Help me give my students books, clothing and concrete items, to better understand the world in which they live. Help them connect to ideas and people who are the same, just different, creating a culture of respect.
I teach 7 students in a self-contained special needs classroom. They range in ages from 5 to 9, and have severe and profound special needs, which include Down Syndrome, intellectual disabilities, autism, cerebral palsy, severe behaviors and global delays.
Shared reading teaches much more than connections to words.
Listening to books helps teach proper social behavior (sitting quietly, respecting others, taking turns, etc.). Our students will sit and listen to books during shared reading time with minimal prompting and redirection. They are a very diverse group of students (ethnicities and abilities). We have one friend who is also from another country. My team and I would like to have books and other materials (dress up clothing, manipulatives, etc.) that emphasize multiculturalism and diversity to build on social/emotional learning and sensory items to help maintain focus on learning activities.
My Project
Our students enjoy guest readers who volunteer in our classroom. We attend a school with students of varying abilities and needs. The books will be used during shared reading time, teaching them more than words and comprehension. Shared reading time also teaches proper social/emotional behaviors and gives them opportunities to express emotions and feelings related to the presented material.
Teaching our students that we are all the same, just different is an important concept to help them see the value in all people.
Having dress up clothing and multicultural/diverse dolls, gives our students concrete items to connect to the material presented in the books, creating a tangible/visible connection.
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