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Source 1: Week 3 Insightful article on growing classroom inclusivity

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Source 1: Week 3 Insightful article on growing classroom inclusivity

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This article gives a great in depth insight on adapted materials for students with disabilities.

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Teaching Materials and Tools that Accommodate Students with Disabilities - GIVE Guide

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Teaching Tools & MaterialsSelect a tool to learn more about it-what it is, where to find it in the...

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Source 2: Week 3 Resources for Students with Disabilities Video

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Source 2: Week 3 Resources for Students with Disabilities Video

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This video gave great insight of what tools can be helpful to have in the classroom to help students with disabilities creating an even more inclusive environment.

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Resources for Students with Disabilities

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Source 3: Week 4 Classroom Management Attention grabbers

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Source 3: Week 4 Classroom Management Attention grabbers

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This resource list plenty of classroom management attention grabbers both verbal and non verbal to use in the classroom.

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20 Attention-Getters for a Loud Classroom

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When it is time for students to stop, focus, and be ready to listen and learn, an attention-getter should be in a teacher’s magic bag of management tricks.

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Source 4: Week 4 Classroom Management pointers with a relation to classroom space

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Source 4: Week 4 Classroom Management pointers with a relation to classroom space

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This source speaks about how managing classroom space, plays a huge part in the classroom.

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Classroom setup is an important component in a learning environment because it is an essential piece of classroom management to support both teaching and learning. The physical atmosphere of the classroom can help prevent behavior issues as well as promote and improve learning. The structuring of the learning environment is essential for teachers and students. The physical arrangement of the classroom can affect both student and teacher behavior, and a well structured classroom management plan of design has the ability to improve learning and behavior. In order to create an inviting, safe, supportive learning environment, using classroom management for the way you arrange your desks matters. A supportive learning environment can mean the difference between having a good day and a bad day.

Your classroom arrangement is the physical foundation of where your students will learn. This means that every square foot of it needs to be used for activities that support learning. The spatial structure of the classroom, where students will be seated, how the students will move about the classroom, and the whole classroom atmosphere needs to be considered, as well as how the classroom will be structured to address the academic, social, and emotional needs of the students. The physical arrangement of the classroom should also be reflective of the student body and must be consistent with the needs of all learners.

In addition to the way your classroom is physically arranged, the classroom environment as a whole needs to be considered: what you put on your walls, the classroom materials you will use, and where and how you will set up your activities. All attributes of a structured learning environment need to be considered when setting up your classroom.

Benefits of a Well-Designed Classroom

According to a study at the University of Salford, a well-designed classroom can boost student performance by up to 16 percent. That means that your classroom design can have a significant impact on your students' performance. So, it is essential to thoughtfully and clearly consider all facets of your classroom design. A well-thought out physical arrangement of your classroom is also important for these reasons:

Students learn to respect boundaries. For example, there are "teacher only" areas as well as the boundaries of space a student has around his/her personal desk.

The organization of classroom materials allows students to retrieve them quickly, which helps to decrease unwanted behavior.

Proper room arrangement provides predictably, which is essential for students because students thrive when they are in a comfortable learning environment.

Students will learn which behaviors are acceptable and expected in each specific location in the classroom. For example, when in the classroom library, students need to be quiet, but while in the classroom play area, students are allowed to talk.

Students will learn to anticipate which activities will occur in specific areas of the classroom. This helps students be mindful of how they need to behave for each specific area they are in.

Arranging Your Classroom

Before you set out to arrange your classroom, consider asking yourself the following questions:

How do I need to structure the desks? Teacher-focused activities mean desks will be in rows or small clusters facing the front of the classroom, while student-focused activities mean desks will be put into groups or semicircles so students can easily collaborate with one another.

Do any of my students have specific medical needs? A food allergy, wheelchair, etc.

What furniture is available? Desks, tables, bookcases, shelves, etc.

What information do my students need to know? They need to know the date, assignment, classroom procedures, etc.

What will inspire my students every day? Quotes, posters, classroom awards, everyday heroes, etc.

What education artifacts do they need? Word walls, literacy resources, purposeful posters and bulletin boards, etc.

Have I considered a flexible seating classroom? Standing desks, bean bags, stability balls, etc.

The answers to these questions will help guide you to structure an effective learning environment for your students. Depending upon what furniture is readily available, you will also need to structure your classroom so that every student has a home base (or an individual learning area like their own desk), a whole group instruction area, a dedicated teacher area, as well as a transition area where students can wait for the next activity or lesson to begin, or at least have your space arranged so students can move about easily and comfortably without bumping into one another.

Essential Areas

As mentioned above, there are a few required areas that you must have in your classroom: a home base, group instruction area, teacher workstation, and transition space. Here we will take a closer look at how you can arrange each of these specific areas.

Dedicated Teacher Area

Teachers need a place to call their own too. This space should be near an outlet where you can have access to a computer, as well as out of the way but also easily accessible for students to get to you. Ideally, your space should be near the window with your desk or small table situated sideways, in the corner of the classroom. This way you will get the light from the window to help you see, you are out of the way but also easily accessible to students and are able to scan the whole classroom right from your seat.

Home Base

Each student needs a space to call their own. Have it be an individual desk or their own space at the table, they need something to call their home base. This space is a place where students can do their independent work or go to when you are transitioning in between lessons.

Two factors need to be considered when deciding where students' home base will be: if the student has any behavior issues and the size of your classroom. Once you factor in these issues, then you are ready to clearly assign each student a home base.

Transition Area

The transition area can be a specific location, like the carpet, that students go to while waiting for the next activity. What this space looks like and where it is located will depend upon your students' needs as well as their ages. No matter where the space is, it is important that your students know where to go during transition periods.

In short, specific classroom features are relevant to what students are learning. Research shows that students benefit from a well-designed, well-structured classroom. Most importantly, if you find that your students are struggling with the design of your classroom then you must consider rearranging it.

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Classroom Management for an Effective Learning Environment - TeachHUB

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To maximize student learning, you need a classroom that's set up for success. Learn how to use classroom management for an effective learning environment.

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Source 5: Week 5 31 Must-Teach Classroom Procedures and Routines

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Source 5: Week 5 31 Must-Teach Classroom Procedures and Routines

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This resource list a lot of classroom procedures to introduce to your students and effective ways to do so.

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This is one of our favorite classroom procedures because it's easy and cuts back on a big problem. "The no-name papers will disappear," says Kristin B.W.

Learn more: Free Highlight Your Name Poster at Teachers Pay Teachers

12. Greet every student at the door

"They behave better when they feel cared about," says Debra M. Don't we all?

13. Use a visual timer

A Time Timer or visual timer shows how much time is left in an activity, letting students answer the "how much time do we have" question on their own.

Buy it: Visual Timer at Amazon

14. Streamline hall passes

Having a hall pass that works for your class will make your day infinitely easier as students will know if they can leave your class, and other teachers will know the students are permitted to move around the school.

Learn more: Paintbrush Hall Pass/Create Art With Me and Hall Pass Ideas

15. Stamp your feedback

Get a set of self-inking stamps that you can use to give feedback on student work. Or for students who are working on completing work independently or improving behavior, use rubber stamps that address common concerns as well as data tracking for students with IEPs.

Buy it: Rubber Stamps at Mrs. D's Corner

16. Get their attention

Having a selection of attention-getters that you can alternate, depending on your and your students' moods, will help you direct students throughout the day.

17. Set up a cell phone charging station

It's important to establish classroom procedures for cell phones from the beginning. Having a cell phone charging station solves the problem of students checking their phones during instruction. Set up the expectation that students store phones in the station so there's no back-and-forth about how much charge they have (their phones charging is not the point).

Learn more: Tips and Tricks for Managing Cell Phones in Class

18. Prep task boxes to keep kids busy

Having a set of boxes with coloring sheets, worksheets, extra practice, and games that students can play quietly or independently gives students a way to stay busy and learning while other students are finishing work.

Learn more: Swoop Into Kindergarten

19. Assign classroom jobs

Assign class jobs so that every aspect of the day is taken care of, and so students have ownership over what happens in your room during the day. Set up a way to rotate the jobs each week, and once students have their preferred jobs, keep tabs on who is doing what so it feels fair.

Learn more: Big List of Classroom Jobs

20. Have students apply for class jobs

Once students know what the class jobs are, have them apply for a job to have for the semester or year. You'll have consistency from week to week, and students will get the experience of applying and managing their responsibilities.

Learn more: Free Student Job Application at Teachers Pay Teachers

21. Communicate with cups

Provide students with a set of green, yellow, and red cups. As they work, they start with the green cup on top. If they feel like they need help, they switch the cup to yellow. And if they are totally stuck, they put the red cup on top. You can respond to the red cups first.

Learn more: Ingenious Ways To Use Solo Cups/K Teacher Tiff

22. Make bulletin boards work for you

Interactive bulletin boards can help you collect exit tickets, give you information about what students think about a question, and provide a fun procedure for students to complete each day.

Learn more: Our Favorite Interactive Bulletin Boards

23. Tighten your exit ticket procedures

Create a predictable way to collect exit tickets so students can spend their time showing what they know instead of figuring out how to pass it in.

Learn more: Exit Ticket Ideas

24. Be strategic with seating

A Double E, Pairs, Four Square-these are all ways to arrange your classroom. Your classroom routines and procedures will go much smoother if the class is set up to facilitate everything from passing papers in and out to lining up and finding groups and partners to work with.

Learn more: Student Desk Arrangement Ideas/Lucky Little Learners

25. Organize classroom procedures around a theme

Who says your theme can't incorporate procedures? Choose a classroom theme and get creative. If your theme is "Under the Sea," have seashells on the wall where students can post exit tickets, an octopus cell phone charging station, and a paper return tray decorated like a coral reef.

Learn more: Our Favorite Classroom Theme Ideas

26. Sort students into groups creatively

If students are going to be working together at all, you'll save time by having a quick procedure to move them from whole group to pairs or teams. One idea: Use pairs of cards to have students match up with their partner. Another idea: While students are seated, place a colored button (one color per group) on each desk. Then, have students stand and find the people who have the same-color button. After they're finished, have students return the buttons to a jar up front. You can use buttons or any other materials (colored sticks, tiles, etc).

Learn more: Clever Ways To Put Students Into Groups

27. Simplify grading

For informal assessments, let students know if they did or did not meet the assignment expectations. This is easier on you and gives students a quick update that they don't have to calculate (7/10) or respond to (letter grades).

Learn more: Creative Ways To Check for Understanding

28. Make transitions magical

As students move from place to place in the room, use a "magic" wand and turn them all into snowflakes, unicorns, or yetis. Get silly with it, and as students get more familiar with this procedure, put them in charge of the magic wand.

Buy it: Magic Wand at Amazon

29. Post a visual schedule

A visual schedule outlining your classroom procedures is a great way to help students know what's coming next. And for students who process visual information easier than auditory, it's helpful to be able to see the schedule and refer to it throughout the day. An individual visual schedule for a student with autism or processing needs can help them move throughout the day as well.

Learn more: Free Visual Schedule Templates

30. Bring nonverbal reminders wherever you go

Hang nonverbal reminders around your neck/lanyard and use them to prompt students to follow procedures, anywhere you go.

Buy it: Pictoral Communication Cards at Twinkl

31. Buzz in answers

Once students are in groups, have them use answer buzzers to chime in. It reduces noise and calling out.

Buy it: Light and Sound Buzzers at Amazon

For more teacher tips, tricks, and ideas, be sure to sign up for our free newsletters to find out when they're posted!

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31 Must-Teach Classroom Procedures and Routines

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These seriously cut your stress. We've compiled the best classroom procedures and routine ideas from our community and around the web.

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Source 6: Week 5 Importance of Classroom Routines and Procedures

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Source 6: Week 5 Importance of Classroom Routines and Procedures

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This resource explains the importance of classroom routines and why they are beneficial for the students and the classroom dynamic.

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Source 9: Week 7 Using Curiosity as a Way to Defuse Power Struggles

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Source 9: Week 7 Using Curiosity as a Way to Defuse Power Struggles

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This source talks about effective ways to approach disruptive behavior. Sometimes, using effective ways to deescalate and defuse the problem can be a better solution.

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When students engage in mildly disruptive behavior, teachers can try asking open questions instead of immediately confronting the behavior.

When you were interviewed for your last teaching job, chances are you had to answer at least one question regarding challenging student behavior. It's a common question because regardless of where or whom you teach, at some point you'll face challenging behavior. In years past, I would have answered this question by stating that I redirect students, offer choices, or model desired behavior. This year, I've rethought that approach.

Students at my middle school love to make "poppers," or paper folded to make a very loud, extremely annoying noise when opened. At the start of the year, when kids would make these, I would give them my best teacher look that told them, Don't even think about it. While this initially worked, after a few weeks kids got brave. Even after a clear "Don't do it," they popped away. This created a bit of a power struggle between teacher and popper.

I knew I needed a way to defuse these power struggles, so I decided to try a new method: open curiosity. Instead of immediately redirecting minor infractions, my first line of defense is to ask a genuine question regarding their behavior. This approach has helped me learn more about my students and the reasons behind their actions. It has opened doors to meaningful conversations and defused situations that could otherwise escalate quickly. While this method doesn't work in all situations, it can be very handy for minor infractions when safety isn't an issue.

Moving Away from Power Struggles

My middle school has a rule that students can't wear earbuds except when needed for specific academic tasks. Early this year, I felt like I was constantly battling kids as I asked them to take their earbuds out. My initial approach to the earbud battle was simply to ask kids to remove their earbuds, but this method had mixed results. Some kids removed their earbuds until I was out of sight and then put them back in. Other times they would just ignore the request altogether.

In my English Learner class, one of my students showed up with his earbuds in every single day, and every single day I would tell him to take them out. Clearly, my request had no long-term impact. Recently, instead of asking him to remove them, I asked what he was listening to. This led to a wonderful conversation about his home country, Ukraine, and how he was feeling toward his new life in the United States. When I asked what he was listening to, he responded, "Music." I asked if it was Ukrainian music, and he said yes.

This opened the door to a conversation about his life in Ukraine and his taste in music. I asked if I could listen to his music, and then we looked up the band online. If I simply told him to take out the earbuds, I never would have learned about his taste in music or heard about how he was adjusting since leaving Ukraine.

After our conversation, I thanked him for sharing his music with me and asked him to take out his earbuds, which he happily did. Approaching this minor infraction with curiosity instead of discipline not only opened meaningful conversations but helped get my student to comply with the rules without being heavy-handed. These interactions don't take much time, but they go a long way in building trust and getting desired outcomes.

Combating Distractions with Questions

One of my more rambunctious students frequently comes into class making loud, distracting noises. I used to send him out of the class and ask him to enter more quietly. Again, this approach had a questionable success rate. Sometimes he would comply, sometimes he would make noises in the hallway and need to be coaxed back into the room.

Encouraged by the success with the earbud conversation, I changed my approach and began to ask him questions about his noises, such as "Where did you learn to make that noise?" or "Do you think that noise would make a good ringtone?" This shifted the feel of our interaction from "You're being bad, go away" to "I'm curious to know more about your actions." Also, by asking a question that warrants a response, you are creating a safe space for the student to reflect on and give thought to their behavior. Although the response in this particular situation was "I don't know where I learned to make that noise-I'm just good at making noises," it gave the student time to reflect on his actions and change course.

By meeting minor infractions with curiosity and learning a bit of the reasoning behind our students' actions, we are better equipped to handle issues when they arise again. We can enforce rules with compassion and understanding and perhaps a bit more patience.

When the earbuds show up again, we could say, "I know you might be feeling a little homesick and want to listen to music, but I need your attention now, and if we have time later, maybe you could play some music for the whole class, or during your independent work time, you could listen to your music." When the distracting noises start, we can connect with the students' attempts for attention with authenticity and understanding. This approach acknowledges the students' feelings but still holds them accountable for following the rules.

Building Relationships and Empathy

Going back to my popper issue, I decided to engage students in conversation. The next time a student had a popper, I asked how they learned to make them and whether there was a trick to making poppers to get the loudest, most annoying sound. It turns out there is.

This opened conversations about origami, how to handle boredom, and pet peeves. One of my pet peeves is loud noises. I let my students know this and asked them about their own pet peeves (as a teacher, that's valuable information to have in your back pocket). I also told my students that they could earn the right to pop their popper, which took the battle (and some of the fun) out of the issue.

Knowledge is power, and when we approach minor infractions with curiosity, we are equipping ourselves with knowledge that can go a long way toward building safe, functional classrooms where learning is the primary focus. It also shows that we want to understand, not punish. At the end of the day, building these relationships makes for safer, more welcoming, and more understanding classrooms for the kids to learn. So, the next time a child is causing distractions in class, try to respond with genuine curiosity. You might be surprised by how it transforms the situation.

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Using Curiosity as a Way to Defuse Power Struggles

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When students engage in mildly disruptive behavior, teachers can try asking open questions instead of immediately confronting the behavior.

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Source 10: Week 7 Teacher manages transitions - Example 1

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Source 10: Week 7 Teacher manages transitions - Example 1

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This video shows an effective way that a teacher can using classroom management tools for a productive and positive transition.

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Source 11: Week 8 How to Monitor Student Progress in the Classroom

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Source 11: Week 8 How to Monitor Student Progress in the Classroom

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This source goes into depth of how monitoring student progress is essential and how to effectively collect data of students.

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As an early childhood educator, you're responsible for helping your students grow and develop during their most formative years. As a result, it's crucial that you develop established and effective means for monitoring student progress in your classroom.

At ChildCare Education Institute, we're dedicated to helping educators like you get the training and skills needed to tackle teaching's biggest challenges - including how to monitor student progress.

That's why we're sharing these tips for creating progress monitoring strategies that are effective and easy to implement.
Start by determining your students' current skill levels.
In order to properly track your students' growth, you'll need to establish a baseline to compare future progress against. If you want to track their overall development, make sure you do this as soon as a new student joins your classroom. You can establish this baseline through verbal assessments, observations and/or conversations with the child's parent or guardian.

While you're exploring your new student's initial skill set and level of knowledge, record your findings so you can compare their progress against the baseline you've already established. You should also collect any evidence that might help demonstrate your student's current skill levels, such as work samples, photographs or videos.

Finally, you should also establish baselines for your students in individual skill areas before introducing them as class-wide lesson concepts. This will help you better tailor your curriculum to your students' needs.
Set clear, definable learning goals.
Once you've determined your students' current skill levels, the next step is to set clear goals to help you when monitoring student progress. All of your goals should follow the SMART system - meaning they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-based. Depending on where you're teaching, your state may already have goals in place that you can customize based on each student.

Once you've determined your students' learning goals, document them alongside your initial observation notes. Share these notes with their parents so they can help their child work toward your set goals at home. Sharing your observations and goals ahead of time will also give you something to discuss at parent-teacher conferences.

For older students, you can also create visual goal trackers so they can see their progress throughout the year. This customizable template from Teachers Pay Teachers should give you an idea of how these trackers can look.
Observe your students and gather evidence.
As your students work toward their learning and development goals, make sure you set aside time to observe them and note their progress. Try watching them during free play, giving them short check-in assessments or taking photos of them as they complete given activities in the classroom.

If possible, set up a calendar to keep track of how often you'll monitor progress toward specific student learning goals. While creating your schedule, keep your own abilities and time in mind - too much measurement can cause you unnecessary stress and lead to burnout.

Additionally, it's important to note that certain goals (and students) might need more monitoring than others. For example, if you have a student who struggles to communicate verbally, you might need to set aside more time to monitor that student than you might for a student who excels at communication and has more advanced goals.
Stay organized.
If you're tracking student progress manually, chances are the paperwork will pile up quickly. Between initial assessments, check-ins, observations and evidence, you'll have a lot to keep up with for each student. Even if you're monitoring student progress digitally (using a platform like our sister company ), make sure you have an organization system in place to keep track of each student's information.

One tip for how to monitor student progress in an organized manner is to create progress binders for each student. These binders can house all of the student's goals, assessments and notes.

While binders can help you maintain your progress documents, they're often bulky and can take up a lot of room - making them a more difficult option for teachers who are low on classroom space or have a lot of students. If you fall into that category, you might want to look into creating progress cards or slim folders instead.

However you choose to organize your information, keep it where you can easily find and access it so that you can quickly locate and share it with parents or administrators who request it.
Compare your data against learning standards and benchmarks.
When monitoring student progress, make sure that you look beyond your self-created learning goals. Set aside regular time throughout the year (most schools do this on a nine-week or semester basis) to compare your students' skill levels and knowledge to state-, school- or curriculum-defined benchmarks and standards. This will help you get a more holistic view of each child's development compared to others - and will help ensure they're on track to get promoted at the end of the year. If your program doesn't have pre-defined learning standards, you can also use published child assessment tools. These tools have often been researched and tested and are widely accepted as a credible way to track student development.
Communicate progress with parents.
Your students don't stop growing once they leave the classroom, so keeping parents informed about their child's progress is key. If you don't already have regular parent-teacher conferences, set aside time every couple of months to start hosting them. These meetings provide a great opportunity to walk parents through their kid's learning goals and the observations you've gathered on how they're working to meet them. These conferences also help give parents activities they can do at home to further support their child's growth.

In addition to regular formal meetings, make sure you keep lines of constant communication open with families, so you can provide informal updates and hear about any concerns parents may have. You can do this during drop-off/pick-up or you can use a communications platform.

Want to learn more about how to monitor student progress? Our online courses can help! Our Assessing Young Children series is full of progress monitoring strategies, growth assessment methods and more.

To explore our subscription offerings and sign-up for our monitoring student progress courses, click .

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How to Monitor Student Progress in the Classroom

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Especially in early childhood education it is important to monitor student progress in the classroom. Here are some great ideas on how to Monitor Student Progress today!

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Source 12: Week 8 Strategies for Monitoring Progress

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Source 12: Week 8 Strategies for Monitoring Progress

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This source is a great visual on how monitoring is essential and how it should be effectively done.

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Source 8: Week 6 Five Fundamentals to Behavior Management in the Classroom 

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Source 8: Week 6 Five Fundamentals to Behavior Management in the Classroom 

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This video is a great explanation on the five fundamentals to behavior management and how/why they are effective.

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Five Fundamentals to Behavior Management in the Classroom

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Source 7: Week 6 10 Behavior Management Ideas as a Guide for Your Classroom 

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Source 7: Week 6 10 Behavior Management Ideas as a Guide for Your Classroom 

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This source list ten behavior management ideas to guide the classroom. This source I found super helpful and eye opening and some things I have implemented in my classroom.

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10 Behavior Management Ideas as a Guide for Your Classroom

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Discover 10 behavior management ideas to help you guide positive behavior in your classroom.

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Source 13: Week 9 What Are Some Examples of Positive Behavior Supports in the Classroom?

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Source 13: Week 9 What Are Some Examples of Positive Behavior Supports in the Classroom?

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This source includes an in depth explanation of positive behavior supports and includes examples how it can implement in the classroom setting.

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Positive Behavior Support Examples in the Classroom - Regis College Online

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What is positive behavior support (PBS)? Learn about the field of applied behavior analysis, how PBS works, and discover positive behavior support examples.

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Source 14: Week 9 How to Set Up Classwide Positive Behavioral Support

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Source 14: Week 9 How to Set Up Classwide Positive Behavioral Support

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This source explains the steps to creating a positive behavioral environment for the students.

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Components of positive behavior support systems are part of all elementary school classrooms. Educators routinely use creative and effective ways to support student social and emotional behavior. Yet, enhancing current practice to make multiple approaches in concert can have wide-ranging positive effects.

With this guide, we will show you how to set up a classwide positive behavior support system that is sustainable for the long-term. You will also learn how establishing a proactive behavioral system can promote healthy social skills development for students and make the day-to-day more enjoyable for both teachers and students.

Table of Contents

What Is Classwide Positive Behavioral Support?

Understanding the ABCs of Behavior Presentation

5 Steps to Setting up a Classwide Positive Behavior Support System

Illuminate Education: Providing Behavioral Intervention Resources and Support to Educators Across the U.S.

What Is Classwide Positive Behavioral Support?

Classwide positive behavioral support is a comprehensive school-based prevention and intervention program that reduces problem behavior and increases social skills.
A classwide positive behavioral support program is a research-backed and proactive approach to better:

Student behavior

Academic productivity and growth; and

Development of social skills

This whole-class approach creates the systems and supports for all students to grow and develop.

Positive behavior support is a classroom management system with a focus on encouraging good behavior, rather than punishing or controlling students - incentivizing positive attitudes, increasing student motivation, and making learning more engaging.

Students need to know what classroom expectations are to meet them. Positive interventions, and classwide positive behavior support help students achieve that.

3 Benefits of Implementing Classwide Positive Behavior Support

A classwide positive behavior support plan is a whole-class, proactive, preventive, and systematic approach to managing student classroom behavior.
All students can learn appropriate behaviors so teaching what is appropriate can prevent misbehavior.
Let's look at three big benefits of implementing classwide positive behavior.

#1: Students Know What to Expect

Students need to understand what you expect of them in each situation. In order for that to happen, there should be clear classroom rules that are reinforced with regularity, routines that are predictable, and structure that ensures students are set up to succeed.
To ensure that classroom rules School teachers and staff members need to demonstrate consistency in their encouragement of these behaviors for students to rise to the expectations. and expectations are clear, students should get the opportunity to:
#2: Intervention Can Help Prevent More Serious Behavior Problems

Intervention for classwide positive behavior support is the first of a series of steps that help students with misbehavior.

The Tier 1 intervention plan can be a cost-effective way to help schools reach their goals. They can be implemented quickly and easily, which is an advantage for schools with limited resources.

However, Tier 2 intervention support is most effective with classwide positive behavior systems.

Interventions can help prevent serious individual Tier 3 behavior problems from occurring in the future and improve the school climate.

#3: Support Strategies Are Data-Driven
By using data-driven support , educators expect to see:
Classwide positive behavior support strategies should be data-driven and based on science and research.

These proven strategies are effective in schools across the country. With the data, schools can decide on the best behavior interventions for students.

Understanding the ABCs of Behavior Presentation
The antecedents set up the behavior to occur and can include both external and internal "triggers" or stimuli that prompt a response from an individual and lead them to perform a certain behavior.
The ABCs of Behavior is a model that helps us understand how antecedents can influence behavior.

A Is for Antecedent

Antecedents are the events that happen just before the behavior occurs - either positive or negative behavior.
Another way to describe behavior in the classroom is a student's way of interacting with his or her environment. In the case of the student who wants peer attention (antecedent), he or she may make a smart remark to the teacher (behavior).
For example, if a student desires peer attention (antecedent), he or she may behave a certain way to prompt a response.

B Is for Behavior

In the classroom, behavior is what a student does, says, and thinks, and it is what teachers see and judge.

The consequences after the behavior either encourage or discourage behavior we want to see from our students.
It's important to note that ABCs are:
C Is for Consequence

For our children to learn how to behave, we have to teach them what behaviors are appropriate in different contexts with consequences.
He or she may make a smart remark to the teacher (behavior), and the consequence is that other students laugh (consequence). However, the teacher can intercept this consequence with positive behavior by ignoring the negative student behavior and praising students who are staying on task.
Therefore, teachers must be consistent in their approach so the children will know what they should do when they encounter various situations.
The ABC system can apply to any type of classroom management strategy.
The consequence of classwide positive behavior support is to implement a "catch them being good" strategy that encourages the positive behavior that you want to see in your classroom in the future.
Teachers should include direct instructions and student feedback to ensure a successful class-wide implementation of a positive behavior support system.
Going back to our previous example of the student who wants peer attention (antecedent):

5 Steps to Setting up a Classwide Positive Behavior Support System

However, it works best with systems that are positive reinforcement-based .

#1: Identify a Classwide Goal

Instead of focusing on individual and small group behavior supports, a classwide goal can be helpful to motivate the whole class.
The goal of your classwide positive behavior support should:
Teachers should not address individual and small group goals classwide. Rather, they should identify a classwide goal and use it as the foundation for the whole-class behavioral intervention strategies.

#2: Clearly Define the Goal in Behavioral Terms

Behavioral terms are a way to measure whether you have achieved your goals.

Classwide positive behavior supports should clearly define the behavior, such as "Attend to lesson," which means looking at the teacher who is instructing, completing tasks related to the lesson, and working cooperatively with peers.

It should also inform the class about the behavior and provide the class positive examples of what the target behavior looks like, as well as counter-examples.
Many schools create baseline expectations for students, including: However, teachers usually need to set more specific expectations for their classwide behavior. In the case of antecedent control for classwide positive behavior supports, the antecedents are strategically planned to have a positive effect on target students by clearly...
And lastly, classwide positive behavior supports should tell the class that they will be provided feedback throughout the lesson on how well they are doing.

#3: Promote Antecedent Control

The antecedent is the event that precedes a behavior.

... to students how to behave and which behaviors are rewarded.
One well-known strategy for promoting consequence control is creating a behavior contract or class pledge that outlines: When students know what the expectations are, they will likely have more positive behavior and fewer instances of misbehavior. A simple approach might be to tell the class "When you have completed your assignment, then you can talk quietly with a friend." Another strategy is to include three to five positive phrases and examples of appropriate behavior in the class pledge, such as:
Students are more likely to comply when expectations are clearly defined and communicated.

#4: Promote Consequence Control

A key element of classwide positive behavior support is promoting consequence control for appropriate behaviors.

The benefits of this approach are significant, and positive behavior support plans can lead to improved student performance and an overall more positive classroom environment.

#5: Clearly Explain the Procedures to the Class
Any of these steps may include students asking questions for clarity of expectations.
For students to implement positive behavior support, teachers will need to clearly explain all classroom procedures.

The key to students meeting your expectations is to provide direct instructions for classroom procedures. Here's how the instructions might go if you're a teacher:

Introduce and give the rationale behind the classroom expectations.

Give clear scenarios of disrespectful and respectful classroom behaviors.

Demonstrate positive behaviors, highlighting important aspects for students to remember.

Have students role-play the positive behaviors and give them feedback and correction.

Cue appropriate behavior inside and outside the classroom and prompt with positive reminders of the expectations.

For constant behavior support in the classroom, it's a good idea to establish lesson plans you can use to communicate expectations for each type of classroom procedure and routine.
Ready to learn all about our SEB Solution can help your students. Let's get in touch.
Illuminate Education: Providing Behavioral Intervention Resources and Support to Educators
Illuminate Education equips educators to take a data-driven approach to serving the whole child. By combining comprehensive assessment and MTSS management and collaboration tools, the Illuminate Solution enables educators to accurately assess learning, identify needs, align whole child supports, drive system-level improvements, and equitably accelerate growth for every learner. Ready to discover your one-stop shop for your district's educational needs? .
Our goal at Illuminate Education is to empower educators with the skills and resources they need to teach a well-rounded curriculum. We do this through the use of data and our expertise in classroom management and behavior intervention resources.

Illuminate Education's Social-Emotional Behavior (SEB) Solution combines valid and reliable SEB assessments with MTSS collaboration and management tools to track things like attendance, incident referrals, intervention effectiveness, and early warning systems so you can make data-driven decisions about the whole child more effectively.

*****

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How to Set Up Classwide Positive Behavioral Support - Illuminate Education

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Want to learn more about classwide positive behavior support? We talk about why it's important and how to set up a support system in your school.

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Source 15: Week 10 Tools to Promote Sensory Success

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Source 15: Week 10 Tools to Promote Sensory Success

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This video demonstrates in depth about how classroom sensory input is a positive addition to the classroom.

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Chapter 5 - Classroom Sensory Activities & Tools to Promote Sensory Success - The Sensory Coach

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Source 16: Week 10 Sensory Tools for the Classroom

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Source 16: Week 10 Sensory Tools for the Classroom

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This source list a few sensory items that can benefit the classroom and its environment.

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Sensory Tools in the Classroom | Organization for Autism Research

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Jessica writes about the strategies she uses in the classroom and with her own son to ensure all children have access to the understanding and sensory tools they need to succeed. This post was originally published on her blog Changed for Good and is re-posted with permission.

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Source 17: Week 13 How To Motivate Learners: 7 Surefire Learner Engagement Strategies

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Source 17: Week 13 How To Motivate Learners: 7 Surefire Learner Engagement Strategies

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This source gives several strategies on how to motivate learners and keeping them engaged. This article really opened my eyes and I will definitely be using these strategies in my classroom.

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Engaged learners are motivated, inspired, and willing to invest effort in learning. In other words, they are a dream to teach. Luckily, while there are almost as many barriers to learner engagement as there are benefits, they can be eliminated with a few smart learner engagement strategies.

So, here are a few general tips for increasing learner engagement and keeping learners motivated, no matter the course or the target audience.

5 simple ways to engage and motivate learners

There are five key learner engagement tactics that can make a huge difference to boosting a learner's enthusiasm for new knowledge and skills. What's great about these tactics is that they can be applied across different courses. In fact, these learner engagement tips can be considered as best practices for motivating every learner, no matter the type of training content.

1. Set clear learning goals

Learners perform better when they know what exactly is expected of them. Setting and communicating clear learning goals in a language that they can relate to is one of the key learner engagement strategies for capturing an audience's attention right from the start.

Understanding your learners' development needs and how they relate to broader business goals is an important first step. That could involve simple surveys asking learners about their previous learning experiences. Light testing also helps determine the gap between current skill levels and those required by business standards.

Invest some time in understanding the unique needs of each learner. In any eLearning course, there should be some overlap between the goals of a course and the personal goals of the learner. For example, a communications course should take into account the personal goals of a learner who seeks to improve their self-confidence in high-pressure communication scenarios, such as salary negotiations.

To really encourage learners to invest emotionally in the course from the get-go, consider opening the course with a personal goal-setting activity. For instance, learners could be asked to outline their expectations of their upcoming learning experience.

2. Make learning convenient

Convenience is no longer just a nice-to-have. Today, keeping learners engaged and motivated is a necessity. A quality LMS is one of the most important tools for creating courses that can be accessed anytime, anywhere.

Choose an LMS that provides access to learning material on mobile devices, both online and offline. Combining a quality LMS with just-in-time learning principles that focus on giving learners what they need, when they need it most, can be a powerful learner engagement strategy.

Structure content in small, manageable chunks that are easy to digest. Then, consider the types of quick-access resources that learners want to engage with frequently. These could be templates, tools, short videos, checklists or even infographics that summarize a procedure.

Do the same with assessment activities. When an assessment takes less than fifteen minutes to complete, completion rates always increase.

3. Get creative with course content

Boredom is a catalyst for causing learners to be disengaged. Stop learners from losing interest in a course by using active engagement strategies. Deliver learning content that is creative and fun to interact with. Just remember that fun is a means to an end, not the end goal itself.

Content formats that keep learners coming back for more include infographics, short, sharp video content, and scenario-based training activities that simulate real-life high-stakes decisions.

Combine creative learning material with microlearning principles to deliver the most important content up front (do not make learners dig for it), and refer learners to quality online resources, like YouTube videos.

4. Reward learners for engagement

As far as learner engagement strategies go, acknowledging the effort learners have invested in learning looks like an obvious choice. But how often is it actually applied?

Start by understanding the things that motivate and inspire learners to keep bettering themselves. Is it a friendly competition with peers? Is it a personal progress bar that provides a visible measure of improvement from one assessment to the next? Or is it, perhaps, acknowledgment from the course instructor or a subject-matter expert?

Leaderboards, badges, and certificates are simple but effective ways to incorporate reward cycles into learning experiences.

One learner engagement tactic is to offer a badge for each activity or piece of content completed. Another is to use a leaderboard to showcase high achievers. Certificates can be the most meaningful of rewards when it comes to motivating adults to learn, because they not only want to build their skills, but also to have something to show for it. Consider how completion and achievement can be acknowledged through certificates. If possible, have certificates signed by an authority figure, such as the instructor, a higher education institution, or the CEO.

Take acknowledgement a step further by having instructors share learner success stories in a meeting or through a short video. Here, they can highlight insightful observations made by learners, remarkable improvements, and other noteworthy achievements.

5. Create open communication channels

Many of the common barriers to learning can be resolved with improved communication. Design courses so that open communication channels are prioritized from the start and make sure that learners understand how to use them. Design these channels to allow feedback and opinions to be shared and make clear that each opinion is valued and heard.

As a strategy to promote learner engagement, online communication can involve casual group discussions, guided peer learning or informal spaces for asking questions. Both structured conversations (e.g., instructor-led) and unstructured conversations (e.g., learner-initiated) can contribute to a sense of community and open communication.

Learner engagement strategies for corporate learners

Corporate learners have additional needs next to their general needs as learners. The following learner engagement strategies are great for addressing these needs and improving the learning experience.

1. Offer real-life rewards for successful training and improved performance

Besides the types of acknowledgment mentioned earlier, corporate learners are also motivated by rewards that impact their everyday work life.

These rewards can include:

Certifications

Promotions

Job expansions

Paid time-off

Performance bonuses

Discounts in favorite stores

Gym memberships

Other forms of reward can be more personal and employee-specific. For example, some employees are motivated by the opportunity to train other employees and share their knowledge and skills.

Public praise can also be a successful learner engagement tactic for corporate learners. Consider announcing the training courses' highest achievers in a team or company meeting, so that the others are aware of their colleagues' dedication and success.

2. Use on-the-job training and relatable simulations

Corporate learners are especially focused on translating their learning experiences into improved job performance. They are likely to be more engaged when asked to deal with real-life workplace issues like the ones they encounter in their job roles frequently.

Use practical ways to motivate learners, such as simulations, case studies and scenario-based activities that ring true to experience. That will keep corporate learners interested. Where relevant, design part of the course in a more practical way to incorporate job shadowing or other forms of on-the-job training. That gives learners an opportunity to practice their new skills and deal with tricky situations first-hand.

Supporting strategies to increase learner engagement and motivation

In this chapter, we discussed some practical tips and tactics for motivating and engaging learners. These strategies are important for all types of learners, including employees. However, these strategies are only achievable when supported by the most suitable LMS solution that comes with rich features and advanced flexibility.

In the next chapter, we will take a closer look at such features and how an LMS can be used to motivate and engage learners.

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7 Successful Learner Engagement Strategies to Motivate your Learners

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Looking for ways to engage and motivate learners? Look no further! We've gathered seven top learner engagement strategies for 2018 to hook your trainees!

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Source 18: Week 13 To Increase Student Engagement

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Source 18: Week 13 To Increase Student Engagement

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This article goes in depth on students engagement and why it is so important to keep this practice going to increase student learning.

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Teachers can motivate middle and high school students by providing structure while also allowing them some control over their learning.

A 2018 Gallup study found that as students get older, they become less engaged, or " involved, enthusiastic, and committed." The study contained some alarming findings: In fifth grade, most students (74 percent) report high levels of engagement with school. However, by middle school, only half of students are engaged, and by high school the number of engaged students shrinks to about one-third.

Student engagement continued to be a pressing concern for parents and educators during and after the pandemic. Approximately half of parents (45 percent), 77 percent of administrators, and 81 percent of teachers said that keeping students engaged was difficult during remote learning. In addition, 94 percent of educators considered student engagement to be the most important metric to look at when determining student success. Gallup found that students who are engaged with school not only report achieving higher grades but also feel more hopeful about their future.

Student motivation

Engagement and motivation are separate, related, but often confused. Motivation is the driving force that causes a student to take action. Engagement is the observable behavior or evidence of that motivation. Motivation is necessary for engagement, but successful engagement could also help students to feel motivated in the future.

In my book The Independent Learner, I discuss how self-regulated learning strategies help students to increase their motivation and willingness to engage in learning because they create feelings of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. According to research by Ryan and Deci, these are the three components that facilitate motivation:

Autonomy is a "sense of initiative and ownership in one's actions."

Competence is a "feeling of mastery" and a sense that with effort a student can "succeed and grow."

Relatedness is when the school setting "conveys respect and caring" that results in the student feeling "a sense of belonging and connection."

Motivating students in the classroom

It is important not to confuse engagement with entertainment. In an EdWeek survey, researchers found that the entertaining activities that teachers expect to engage students are not necessarily working. While the majority of teachers who had increased their use of digital games assumed that games would engage students, only 27 percent of students reported feeling more engaged when digital games were involved. In addition, 30 percent of students said learning was actually less engaging.

So what creates engagement? Gallup found that students who strongly agreed with the following two statements were 30 times more likely to report high levels of engagement with school:

My school is "committed to building the strengths of each student."

I have "at least one teacher who makes me excited about the future."

In other words, engaged students recognize that they have the support of caring adults who are willing to partner with them in their learning.

Not all classrooms create these conditions. Controlling classrooms lower autonomy and motivation and increase student frustration. In controlling classrooms, students avoid challenges because they are afraid of failure. They work toward external rewards or to avoid possible anxiety or shame caused by mistakes. The teacher controls the answers and learning materials and uses language like "should" or "have to," and students feel pressured to behave and achieve.

In contrast, creating classroom environments where students feel autonomy, competence, and relatedness helps students to maintain motivation and increase their engagement in school activities. Classrooms that foster motivation and increase engagement are high in structure but low in top-down control. These classrooms have the following qualities.

Supportive: Teachers support autonomy by listening and attempting to understand and respond to students' perspectives. They look at what a student can currently do and where they need to go to reach the standard or objective, and they help the student by building scaffolds or supports to bridge the gap. This makes achievement toward grade-level content possible, even for learners who are not quite there yet.

Personal and individualized: Students feel like they are able to customize their assignments in order to explore their own interests. Students can also be taught to make their own connections to what they are learning through creating their own hooks for a lesson.

Recognizing students' unique qualities and special talents, getting to know what interests students and incorporating these interests into lessons or assignments, and reaching out to parents with a note or email when a student does something well are all strategies that I use to make learning personal and increase relatedness in the classroom.

Structured and goal-oriented: When teachers give students strategies, provide frequent feedback, and show them how to use those strategies effectively, students are motivated by observing their own progress. Teachers can provide a rationale or standard and guide students in setting short-term mastery goals for each required task. They can also help students to align their daily actions and effort with the results they are hoping to achieve by making a process plan.

I have found that when students graph their own progress or use their process plan as a checklist, this makes growth visual and allows students to see the steps they are accomplishing each day toward their goal. In addition, clear expectations, consistency in classroom structure, clear rules, and set routines are all important.

Collaborative: Teachers provide students with choices and opportunities to partner with the teacher in their learning experiences and show ownership in the tasks that are assigned to them. When teachers encourage students to begin to make choices and take responsibility for their own learning, students see a purpose in school activities.

One way to do this is through using self-assessment to prompt reflection on strategy use. I have students analyze their graded assignments to decide what strategies to keep and what to do differently next time. When students see errors as a signal that they need to reflect on the process and learning strategies they used, they realize there are no real mistakes, just opportunities for learning.

Although the pandemic has been difficult, the majority of students (69 percent) report feeling hopeful about the future. Students who are hopeful and engaged are less likely to get suspended or expelled, have chronic absenteeism, skip school, or drop out of school. When educators put effort into the goal of creating a school environment guided by student engagement, motivation, and autonomy, students can see their own growth. This creates an excitement for learning that helps students to maintain hope for the future even through difficult circumstances.

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To Increase Student Engagement, Focus on Motivation

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Teachers can motivate middle and high school students by providing structure while also allowing them some control over their learning.

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Source 19: Week 14 The Importance of Social Development for Children

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Source 19: Week 14 The Importance of Social Development for Children

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This article goes into depth on why it social development is imperative for children and how we as educators can support them.

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The Importance of Social Development for Children

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Catholic Charities Terre Haute provides emergency shelter, nutritious food, youth programs, Christmas Store, food pantry list, and resources for across west central Indiana

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Source 20: Week 14 Developmental Milestones for Children 

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Source 20: Week 14 Developmental Milestones for Children 

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This source explains the developmental milestones that children should reach in regards to their social skills.

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Social skills are a way of communicating with others that creates healthy and positive interactions. Children with age-appropriate social skills can communicate clearly, calmly, and respectfully with adults and their peers. They also show consideration for the feelings and interests of others.

Good social skills provide many benefits to young children in many social situations and interactions. Additionally, such skills can often lead to success in many areas from school settings to personal lives.

Social skills help children:

Having well-developed social skills also leads to improved mental capacity, cognitive abilities, and overall mental health.

Basic social skills start to develop in a newborn between birth and four weeks old when a child is learning how to interact with their caregivers and environment. Social communication for a young child at this age may look like:

How family members react to their child's social skills will teach them how to respond in the future to meet their wants and needs. Social milestones may be affected or enforced by how a parent reacts to a situation because children will observe others to learn behaviors. How adults model behaviors when responding to fear, surprises, other adults, children, and more will be processed by a child and influence the child's responses.

These basic social skills learned early on are also related to a child's emotional development as they learn how to respond to:

Social and emotional development are connected by a child's experience, reaction to the experience, and how to regulate their response depending on their experience. This is important for building relationships with their peers as they enter school-age and into adolescence.

If a child does not express age-appropriate social interaction or emotional regulation, it may affect their relationships with others and their ability to self-regulate.

All children are unique and may not reach these milestones at the same time as other children; however, if you are concerned about your child's social and emotional development, please consider how Occupational Therapy could benefit your child.

What are the milestones of social development during childhood?

Social development in childhood often looks like play. It considers how a child interacts with their caregivers and later their peers. A child is also developing emotionally while developing their social skills.

You may notice some emotional responses present in social settings that are new to your child or possibly overwhelming for your child. You can encourage social development by talking to your child and facilitating socializing with other children as soon as you feel comfortable. Here's what social behavior can look like for different milestones:

Toddlers

Toddlers begin to learn how to interact with others. As they develop and perceive their individuality within their community, they also gain skills to communicate with others and process their actions.

Preschool-aged

Preschool-aged children begin regulating emotions, sharing with others, and following directions. These skills in early childhood lay the foundation for developing literacy, numeracy, and other cognitive abilities critical for success in school and life for a young child.

School-aged

School-age children are advancing toward adolescence, and peer friendships become very important in their social and emotional development. Their sense of independence increases, along with their confidence to solve problems and perhaps take risks. In adolescence, healthy emotional development is marked by a gradually increasing ability to perceive, assess and manage emotions. This biological process is driven by physical and cognitive changes and is heavily influenced by context and environment.

Examples of places you can take your child to socialize include :

This will build up their social behavior skills in an age-appropriate setting and increase their confidence in their ability to communicate and play with others. By encouraging these interactions when age-appropriate, you can also promote positive experiences and model behaviors appropriate in these settings.

This may look like:

Teaching a child how to introduce themselves

Interacting with appropriate manners

Following instructions

Asking for help

As a child ages, these social interactions and settings will look different, but encouraging an independence-seeking child to join clubs or school programs they are interested in will continue to form their social skill development.

Social Skills Development Delays

Social interactions and skills can be categorized by different milestones reached throughout childhood. Many factors can impact your child and the development of their social skills, and others should be considered before addressing any potential delay.

Some factors that impact social skill development include :

These factors can be addressed through Occupational Therapy. The therapist can understand what may be impacting a child's ability to socialize appropriately and can help implement the appropriate strategies to help. Getting a head start on this will help down the line with other important language developmental milestones.

It is also crucial to understand that your child may not be experiencing a delay in social skills. They may be using other methods of socialization and communication due to how their brain processes information in their environment. This will also be considered when providing strategies to encourage social skills outside of Occupational Therapy.

What social milestones should my child have?

Some social milestones, and related emotional milestones, by age, include:

Infants and Babies
4 months

Begins to imitate facial expressions

Smiles more spontaneously

Develops awareness of surroundings

Crying, laughing, or smiling in response to the caregiver's emotions

Can differentiate familiar faces and strangers

Likes to look at their face in a mirror

Shows stranger danger

May cry if their caregiver leaves the room

Learns the meaning of a few words

Shows preference of people they want to be with

Enjoys games like "peek-a-boo"

May show fear in new environments or anxiety to new people

Imitates sounds or actions

Toddler and Preschool age

Elementary school-age

Ivy Rehab for Kids Can Help

Early Intervention is key to getting your child the support they may need. If you notice your child is behind with some of these social skills, it may be due to a developmental disability. At Ivy Rehab for Kids, we offer pediatric Occupational Therapy, where our Occupational Therapists will listen to your needs as a parent and the child's needs to create a unique plan of care for your child.

At the time of your evaluation and throughout your time with Ivy, your therapist will offer strategies to help your child reach the goals you have discussed. They are experts in approaching challenging social skills activities and working through any social or emotional situation they may experience during their treatment session.

Our therapists will also provide you with information and resources, so you can advocate for your child and use their recommended strategies at home.

If you have any concerns regarding your child's social or emotional skill development, do not hesitate to contact your nearest Ivy Rehab for Kids clinic for more information. Visit our website to request an appointment online or contact the location nearest you for additional information.

Hannah began her Physical Therapist Assistant career just over one year ago. Hannah loves working with the Pediatric population and believes in the importance of providing evidence-based, quality, direct care to her patients. She currently holds certification to provide Serial Casting at her clinic. Hannah enjoys working with children of all ages and watching them achieve their goals and educating their parents on how to be an advocate for their children. She currently treats patients at Ivy Rehab for Kids in Davison, MI .
The medical information contained herein is provided as an information resource only, and does not substitute professional medical advice or consultation with healthcare professionals. This information is not intended to be patient education, does not create any patient-provider relationship, and should not be used as a substitute for professional diagnosis, treatment or medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any healthcare decisions or for guidance about a specific medical condition. If you think you have a medical emergency, call your doctor or 911 immediately. IvyRehab Network, Inc. disclaims any and all responsibility, and shall have no liability, for any damages, loss, injury or liability whatsoever suffered as a result of your reliance on the information contained herein.
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Developmental Milestone: Social Skills for Children | Ivy Rehab

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Curious if your child is reaching their social developemtal milestones? Read on to learn more on milestons of social skills for children.

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Source 21: Week 11 How to Create Sensory Smart Classrooms or Home

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Source 21: Week 11 How to Create Sensory Smart Classrooms or Home

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This sources explains different ways in which one can create a sensory friendly space whether it be at home or in the classroom.

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When teachers and/or parents think of how they can support the sensory needs of their students or child, they often have ideas of elaborate sensory rooms that boast expensive fancy equipment. I am here to tell you that while this is a fantastic option, it is not the only option! You can provide meaningful sensory experiences using regular household and or classroom stuff. If you haven't read part one of this series: Sensory Processing Skills Unveiled and Explained be sure to do so. Having an appreciation of what sensory processing difficulties are and what it might look like is paramount before implementing any type of sensory strategy for children. Understanding the why behind behaviors is the key to handling it, and may I say, how to keep your cool when managing it.

First, I must emphasize that some children have sensory needs that are beyond the scope of this post. Children with sensory processing disorders often require the expertise of an occupational therapist to develop a specialized sensory program designed to meet their needs. This post is not intended to replace specialized individualized care, but rather to provide generalized insight to the sensory needs of children. I will also cover how sensory supports can be implemented at school or home. If you have sensory concerns about your student or child, you should consult with an occupational therapist.

A child may gravitate to one or several types of sensory input based on their individual needs. All children are different and therefore will have unique sensory preferences. Here I will break down the various types of sensory input and how you can support both over-responsive (think sensory avoiders) and under-responsive behaviors (think sensory seekers).

Remember the behaviors that you see in children with sensory processing difficulties have a purpose. They are trying to regulate themselves but do not know how to do so appropriately. Providing meaningful and appropriate sensory experiences will teach children how to safely and effectively get what they need to regulate themselves.

For example, let's say a child is seeking oral motor input by chewing on pencils throughout the day. You want to replace this behavior with a healthier and safer sensory outlet. You may provide the child with alternatives such as a chewy necklace that can be worn daily. Also, you may offer hard and crunchy foods at snack time that will provide intense oral motor input. Explain why you are offering alternatives to the child so he/she will gain insight on how to appropriately self-regulate. The hope is that they will be able to make better choices on their own eventually.

This is my favorite part of this series. What can you do to help a child with sensory needs? Here I will discuss each type of sensory input and share activities, tools, and environmental modifications that can be provided to give the child the type of input they need.

Vestibular Input (Movement)

The word vestibular can be intimidating. Vestibular input is any activity that causes a change in the movement, position, or direction of the head. To keep it simple, just think movement. Children need to move! What types of activities can you do to support the vestibular system? This is dependent upon whether or not the child is over-responsive or under-responsive to vestibular input. If you believe your child has a compromised system that may be impacting his or her ability to function, seeking the expertise of an occupational therapist is highly recommended. Sensory integration is a type of treatment offered by occupational therapists to help those who struggle with processing sensory information, including vestibular input. Every child's needs are unique and call for a treatment plan that is designed to meet their specific and individual needs. Providing information to meet child-specific needs is beyond the scope of this post. Generally speaking, for those who are over-responsive or hypersensitive to vestibular input, introducing movement in a slow rhythmic pattern following a horizontal plane is a good start. Gradually progressing to movement in a vertical plane and finally rotational movement. Children who are under-responsive may benefit from lots of movement throughout the day.

Some ideas are:

trampoline (you do not need to invest in a large backyard trampoline, mini trampolines, like in the image above, work great as well)

playground swings

rocking horses or rocking chairs for older kiddos

Sit-and-spin

bouncing on an exercise ball

spinning on an office chair

wheelbarrow walks

jogging in place

jumping jacks

running, jumping, skipping, galloping

wiggle cushion

hanging upside down or sitting upside-down on the couch

Go Noodle

somersaults or cartwheels

yoga poses like downward dog

jump rope

sensory paths

Visual Input

Visual input is anything that we capture with our eyes, our sight. Visual input is the light, color, or movement that we see in our environment. Lighting is very important as it can be very overwhelming to a sensory vulnerable child. Natural lighting is ideal. Choose artificial lighting that best mimics natural light. Avoid lights that flicker or make a buzzing noise. This can be hard to pick up on if it doesn't bother you, but some lighting, particularly fluorescent lighting, can be very hard to tolerate because of this. You can buy filters for fluorescent lighting that will reduce the harsh effect

Dim rather than bright lighting is often the best choice. When decorating, avoid overbearing paint colors on the wall or furniture. Red, for example, can be too intense for someone with sensory sensitivities. Instead, opt for calming neutrals and blues. Try to keep your classroom or home organized and clutter-free. Having excess items in the home can be overwhelming and distracting.

Visual sensory tools:

limit visual distractions by using a study carrell like in the image above (or you can make one by using cardboard or manilla folders)

I-spy

Spot It

timers

vision bottles

visual prompts

colored overlays

fidget spinners

reading strips

colored paper

DIY Vision Bottle: Vision bottles are super easy to make. Don't toss your empty water bottle in the recycle bin, instead fill it about one-third full with water. Add a few drops of food coloring, whatever color the child fancies. Swirl thefood coloring to mix it well with the water. Add a few fun items like small toys, beads, really anything that you think the child will like that will fit inside the bottlenose. Then fill the rest of the bottle with baby oil. Seal the lid with a hot glue gun or superglue. There are so many variations of vision sensory bottles. You can make them using wet or dry materials (i.e use a funnel for dry materials such as different colors of kinetic sand). They can be a hit with visual sensory seekers.

Here are a couple of videos that share great ideas:
Autism Speaks DIY: Sensory Bottle How to Make Calm Down Sensory Discovery Bottles
Tactile Input

Tactile input is anything that we touch or anything that touches us. The tactile system registers temperature, pressure, tickle, itch, vibration, as well as pain. Tactile input or touch can be light or firm, wet or dry. It is the feel of various textures.

There are several ways to provide sensory opportunities for tactile seekers:

sensory bins (fill a large container with flour, sugar, sand, rice, pasta, beans, water; hide small toys/items in the contents and have the child try to find them using their hands)

touch fidgets: items with varying textures (bumpy, smooth, hard, soft, rough, sticky, coarse, slimy) of fabrics, paper, feathers, sandpaper

Play-doh, clay, finger paints, Kinetic Sand

tactile play: play in dirt or sand, cooking, gardening

vibration: vibrating toys, massagers, Squiggle Wiggle Writer Pens

poppers

stress balls

textured fidgets

pencil toppers

Auditory Input (Hear)

Auditory input is sound or anything that we hear.

How to provide auditory sensory supports:

Noise-canceling headphones or earbuds to filter out ambient noise and make it more bearable

Some children respond well to auditory input as a calming and organizing method. Classical music, mindfulness playlists, ocean sounds, etc. can be used to facilitate calm. Listening via headphones or ambient sound are options based upon the child's preference.

Olfactory Input (Smell)

Olfactory input is anything that we smell.

Some olfactory sensory supports are:

Oil diffuser

Scented markers/crayons

Essential oils

Scented lotions

Proprioceptive Input

Proprioception is our sense of body awareness. It is the ability of our body to know how it is moving and where it is in space. Children who have a poor sense of body awareness have trouble knowing where their body is or how it is moving in space. Proprioception is also an intimidating word. Think of deep pressure input or any type of activity that involves pushing or pulling. Proprioceptive input provides our bodies with the information needed to modulate. In other words, proprioceptive input helps to improve body awareness. It helps children process sensory information and deliver an appropriate response.

Some activities for classroom and home are:

mini trampoline

wall push-ups

wipe the board clean

squeezable/squishy fidgets

resistance bands on chairs

Kinetic Sand/Play-Doh

chair dips

body sock

weighted lap pad

carry a weighted backpack during transitions (not to exceed 15-20% of the child's body weight)

Oral Motor/Gustatory Input

When we think of oral input most of us think of taste and flavor. But there are actually three different types of sensory input received orally. Of course, taste is one of them. We also receive tactile input, anything that touches our oral cavity, meaning our lips, tongue, teeth, inner cheeks, and gums. The joints that move our mouth, our jaws, also receive sensory input known as proprioception. Chewing on something hard for example provides a lot of proprioceptive input orally. Sucking is another way of gaining this type of input.

There are several ways to provide oral motor input to our sensory-seeking kiddos.

chewy tubes, necklaces

hard crunchy snacks such as pretzels, carrots, and celery sticks

intense flavors like sour lemons, Lemon Heads, Sour Patch Kids candies

lollipops

hard candy

sucking beverages through a straw

chewy snacks like Twizzlers candies

I LOVE the chewable pendants available at Munchables. They offer such a wide selection, and the chewables look like actual jewelry, so it doesn't stand out or look different. Click on the link to check out their online store!

Therapist Tip: Provide Choices Visually

Helping children learn how to self-regulate is the ultimate goal. Children with sensory needs tend to be visual learners, so providing information visually is often successful. Children can see what their options are and make choices. The picture below is a sample of a visual choice board that can be posted in your classroom or home. Break cards are a great way of involving children in the self-regulation process. This way the child may choose their sensory break and also develop an awareness of the sensory tools they need to self-regulate.

In the picture above, the child would choose their sensory break by pulling off the visual and placing it on their break card. The adult would determine how to structure the break based on the child's needs and the setup of the classroom or home. For example, setting the timer for a 3-minute trampoline break. Once done, the child would move the sensory choice to the "all done" side of the break card. Sensory breaks should be offered throughout the course of the day as a naturally occurring event.

Sometimes the entire classroom may demonstrate the need for a movement break. In this case, have all the students take a time out Research has shown that all kids benefit from movement breaks, so giving the entire classroom a movement break is always a winner. Go Noodle is a great source for movement breaks. Of course, you would not need to utilize the break cards under these circumstances. The break cards are designed to support individual student's needs.

Feeling like this is too much information to absorb at once? I completely get that! Here is a helpful infographic that summarizes each sensory system along with the corresponding list of sensory tools.

Fun Strokes Freebie: Sensory Smart Tools at a Glance

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Hey OTs!

Do you have kids on your caseload who need and will benefit from sensory breaks and/or supports incorporated into their day? Of course, you do!

Ever had trouble getting teachers and/or staff to invest their time and effort in implementing your suggestions for sensory breaks and strategies?

Do you need a tangible solution that structures your sensory consultation in a way that is easy to understand and carry out?

Look no further, the Sensory Smart Toolkit is your answer! Provide insight into your student's sensory needs and how to address them in a way that flows with natural classroom or home routines. Choices are categorized by the type of sensory input. This allows you to quickly and easily recommend solutions that are based on the sensory needs indicated in your clinical observation, assessment, or sensory questionnaire. This low-prep packet offers 60 options for sensory breaks and strategies that are super easy to implement!

The Sensory Smart Toolkit contains everything you need to provide sensory supports for your little one's today! And get this, I'm offering the entire packet for only 3.99!

This packet is not intended to be used as a prescribed sensory diet but rather as informal sensory supports that can be implemented by teachers and parents to facilitate optimal learning and focus in children under your consultation. Use clinical judgment to determine appropriate use.

Disclaimer:

All information on the Website is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitution for medical advice from your physician or pediatrician. Please consult with an occupational therapist or medical professional if you are concerned about any medical or developmental issues with your child. The information on the Websites does not and is not intended to take the place of the therapist and client relationship that would be provided in a one-on-one treatment session. The Website does not and is not intended to replace an individualized plan of care that would be offered based on a professional evaluation. The information provided on the Website is provided "as is" without any representations or warranties, express or implied.

All medical information on the Website is for informational purposes only. Do not rely on the information on the Website as a replacement for guidance from your medical professional or healthcare provider. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment as a result of any information provided on the Website.

Fun Strokes is not liable for any injury when replicating any of the activities found on the Website. The activities shared on the Website are intended for completion with adult supervision. Be sure to use your judgment and do not provide objects that could pose a choking hazard to young children. Never leave a child unattended while he or she is engaged in these activities. Please comply with all age recommendations on all products used in these activities.

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How to Create a Sensory Smart Classroom or Home

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When teachers and/or parents think of how they can support the sensory needs of their students or child, they often have ideas of elaborate sensory rooms that boast expensive fancy equipment. I am here to tell you that while this is a fantastic option, it is not the only option!

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Source 22: Week 12 Sensory Smart Classroom Secrets 

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Source 22: Week 12 Sensory Smart Classroom Secrets 

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This source lists some ways that we can implement having a sensory smart classroom and why it would beneficial.

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At our 'Ohana OT pediatric clinic we see over 100 children per week with Sensory Processing Disorder. Most of these children are overly sensitive to light, visual clutter, sound, and touch. This oversensitivity triggers a neurological flight/flight/freeze/or shut down reaction similar to suddenly discovering a spider on your body. You might smack it off of you (fight), panic and run out of the room (flight), panic and not be able to move (freeze), or completely shut down /pass out. Your students who have sensory processing disorder are reacting in this way to ordinary environmental stimulation in the school setting. They are unable to control this neurological reaction and it looks exactly like naughty behavior (e.g. hitting, running away, hiding, yelling, not answering you, not paying attention, staring). Here are some simple things that can be done to help to create an ambiance in your classroom that will reduce this neurological reaction and promote learning.

1) Turn off florescent lighting and replace with natural lighting and lamps whenever possible. Sensory kids hear the buzzing and see the flicker that we do not notice and it stresses them out all day leaving their nerves frazzled. In our clinic we see the positive effects of turning off florescent lighting everyday. You can also decrease the brightness of florescent lighting with light covers such as the one below.

2) Reduce visual clutter. Make sure there is some part of your classroom where the eyes can rest. Leave some areas blank with nothing on the wall. Sensory kids will also benefit from having an "office" made from taping two folders together to make a visual block from their peers when needing to focus on their work. This is a great tool for all kids.

3) Reduce noise in the classroom with sound absorbing rugs, curtains and furniture such as bean bags and an upholstered chair. Sensory kids have supersonic hearing and it is as if the volume of every sound is turned way up.

4) Have noise reduction headphones available hanging on a hook for student to use whenever they need to. This is especially helpful when there is a fire alarm (which tends to be very traumatic and painful for sensory kids) and anytime where there is too much noise for the student (e.g. assemblies). Here are the ones we use in our clinic

5) To avoid unexpected touch, allow your sensory kids to be first or last in a line and at the end of a row of desks. Also do not seat them near the noisy parts of the classroom such as by the door or near a fan.

6) Create a safe cozy spot in the classroom to retreat to in order to get away from the light, noise and other children. This could be created with bookshelves in a corner, a folding pup tent, or a sheet draped above the area for "shade" from the lights. Put in a soft rug and some big pillows and you have a place for your kids to feel comfortable when they are feeling over stimulated. It is important that sensory kids can have access to this space when they need it.

In Parts 2 and 3 I address how to provide the body with calming sensory input in the classroom and tricks for smooth transitions.
Blog Article: Sensory Smart Classroom Secrets Part 2 - Calming the Student's Body Blog Article: Sensory Smart Classroom Secrets Part 3 - Transition Tips and Tricks
Next Step:

If you need additional help contact us at (509) 888-7435 or at marykostka@ohanacenter.com to set up a Skype consultation and pay here.

Mary Kostka is a Pediatric Occupational Therapist specializing in Sensory Processing Disorders at her private practice, 'Ohana Occupational Therapy, LLC, in Wenatchee and Leavenworth Washington, USA She has over 29 years of experience with assisting teachers with making their classrooms sensory friendly.

OhanaOt.com
'Ohana Occupational Therapy, LLC
1139 N Princeton Suite B
Wenatchee, WA 98801
Ph: 509-888-7435
Fax: 509-888-7674

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Sensory Smart Classroom Secrets Part 1 - Classroom Environment - Ohana OT Pediatric Therapy in Wenatchee

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At our 'Ohana OT pediatric clinic we see over 100 children per week with Sensory Processing Disorder. Most of these children are overly sensitive to light, visual clutter, sound, and touch. This oversensitivity triggers a neurological flight/flight/freeze/or shut down reaction similar to suddenly discovering a spider on your body.