My students are the reason I enjoy coming to school each day. I am lucky enough to teach fifteen Preschool Special Education boys and girls. The joy of their smiles, laughs, and learning are the reason I teach.
The most important skill I undertake with my students is teaching Socialization Skills.
Most children learn the "rules of the playground" but children with disabilities are not aware of social cues, language, problem solving, or how to use materials appropriately. A main focus during the school day is teaching social skills.
We spend a majority of our morning in play centers. Most people think of learning centers as blocks, art, housekeeping, reading and trucks. The drawback of these centers is my students prefer and do play alone. Within my classroom we have social centers. These centers have jobs that encourage interaction with each other. We have Pizza Shop, Camping, Post Office and Bakery.
My Project
Over the years my assistants and I have constructed our own social centers with cardboard, felt, hot glue, and paint. Because our children tend to play rough, the materials breakdown and need a lot of repair. We are asking for more child-friendly constructed materials to encourage their social play.
The materials for my preschool special education class will be used in centers that will allow my students hands-on opportunities with imaginative play; like using the Carolina market as a grocery store or being a doctor using the instruments from the kit.
Many of my students have Autism and their preference is to play alone.
Encouragement to engage with others socially is the greatest accomplishment at this age. Because they lack social awareness of others and prefer being alone; social "real life" activities bring the skills into a situation they can understand and hopefully generalize in authentic play.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Mrs. Grieve-Beal and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.