resources, equipment, discounts, leads, scholarships and more, for adults with disabilities (aged 18 and older)
From foundations and grants to books, bikes and benefits - a big list of places that can help out with free stuff for kids with disabilities
With World Down Syndrome Day and Autism Awareness Month right around the corner, this is the perfect time to think about hosting your own disability awareness day to help students throughout your school better understand different types of disabilities! Last year, I used this Disability Awareness Day Kit from The Bender Bunch to host a schoolwide awareness day for 3rd-5th graders. I was lucky enough to have a principal that let me get a sub for the day to run this wonderful event. I set aside about an hour and 15 minutes per session and did each grade level at their own time. For the event, I sent out parent volunteer forms and got parents to sign up for a time slot to help run a table! Traci from The Bender Bunch included so many great things for me to use during this event. There are some things that you need to grab ahead of time that you'll see in my pictures, but overall it was really just making copies, finding volunteers, and setting up the stations! For my event, I created my own questionnaire to send out to teachers about a week before the event to have their students fill out. This gave me a great idea what they knew about disabilities already, what questions they had, etc. They answered a very similar questionnaire after the event so I could see what they learned! I also spend about 15 minutes at the end of the the event talking to each grade level about ways they can be a good friend to someone with a disability, asking them questions about what they learned, and answering any lingering questions. Overall, it was a GREAT success! In the future, I'd love to do it again (with help!). I did this event last year all on my own and although it turned out amazing, I would love to do it again with a little less stress (and someone to help me answer questions, those kids had some awesome questions!). Each station was set up at a table like this with everything you needed to run the station smoothly! I grabbed a bunch of gloves from our school lost and found and had the students trying to pick up pennies, tie their shoes, etc. It was eye opening for them! Finger spelling word puzzles, these were awesome! One of our stations had Google Chromebooks set up with a couple different things. One was white noise where they had to listen to the white noise while doing the specified activity. I also had some set up to show them a video through the eyes of someone with Autism. They all loved this! I e-mailed the Autism video to classroom teachers in case someone didn't get a turn. You can see the video HERE. I loved this station. All of the kids were like "I can't see that!!!" and I'm like "that's the point ;-)" haha! Have you ever done something similar at your school? If not, I highly recommend doing it! This event was a huge eye opener and big hit!
Special education expert, Hendrix Brakefield, gives his best tips for teaching life skills education to adults with intellectual disabilities.
Are you looking for engaging ways to teach math concepts to students with significant needs? Are you in need of some fresh ideas? Keep reading to find out how I incorporate math into my students daily schedules. This post is going to be geared towards students with significant needs. Students who are working on very basic math concepts and/or need a lot of support with communication (non-verbal) and routines. I started with taking a look at my students IEP goals. I found that a lot of the students have similar goal areas. I decided that these overlapping areas would be our focus of the day. Here is what our schedule looks like: Monday: Numbers (1-5) Tuesday: Shapes Wednesday: Colors Thursday: Days of the Week Friday: Months of the Year It would be nice to be able to teach a whole group lesson but even within this group of students there are diverse needs. I find it more beneficial to teach concepts in centers. Centers allow me to teach the concepts individually or in small groups and differentiate to truly meet the needs of all the students. Here are the centers I have: Technology: A para shows a video that corresponds with our daily focus. They also work on calendar daily using Star Fall. Teacher Time: I run this center and we work on IEP goals and objectives. Hands on Learning: A para works on the daily focus by using hands on materials. Most of my students in this group are working on transitions, mobility and building routines. In order to save time I have the adults bring the centers to each group of students rather than moving the students from center to center. If you teach in a self-contained setting and have the time to move students I would strongly encourage it as it would be a great time to work on the above mentioned areas. Since I don't work in a self-contained room I simply do not have the time to do this. Alrighty, so here is how I incorporate basic math skills into my students schedules. I have included the technology video links we use, listed some hands on activities and some sample goals I would be working on that correspond to the daily focus. Technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SV6iC34a46w Hands on Learning: Grab these Monthly Themed Touch Dot Visuals HERE! Using our princess manipulatives to count. Teacher Time: By (date), during math instruction, (student) will repeat numbers (parrot count) up to 20, in 3 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher observation and anecdotal notes. By (date), when given manipulatives, (student) will count objects to match a given number up to 5 that is stated orally and a visual cue is presented, 3/4 times in 3 trials, as measured by teacher observation and anecdotal notes. By (date), during 1:1 math instruction, (student) will count the Touch Dots on 2 numbers (1-5) by pointing to them and identify the sum using their communication device, 3/4 times in 3 trials, as measured by teacher observation and anecdotal notes. Technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTeqUejf3D0 Hands on Learning: Monthly Themed Binder Sets from Autism Adventures FREE shapes book here Teacher Time: By (date), when presented visuals, (student) will point (receptively answer) to shapes (circle, square, triangle, rectangle, star, heart) from a field of 3 that are said aloud, 5/6 correct in 3 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher observation and anecdotal notes. By (date), given pictures of shapes, (student) will match the corresponding shape words in a field of 6, answering 5/6 correctly in 3 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher observations and anecdotal notes. Technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQASh8bbkUY Hands on Learning: Monthly Themed Binder Sets from Autism Adventures Teacher Time: By (date), when presented visuals, (student) will point (receptively answer) to colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, brown, black and white) from a field of 4 that are said aloud, 3/4 correct in 3 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher observation and anecdotal notes. By (date), given pictures of colors, (student)with adult support and prompting, will match corresponding color words in a field of 6, answering 5/6 correctly in 3 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher observations and anecdotal notes. Technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tx0rvuXIRg Hands on Learning: Day & Month File Folders from The Autism Helper Teacher Time: By (date), during calendar instruction, (student) will identify the day of the week when visuals are provided, from a field of 2 in 3/5 trials, as measured by teacher observations and anecdotal notes. By (date), when asked a question about the date, (student), with adult support and prompting, will correctly identify the date (number) when visuals are provided, in 3 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher observations and anecdotal notes. Technology: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86kYp9hpab0 Hands on Learning: Independent Work Binder found here Teacher Time: By (date), during calendar instruction, (student) will identify the month when visuals are provided, from a field of 2 in 3/5 trials, as measured by teacher observations and anecdotal notes. By (date), when asked a question about the date, (student) will correctly identify the month when visuals are provided, in 3 out of 5 trials, as measured by teacher observations and anecdotal notes. Teaching math to students with significant needs can be tricky. As you can see I do not have a curriculum to follow (I have Unique Learning system but it doesn't work well with this group) so I base my instruction solely on their IEP goals and objectives. These kids have done an excellent job with this method and best of all, I get it all done in 30 minutes. 10 minute centers are the perfect length for this group. They don't get bored of the same person or activity and are able to stay engaged during the entire math block. What math activities do you incorporate for your students with significant needs? Follow my blog with Bloglovin
What do you do when you learn that your child has dyslexia? Should you hide this diagnosis to protect them from labels and misunderstandings, or should you tell them? If you do decide to tell them, how do you do this? Can you help them to overcome any potential fears or misunderstandings? These are the questions that I will answer in this blog that includes kid-friendly graphics. What are the Benefits of Telling Your Child That He or She Has Dyslexia? Educating your child with dyslexia about the common signs and misconceptions can help them to: understand that they learn in a different way than other kids that don’t have dyslexia. shed negative labels such as stupid, careless, unmotivated and lazy. correct any misunderstandings. identify with other successful people that have or had dyslexia. acquire the needed intervention and instruction in school. learn that many people with dyslexia have strengths that others do not have. Individuals with dyslexia are often: great at communicating their ideas aloud. creative, critical thinkers. good at seeing the big picture. excellent at solving puzzles and building things. If you want to learn more about dyslexia consider reading: The Dyslexic Advantage Overcoming dyslexia Help your Child Understand Dyslexia by Reviewing the Eleven Common Signs Show your child the image below and read the list out loud. Ask them to identify which symptoms describe their difficulties. You have or had trouble with letter reversals (b and d) and words reversals (was and saw). You have or had troubles with reading aloud. You have or had trouble with words problems in math. You have or had trouble understanding jokes, punchlines, sarcasm and inferences. You have or had trouble following a series of written or aural directions. You have or had trouble mispronouncing words. You have or had trouble rhyming words. You have or had trouble telling directions. You have or had trouble recalling names or words. You have or had trouble with spelling You have or had trouble learning how to read. What are Four Myths and Truths about Dyslexia? Show your child the graphic below and read the list of myths and truths out loud. Ask them to respond to each of the myths - "Have you ever felt this way?" Then read the truth and address any questions. Myth #1: People with dyslexia are not smart. Truth #1: Many dyslexic individuals are extremely bright and creative. In fact, many kids with dyslexia are gifted. Watch a video on famous people with dyslexia: Click Here Myth #2: People with dyslexia cannot learn to read or write. Truth #2: With the right intervention and instruction people with dyslexia can become excellent readers and writers. Myth #3: People with dyslexia see things backwards. Truth #3: Dyslexia is not a vision problem. It has to do with how the brain make sense of what is seen. Myth #4: People with dyslexia are lazy and should try harder. Truth #4: Kids with dyslexia learn differently. When they are asked to learn in a way that does not work well for them, it can take more time. Finding Multisensory Remedial Tools for Kids with Dyslexia: If you are looking for fun, creative and multisensory remedial materials, lessons and games created for learners with dyslexia, CLICK HERE. If you would like a free copy of these images CLICK HERE. Cheers, Dr. Erica Warren Dr. Erica Warren is the author, illustrator, and publisher of multisensory educational materials at Good Sensory Learning and Dyslexia Materials. She is also the director of Learning to Learn and Learning Specialist Courses. · Blog: https://learningspecialistmaterials.blogspot.com/ · YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/warrenerica1 · Podcast: https://godyslexia.com/ · Store: http://www.Goodsensorylearning.com/ & www.dyslexiamaterials.com · Courses: http://www.learningspecialistcourses.com/ · Newsletter Sign-up: https://app.convertkit.com/landing_pages/69400
Pooky bears, I’ve written often about having Autism – you can find all my writings about it & recommended resources here. Today I wanted to share with you a quick poster on what helps with managing my Autism. Pop your details in the form below to download! Most of these tools are there to help […]
Autistic children often engage in wandering behavior. These 30 tips will help you prevent your autistic child or your kid with disabilities from wandering.
Can you relate?
Celebrate and raise awareness of differences during Disability Awareness Week with these fun and inclusive activities for the whole school!
With the passing of dyslexia laws in the state of New Jersey in 2014, there has been an increased focus on reading disabilities and dyslexia particularly in the area of effective assessment and remediation. More and more parents and health related professionals are looking to understand the components of effective dyslexia testing and who is
Paths to Literacy La Rana Mariana (Mariana the Frog). For teachers, families, and others interested in literacy for children and youth with visual impairments
This digital in-class and distance learning interactive activity is specifically designed for students with CVI, low vision, early intervention, multiple disabled and AAC/switch users. It has high contrast and uncluttered background perfect for CVI students. Student will match identical shapes with student interaction, self correcting and instant feedback *A Video file which can easily be used across platforms including phones and Ipads *A PDF file which can easily be printed and laminated *A PowerPoint file with student interaction & instant feedback ✔︎ Distance Learning Tips: You can open PowerPoint to play the files over Zoom with your student. Note that files uploaded to Google Slides looses its audio effect. Visit my store for other packages like this in different themes and for other learning resources at TpT Store or Boom Store and don't forget to follow me to be the first to know about my new products and upcoming sales. To get TPT credit to use on future purchases, go to your My Purchases page and beside each purchase, you will see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, you get a feedback credit for future purchases. I greatly value your feedback as it will help determine how I create other products.
Get 7 easy hacks for a happy home with a disability. Add these clever tricks, tips, and self-care ideas to make your house more disability-friendly.
Dysgraphia? There is early intervention. Dysgraphia is characterized by a difficulty in written expression. This generally includes very messy handwriting; poor spelling and reading skills; and a problem with words and ideas coming smoothly. These are all skills that are predominantly Read More ...
𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 Browse the "Learn more" button and discover Grants that are available for people with disabilities!
Listen to this Special Ed Podcast with 15 great ideas for Functional Centers for students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism in High School. Read more and subscribe today!
Transition Services As students get older, it is increasingly important to begin to focus on the skills that they will need for adult life. This should include skills that they need for everyday life, such as movement, communication, and self-care (toileting, dressing, bathing, eating, etc.), as well as other functional skills. Sometimes introducing materials that
Explore insights on intellectual disability tests to identify and understand varied needs, ensuring accurate support and interventions.
This ADHD cheat sheet offers helpful information for individuals coping with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The sheet provides a definition of ADHD, Common Symptoms of ADHD, Strategies For Improving Focus With ADHD, Time Management Tips For ADHD, Organization Strategies For ADHD, Tips For Coping With Impulsivity, Effective Communication Skills With ADHD, and Resources For Managing ADHD.
Help create a calming environment where your loved one feels secure with these 75 Engaging Sensory Activities for Adults with Disabilities.
Hyperlexia resources for parents and educators, including hyperlexia teaching strategies and hyperlexia intervention strategies
You aren't making these teacher mistakes in your special education class, are you? Here's 6 mistakes teachers and paras in SpEd make PLUS 5 easy fixes too!
Writing can often be over looked in classrooms of students with significant disabilities. It's no fault to you or your staff, there are just so many things to focus on; behaviors, speech, following directions, toileting, eating etc. If you had to give up something, I am sure writing would be the #1 thing as it may not seem like a very functional thing for our students, especially those who struggle to hold standard pencils. That is... until you introduce an alternative pencil. I started using alternative pencils when I went to a conference last year on emergent literacy, read more about that here. It honestly changed the way I taught. Usually you go to conferences, they get you super excited about the new teaching method, you come back, implement it into your classroom and a month later you give up on it or find something else. Well folks, I have to say, I have never gone back to the way I didn't teach 😁 taught writing! Alternative pencils allow our non-verbal students a way to express themselves through text. It is engaging for both the students and teacher. I love seeing my students sort through the letters to spell out their message. Here is what my alternative pencils look like. How do they work? You can project the pencil or just print and hold it. 1) Make sure you have something to write responses on (whiteboard, typing, paper) 2) Then determine how your student is going to respond (yes/no). Are they going to shake their head, use a switch etc 3) Start by asking your student "do you have something to say/are you ready to write etc." 4) Put your finger on A, say "is it ABCDE" and point to each letter. 5) Student responds 6) If they say yes then go through each letter slowly until they tell you their letter. If they say no go to the next column and repeat. If they say yes acknowledge it and record their answer. 7) Repeat but this time say "do you have another letter"....then go through the process again. Here is a video to better explain this process. I did not make or own this video. Now you might be saying "this is great, but my students don't know how to write. They don't know their letters, they can't spell". While this may be true, do we truly know how much they do and don't know if they haven't ever had a way to express themselves? It's something to think about right? A huge part of this process, especially for students who are new to this, is interpreting what they are trying to say. Here is an example of something a student wrote in my class. When seeing the letter QFT what comes to mind? quick, quarter, quiet, fight, Friday, fries, go, goal etc. Think about your students interests or common things they like to watch, say etc. When I was doing this with my student I said to him...did you mean quick field goal (they played soccer in P.E.), he didn't have much of a response. Then I got really excited and said did you mean......Cute Girls??? He instantly lit up, started smiling, clapping and shaking his head yes!!! Clearly this is what he was thinking about (maybe not but he was excited about it!!). So this is what I did. Write down what they were actually trying to say then use the alternative pencil to model how you would have spelled the word(s). I will be the first one to admit, this is hard. The kids will struggle. It's all new. But think about when you give any child a pencil for the first time, what's the first thing they do? Scribble....So take the plunge, download this alternative pencil and get your kids scribbling!!!! Follow my blog with Bloglovin
Resources and ideas for teachers and caregivers of learners with severe, profound, intensive, significant, complex or multiple special needs.
Just like you and me, adults with disabilities enjoy the art of crafting. We all feel the profound satisfaction of completing a craft project. We all turn to scrapbooking or coloring pages if we want to relax or keep busy. Although disabled adults face more challenges than others, they should still indulge in the wonders of crafting. After all, crafting is for everyone. If you're a caregiver, teacher, or family member of a disabled adult, crafting is a great way to keep your student or loved one entertained. Give a simple yet amusing craft project to an adult with disabilities, and they'll stay enjoyably engaged for a while. Or if you're disabled, you can occupy your time with an easy craft for adults with disabilities. Crafting has so many benefits for people living with disabilities, so it's important to apply craft projects to their daily lives. Whether you or your loved one is mentally or physically disabled, this Crafts for Adults with Disabilities guide will teach you everything that you need to know about the best crafts to do with people who have disabilities. From disability statistics to craft projects for disabilities, this article will help you understand the importance of crafting for adults with disabilities.
This resource lists a sample bank of 504 accommodations for ADD/ADHD and provides an overview of the manifestations of this disability.Do you ever find yourself in a 504 meeting and the committee members either do not understand the disability itself, or do not understand the appropriate accommodati...
Ever wonder what Specific Learning Disability your Special Ed student or students have and what it means to have that disability? This chart helps Special Ed and General Ed teachers understand specific learning disabilities and how they can help accommodate to the student(s) so they can learn the best way possible. As a Resource Teacher, I created this chart to help students in my caseload. I distributed this chart to my Administrators, Paraprofessionals, and my caseloads' other teachers, all of whom loved it! They all had a better understanding of the students' disability and followed the accommodations they were able to do. How did I do this? After reading through my caseloads' IEPs, I wrote down each of their processing disorders. Then, under each disability, I typed in each of my caseloads' names. Easy!! You are now helping your students and fellow teachers!! Specific Learning Disabilities Chart by Mayette Bernardo is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Cookie23.
Want to plan something fun on your next caregiving shift, but can't make it outside? Try one of these 7 great indoor activities for adults with disabilities.
Sitting Independently Independent sitting requires strong neck, shoulder, and core muscles. It also requires balance and good proprioception (feedback from joints and muscles to your brain). Vision can also play a role in developing sitting skills. A key goal for sitting is to be able to use your arms, hands, legs, feet and head while in
Looking for work-from-home jobs that are easy to adapt for people with different disabilities? These are some of the best work-from-home jobs in 2023 that you can adapt to work for you.
From foundations and grants to books, bikes and benefits - a big list of places that can help out with free stuff for kids with disabilities
Listen to this Special Ed Podcast with 15 great ideas for Functional Centers for students with Intellectual Disabilities and Autism in High School. Read more and subscribe today!
Homeschooling a child with dysgraphia presents unique challenges. Learn how to beat dysgraphia with these 8 strategies!
Teaching theme is not an easy task! Not only do students need to have a strong comprehension of the story's elements (like plot, setting, and characters), but they also have to be able to make inferences to find the author's message, since most themes are not overtly stated by the author. So, what are some of my favorite activities for helping kids understand theme? I'll list a number of them here. 1. Make an Anchor Chart Anchor charts are a great way to make learning visual and to have a record that kids can refer to when they need a bit of extra support. Theme may be defined in a number of ways. To me, the theme is the author's message or what he/she wants the reader to take away/learn from the story. It is a BIG idea, with a real-world or universal concern and can be applied to anyone. Besides talking about what a theme is, you'll also want to go over what it isn't. For example, some kids confuse the main idea of the story with its theme. To help students understand the difference, it's helpful to use stories that everyone in the class knows, like previous read alouds or classic stories like The Three Little Pigs. You can take each story and discuss the main idea (what the story was mostly about - specific to the story) vs. the theme (the lesson the author wants the reader to know - not specific to the story), to contrast the two ideas. The second area of confusion for some kids is that the theme is not specific to the characters in the story. In the book Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes, for example. The theme would not be that...A little mouse named Chrysanthemum learned to accept the uniqueness of her name. The theme would be larger than the book and would be something like...It's important to accept oneself. Also, you'll want to explain to your students that often times, a book has multiple themes and there are several answers which work equally well to describe a book's theme. Since theme is very subjective, I tell students that I will accept any answer, as long as they have the text evidence to prove it. For example, in the book, Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, one might argue that the theme is about friendship, another might say family, or even courage, or kindness. Any one of these themes would be right, and counted as such, since they each fit the story and could be supported by text evidence. 2. Use Pixar Shorts to Practice Theme Besides the sheer enjoyment which comes from watching these mini-films, your students can learn a lot about reading concepts from these. They're great for ELL students or for struggling readers, and for all readers really since the text complexity piece is removed. You can find these clips on YouTube, but you'll want to make sure to preview them first, so you're more familiar with the plot and are able to focus on theme questions. Here are some of my favorite Pixar Shorts for teaching theme: Piper Partly Cloudy Lava Boundin' 3. Use Mentor Texts Mentor texts are one of my go-to teaching tools as picture books are able to portray examples of just about any reading concept you need to teach. One thing I like to do when using mentor texts for theme, is to vary the types of questions I ask. Rather than always saying What is the theme?, I might ask... What is the deeper meaning of this story? After reading this book, what do you think matters to this author? Which idea from the story do you think might stay with you? What did the author want people to learn from this story?... Once kids answer, you might say, Ah...so that's the theme! Some of my current mentor text favorites for theme include the following: Ish by Peter H. Reynolds I Wish I Were a Butterfly by James Howe Journey by Aaron Becker (a wordless book) Beautiful Oops by Barry Saltzberg The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires Spoon by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Pete and Pickles by Berkeley Breathed If you're looking for more titles, I have a FREE Mentor Text List for Literature which includes a page on theme which you can download from my TpT store. 4. Use Posters with Themes to Chart Book Themes I like to choose 8 - 10 common themes and place posters of them in the classroom. These are included in my Theme unit but you could easily make them yourself if you'd like. After we finish a class novel, a read aloud, or a mentor text as part of a mini-lesson, I like to have the kids discuss the theme of the book. Once we decide on the theme, I place a miniaturized copy of the book's cover (about 3 x 3 inches or so) under the correct theme poster. You can also make the posters more interactive by allowing kids to write titles of books they have recently read on sticky notes, under the posters as well. 5. Use Songs to Practice Finding the Theme I love to add music to the classroom whenever possible. Not only does it add instant motivation for some kids, but it is also just good for them in so many ways. There are lots of songs you can use to teach theme, from current pop songs to oldies, rap songs, and country songs. While all of these work well, I especially enjoy using Disney songs. Disney songs are easily recognized for some kids, have catchy, fun tunes, and have lyrics that need no censoring (yay!). You can easily find the lyrics online to project on a smartboard or document projector, and the song clips may be found on YouTube, Here are some of my favorite Disney songs which work well for theme: Hakuna Matata from Lion King Just Keep Swimming from Finding Dory Reflection from Mulan Let it Go from Frozen Something There from Beauty and the Beast A Whole New World from Aladdin 6. Introduce Short Texts Using Task Cards Using task cards for theme gives your students a great deal of practice in a short period of time, which makes them a perfect way to begin to practice finding the theme using text. I love the fact that students can read multiple task card stories and practice finding the theme 20 - 30 times, in the time it might take to read a story and find the theme once. You can do task cards as a center activity, to play Scoot, or as a whole class scavenger hunt. One thing I like to do for the scavenger hunt is to make sure everyone has a partner and to pair stronger readers with struggling readers. 7. Add Some Writing After students have worked on theme for a week or two, I like to have students create their own short stories which show a strong theme, without directly stating it. This changes each student's role from a theme finder, to a theme creator and gives students insight into how authors create a situation that allows a theme to unfold. When I introduce this project, we refer back to the task cards we just completed, as an example of story length and rich content. In a matter of 2 - 3 paragraphs, students learn that they can include enough information to let our readers know our message. After students are finished creating these short stories, it's fun to share them in some way, to give more theme practice. Sometimes I have students meet in small groups to share out, with group members guessing the theme. Other years, I leave a stack on my desk and grab several if we have a few minutes. Either the students or I read the short story out loud, and the class discusses the theme. 8. Move to Passages, Short Stories, and Novels. Once we have scaffolded a great foundation for the understanding of theme, there comes a point where kids have to move on to text which is more challenging. I like to use page-long passages which I have created, before using short stories, and ultimately novels. If you're looking for some ready made materials to help you teach theme, here's a packet I love to use which works well for 4th and 5th Graders. Click here to read more about the Theme unit. Want some more teaching ideas and activities to teach theme? Click here to read Teaching Themes in Literature. If you like this post, make sure to share it with a teacher friend! Thanks so much for stopping by! For more ideas and strategies focused on upper elementary, be sure to sign up for The Teacher Next Door's free email newsletter! Bonus, you'll also gain access to my FREE Resource Library which contains exclusive upper elementary freebies that you won't find anywhere else! I'd love to connect with you! The Teacher Next Door's Website Pinterest Facebook Instagram TpT Store
