry blossom trees in Washington DC.

It was a great scent to help us remember all the fun facts about Presidents!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday we made dimes out of paper plates.

First, the students identified the shape of the paper plate.

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

Then, the students painted their plates with silver paint.

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

Next, the students added a picture of President Franklin Roosevelt! We used a coloring page from the US mint printed on grey paper.

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

TA DA!!!!

We made dimes!

Anybody need some spare change 🙂

On Wednesday the students made MORE money 🙂 We found some cute samples we could download for free.

First, the students identified the shape of the money.

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

Then, they cut the money into individual bills using a variety of cutting tools.

Math access point: solve simple problems involving taking apart small quantities of objects.

Next, they used markers to add color to their bills.

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

TA DA!!!!

Look at all the Presidents!

Let’s go shopping!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

This week, we made a patriotic treat for President’s Day. Here’s the recipe that we used: Let’s Make A Patriotic Snack

We started out by making the whipped cream. One of our students HELPED measure out 1 cup of heavy whipping cream. They had to LOOK to see if there was enough in the measuring cup or if we needed MORE. Then we PUT that in the bowl.

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

Next, we had to measure out powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Students had to identify the tablespoon when it was held next to the teaspoon. They were prompted to find the BIGGER one.

Math access point: recognize differences in size of objects.

When the ingredients were all in the bowl, each student had a TURN using the wireless switch to turn on the mixer.

This is always fun for our students.

Each time someone took a TURN, we LOOKED in the bowl to see if we needed to mix MORE or if we were ALL DONE.

Once it was DONE, we observed how it had changed from a liquid to a solid.

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

We counted out cups for each student. We layered red Jell-o, whipped cream, blue Jell-o, and then MORE whipped cream.

Each student had to request each part of the snack using their communication boards.

Math access point: indicate desire for more of an action or object.

After they indicated that they needed a spoon to eat with, they dug in.

These were so pretty looking and were pretty tasty too 🙂

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

Don’t forget to check your SPAM folder for your confirmation email if you want to follow us!

Dec22

Oh What Fun We Had This Year!

Posted on December 22, 2019 by jd785

Oh What Fun We Had This Year!

For our last post of the calendar year we thought it would be fun to look back at some old posts from the year. The sensory and fine motor groups explored some of our favorite materials. The language group made a yummy treat—-of course 🙂

SENSORY GROUP

We use colorful rice almost every week in our groups. This eye catching watermelon pink rice is one of our favorites!

We added a fun car to drive around the rice and a picture to find at the bottom of the box.

Science access point: track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled.

All sorts of beans and peas find their way into our boxes, but these lentils have such a cool texture and they are are definitely one of favorites.

They are so much fun just to bury hands in, but we added a measuring cup and wide mouth funnel for even more fun!

Science access point: track a falling object.

Shiny colorful beads are always a hit with the students!

Fun to touch, look at, listen to, or wear!

Science access point: use senses to recognize objects.

Around here we LOVE kinetic sand! This stuff is so cool—-we just can’t stop touching it 🙂

Since the new year is just around the corner with put in 0 and 2 cookie cutter numbers.

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

Slime isn’t something we use a lot but when we bring it out, the students are always intrigued.

Little teddies with letters F U N were included.

Science access point: recognize that pushing or pulling makes an object move (contact force).

We recently added some jello to shaving cream and thought the result was SO COOL we had to do it again!

The mixture ends up being sort of firm and very fluffy—–so much fun!

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

In the water play there were some rubber spiral noodles to scoop up using a sifter spoon.

We included two more measuring cups for additional scooping fun.

Math access point: recognize differences in sizes of containers that hold liquids.

Since our students are so awesome, we chose Bath and Body Works “mad about you” as our scent this week 🙂

The students really liked the aroma!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

The fine motor group made cardboard gingerbread houses. We only had one group this week—-it is a busy time of year!

First, the students identified the color brown and shape of our houses.

Science access point: identify objects by one observable property, such as color.

Math access point: recognize common three-dimensional objects.

Then, the students painted their houses with a mixture of glue and shaving cream—-we just love homemade puffy paint!

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

The student chose to add glitter or confetti to their houses. We sang our glitter song—another favorite 🙂

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

TA DA!!!

Look at our gingerbread houses……

……we are ready for the holidays!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We got to decorate some cute gingerbread cookies this week in our language group.

Each student first got to choose which gingerbread cookie they wanted. They got to choose from Santa Claus, a snowman, a Christmas tree, and a gingerbread man. Picture symbols of each type of cookie were available and students had to choose the one they wanted and place the picture on the sentence strip. They then had to request “I want ___ please” using the sentence strip.

Once they picked their cookie, they got to choose what color icing they wanted. They chose from red, green, white, and black. Again, they had to use the sentence strip in order to request what they wanted.

Finally, they got to choose from 3 different types of sprinkles. They requested help if they had difficulty getting the sprinkles onto the cookie.

We don’t usually do TADAs in our language group but we did today!

So many fun and yummy creations 🙂

Join us after the holidays for more fun and learning—–Group by Group!

Don’t forget to check your SPAM folder for a confirmation email.

Oct13

Vermont

Posted on October 13, 2019 by jd785

Vermont

October 12 is National Vermont Day! Our sensory groups explored boxes related to facts about the state. The fine motor groups crafted symbols of Vermont and the language group made a tasty treat inspired by the state fruit!

SENSORY GROUP

Lots to discover here, such as items that were related to various industries, including dairy, sheep, and lumber found in Vermont. Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and IBM are also located there!

The little lamb puppet was a big hit.

Science access point: recognize a model of a real object.

InstaSnow looks and feels like the real thing so we made our own Vermont winter wonderland!

We had one BIG and one SMALL scoop as well as a small shove—all for scooping fun!

Math access point: recognize differences in size of objects.

Apple pie is the state food of Vermont!

We made apple pie scented play dough and added a circle cookie cutter, decorative wheel, and a plate so the students could make their own pies!

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

We found out that two presidents, Chester Arthur and Grover Cleveland, were from Vermont——how cool is that!

For this box, we used our patriotic rice. There were pictures of the presidents underneath and 4 letter V’s to find.

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

John Deere came from Vermont and this box is dedicated to him! There was a big green tractor and some carrots to plant in the box of play dirt.

The play dirt has a really cool texture and was fun to pack down while rolling the tractor over it.

Science access point: track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled.

Vermont is known for its maple syrup! We made our oobleck more slime like this week to get that syrupy consistency.

Brown and yellow food coloring were used in an attempt to get that maple syrup color—-we are not sure we succeeded lol but fortunately the students didn’t mind 🙂

Science access point: track objects in motion.

Brook trout and Walleye are state fish. The two little fish found in our water play lake weren’t very realistic looking, but still fun to catch!

There were also two different sized measuring cups for scooping fun.

Science access point: recognize differences in objects.

Bath and Body Works vanilla sugar has a scent similar to maple syrup. We used it in our water and lotion this week.

Rubbed on necks, arms, hands, or ears—-it left our students smelling especially yummy this week!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday we made green mountains—-Vermont is known as the Green Mountain State!

First, we identified the shape and color of our mountain.

Math access point: recognize a two-dimensional shape.

Science access point: identify objects by one observable property, such as color.

Then, the students used paper cutters and switch operated scissors to cut their triangles.

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

The triangle mountains and title were glued down on to a blue background paper.

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

TA DA!!!

Let’s visit Vermont!

On Wednesday we made maple trees!

First, we identified the paint colors we were using.

Science access point: Science access point: identify objects by one observable property, such as color.

Next, we counted out 4 leaves (precut using the Ellison machine).

Math access point: associate quantities with number names.

We put drops of each of our colors on the leaves and the students began painting.

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

The students glued the leaves ON their trees (drawn by one of our fabulous volunteers!)

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

TA DA!!!

The leaves are changing colors….

……welcome to fall in Vermont!

LANGAUAGE GROUP

Since apples are the state fruit of Vermont and the state pie is apple pie, we decided to make apple pie in a cup! Here is the recipe we used: Let’s Make Apple Pie In A Cup

We started by making some homemade whipped cream. We measured out some heavy whipping cream. We observed that it was a liquid.

Each student then got to help TURN on the mixer. The whipped cream took some time to firm up, so after each student’s turn, we LOOKED in the bowl to see if we needed to mix MORE or if we were ALL DONE.

Once some peaks were forming, we added some vanilla and confectioners’ sugar. The students had to identify the BIGGER measuring spoon when a teaspoon and a tablespoon were presented to them. Once the ingredients were in, our students mixed AGAIN.

When the whipped cream was ALL DONE, we put it aside and started on our apple pie cups. Each student got one graham cracker in a bag and they had to crush it up.

They did this lots of different ways and had some fun with it 🙂

When the crackers were crushed up, they put them IN their cup. Next, they had to request diced apples. If they weren’t given very many, they had to request MORE.

We topped that off with 2 spoonfuls of cinnamon applesauce. Each student had to count out their spoonfuls to make sure they got the correct amount.

Finally, we topped it off with our whipped cream.

An easy, healthy, and delicious way to celebrate Vermont Day!

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

Don’t forget to check your SPAM folder for your confirmation if you plan to follow us!

Sep16

Cuba

Posted on September 16, 2018 by jd785

Cuba

It is Hispanic American Heritage Month ! Ms. Judy, one of our SLP’s, recently visited Cuba and this inspired us to learn more about the country. The sensory group explored boxes related to facts about Cuba. The fine motor groups made art projects portraying symbols of the country and the language group made a yummy dessert that Cuban children might eat.

SENSORY GROUP

This box contained a variety of items related to Cuban symbols or culture. The base of the box was filled with paper shred in the colors of the flag—-red, white, and blue.

Everyone really enjoyed the authentic Cuban music that we recorded on a voice output device!

Some of the items we included were a guitar (playing music is a popular pastime), a baseball glove (favorite sport), mariposa petals (the national flower), orange (citrus is one of the crops), and a picture of Fidel Castro.

The social studies access point associate a picture with a place can be addressed here.

Cuba gained independence in 1898. Those numbers could be found in our red, white, and blue rice box.

There was also a map of Cuba to find at the bottom of the box.

Associate an object, picture, or symbol with a location is a social studies access point.

Cuba is known as very colorful country and we wanted to come up with a way to represent that, so we decided to use our multi-colored pasta.

The students practiced their fine motor skills by threading the pasta tubes on to chenille stems.

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

Since the country of Cuba resembles a crocodile from the air, in Spanish it is nicknamed El Cocodrilo” or “El Caimá”. Using our crocodile cookie cutter, the students made their own versions of the island in green kinetic sand.

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

In Cuba, most meals contain rice and often beans as well. Our box of black beans and rice contained a 4 letter C’s for the students to find. Running hands through sifting beans is always fun!

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

We tried to make our messy play resemble Dulce de leche by adding some cocoa powder to oobleck. Not an exact match but as close as we could get, and the students still had a great time!

So much drippy, goopy fun 🙂

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

There was a fishing boat and fish to catch in our water play. Fishing is one of Cuba’s industries.

Both the big and little fish could squirt water which added to the fun!

Recognize similarities and differences in size of objects is a science access point.

Sugar cane is Cuba’s biggest crop, so Bath and Body Works vanilla sugar seemed the perfect scent for this week. The students really seemed to like the sweet, yummy aroma!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Wednesday the students made a map of Cuba using puffy paint. Our homemade puffy paint was made with shaving cream, glue, and green paint. We pre-cut the islands out of cereal boxes using a map we downloaded as a guide.

First, the students identified the color of the puffy paint using communication symbols.

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

The students used foam brushes to apply paint. We found that dabbing the paint rather than spreading it around worked best. When the paint dries it will add a nice texture and 3-dimensional aspect to our project.

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

The island was then glued to a piece of blue paper and we added a pre-printed title.

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

TA DA!

The Republic of Cuba!

On Thursday the students made a Cuban flag.

First, the students identified a triangle—-one of the shapes found on the flag.

Recognize objects with two-dimensional shapes, such as a rectangle is a math access point.

The students glued a pre-cut star to a red triangle.

Match one object to a designated space to show one-to-one correspondence is a math access point.

Then they cut 1 piece of white paper into 2 pieces using standard scissors, paper cutters or switch operated scissors.

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

The 2 white strips were glue ACROSS a sheet of blue paper.

Then the triangle was added to the flag.

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

Ta DA!

Let’s visit Cuba!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We decided to make Flan, a dish many Cuban children might like to eat! We used a Jello box mix picked up at the grocery store.

The students used communication symbols to indicate their desire to HELP pour the syrup into small cups.

We counted out how many cups we needed. There were enough for students AND staff—–of course! 🙂

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

We found the MIXING BOWL on our communication board and then PUT the dry Flan mix into a mixing bowl.

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

The students felt the measuring cup containing milk. It was COLD!

Recognize objects or materials as WARM or COLD is a science access point.

The milk was poured from a MEASURING CUP into the mixing bowl and we began stirring it up so the dry powder was absorbed.

Since the next step was heating the mixture up on the stove top, we left that to the adults!

The science access point distinguish between items that are wet and items that are dry can be addressed here.

We carefully poured the cooled mixture into the small cups and then put it in the refrigerator to set.

The math access point solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions using language, such as enough, too much, or more can be addressed here.

Finally the Flan was ready! Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long—-Ms. Joi had actually whipped up a batch the day before. Just like they do on tv cooking shows 🙂

The cups were turned upside down into bowls!

Our tasters all agreed——-

Flan tastes very good——–YUM!!!!!!

We so enjoyed learning about the colorful country of Cuba this week and hope you did too!

Join us again next time for more fun and learning—–Group by Group! Also don’t forget to look for your confirmation email if you want to follow us. If you don’t see it—-check your SPAM folder!

Apr22

South Africa

Posted on April 22, 2018 by jd785

South Africa

We are traveling again this week—-all the way to South Africa! Cara recently got to visit her sister who lives there and brought back amazing photos, some of which we used in the book this week. The sensory groups explored boxes related to facts about South Africa. The fine motor groups crafted symbols of the country and the language group made a South African inspired treat.

SENSORY GROUP

It takes a VERY long plane ride to get to South Africa! Our students got to get a little of the airplane experience with our vibrating tube and jet sounds recorded on a voice output device.

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

This vibrating tube was really popular!

The students LOVED it!!!

South Africa is known as the “Rainbow Nation” due to the variety of cultures and languages spoken there. We included fluffy chenille stems and sparkly beads in the rainbow of colors found in the South African flag.

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

Gold is one of the countries natural resources. We included S and A cookie cutters in this box of gold kinetic sand. While stamping the letters was fun, nothing beats watching the kinetic sand ooze and move through fingers. We still love this stuff 🙂

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

Going on a safari is one of the highlights of a South African vacation. We included a variety of animals you might see while on safari—-and some binoculars to see them better! There was also a play camera, some sunglasses, a cheetah headband, and a fun lion visor. Lots of fun with this box!

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

You can see penguins on the beach there—-how cool is that!!! We put a couple of cool penguins and a fun sifting spoon in this box. There was also a picture of a penguin to find at the bottom of the box.

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

We learned that kids in South Africa like to eat candy called Fizzers. We decided to make our own—— SORT OF! We added pop rocks to our oobleck to make it sound “fizzy”, kind of a stretch but the students thought it was fun 🙂

Use senses to recognize objects is a science access point.

There are lots of different animals to see along the coast including whales and sharks like the ones we put in our water play this week. Our little whale was extra special because it lit up when placed in the water—-very eye catching!

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

Citrus crops are grown in South Africa so we chose Bath and Body Works orange scent for this week. The students thought the scent was pretty yummy!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday the students used this for their art project: springbok

First, they identified the color of our paper.

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

Then they used adaptive tabletop scissors to fringe the edge of their paper into “grass”.

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

Some of the students used switch operated scissors to make their “grass”.

It is kind of fun 🙂

Glue was applied and the “grass” was rolled on to a paper tube. We found that using a piece of tape helped the paper stay in place.

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

A beautiful springbok antelope (colored by our great volunteers—-thanks Lauren and Madison) was added to the scene.

Some of the students needed a little help with this part.

TA DA!

Let’s go on safari!!!!

On Wednesday the students made another symbol of South Africa—- the Protea flower. It is a pretty intriguing looking flower and we think our project turned out equally so!

First, they identified the shape of the paper plate we were using. Thanks Ms. Kim for the fabulous pink plates!

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

Then they used a variety of cutting tools to snip the edges of the paper plate into points.

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

After they had finished cutting their flower petals, the students applied glue to the plate and added some yellow paper shred.

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

To finish the inside of the flower and get the rounded look it has, we used a styrofoam ball that had been cut in half and glued it to the center. To give it a little color and sparkle we painted it with some red glitter glue.

Recognize parts of whole objects is a math access point that can be addressed here.

The Protea was hot glued to a paper towel tube and….. TA DA!!!!!

Let’s visit South Africa!

LANGUAGE GROUP

In South Africa, people eat a lot of meat. Since we don’t typically make anything that has meat in it since we try and find recipes that don’t involve cooking, we had to find some other popular foods. Cara’s sister said that people in South Africa like to also eat lots of citrus. After a lot of deliberation on what recipe to make to represent South Africa, we decided to make a smoothie. Here is a link to the recipe: Let_s Make A South African Mango Tangerine Smoothie

The first ingredient of the recipe was frozen mangoes. Each of our students felt the bag of the frozen mangoes. They had to indicate on their board whether the mangoes felt HOT or COLD.

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

Then they had to locate the common core vocabulary word PUT on their boards to indicate that we had to put the mangoes into the blender. We had a volunteer to help us by indicating HELP.

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

Next, we added some sliced up tangerine. Again, we talked about how the tangerine slices were COLD. Again, we reinforced the word PUT and also located the picture of the blender to show where the slices needed to be put.

We had another student locate HELP in order to help put the frozen banana slices into the blender.

Then, we added some vanilla Greek yogurt. We located the measuring cup to show that we needed to use it to measure out how much yogurt we needed and a student helped PUT it into the blender.

Finally, we measured out some honey. We talked about using measuring spoons because we needed a SMALL amount. Each student got to taste some of the honey.

Students had to indicate whether it tasted SWEET or SOUR.

Once all the ingredients were in the blender, each student got to use a switch to turn on the blender. Students had to indicate MORE on their communication boards to keep the blender going until the ingredients were all mixed up and smooth.

Operating the blender is always lots of fun 🙂

Finally, we got to sample our smoothie!

It looked and tasted pretty yummy!

The students used their communication boards and devices to let us know if they wanted MORE.

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

Jan28

Taiwan

Posted on January 28, 2018 by jd785

Taiwan

We were lucky enough to be visited by an acrobatic school group from Taiwan. They were absolutely amazing and made us want to find out more about their country. Our sensory groups explored boxes related to facts about the country. The fine motor groups decorated dragons to use in dragon boat races hosted by the language group.

SENSORY GROUP

Red, white, and blue are the colors found in the Taiwanese flag so we had our students sort pompoms in those colors. We included a laminated flag for reference.

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

The math access point recognize three-dimensional, such as balls (spheres), can also be addressed here.

We used a bird shaped cookie cutter in blue moon sand to represent the Blue Magpie which is the national bird of Taiwan.

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

Tea is a popular drink in Taiwan. Our box of tea contained the letters T-E-A for our students to find as well as a map at the bottom of the box. There were also 2 different sized spoons which made for lots of scooping fun.

Recognize similarities and differences in sizes of objects is a math access point.

The Formosan Black Bear is the national animal of Taiwan. The students really liked the feel of the black bear “fur” and cuddling with the cute plush black bear cub.

Recognize objects related to science by name, such as ice, animal, and plant, is a science access point.

Ang Li, who is from Taiwan, directed the movie The Hulk. Our green kinetic sand was definitely the right pick for this box. Since we didn’t have a Hulk action figure on hand, we made our own laminated one and the students seemed pretty happy with what we came up with.

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

We practiced making the letter T for Taiwan and had lots of fun scribbling in the shaving cream this week.

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

Taiwan is made up of lots of islands so fishing is an important part of the economy. We put different sized scoops and two cute little squirting fish in the water play this week.

This turned out to be a really fun activity and the students had a blast.

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

Plum blossoms are a symbol of Taiwan so we used Victoria’s Secret plum scented bath gel and lotion this week. The light floral scent was really popular with the students.

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

Joy drew these dragons on poster board and gave each of the classes one to decorate. Two of our classes decorated theirs during Fine Motor group time.

On Tuesday the students decorated their dragon in their team color—-PURPLE.

First the students identified the color purple using communication symbols.

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

Then we stamped UP and DOWN with a bubble wrapped stamper. Most of the students needed a little assistance with this but they were all very engaged in the activity!

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

We sprinkled on some confetti for a little added sparkle.

Recognize a change in an object is a science access point that can be addressed here.

TA DA!!

The Purple Dragons are ready to rumble!

On Wednesday the Pink team decorated their dragons.

First, we identified the color of our markers using communication symbols.

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

We also identified the number 3 because each student was asked to draw 3 lines on the dragon.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

A variety of PINK markers were used for this activity and the students were encouraged to draw straight lines but, of course, any effort was applauded 🙂

The math access point solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions using language, such as enough, too much, or more, can be addressed here.

We sang our glitter song while adding some PINK glitter.

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

We used both regular and adaptive scissors to cut some Pink paper streamers and attached them to the dragon.

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

TA DA!

Hear those Pink Dragons ROAR!!!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We had LOTS of fun in the language group this week. We learned that each year, Taiwan has a big Dragon Boat race so we thought it’d be fun to have our OWN dragon race. Each elementary classroom chose their team color.

Before we began racing, we talked to the students about going FAST in the race.

Recognize a motion as FAST or SLOW is a science access point.

Everyone had to wait until they saw the signal to GO (we used the Pixon communication symbol for “go”)

…………..and they were off.

All the students and teachers ran down until they got to the red ribbon finish line.

We have some really fast teachers and students!

The competition was fierce…..

…..and there were some close finishes!

We talked about who was the fastest and won the race. The top 2 fastest classes won trophies and the other classes each won medals.

The pictures can’t begin to capture all of the fun we had at the race lol! We might have to make this an annual event as well 🙂

Join us again next week for more fun and learning

Group by Group!

Jan14

Scotland

Posted on January 14, 2018 by jd785

Scotland

One of our staff members, Ms. Ellen, recently travelled to Scotland so this week we learned about the country of Tartan—-and so much more! Our sensory groups explored boxes related to facts about Scotland. The fine motor groups made symbols of the country art projects and the language group made a Scots inspired treat!

SENSORY GROUP

Since Ms. Ellen took a plane to get to there, we replicated the airplane experience using a vibrating massager and jet sounds recorded on a voice output device.

Of course, our plane ride lasted a whopping 3 minutes——just a tad shorter than the real thing 🙂

The vibrating tube was a HUGE hit with the students!

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

We used rice in the colors of the Scottish flag for this box. There were letter “S”s to find and a map of the country at the bottom of the box. We also put in 2 different sized scoops.

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

The background of the Scottish flag is blue, so we pulled out our blue moon sand this week. The students used 2 different sized cookie cutters to stamp letter “S” into the sand.

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

This box had a variety of items associated with Scotland including their national animal—-the unicorn! Symbols of famous Scottish authors such as J.M. Barrie (Peter Pan), Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), and Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island) were a fun addition.

We also included a passport, a voice output device with some bagpipe music recorded on it, and a phone for Alexander Graham bell was pretty popular!

Lots to explore here!

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

There are over 3000 castles in Scotland—–how cool is that! The students had fun making their own castles using grey Floam. We laminated some props including a kilted Scotsman.

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

Oatmeal added to our oobleck turned it into “porridge” this week! This lumpy oobleck was certainly a different texture and pretty fascinating to our students—-although some were a little hesitant to actually touch it.

The science access point track objects in motion is a science access point.

The students found cute little Nessie swimming around in “Loch”. You will notice that Nessie bears a striking resemblance to a My Little Pony seahorse 🙂 We also included 2 different sized scoops for added fun.

Recognize differences in sizes of containers that hold liquids is a math access point.

Since Scotland gets a lot of rainy weather, Bath and BodyWorks rain kissed leaves seemed a good scent to use this week. The students really liked the soft scent.

Recognize one or more external body parts.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday, our students made the Scottish flag.

First, using communication symbols we identified the shape and color of our paper.

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

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

Then we cut 1 strip of white paper into 2 pieces using switch operated scissors or paper cutters.

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Next the students were asked to glue down the strips of paper in the shape of an X.

The math access point recognize when an object is added to a situation can be addressed here.

TA DA!!!!!!!!

We love Scotland!

On Wednesday, our students turned into Unicorns using paper plates !

We started by using communication symbols to identify the shape of our paper.

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

Then the used a glue stick to “color” their triangle. The glue in these sticks comes out purple which makes it easy to see.

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

Next, the students sprinkled pink and purple glitter onto the glue. Of course we sang our “shake that glitter” song (adapted from KC and the Sunshine Band’s famous song) 🙂

Track falling objects is a science access point.

The students glued their triangles DOWN on to a precut paper plate.

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

TA DA!!!!

We just spotted some Unicorns!

LANGUAGE GROUP

We made a popular Scottish dessert this week–raspberry cranachan. Typically, this dessert has whiskey in it so we had to do some searching to find a kid friendly recipe. Here is that recipe: Let_s Make Raspberry Cranachan

Cara had prepared the toasted oats before the group so we were able to skip the first part of the recipe.

Our students requested to put the whipping cream in the bowl. We talked about how it was a liquid when it was poured into the bowl Each of our students took turns pressing the switch to activate the mixer. Once it thickened up, we talked about how it had turned into a solid.

Identify objects and materials as solid or liquid is an access point.

Next, we added some mascarpone and mixed that together with the whipping cream.

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

We added some honey and caramel sauce next. We talked about how we were using a measuring spoon because we needed a smaller amount of each ingredient. Our students got to taste the caramel sauce.

Recognize differences in sizes of containers that hold liquids is a math access point.

Before we added the honey and caramel sauce we tasted them. We talked about how they tasted SWEET.

This taste test received a unanimous thumbs up 🙂

Once the ingredients were all mixed up, we counted out cups for each of our students. We layered the cups with raspberries, the whipped cream mix, raspberry preserves, and toasted oats.

The consensus was a positive one!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

It was a great week and we enjoyed learning so much about Scotland. Join us next time for more fun and learning——Group by Group!

Oct16

Fall Fun

Posted on October 16, 2016 by jd785

Fall Fun

The weather is finally getting a little cooler and we are thinking about all the fun things that happen in the fall! The sensory group explored colorful, eye catching boxes. The fine motor group decorated some fall leaves and the language group made a tasty treat!

SENSORY GROUP

Fall festivals are so much fun with hay rides, pumpkins, decorations, and people in costumes! Our fall festival box had a base of raffia hay and silk leaves. There were lots of fall symbols including pine cones, jack o lanterns, turkeys, and squirrels to explore and discover in the box.

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

College football is a big part of fall around here. The students loved the shaker pompoms—-so much fun to cheer for your favorite team! They also had fun filling the game day cups with black and white “referee” paper shred or a little football.

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

We love our orange and black rice box—-it is SO eye catching! The students had fun scooping the rice and beans into the little pumpkin bowl or looking for a jack o lantern picture at the bottom of the box.

The math access point solve problems involving small quantities of objects or actions, using language, such as enough, too much, or more, can be addressed with this activity.

The Owl Run is a race our school hosts for all the middle schools in our district. It is a popular event that we all look forward to each year. To represent the race, the students stamped our schools’ initials into yellow moon sand—-yellow is one of our school colors! There was also a t-shirt cookie cutter because you always get a t-shirt after a race 🙂

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

We brought out one of our favorite umbrellas this week. Our fall umbrella is a pretty simple one—- just some fall garland and craft foam leaves attached to a yellow umbrella—but it is completely eye catching! A little hand held fan helped add to the experience by blowing the leaves around with a gentle breeze. Some of the students also loved the feeling of the air blowing on their faces.

The science access point recognize a seasonal change in the appearance of a common plant can be addressed with this activity.

This week our messy play was indeed messy—-we used pumpkin puree! The Dollar Tree stocks cans of pumpkin so this was pretty inexpensive. In addition to an interesting texture, it also has a nice aroma which added to the experience. Most of the students were pretty intrigued by the pumpkin—–others not so much 🙂

Use senses to recognize objects is a science access point.

Some craft foam and plastic symbols of fall (such as leaves, the letter F, and bats) were scooped out of the water. Bath and BodyWorks cinnamon pumpkin scented bath gel in the water made it smell really nice.

The social studies access point associate an object with an event can be addressed here.

The matching lotion was rubbed on various body parts to give our students a yummy reminder of all the fun they had. They were able to communicate whether they “liked” the scent or not—-it was pretty much a universal LIKE!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

Due to a district holiday, we only had one fine motor group this week—-but it was a fun one! We used this template: leaf-template

First we discussed the color of our leaves and the students used communication symbols to identify the color BROWN.

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

Then the students squeezed some gold paint onto their leaves and spread it around using paint brushes. They were pretty intrigued with the metallic paint!

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

Ta Da!

Feeling fallish 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

We got back into cooking during our language group and made a fall treat: Pumpkin Fluff Dip! Here is a link to the recipe: lets-make-pumpkin-fluff-dip

We started out by making the pudding. We used the Pixon core 50 communication board throughout the process to model how symbols are used for communication. Our students helped PUT the pudding mix into the bowl. They all took turns feeling how COLD the milk was and then PUT the milk in the bowl as well.

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

Each student had a TURN pressing the switch to activate the mixer. So fun!

Next, we took turns smelling the pumpkin puree. This smell was not a favorite for some of our students but others thought it was pretty yummy!

We PUT the pumpkin puree into a different bowl and added half a container of whipped cream.

Then we added some cinnamon after taking turns smelling it.

We used communication symbols to let the students tell us if they “liked” the scent. For the most part, it was a pretty popular scent 🙂

We mixed the pumpkin and whipped cream and then added the vanilla pudding. We counted out the bowls for our students.

For the ones who are on a puree diet, they ate the Pumpkin Fluff Dip by itself. For our students who eat solid food, we added some crumbled up Nilla Wafers.

YUM!

It looks like we are ready for fall around here! Join us again next time for more fun—–Group by Group!

Apr3

At the Hoedown

Posted on April 3, 2016 by jd785

At the Hoedown

One of the most fun activities our PE department does is hold a annual “hoedown”. At the hoedown, each class performs an original square dance they practiced during PE. It is always so much fun that we decided it would be this week’s theme! The sensory group explored boxes with textures and symbols associated with hoedowns. The fine motor groups made colorful art projects and the language group invited their friends to a hoedown.

SENSORY GROUP

We put some sawdust at the bottom of this box to give it that “barn like” feel. The sawdust was not super fine so no dust was kicked up when little fingers ran through it. It really had an interesting texture that our students found enticing. There were some barn animals and square dancers to find as well as the word FRIENDS.

The science access point select an object or picture to represent observed events.

It wouldn’t be a hoedown without music! We recorded some appropriate music on a voice output device and our students rocked along with a bean bottle shaker. Needless to say, fun was had!

Recognize objects that create sounds is a science access point.

So did we mention how much fun the students had—–and how totally cute they looked 🙂

There were lots of colorful bandanas and a bandana garland in this box. The students had fun waving and shaking the items. There was also an opportunity to compare the SOFT cotton of the bandanas with the ROUGH feel of the burlap on the banner.

Recognize differences in objects or pictures is a science access point.

We included 2 cookie cutters—-a boot and hat—- with the blue moonsand in this box.

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

Each classroom decides the kinds of patterns they form in their square dance. The students practiced making some of those same kind of lines—– such as straight, curved, or zigzag—- in our Goo Bag (made with hair gel and confetti stars).

We found that double bagging the gel and taping all four sides down onto the tray helped make it a little more durable.

Initiate a change in the motion of an object are science access point.

There were both upper and lower case letter H’s to find in our rice, dyed blue and yellow which are our school colors.

There was a cute cowboy hat to find at the bottom of the box.

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

Country apple scent from Bath and BodyWorks seemed the perfect scent for our hoedown unit! We put some of the bath gel in our water play and it really was a nice aroma. There were 2 different size scoops to add to the fun.

Recognize different containers that hold liquids is a science access point.

The matching lotion was very popular with our students. As usual, after we asked them to smell the lotion, we asked them to show us where they wanted it applied.

The science access point recognize one or more external body parts can be addressed here.

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday our students used markers and stickers to decorate a cowboy boot using this: boot template.

We started by asking the students to choose a marker and identify it’s color using communication symbols.

Identify objects by one observable property, such as size or color.

Our students did a great job coloring within the designated area!

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

Applying stickers was great for practicing pincer grasp skills. The students were able to brush up on their math skills by counting the stickers as they were placed on the boots!

Associate quantities with number names is a math access point.

Ta yeehaw Da!

Ready for the hoedown!

On Wednesday the students made a poster and used this: hoedown girl and boy template to decorate it.

First we asked the students to use communication symbols to identify our paint color—–they did an awesome job!

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

Then they stamped “hay” on the poster using UP and DOWN movements. Our stamper was made using a piece of fringed craft foam folded in half and held together with rubber bands.

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

Next it was time to add dancers—–we have our fantastic volunteers to thank for getting them ready for us. We asked the students to find the one with their picture on it, apply glue, and attach it to the poster.

The math access point recognize when an object is added (addition) or is taken away from (subtraction) a situation.

Ta Da—-swing your partner round and round!

LANGUAGE GROUP

So since we were talking about hoedowns this week we HAD to have one! After we read the book, 2 of our little cowpokes moseyed on down to the other elementary classrooms to invite their friends to join the fun.

We had some cider and vittles—-otherwise known as apple juice, ice cream, and chips 🙂

It was pretty TASTY!

YUM!

There was a fun photo booth….

Say “round ’em up cowboy”!

Of course we did some square dancing—-you can’t have a hoedown without dancing!

We pulled up a bunch of different bluegrass videos from YouTube on the Smart Board and took a turn around the dance floor.

Yeehaw!

A good time was had by all 🙂

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

Feb16

Valentine’s Day

Posted on February 16, 2014 by jd785

Valentine’s Day

Love was in the air this week as we celebrated Valentine’s Day. It was all hearts, flowers, and chocolate in our sensory group! Our fine motor group made valentines and a box to put them in. A MadLib valentine was a fun project in the language group.

Throughout our groups we addressed the social studies access point associate an object with an event. Read along to see all activities.

SENSORY GROUP

Our first box was filled with a variety of red and white valentine themed objects. We had red paper shred, paper valentines, ribbons, garland, teddy bears, and a variety of hearts of all different textures and sizes. There were even some little valentine rubber duckies—-so cute!

Lots of things to look at, feel, and explore—-it was hard to pick a favorite item!

The science access point recognize common objects in the natural world through observation is addressed here.

Hearts are EVERYWHERE this time of year and we had a whole string of them! Ms. Kim found these fabulous felt hearts at Target and they were an instant hit with the students. They were so pretty and colorful. The hearts were strung on the string in such a fashion that they could be slid back and forth, which was pretty cool.

The science access point track the movement of objects that are pushed or pulled is addressed here in addition to the science access point identify objects by one observable property, such as color.

Some people give their valentines roses and jewelry. Our next box was filled with red silk rose petals and beads of gold, silver, and pearls. Of course the beads were popular but we had great fun picking up handfuls of petals and watching them drop to the ground.

The science access points recognizing two objects that are identical to each other and track objects that fall to the ground are both addressed here.

Other people like to give their valentines chocolate! Our chocolate scented play dough looked and smelled like the real thing—–VERY tempting not only for our students but also the adults 🙂

Fortunately most of our “tasters” have learned all that salt in the recipe makes for a particularly yucky morsel!

We included some hugs and kisses cookie cutters which gave the students the opportunity to recognize differences in the shapes of objects and also to recognize objects as the same which are science access points.

Of course, the shapes can also be counted addressing math access points.

This box was filled with red and white beans. It was a really pretty box with a nice contrast between the colors, the photo doesn’t really do it justice! We included two fun heart shaped spoons in different sizes. As scooping skills were practiced the math access points recognize when an object is added to a situation and associate quantities with language, such as many, a lot, or a little are addressed.

Putting your whole arm in instead, addresses the science access point apply a push to move an object 🙂

We used a package of red velvet cake mix to make one ingredient cloud dough and it works quite well. There were 2 different sized heart cookie cutters with which to stamp impressions and to address the math access point recognize differences in size of objects.

Of course what our students really enjoyed doing was grabbing handfuls and squeezing—-it is kind of irresistible 🙂

In case you were wondering, YES that powder IS messy—–fortunately we had some cinnamon candy scented water with which to rinse it off! We got this scented bath gel at Target a couple of years ago and it is a great scent that smells just like cinnamon red hots!

Recognizing when something has been taken away from a situation—–in this case, the red powder—-is a math access point.

We used 2 discovery bottles with our group this week. One was filled with gold glitter and jewels and the other with a collection of hearts and beads in valentine colors.

Some of our students were able to turn the bottles around themselves—-addressing the science access point recognize that pushing or pulling an object makes it move.

Others enjoyed just watching the contents swirl around—- addressing the science access point track objects in motion.

We finished our session with a yummy chocolate scent to remember all the fun things we learned about Valentines Day. We used a chocolate scented lip balm (thanks for the donation Ms. Elaine )to apply the scent to wrists and hands—-letting the students smell the sweet aroma. For obvious reasons, it was not applied to lips 🙂

Some visitors from E.H.Miller school gave us the idea to use lip balm because it comes in such a variety of flavors—-genius!

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

FINE MOTOR GROUP

On Tuesday we made some fabulous valentines. This project has been all over Pinterest and we knew it would be perfect for our students.

We started by talking about the heart shape of our paper and its color. Then we asked our students to show us the color “red” using our communication symbols.

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

Then we glued puzzle pieces onto the heart—-a great way to work on pincer grasp skills and eye hand coordination!

We also glued a sentence strip with the words “I love you to pieces” onto the heart.

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

It also addresses the math access point recognize quantities 1 to 3 using sets of objects.

TA DA!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

On Thursday the students decorated coffee containers to hold all the valentines they received from their friends. We started by giving the students a choice of 3 paper colors. After they had chosen their paper, we asked them to identify the color using communication symbols.

Identifying an object by one observable property, in this case color, is a science access point.

We used our paper cutters to trim the strips of paper to fit the container. After the paper was trimmed we noted that we had turned the strip into a rectangle and a square. The students were asked to show us the “square” and they did a pretty good job!

Recognizing a change in an object (as the paper is cut) is a science access point.

Recognizing objects with 2 dimensional shapes is a math access point.

The rectangle was taped to the coffee container and then decorated with all sorts of heart shaped foam stickers. Holding onto those stickers is a great activity for promoting pincer grasp skills!

Before given another sticker, the students were asked if they wanted “more”. Indicating a desire for “more” or “no more” of an object is a math access point.

The students really loved their boxes!

We are ready for the big day 🙂

LANGUAGE GROUP

Since we were celebrating Valentine’s day, we decided to make make a Valentine for someone we love. To make it even more personal, we did them in a Mad Libs fashion!

Cara created a letter with some words missing. Here is the document: My Valentine mad lib. For each word missing, the students had the option of using 2 or 3 different words in place. Here are the words from which the students chose: My Valentine mad lib 2. Our students chose a piece of construction paper and then glued their letter template down.

Communicating a preference for an object is a language access point.

We then started choosing words to put in our Valentines. When going through the letter, we talked about what an adjective is, what a verb is, what kind of feelings people have.

Our students were given a choice of 3 words which we read to them and then asked to indicate which word they wanted. The students have a variety of ways they communicate, including eye gaze, pointing, and vocalizing. Our student with a visual impairment made his choice by pressing a voice output device to say “that’s the one I want” as we read his choices.

Using pictures, symbols, gestures/signs, or words to communicate meaning is a language access point.

Using technology resources to support learning is also a language access point.

The students then cut their chosen words using tabletop scissors and glued them onto their papers. It may be a language focused group but we never pass up an opportunity to incorporate some fine motor skill building 🙂

Using pictures, symbols, gestures/signs, or words to communicate meaning is a language access point.

Using the scissors addresses the science access point recognize that pushing and pulling an object makes it move.

When the students completed their Valentine, they each signed their name at the bottom.

For privacy we blurred this students signature but take it from us, he did an excellent job!

They were so proud——and rightly so 🙂

We loved all our activities this week and hope your Valentine’s Day was just as fun filled as ours was! Join us again next week for more smiles, fun, and learning.

Hugs and kisses from Group by Group xoxoxo