Special Educators work hard to make sure that their students with disabilities develop and grow during the school year. Special Education teachers encounter different challenges in their classrooms than general education teachers, and therefore they need different tools.
Here are 10 great items every Special Needs teacher should have in their classroom.
1. Fidgets, Wiggle Seats, Therapy balls, Therapy bands
Fidgets and the above items are critical in the classroom. I utilize all of these sensible things in my classroom to help my students balance their visual system and prepare for academic work. I have often overheard my students talking to their friends and saying, “Mrs. Ferry’s room is fun. She lets us chew gum, and we’re not allowed to chew gum in school!”
2. Highlighter strips/Reader trackers
Often, my students with learning disabilities in reading or with attention difficulties struggle to keep track of the words they are reading. They often skip lines which significantly affects their reading accuracy and hinders their comprehension.
These students really appreciate being allowed to use highlighter strips or reader trackers as a strategy to keep them focused on one line at a time.Some of my students have asked to take them back to their classrooms or even home with them. At Halloween, I have a container of “witch’s fingers” that they can put on their finger to point to one word at a time.
3. Shaving Cream, Sand, Rice
I use some sensory-based items as a way to practice word work. We practice spelling words in shaving cream, learning the formation of numbers in colored sand, or finding hidden words in a bowl of rice that we have to decode. This is a fun way to engage students through sensory integration, help develop fine motor skills, and learn academic skills all in one!
4. Timers
I use timers for so many things! It is an excellent way to prepare students for transitions. Often, time is such an arbitrary concept for my students. If they can visually see how long they have to complete a task/assignment, they are more at ease with the change that transitions bring.
I also use timers to help me assess reading fluency with my students. We do 1 minute timed reading tests to determine how many words they are reading per minute. Timers also work as an excellent way to make a practiced skill a competitive game.
In my class, I have those big foam dice. I have the students roll the dice and see how many addition/subtraction problems they can solve in 1 minute.
5. Visuals
For some students, their visuals are almost a lifeline to help them through their day Visual supports have proven to be a huge success with my students when contributing to mainstream them into their general education classrooms. When implemented appropriately, visual supports will allow students with disabilities access to the general education curriculum and will help with the inclusion process.
6. Manipulatives
Manipulatives in the context of education are physical tools of teaching, engaging students visually and physically with objects such as coins, blocks, puzzles, markers, etc. The use of manipulatives is constructivist because students are actively involved in discovery during the learning process. A teacher provides the materials along with basic directions, but students should be allowed to explore the materials and ask questions before and during the lesson.
According to education professor Dr. Jean Shaw, manipulatives are useful for the following reasons: they are multisensory, they represent ideas in more than one way, they promote communication among students, and they increase confidence - leading to lessened confusion and deepened understanding.
According to a review of studies by the National Center for Accessing the General Curriculum, certain groups of students, including learning-disabled students and students with limited English skills, benefit from using manipulatives.
Examples and Applications of Manipulatives in the Classroom
Math
Math lessons are a standard classroom use of manipulatives because they easily allow students to physically apply the concepts of addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication. For example, students could 'play store' with 'money' that they create in a separate class project. Allow them to decide on what type of store it will be and let them bring things of their own to 'sell,' or allow them to create the products, which remain in the classroom when the lesson isn't in progress.
Elementary students could first have a math lesson that focuses on how to make the change. They would be taught the values of coins--pennies are one cent, nickels are five cents, dimes are ten cents, and so on. They could then practice skills of addition and subtraction by making the change while shopping and paying for items in the class 'store.' Students purchasing items would compare prices to the amount of money they have to spend, and shopkeepers could practice giving them back their correct change.
Additional manipulatives for other forms of math instruction could be:
- Tangrams: it is a dissection puzzle consisting of seven flat shapes, called tans, which are put together to form shapes. The objective of the puzzle is to form a specific shape (given only an outline or silhouette) using all seven pieces, which may not overlap.
- Interlocking cubes
- Pattern blocks
- Fraction bars
- Probability spinners
- Protractors
Hands-on manipulatives are a critical learning tool for students in all classrooms. Manipulatives help make an abstract idea a real concept. Students can physically investigate a math problem to reach a solution. This will change their way of thinking from a mere procedural understanding to a more conceptual understanding.
7. Posted Rules/Expectations
It is so important for all students, but especially those with special needs, to understand what is expected of them. Children thrive off of rules and need to know that there is consistency with the standards to view them as fair. I have my classroom rules posted in a central location of my class where I can quickly refer to them as a reminder to my students.
8. Reward System
At my school, we like to give just as much emphasis on recognizing good behavior. We know the importance of taking a proactive approach to action. I utilize sticker charts for each of my students. Once they earn 10 stickers, they can choose a prize from my smaller prize box. If they are willing to save their stickers and earn up to 20, they can pick a prize from a larger, more enticing box.
One of the other special educators uses a token economy with money they can use to purchase goods from the classroom store at the end of the week. The more money they have earned – the more they get to buy! This does not have to be a significant expense for teachers. I often raid my nephew’s room for old toys he doesn’t play with anymore. I frequently visit the dollar store or target’s 1-dollar section as well. And trust me, it is well worth it to avoid the negative behaviors!
9. High Interest – Low-Level Reading Books
What a great find these books were! Many companies offer Hi-Lo books for struggling readers. It can be challenging to find a 4th grader who reads at a 1st-grade level a book that is attractive to him but at his level. Often, the books at his reading level appear “babyish” to him. With Hi-Lo books he has the advantage of choosing books that “look” like chapter books and are about interesting topics but are of easy readability.
10. Technology
I have found that all students love technology. You can present them with the exact same task on a computer that you would in worksheet format but all of a sudden it is 10x more engaging. I have often brought in my personal laptop from home for my students to use (with my supervision of course) and an iPad to take advantage of all the amazing apps available for special education. With the changing times, educators have to be prepared and 1 step ahead of their students.
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