Are you looking for a fun, creative way to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month with your staff? Below, I will show you how to create this special treat bags that your students can make and hand out during the month of April! Handmade Stickers Excuse me? We can make our own stickers? Yes! Yes, you can! And, the best part, it is SIMPLE. Let’s gather our supplies and get started. Supplies drawings or coloring pictures (autism related, for this month) colored pencils, gel pens or markers (crayons are too waxy-don’t use crayons!) parchment paper clear book or duct tape (I use Scotch Book Tape) Th ..read more

In special education classrooms, fostering writing skills can be a difficult task due to the many different abilities and learning styles among students. Visual differentiated writing journals offer a powerful solution by providing visual support and scaffolding to meet the diverse needs of learners, while allowing them to still work on the same prompt (making planning easy for you!). In this blog post, we’ll explore the benefits of visual differentiated writing journals and highlight some of the best options available for special education classrooms. Why Differentiate your Writing Journal ..read more

Extended School Year (ESY) programs play a vital role in providing continuity of learning and support for students with special needs during extended breaks. ESY programs help prevent regression and promote continued growth and development. In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my daily ESY daily plans as a comprehensive guide to help special ed teachers navigate and optimize their ESY programs for special education students, while saving their own planning time so they can enjoy summer too! I share my FULL ESY plans and materials to make planning easy for you, download here. Why is ESY Importa ..read more

Fine motor skills in special education are essential for everyday tasks such as writing, dressing, and using utensils. For special education students, developing these skills can be a challenge, but with the right tools and activities, progress can be reached. In this blog post, we’ll explore how educators can use a stapling center to enhance fine motor development in special education students. Fine motor skills involve the coordination of small muscles in the hands and fingers to perform precise movements. These skills are crucial for tasks such as grasping objects, manipulating tools, and ..read more

Science experiments are not just about understanding concepts; they are about sparking curiosity, fostering creativity, and promoting hands-on learning. For special education students, hands-on activities are even more crucial in making abstract concepts tangible and understandable. One such experiment is the Magic Milk Science Experiment. Simple, engaging, and educational, it’s a perfect tool for educators to ignite a love for science in their students. In this blog post, we’ll explore the Magic Milk Science Experiment and how it can be adapted for special education settings, along with a fr ..read more

What is Extended School Year? Special Education students that qualify are eligible to receive Extended School Year services, also known as ESY or summer school. Students that are eligible will typically have ESY on their Individualized Education Plan, or IEP. We just love acronyms in special education! The students that show regression after breaks in the school year, or have a hard time recouping the skills previously learned, are students that will be eligible and receive ESY. Depending on the population of your classroom, you may have many, if not all students receive ESY. Let’s get your E ..read more

As an upper elementary self contained teacher, Edmark is the reading program I use for most of my students. This whole-word reading program helps students master a variety of common and functional words. Curious about how Edmark works? Keep reading to find out all about it! Edmark Level One and Two Kits What is Edmark? A student works in the Word Recognition book of the Edmark level 1 program. The Edmark Reading Program is a word recognition program for teaching students who have struggled to learn to read. Over the course of levels 1 and 2 of the program, students will learn to recognize and ..read more

As a special education teacher, I always consider ways to increase ability awareness at my school so that my students with special needs can be better understood and accepted in the school community. In this blog post, I share three ways I do ability awareness in elementary school. Download a Free Book Companion to teach inclusion here! 1. Student Meet & Greet At the onset of every school year, as I prepare inclusion schedules for my students with special needs, I do a mini-lesson to introduce them to their general education peers. In these lessons, I include a snapshot of my students’ s ..read more

March Visual Recipes Who doesn’t like to celebrate a holiday with cooking in the classroom? The Simply Special Ed Cooking bundle includes recipes for a Leprechaun Shake, English Muffin Pizza, Peanut Butter & Jelly and Shamrock Mix. There is something for everyone! Each recipe will include a visual recipe, tools and ingredient list, sequencing page, survey and ingredients worksheet. I found the worksheets and included material perfect for every level of student. Each recipe is easy to use and no oven or stove is necessary! Tools & Ingredients The tools and ingredients worksheet contai ..read more

Fine motor skills are crucial for daily living tasks, academic success, and overall independence. For special education teachers, finding engaging and effective ways to develop these skills during the summer months can be both challenging and rewarding. As the sun shines brighter and the days grow longer, it’s the perfect time to incorporate fun and stimulating activities into your lesson plans. Let’s explore some creative summer fine motor ideas tailored specifically for special education settings. WHAT ARE SIMPLE FINE MOTOR CENTERS? Simple Fine Motor Centers are created with your self-cont ..read more