I have been lucky to work with a classroom full of students with autism. My students are 3- to 5-year old boys and girls, and my class is located in a general education elementary school. Outside of our classroom, we have the benefit of joining the general-education students in school-wide events and recess.
Inside of the classroom, we work hard -- both behaviorally and academically -- but at the end of the day, my students are still preschoolers who just want to play.
We are so focused on learning academic concepts and/or regulating behavior, that we often forget the power of fun toys and games.
My Project
Over the years, early childhood educators and researchers have more often than not agreed that play is an essential part of the preschool day. However, because my students have a high need for behavior intervention, we often focus on repetitious and structured learning such as discrete trial training. Thus, we have accumulated a plethora of worksheets, flash cards, math manipulatives (i.e. one-inch blocks, counting bears, counting fruits, etc.), and folder activities.
While flash cards, folder activities, and math manipulatives are important for my students' learning, I want to make sure they also learn how to use toys and play games.
I am asking for toys that have a clear beginning and end, and can support student learning. For example, the Bead Sequencing Kits can be used to support fine motor development and pattern awareness. The Nuts & Bolts Builders can be used for color- and shape-recognition and matching, as well as fine motor development. I've also included simple and exciting board games to facilitate shared play and turn-taking.
More than a third of students from low‑income households
Data about students' economic need comes from the National Center for Education Statistics, via our partners at MDR Education. Learn more
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