Posts Tagged books

Classroom Displays – Autism Friendly

Jun 19

Posted by Linda in displays advice | No Comments

I’ve got a guest post this week. I hope it will help you make your classroom Autism friendly.

The author is S.B Linton who runs Autism Classroom.com and she’s provided us with some great tips. If you’ve questions please let us know in the comments and we’ll try to help. (If you use twitter be sure to follow her on there AutismClassroom twitter as she posts lots of useful links)

The numbers of students with autism in our schools is increasing, as is the need for classrooms that effectively educate children with autism.

The following information from the book How to Set Up a Classroom for Students with Autism: A Manual for Teachers, Para-professionals and Administrators by S. B. Linton, highlights some tips in setting up an autism friendly classroom.

Set Up a Classroom for Students with Autism_ A Manual for Teachers, Para-professionals and Administrators_ S. B. Linton.jpg

Use Various Types of Visual Schedules

  • Daily class schedules to accurately tell what activities will occur that particular school day. This type of schedule should be posted, easy for students to follow and should be large enough to see from across the room.
  • Individual/personal schedules to help students organize, learn routines and possibly relieve stress for some students with autism by giving them an idea of what to expect. A personal schedule might also show sensory input activities which are specific to that student, individual speech therapy times, break times, small group areas, or toileting opportunities, which may not be the same exact time as other students.
  • Task schedules to serve as directions. They help to visually “break down” the elements of a task or an activity for a student. Task schedules show a student what will occur within the context of a structured lesson or activity, much like directions. Task schedules can also help students perform tasks without the use of a verbal prompt from the adult, thus increasing independence.
  • Visual Reinforcement schedules to give students a visual indicator of when their reinforcement or break will occur. These may be helpful for a child who is on a behavior intervention plan and needs to be reminded that their reinforcement will be coming soon.

Organize the Room to Support the Student

  • Create clear visual boundaries in the classroom.
  • Make various centers and locations for the students to move to throughout the day to avoid having them sit in one spot all day.
classroomdisplays-autism.jpg
  • Create work areas near blank walls or facing way from peers to improve concentration.
  • Remove distracting items such as string, bright colors, loud appliances.
  • Create a safe place or quiet area in the room for the student if they need a retreat.
  • Remember you will have to teach play skills and social skills. They do not come naturally for some students with autism.
  • Seat “runners” with their back facing a wall or divider and have the adult facing the student, between the student and the door.

Be An Effective Collaborator

  • Creating a specific time for staff to meet, answer questions or create new plans is a critical.
  • View student’s objectives as a shared responsibility of the student’s team.
  • Keep a notebook or journal that is sent from school to home each day.

Use Language Based Techniques

  • Try a set of pictures showing the steps in washing their hands or a visual task analysis for hanging up their belongings in the morning to help keep some students focused.
  • Write down directions instead of ju st using words.
  • Use hands on activities as much as possible.
  • Use a visual topic board to show the students what the lesson will be about.

Question. Discuss. Learn.
www.autismclassroom.com

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What do you get someone who makes classroom displays for Christmas?

Dec 10

Posted by Linda in Christmas, displays advice | 3 Comments

Staple Remover

Speaking as a maker of classroom displays this has to be one of my favourite ever Christmas gifts! The best tool in the world for removing staples from wall displays. It beats all the other versions and is infinitely better than a pair of scissors. Even if it slips it won’t hurt you. The staples stay on it and don’t fall on the floor.
Ideal stocking filler for all makers of classroom displays.
If you were feeling really generous you might splash out on a really good book as well. Have a look at our Bookshop for inspiration.

Updated

John likes this one and I have to say it looks like it would do the job!
Staple remover

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Winter Classroom Displays – Percy the Park-keeper’s Snowy Night

Nov 7

Posted by Linda in Seasonal, winter | No Comments

This is another winter display with a speaking and listening focus. It comes from the same teacher as the Red, Red Robin display. Click on play to hear what she has to say about this display and how she used it. Don’t be shy :-) If you have a mike on your computer why not click record and leave a comment about this display or winter classroom displays in general?

You can see a larger version of this photo in my Flickr photos or just click on the image here to zoom in. I’m using a service called Voicethreads for this post. If you have any problems viewing it, you love it or you hate it please leave a message in the comments on the blog. Thanks :-)

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Literacy Display – Connectives and Owl Babies

Oct 20

Posted by Linda in KS1, literacy | 6 Comments

Owl day 034, originally uploaded by Leeds Lass.

This is a delightful classroom display that uses one of my favourite books. Owl Babies is a wonderful story that children in Year 2 and even Year 3 love to read. There’s something about the story of those three little owls, especially Percy’s constant longing for his Mummy, that really resonates for this age group.
Here it’s been used to show how a story webs and ladders can be used to map out plots. The display also encourages the children to make longer sentences by using connectives and time words. The display has a well thought out mix of visual imagery taken from the book, explanations, vocabulary words (interesting connectives and time words) and children’s work.
The cuddly owls, ivy and 3d tree add a real ‘wow’ factor to the display making it likely to grab children’s attention. Close inspection of the owls suggests that they are commercially made toys. However it wouldn’t be impossible to make something less elaborate from fun fur to achieve a similar effect. On the tree stump and branch wood grain wall paper has been used to great effect and fake ivy round the tree stump adds another attractive 3d element.
Owl day 040
Titles and text have all been laminated and the major elements of this display could be stored and brought out again another year making it fairly quick to re-create.
The children’s work has been well integrated into the display. They have used what they’ve learnt about story webs to weave one for another Year 2 favourite, The Lighthouse Keeper’s Catastrophe. All in all I think this is a fine classroom display :-)

Up Dated

Following a request in the comments to this post Michelle has provided us with more details of how the display linked into her literacy activities.

Photographs

Drama activities based on the Owl Babies book:
Freeze frame owlets at different stages of the story

Hot seating-Babies and Mother

Conscience Alley-child in role of Mummy Owl

Ladder

Set out as

Beginning

Middle

End

Writing

Retell story of Owl Babies as a story ladder.

Display

Time words on the branches.

Connectives are displayed within the web

Story Web

Based on Pig in the Pond-could be any sequential story. Each child wrote part of the story/illustrated it, then displayed within the web. FIRST they had done the frame activity which involved passing a ball of wool round as they each told part of the story, in and back to the middle, thereby weaving a story web.

Update – Another lovely display and some free resources
Owl Babies

Also some free Owl Babies resources to download from Scholastic and for cross curricular work how about an activity that will help you decide where to place an owl nesting box?

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Book Review – Rules of Display update

Sep 2

Posted by Linda in displays advice | No Comments

Our Classroom Displays book competition winner Manisa Saujani is guest author on the blog today -

Title: Rules of Display

The essential guide to nursery and primary classroom displays

Author: Lynn Taylor

Published by: Hodder Gibson (2006)

As a Teaching Assistant, with recently added responsibility of putting up classroom displays, I have found this book a valuable resource. In particular, during this first term back at school the photocopiable templates at the back have been great time savers.

This is a comprehensive guide covering everything from arranging a display with use of titles and borders to the materials that can be used for displays.

The tips, ideas and also the colour photographs really give an in depth understanding of creating stimulating displays taking into account the size, styles and even the colours used for displaying children’s work. The displays cover not only the walls, but also the table tops, ceilings and windows.
The book would add to the teaching assistant’s professional development especially since it covers the areas of health and safety as well as questions to think about when evaluating the learning environment.

I have enjoyed going through this book and will continue to dip into it again and again in order to refresh my ideas and skills.

Manisa Saujani – teaching assistant

If you are interested our Amazon book store has a few copies left.

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