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1.  Complete the introduction to the lesson (Circle time). (My students are sitting on their numbers at this point in a semi-circle shape)

2. Explain the activity to them in as much detail as possible, most times this requires us doing the activity so that the students have a visual understanding of what would be expected of them.

3. Ask them to repeat what they have to do.

4. Divide the students into their smaller groups for the activities. (With the babies I generally only have 10/12 students in the classroom, so I divide them into two group (Numbers 1-6 = Group 1) and then explain that when I say their group number they can stand up put their pillows away (they sit on little pillows) and head over to the table behind them

5. Ensure that the materials are in place for them so they don't run around and collect them. (This should be done before the start of the lesson), if it isn't, then I revert back to my little leadership appointments, so here the modification would be:                                                            Steps 1 - 4 remain unchanged                                           The two assigned "Teacher's Helpers" will be used to collect the specific materials for their table, they will then stand up from their chairs head over to grab the crayons (for example) and then put them on their table for their group)

6. Explain the steps: Stand Up, put the pillow away and walk to the table, hands on knees, and then use a signal to alert them when to start the activity (i.e. when you say go, once everyone is seated, a beeper, a clock/time, whatever works best for your class, I personally just ask them if they're ready and then once they've replied yes, I say Go and then they're off).

7. Students begin their activity.

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Start playing a soft, calm sound/song to indicate that clean-up will start in five minutes.  The calm music/sound will keep the students calm and let them know that they still have some time to finish up.

With one minute to go, let students know that they have one more minute before clean-up.

Once the time is up, explain to the students that clean-up time is starting and what is expected of them.

Then, play the class clean-up song and put on a timer for the students to see.

Teacher walks around while students are cleaning up and acknowledges what each student is doing.

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I found this article that has quite good ideas for helping students with special needs. It is general but quite a few god points to take from this.

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12 Special Needs Transition Tips, Tricks & Strategies - Friendship Circle - Special Needs Blog

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For children, transitioning from a desired activity to a new activity can be one of the most difficult tasks of the day. In fact, whether you are at home and...

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Some ways I could modify these routines for students with special needs would be to:

Before the lesson starts (circle time), I would explain the lesson break down (i.e. I will now explain the activity and then we will see how to complete it and then we'll move to the tables and complete them together). This will ensure that they understand what will happen during the lesson.

Before asking them to move explain the activity in full detail to reduce the stress of movement, you could also ask a group of students to preview the movement (i.e. show the students how to successfully move from the pillows to the tables), which again could help ease any stress.

Visual Timetables can really help students, place this somewhere that the students can refer back to at any given time, so that they can also track their days progress.

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I found some really good ideas here for students with specials needs and learning disorders as well.

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Aggression Management Anger/Frustration Management Anxiety Management Articulation Skills Attendance Strategies Attention Skills Assistive Technology Skills Blind/Vision Impaired Bullying Management Skills Central Auditory Processing Deafness Depression/Sadness Management Disengagement/Motivation Strategies Eating Disorder Strategies Emotional Regulation English Language Skills Executive Function Fine Motor Skills Gambling Disorder Grief Management Gross Motor Skills Hearing Intellectual

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Some Strategies to help students with Learning Difficulties

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Some Strategies to help students with Learning Difficulties

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Here are some of the main ways you can modify your transition steps for students with learning disabilities:

Make sure to explain as much as possible, and then ensure that they students can relay that information to you. The more precise your explanation the better they may understand.

You'll get to know your students over time, be sure to adapt for their needs as well (i.e. if the student gets nervous completing activity, pay special attention to give them assistance when they need it.)

Differentiation, different students learning differently, so here you can ensure their are visual aids explaining the steps for those who need it, you could also verbally recite them for those who are auditory learners (or create a song), etc...

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Here I have a few tips of my own:

Translate everything at the start, if you have a co-teacher who speak their mother tongue be sure to have her/him translate the steps to the students as well.

ROLE PLAY, ROLE PLAY and more ROLE PLAY, if there is no translation for them, you could physically show them what is expected, and over time they'll master it.

Observe, be sure to watch when they begin transitioning between activities, and help where possible, reminding them of what was said.

Visual Instructions, I had a co-worker who used stickers that laid out the paths the students could use to move from one activity to another, and then over time took them away as the students got more used to what was expected and how to do it themselves. (i.e. arrows)

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1. Ensure Parents are told that the students should be sitting at a table when doing the lesson.

2. Complete the introduction to the lesson (Circle time).

3. Explain the activity to them in as much detail as possible, most times this requires us doing the activity so that the students have a visual understanding of what would be expected of them.

4. Ask them to repeat what they have to do.

5. Here, ensure before the lesson starts that the students are seated at the table beforehand, ask the students to raise the required materials for the lessons, to check that they have everything they need (i.e. raise your pencils).

6. Parents will be given the resources list before the lesson to help the student complete the activity. So here the parents would hand over their materials (i.e if we're doing a worksheet or colouring page)

7. Students begin their activity.

For online classes my students don't move around as much. (Mainly because they're 20 minutes long) but if they had to I would modify the transition like this:
Steps 1 to 4 remain unchanged.

From asking them what they have and don't have, do a timer game (or countdown), students that have everything countdown with me.

Remind the students what they're missing and then we say you have 10 seconds, two times (sorry my kids can only count up to 10 so we just count twice haha), and then give the student and their parent the time to gather those materials, so that the entire class can start the activity together.

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With special needs students, give them extra warnings that clean-up time is coming up. Instead of doing the usual five minutes for the rest of the class, do a ten minute warning for students with special needs.

Be sure to use both visual and verbal indications, for example put the timer where the students can clearly see it. Make use of posters in a designated area so that students can see that it's clean-up time.

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Use visuals to indicate what is expected for students with a language barrier. For example:

A visual class timetable that has a clean-up section that can be indicated when used.

Have picture labels that show what an area is supposed to look like after cleaning up.

Have transitioning pictures that show the steps to follow.

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Even though it's in an online setting, the clean-up transition steps can still be used.

When clean up is approaching, the teacher will verbally announce that there is five minutes to go before clean-up starts and then play the calm music/song as per usual.

With one minute to go, the teacher will inform students that they have one minute to go. Modification: show a 1 minute timer on the screen, counting down.

When the one minute is finished, the teacher will tell the students that it's clean-up time and what is expected (for example, please put a way your materials etc.) Modification: to check understanding, the teacher can show pictures of what's expected or ask student volunteers to explain to the class what they will do.

Then, the teacher will play the usual class clean-up song and put up a visual timer that counts down.

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Arrow markings to help with pathway recognition

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Arrow markings to help with pathway recognition

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Transitioning from the classroom to outside play usually occurs after a bathroom and water break in most scenarios in my classroom.

◦ The teacher can first alert students by telling them that they're going outside (by verbally announcing it).

◦ The teacher will start this transition by playing the line-up song(The song is 2 minutes long and gives students time to prepare for outside play). During this period, students will be getting ready by putting their shoes on and wearing their hats while the song plays.

◦ Once the lineup song ends, the 1-minute warning will start. For this, the teacher will use a timer that will be displayed on the board which will count down from 60 to 0.

◦ As students lineup by the door each ready student in the line, will shout out a number. The first student will say 1 and the student after that will shoutout the next number which is 2 (This is done to alert the teacher how many students are ready).

◦ Before the students leave, the teacher will check if the students did a good job in lining up straight and quietly (The teacher can give positive feedback about the transition). The teacher will explain the rules and how students should behave when they make their way to the playground.

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◦ Taking into consideration learners with special needs, the teacher should allocate extra time to help students transition from one activity to the next. Instead of 3 minutes for students to line up the teacher could add an extra 3 minutes to help students.

◦ The teacher could also send a visual timetable to parents so that they can show students what they will be doing the next day.

The teacher should check up constantly with students with special needs by guiding them through the transition at every step.

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5 Steps to Smoother Transitions for Your Client or Child with Autism

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Teachers can incorporate their visual timetable at each and every step of the lesson. This will allow students to understand what activity they are doing and what the next activity will be next.

Assigning roles in the classroom to students to assist those who struggle with understanding the transition from the classroom to outside play.

A teacher could use visual aids such as, a video. The teacher could record the transition of the students and play it for them before they transition from the classroom to outside play.

Using signals and signs to guide students to the lineup area.

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Change is hard for kids. Whether it's big changes like moving to another town or small ones like moving from one activity to the next, transitions are hard. Transition strategies can help prevent meltdowns and lower anxiety in children. For some kids, such as children with autism, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, PTSD, or other special needs, transitions are even more difficult. This can lead to challenging behaviours.

All children, and particularly those with special needs need a sense of predictability. Being prepared with transition strategies is key. These may take place before, during, or after the transition.

Transition Strategies for Kids:

1. Prepare them. Give kids advance warning for how long an activity will last. Help them know what to expect in a day.

2. Use a visual schedule. This makes it clear what a child can expect and what is coming up next. It can be helpful to put the activities that are most challenging for the child closer to the beginning of the day when they are less tired.

3. Use a visual timer or a visual countdown system.

4. Offer sensory breaks. Sensory activities make great transition bridges. Check out these sensory break cards for home or these sensory break cards for the classroom.

5. Use a transition object. For some children, having their special blanket, doll, or stuffed animal with them can smooth transitions. This is especially true in the case of a child transitioning from one location to another such as from home to school or from home to preschool. Bringing a small photo album or laminated picture of mom or dad can also be helpful.

6. Teach transition songs. Transition songs are a great way to help kids move from one activity to the next. Kids love music. These songs are light hearted. They help kids pay attention. They help them mentally prepare for the next activity or time of the day. You can make up your own to the tune of any familiar tune or you can find transition songs here.

7. Choose transition activities. These would be things that could be done in between two other things such as skipping over to the car or counting to ten before moving on to the next thing.

8. Allow for extra time. If you're rushing, your child will pick up on your energy and become even more agitated. By not leaving things until the last minute, you will give your child extra time to adjust. You will also be calmer, which will help them stay calm.

9. Use social stories. For children who have a particularly hard time with transitions, preparing them with relevant social stories ahead of time can be beneficial.

10. Maintain consistency. As much as possible, try to stick with the schedule and routines that you have laid out.

Printable Visual Schedule Buy Now Transition Songs and Rhymes Buy Now Social Scripts for Kids Buy Now
Why transitions are challenging for kids:

You know that moment when you know that it's time to leave the playground but it's gotten crowded since you arrived and you dread the scene that you know is going to unfold as soon as you tell your child it's time to leave? We've all been there.

When your child is engrossed in an activity that they are enjoying, it's hard for them to get their brain to switch tracks.

Even as an adult, it's sometimes hard to want to leave something that we are enjoying to move on to something we perceive as less enjoyable.

Kids have less control of their lives. They don't make the timetable or choose where they are going or what they are doing (most of the time). This makes it more frustrating for them to have to quit something they are enjoying.

Transitions and special needs:

Children with autism and kids with ADHD tend to hyperfocus on what they are interested in or what they are doing. Disruptions are unwelcome and can result in a meltdown. Attention shifts require flexible thinking and this is challenging for most kids who have autism.

Kids who have autism also have trouble with nonverbal cues, so they may not pick up on things that other children in the classroom do to prepare them for transitions. That's why it's especially important that things are spelled out clearly for them and that they get visual cues as well as verbal ones.

Children with sensory needs can also struggle with transitions more than other kids. This is due to their bodies needing to adapt to new sensory stimuli with each new location or activity.

As an example, in a classroom setting when a child is engrossed in a math activity, sitting at a desk and the time comes to put that away and eat lunch.

Where they were likely not getting enough sensory stimuli at their desk, moving to a cafeteria or into the busy hallway to retrieve their lunch may offer too much stimuli with the increased noise, physical activity, and taste sensations. Going to such extremes rapidly is difficult and can lead to meltdowns.

Transitioning from home to school and back home:

One of the most difficult transition of the day for kids can be the one from home to school/preschool or the one from school back home. If this is a particularly challenging issue for your child, it's best to work together with the teachers to come up with a game plan.

A transition object can be useful. This is usually something familiar from home that brings the child comfort.

Have something the child does every day right before leaving the classroom. This should be simple and easy to maintain such as placing their notebook on the teacher's desk or placing an X on their student planner.

Although you want the teacher to be aware of this routine, you don't want to involve them in it. If for example the child's post-school ritual was to high-five the teacher every day, imagine the meltdown the child could have if the teacher were absent one day.

Coming back home after school is particularly difficult for many children. The reintegration into the house after holding in their emotions all day and being in a very different environment can cause big meltdowns.

We have discovered an After School Meltdown Strategy that actually works. It has made the after school transition much smoother in our home. Other parents have also found it works for their child.

Remember that communication between you and your child as well as between you and the school are critical in helping your child make these changeovers as seamless as possible.
Printable Visual Schedule for Kids with Special Needs
Resources for assisting kids in transitions:

The After School Meltdown Strategy that really works

Sensory Break Cards

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Change is hard for kids. Whether it's big changes like moving to another town or small ones like moving from one activity to the next, transitions are hard. Transition strategies can help prevent meltdowns and lower anxiety in children. For some kids, such as children with autism, ADHD, Sensory Processing Disorder, PTSD, or other special needs, transitions are even more difficult.

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The teacher can use visual aids to show learners what the next activity is going to be. Placing a visual aid on the board with pictures and directions to help remind students how to transition.

The teacher could also demonstrate to students how the transition should be.

The teacher could group students in pairs by asking students who are efficient in transitioning from the classroom to outside play to assist those who struggle.

The teacher can also use lines on the floor and signs in the classroom to guide students to help them see where they should stand.

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Toddler Classroom Waiting Activity During Transition from Hand Washing to Outside

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Some of these modifications apply to periods where there is a pandemic and students can't transition to outside play due to COVID restrictions.

◦ Teacher can tell students that we're going to transition from online learning to indoor home exercising by explaining the steps on how the transition will happen.

◦ Firstly, the teacher will play a song to allow students to get ready to exercise. The song will be 2 minutes long.

◦ Once the song stops, the teacher will give a 30 second countdown.

◦ After the 30 seconds are over students need to stand in front of the camera and raise their hands to show that they are ready.

◦ The teacher will explain the rules for the indoor workout exercise and the activity will begin.

Even though this lesson is online, there are some other ways to help students transition from the online lesson to outside play.  Students need to be prepared even at home to go outside by having the appropriate attire and materials to go play outside.

◦ The teacher could ask students to each volunteer by asking student to tell the class what they think they might need to go play outside.

◦ The teacher could play a fun game where they show students pictures of some of the things they might need for outside play for example trainers, shorts or sun hat. Each time the students see the picture, they can shoutout the answer.

◦ The teacher could play a fun game where students need to listen to the word and  quickly fetch items they need for outside play. Once they have all the items then  students can go play outside.

Teacher can use a chant where students repeat what the teacher says about being safe when playing outside.

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To ensure less confusion, make sure to use resources that are clean-up time specific. For example:

use a specific song

timer and

visuals just for clean-up time so that when students hear or see these specific resources, then they will automatically know that it's clean-up time.

Going up to individual students and letting them know that it's almost clean- up time and again when clean-up starts.

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Clean Up Song | Kids Song for Tidying Up | Super Simple Songs

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Line Up! | featuring Noodle & Pals | Super Simple Songs

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60 Second Timer for Kids | 1 Minute Countdown

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Because the students are very young, they have not yet learned to coordinate and move smoothly from one group to another. Therefore, it is vital to have a transition routine to help students move from a big group to a smaller group activity. There are a few strategies that I like to implement and rotate in class to help students engage, depending on their energy level and the activity for the day.

Step 1: Before transitioning to a new activity, I will have a specific cue to re-direct students' focus. We practice "Call Backs" in our class, such as "Attention! 1,2!" and "Eyes on me! Eyes on you."

Step 2: When students' focus is on me (the teacher), I will introduce the next activity. It is important at this time to be excited in our introduction to engage students' interests.

Step 3: We will review the norms for the class, such as "Move quickly like little kittens" or "Be patient." I will also demonstrate how we should behave in small group activities, such as "be kind" to our friends and our class furniture.

Step 4: This is the key to our transition routine. I would implement different strategies depending on the activity and students' energy levels.

Option 1: "Mix and Match Colors" - We would sing a little song, "If your clothes have any blue, any blue tap your shoes." When I have this group's attention, I will direct them to their small-group station. Then we would repeat the same steps for children with other colors to move them to a new activity.

Option 2: "Action Cup" - After an activity where students have been sitting for quite a bit, we can play a little game to have them move around. The teacher (me) would draw a popsicle stick from the cup. On the popsicle stick, there is an action written on it, such as "hop like a rabbit," and students have to hop to move to their next station.

Step 5: Praise students and give them specific feedback on how they behaved during the transition. Review the instructions one more time before we start our new activity. Instead of using the cue word "go," which students may associate with rushing or excitedly/ loudly grabbing things, I will signal with the word "Green" to let students know they can begin their new activity calmly.

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This resource provides a guideline for transition routines for children with special needs.
In aiding a transition process for children with disabilities, preparations must be made in advance to get them ready.
- Communication: Before we wrap up our previous activity, I will brief the specific students on what we will do next, such as our transition game (Mix and Match Color or Action Cup game), so they are not surprised. I would also let them know how much time do they have left for the current activity.
- Timing Flexibility: If the student is still in the middle of their activity when it's time to move on, I will allow them to at least wrap up their current task, not just disrupt their process.
- For children with disabilities, we will have transition toolkits including items that bring them comfort or security so they can feel safe during the changes, such as finger puppets or soft noise makers (little shakers) or fidgets.
- Having specific songs or cue music to signal the transition every time would also create a consistent routine for these children.
Generally, I provide a step-by-step overview when I introduce an activity, whether a transition or a game. For children with disabilities, I try not to give them too many directions at once. Instead, I will provide a clear goal and then guide them one step at a time to avoid them feeling overwhelmed.

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Instructions for students with learning disabilities should be short and concise, paired with demonstrations. Each step should be modeled clearly.

Chunking Techniques: Instead of providing all the instructions all at once, I will introduce step-by-step guides so the students would not feel pressured to memorize everything all at once. For example, with the transition activity Mix and Match color, I would sing the song first, "If you have any blue, any blue, stomp your shoes", and have the students identify themselves as wearing blues or reds before giving them the next instruction of where to move on to.

Visual Cues: Some children respond better to visual information. Therefore, when we sing a song for the colors of the clothes, I would also have flashcards showing the target color. For the Action Cup, we will have pictures of the action attached to the stick so students can follow the example.

Multi-sensory Teaching: The transition routines should be conveyed in different styles to appeal to visual/ audio and kinesthetic learners. We will include visual aids, musical chants, callbacks, and TPR movements to keep students engaged during the transition.

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Practical strategies to help you support pupils with cognition and learning difficulties

Children with cognition and learning difficulties make up the largest group of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Each is an individual and particular strategies will be valuable, but there are some generic approaches to share with colleagues that may help them to differentiate effectively for children who find it hard to learn.
Support for SENCOs
Part of a teacher's skill is in understanding that pupils learn in different ways and at different speeds, and being able to accommodate their needs in a way that guarantees success and enjoyment in every lesson. Effective differentiation will mean that most children and young people can participate and achieve in classroom activities and make progress. You may find, however, that teachers don't always go far enough in thinking about and planning for different ways of supporting learning. The following headings can be used for discussion at staff meetings or in departments, to encourage teachers to reflect on their own 'inclusive practice'.

Firm foundations: understanding what a child already knows, understands and can do is essential - do you know learners well enough to be sure of this? Are observation and assessment systems effective? For example, trying to teach a child about using standard measurements of weight is not going to succeed if s/he doesn't yet understand the difference between weight and size ('it's bigger' instead of 'it's heavier'). So while some pupils are using scales and estimating/adding weights etc. others will be learning that size does not always equate with weight, and becoming secure in their understanding of terms like 'more, less, bigger, smaller, heavier, lighter, size, mass, weight'. Lesson objectives will be different for different children - but all on the same continuum. Use concrete experiences, practical and relevant starting points for all new learning.

Multi-sensory teaching and learning: children with cognitive difficulties need as much stimulation as possible and the benefits of VAK teaching (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic) are widely acknowledged (incorporate the senses of taste and smell as well wherever possible). Some schools have introduced daily exercise classes that include balance and awareness of place, resulting in improvements in pupils' behaviour and basic skills such as reading.

Sensory rooms or corners stimulate through sound, sight and touch. They are in place in most special schools, but increasingly, mainstream schools are realising the benefits that a sensory environment can offer to many children.

Over-learning: in order to ensure that new learning is consolidated, there is often a need for a great deal of practising. The challenge to the teacher is how to vary the activity and prevent boredom setting in - for all concerned! This is where games of all sorts and computer software can be invaluable. It is important to share any techniques with parents/carers so that the children realise that learning goes on everywhere, not just at school.

Metacognition: learning how to learn is important for all children, but particularly so for those children with a specific learning difficulty such as dyslexia. Explicit demonstration and explanation of different learning styles can help children to make the right sort of choices in their work and the way in which they approach a task. Children are being taught to make choices from a very early age through the early learning goals and the same principles of 'Plan, Do, Review' can be applied to whatever stage a child is at.

Presentation of text: schools are print-rich environments and this in itself can present a problem for children and young people who find reading difficult. From notices in the corridor to individual worksheets - there should be a system in place for assessing readability and making text as accessible as possible. Colour (of print and paper), font style and size, and space on the page can all make a difference.

Recording: 'getting it down on paper' is often the area which causes most problems for children with learning difficulties. Help teachers to be aware of technological aids and appropriate software (see the news item at the end of this ezine if you need more input yourself in this area). Make sure they know about writing frames and different ways of recording such as diagrams, posters/pictures, tables, digital photos, audio recordings, voice recognition and video.

Risk taking: it's vital that a positive, secure and accepting ethos is established where children are able to make mistakes - and learn from them. There is a place for 'errorless learning', especially for building confidence, but seeing and correcting one's own mistakes (with help) can be an empowering experience.

Technology: a variety of ICT equipment can be used to help pupils with learning difficulties, but each option should be considered in terms of the individual learner and consideration given to the educational objectives to be addressed. The use of ICT can be highly motivational: it is endlessly patient, can provide error-free learning and gives instant rewards.

Working together: one of the important skills all children need to learn is that of working with and learning from others. This may have to begin with a child working with a supportive adult and built up to working with a 'buddy', then in a small group. Groupings will depend very much on the nature of the children involved. Peer coaching can be very effective where pupils are appropriately trained/supported and understand both roles - 'tutor' and 'tutee'.

Praise: this is a powerful tool for encouraging pupils who find things difficult, and building up their confidence and self-esteem. Remember to be genuine, praise for effort as well as achievement and make the praise explicit; for example, congratulating a child for finishing a task, asking for help, answering a question, rather than simply saying 'well done'.

TA support can be invaluable to the teacher and pupil alike, but the support needs to be planned and regularly evaluated if it is to be most effective. John Liddle (SENCO Update issue 70 - click here for more details) eloquently raised the issues surrounding this subject and made excellent suggestions for using assistive technology to complement the work of the TA/LSA. Teachers should manage other adults in their classroom and plan to maximise their effectiveness.

SEN News Make sure you attend Every Child Matters for SEN, on the 13 November 2007 (Birmingham). This event will help you to use techniques for encouraging your SEN pupils to enjoy school, take an active part in their education and become productive members of society. Click here to find out more details.

Go to 'Special Needs London' held at the Business Design Centre, on 19 and 20 October 2007, if you possibly can. This is the most comprehensive SEN event on the national calendar and provides opportunities for looking at resources, attending presentations and workshops and seeking specific advice, information and support on a huge range of issues. Entrance is free but seminars have to be booked and paid for - so look at the programme and make a plan!

Special Schools Matter (19th October) is one of the presentations on the programme and will be of particular interest to providers of specialist care for children and young people. The event brings together a range of esteemed speakers who will look at the changing role of special schools and the changing pattern of disability that has occurred worldwide.

Find out more: > Articles on special educational needs
> Special educational needs publications
> Back to SENCO Week index page
This e-bulletin issue was first published in October 2007
About the author: Linda Evans is the author of SENCO Week. She was a teacher/SENCO/adviser/inspector, before joining the publishing world. She now works as a freelance writer, editor and part-time college tutor.

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Strategies for cognition and learning difficulties - Teaching Expertise

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Practical strategies to help you support pupils with cognition and learning difficulties Children with cognition and learning difficulties make up the largest group of pupils with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Each is an individual and particular strategies will be valuable, but there are some generic approaches to share with colleagues that may help them to differentiate effectively for children who find it hard to learn.

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- Every step of the instruction should also have clear visual demonstrations, either by the teacher or a flashcard on hand. For instance, if I ask for children with blue clothings, I would point at my shirt and pants and show them the flashcard of the color blue.
- The language should be concise and use vocabulary that students have already learned. For example, I made sure I have introduced the colors already before we start the Mix and Match Colors game. Students should also already be familiar with actions like "Hop Hop Hop" or "Clap Your Hands" (from songs context) before playing "Action Cup"
- Peer Support: Instead of teacher doing all the explanations, I can use a buddy system or "little teacher" to help me translate and demonstrate the activities or modeling behaviors.
- It is important to check that students understand the instructions, especially for ESL students. Therefore, my questions would be more intentional and specific. Instead of asking "Everyone ok?" or "Everyone understands?" I will ask questions like "What do we do for this action?" (and show the flashcard). If I have some very advanced students, I can ask them to explain using their own words to give them a chance to practice and for their peers to hear the instructions from a different perspective.
- Practice Rounds and Consistent Routine: For ESL students it is important to practice and be patient with their progress. I will introduce and practice the game until students are well familiarized with it before incorporate it into our routine.

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In a virtual classroom, students do not need to move around, changing between big and small group activities. However, there will be games where students must group together to make a team.

When it's time for transitioning or dividing the students into small groups, the teacher can use a random generator or a spinner wheel to assign groups (with names) to students. The teacher can display this spinner wheel on the screen so that all students can see it. They will likely enjoy seeing the needle spinning before landing on someone.

Because the children are so small, they can't read their names yet, so it is best to use their pictures on the generator.

If no platform is suitable for the activity, the teacher can always make a simple spinning wheel and add students' faces to it.

Once the students have been assigned to the group. The teacher should check to ensure they understand which group they are in; for instance, "Blue Team, raise your hands!"

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- The teacher informs students when there is three minutes remaining. They also write a large number 3 on the board. The same is done for 2 and 1 minute remaining.

- The teacher does a count down from 5 and then claps three times. The students know this means to cease work and turn in their book / worksheet.

- The students line up at the bathroom door in preparation for hand washing, but they do not open the door.

- The teacher opens the door and watches to ensure all children was their hands correctly. When finished, they are to line up at the primary door for snack/lunch time.

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- Special needs students will be handled on a case by case basis depending on their needs. For example, they may be given advanced warning time or told to wash their hands and prepare prior to other students.

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- If needed, the Thai teacher can translate. Or the teacher can if they know how to speak the language.

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- None. This doesn't translate to online lessons at all.

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Quick Tool Links: Picker Wheel, Team Picker Wheel, Yes No Picker Wheel, Number Picker Wheel, Letter Picker Wheel, Country Picker Wheel, Date Picker Wheel
1. What Is the Image Picker Wheel?

Image Picker Wheel is a random image generator that will decide a random image from a list of pictures you provide. It is a specialized Picker Wheel focusing on selecting a random picture.

It is created because we know a picture is worth a thousand words. It will make the wheel more interactive with the audiences. For example, a teacher can use this Image Picker Wheel to teach students about animals by inserting all the animal photos in the wheel.

2. How to Use This as a Random Image Generator?

This image wheel will decide a random image from a list of photos you inserted.

This wheel does not function as a typical random photo generator, as it does not has all the predefined photos. It is a general type of random image generator where it supports all image formats and does the image selection from the images you provide.

1. Select a single image or multiple images. It accepts all the images format. e.g. png, jpg, gif, and others.

2. Choose one of the actions for the result selected. Understand the type of action modes at section 3.

3. Type of Action Modes

Same as the Picker Wheel, there are 3 actions you can do when the image result is announced.

3.1. Normal Mode

The image selected will still be available next round and all the available image options remain the same as the previous spin.

3.2. Elimination Mode

The image selected will be temporarily eliminated. You can enable it back by toggling the image in the inputs section.

3.3. Accumulation Mode

The count of the image selected will be added +1. By default, all the newly inserted image's count is zero.

4. Wheel Customization

Customization is always great to fit your mood. Let's customize your image picker wheel and insert your favorite images before spin.

How to customize?

Spin Behavior

Spinning speed (lvl1 to lv10).

Spinning duration (1s to 30s).

Enable manual stop button.

Random initial angle.

Mystery spin (replace inputs on wheels with "?")

Spin count

Confetti & Sound

Disable/Enable confetti.

Sound on/off.

Customize starting, spinning, and ending sounds.

Tool Colors - Change the wheel colors with several themes provided.

Background Color - Change the background color of the whole section.

Background Image - Add a background image at the wheel section. (Premium Users)

Spin Button - Customize your own spin button. (Premium Users)

Banner | Logo - Adding your own logo or banner. (Premium Users)

*Customize wheel with your own wheel sounds, colors and background color. (Premium Users)

5. Open/Close Title Section

Do you know that you can set your own title for your wheel spinning?

Why do we need to write a title for a spin? Because:

It can help you to specify the aim of spinning.

Other people know your purpose of spinning when you shared a link with them.

It provides a clear guideline when you are preparing the inputs.

It gives you a message when the result is announced.

6. File Storage - Save/Open/Delete File

Besides the text inputs, your images inputs can also be saved into online file as long as you're a register user :D

Save your images inputs and assign a file name and use them when needed. It is convenient and saving time!

You can save several files. (Free Users - 15 Files available, Premium Users - Unlimited)

There are two types of data you can save into the files which are "List" type and "Share" type.

List type - This is the file type you'll see after you save your data list. This is a private document that only you can open and edit.

Share type - When you create a share link from any private List file, the file becomes a Share file, which others can view/copy but only you can change. The conversion of a List file to a Share file is irrevocable.

6.1. How to Save?

1. When you have finished preparing your data. Select "File" from the menu. Choose "Save List as..".

2. When you want to save new data to a new file or replace an existing file, you can only select "Save List as.." Once you've saved a file, you'll see the "Save" option ready to click. The "Save" option allows you to save the data to the current file immediately.

6.2. How to Open/Delete File?

1. Click the File button. Choose Open/Edit File.. button.

2. For open: Choose a file to open. You can open and edit your "List" type and "Share" type of file from here.

7. View All Result

Once you click on that button, you can see your past results.

And also the scores for the specific inputs if you have used the accumulation mode (add count for the choices).

8. Full Screen View

Same as the other wheel, the image picker wheel can also spin in a full screen view!

Once you're getting ready for your title setting, inputs, and tools settings, you can press the full screen view button to enjoy your spinning.

Wheel in the full screen view provides you a different and unique spinning experience.

9. Image Source - Where to get FREE image

There are many ways to get/create your images. Here are some suggestions for you.

You can insert the images from your mobile photo gallery.

You can get FREE images from Unsplash, Pixabay, and so on.

A place that you can get free images for educational purposes is https://www.irasutoya.com/. All the images are free to use and download as long as you follow their policy. As a reminder, the website is in Japanese language.

You can create images by using Canva, PPT and other software that can be downloaded as JPEG and PNG.

Image Picker Wheel does support both .jpeg and .png images.

10. Use Cases

These are the several scenarios that we think the Image Picker Wheel will help.

1. A kindergarten teacher can do a more interesting lecturing in the classroom with all the kids.

2. We can use it in an ice-breaking game. The loser must do the posture the same as the image selected.

3. We can use it to decide what food to cook. The food among the top 3 counts will be cooked.

11. Relationship Between Image Background And Wheel Color

Some images are with background and some are without.

If you are using an image with background, eg: white background, the particular input wheel pie will follow the background color.

The transparent background image will not change the wheel colors.

12. Generate Cert - Announce The Winner of Your Event

How can I show my result to my audience?

The cert generator is located below the result and also in the All Results view.

When to use the cert:

For your giveaway event.

For announcing the winner in your event.

To post as a public post on your social media. (The cert is more formal than screenshooting the result)

If you find this image picker wheel useful, you could share it to your friends and family. There is a share button at the top right of the page.

Your inputs (statuses are excluded) and title will be automatically collected by the system and added to the share link. You can decide to include "Settings" as well, which will also include the sounds, colors, and other settings. Your share link's viewers will be in "Share View" when they access it.

Under share method, you will see:

Share as Guest - Duplicates a fresh set of data according to the contents. Once data is created, the owner cannot alter it. There won't be any premium customization offered. If a link is inactive for 365 days or 60 days without being opened, it will be erased.

Share from File - Make your file shareable. The data is always synced in real-time, the owner can update it later. Premium customization will be included if you have. The link is active as long as the file is still accessible. You can choose to prevent the ads from showing on the shared spinning wheel and show your banners instead.

View Only - The spinner wheel can only be viewed and played.

Can Copy - The spinner can be viewed, played, and copied by others.

14. Feedback Us

We always want to improve the wheel, so that it can fit everyone's need to solve their daily problem. Please feel free to let us know your feedback.

15. Need a Text-Based Picker Wheel?

If you want a text-based Picker Wheel, you may explore our core Picker Wheel to do random text-based decision.

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Image Picker Wheel - Pick a Random Image by Spinning

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Image Picker Wheel is a special random image generator to pick a random picture from a list of pictures provided by using a wheel. Interactive and fun.