Thinking Outside The Lesson Plan: 6 Ways to Accomodate Alternate Learners

Working in Ms. T's pre-school early intervention classroom 5 years ago was one of the most memorable  learning experiences for me. I have taken so much of what I learned there from both Ms." T", my co-workers and the kids themselves and have applied that to my current work as a children's yoga teacher. In addition, I have been able to offer workshops & trainings to hundreds of parents, therapists, educators & other children's yoga teachers showing them how to do the same.

One of the first and most important techniques I learned was how to create non-threatening  environments that accommodate a variety of alternate learning styles & challenges & offer the best opportunities for all children to be successful. This concept is at the very center of my adaptive yoga programs. I work with many children who have autism, visual or other sensory perception challenges, poor motor planning or dyslexia, poor auditory or cognitive processing delays and other adaptive needs that make it necessary for me to make accommodations. To do this effectively, I have to think a little bit (sometimes alot) outside of the lesson plan.

Here are 6 accommodations that I have found are the most common & most useful, especially for older children, teens & young adults:

1) Talk with the student: (For all students) Ask how he/she learns best. Often these students can explain in their own words what helps them learn and this input can be developed into concrete learning strategies. These strategies are usually easy to incorporate into a classroom setting or a yoga group setting. In this way you have made the student a partner-and an active participant-in his or her learning.

2) Use Visual Aids:  (For children with auditory/cognitive challenges)  PECS, simple pictures or felt boards can be used to demonstrate & communicate a variety of concepts and ideas. In a yoga group, model the postures or movements & breath work slowly for the student so he/she can see how its done. Allow students to partner up and play a modified & more age appropriate version of  the "Mirror Game".  In both classrooms, follow up with a brief explanation speaking slowly, clearly & using as few words as possible.

3) Use Oral Instructions/Testing: (for students with poor visual processing, poor motor planning & fine motor challenges) Tests can be read aloud to the students or provided on audio file, and students can give answers orally. In a yoga setting, this is how I assess the students level of understanding & also practice social & conversational skills-by asking/answering questions and telling stories. Its important to remember to be clear & use as few words as possible.

4) Modify Essay & Note Copying Assignments:  (for students with poor visual processing, poor motor planning & fine motor challenges)  It takes some students much longer to copy information from a book or a board. In some cases the student may not be able to even read their notes. Provide simple lecture notes, or discreetly assign a fellow student or peer to copy the notes using carbon less paper to make a second copy for the student to review.  For tests, use as many match and  fill-in-the-blank formats as possible. ( Multiple-choice questions also tend to pose a problem for some students because of the amount of reading required to answer the questions correctly.) A simple handout with a brief summary, stick figure drawings and simple captions works well for yoga classes.

5) Modify Research Assignments: (For all students) There are many ways to offer alternative assignments to demonstrate skill or content master for traditional as well as yoga classrooms. Alternatives to long written papers could include video or oral presentations, collages, photo journals, shadow boxes, role playing, dioramas, etc. I use lots of simple themed art projects in my yoga classes to go with each lesson to give the student a personal & physical reminder of the basic concepts presented.

6) Use Routine Skill & Concept Reviews:  (For all students) Good for reinforcement of academic as well as yoga concepts. Can be used before a test or as a transition before moving on to the next concept introduction. A review can be done at the end of the week, at the end of a unit, as an oral review or even as a fun class "Jeopardy" or "Wheel of Fortune" type game, incorporating flash cards or other visual aids if necessary. A simple 'study guide' (one page only) with short summaries of key concepts & vocabulary words can be made easily and given to the students to take home & review on their own. Encourage students to stay organized by keeping all notes in a binder or folder for quick reference. (For one of my teen girl's yoga classes I provided folders and let them decorate to have a personalized place to keep all yoga class notes in.)

Whether you are a traditional educator, classroom assistant or children's yoga teacher, its not difficult to make these simple accommodations for those who may need them. A little time and creativity will go a long way to benefit both educators & students.







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Hickory Dickory Clock Book

To introduce the concept of telling time to my son, I decided to use the beloved children’s nursery rhyme Hickory Dickory Dock. I created three worksheets with a total of 12 handless clocks and each of the verses from the nursery rhyme on DLTK’s Growing Together website. Thanks to a little design finesse, I even made a cover page.

We started out the afternoon’s activity by reading Trudy Harris’ book “The Clock Struck One: A Time-Telling Tale.” In the book, I pointed out the clocks on several pages and explained that the long hand of the clock points to 12 and the short hand points to the hour.

When we were done reading, my son set about on the task of making his own book using the worksheets I’d created and cut apart. He drew the hands on the clock to match the time in each verse. (I wrote these out instead of using the numeral.) Then he put them in order. I stapled the pages together, he colored the cover, and voila! He had made his very own Hickory Dickory Dock book. Before he left the table, we read the book cover to cover.

Now, if I could just get that darn tune out of my head. (sigh)

If you want these worksheets and the cover page, download a four-page PDF here. I’m happy to share!

Dice Roll Math

While shopping at a local store for teachers, I stumbled across some foam dice with numbers on them. I immediately snatched two up – one that had the numbers one through six spelled out and the other with the numbers seven through twelve spelled out.

I created a worksheet for my son with blanks for eight math problems – four addition and four subtraction. At the bottom of the page, I included the numbers one through 25 to help him with the equations.

As he rolled the dice, he had to sound out the words to figure out which numbers would be part of his math problem (have you ever noticed that eight is spelled so wacky?!?). I explained to him that when he did the subtraction problems, the bigger number needed to be written down first.

I also taught him how to use the numbers at the bottom of the page to count forward or backwards to complete the problems.

Like many of the other activities on this site, Dice Roll Math works on a number of skills: 1) reading since the numbers are spelled out (vs. numerals) on the dice, 2) addition and subtraction, and 3) printing (I’m hoping that my son’s 8s stop looking like the infinity symbol soon).

If you can’t find any of these dice to purchase at local retail stores, make your own (see my post on Story Dice for tips on how). And if you’d like a PDF of the Dice Roll Math worksheet I made, download it here; I’m happy to share!

Scrambled Story

At the beginning of the school year, my son couldn’t get enough of making his own books. He’d come home with scribbled-on scraps of paper stapled together, beaming with pride as he showed off the “book” he’d made at school. I cooked up this little activity to give him the same sense of accomplishment, but mainly just to coerce him into reading. (he he)

DLTK’s Growing Together website offers numerous printable story books for free download. Rather than simply give him the pages to color, cut out, and staple, I cut the words from the pages and mixed up their order. My son had to:

Read all the sentences and match each up with the appropriate picture.

Decide what order to put them in and glue them into the construction paper book I had stapled. (Coloring is optional.)

Lastly, re-read his new book.

This is a simple activity that you can pull together in just a few minutes. And if your child likes making their own books, this is a great way to foster that love while strengthening their reading skills.

Story Dice

Have I mentioned how much my son loves Star Wars? These days he seems to be nothing short of obsessed. To capitalize on his newfound interest, I decided to help him write his own Star Wars adventures. To make this less like a writing exercise and more like a game, I took cues from Education.com’s Fairy Tale Dice activity.

I used Styrofoam cubes purchased from a local craft store, covered them in construction paper, and added stickers from a Star Wars Lego sticker book. While I made a total of six dice, fewer would work just as well. You want to have at least three though:

1.      One with six different characters.

2.      One with six verbs (e.g., fights, rescues, captures, escapes, flies, and helps).

3.      Others can have enemies, places, or adjectives.

I color-coded my blocks (good guys and ships are white, bad guys and their vehicles are brown, and verbs are green). Once your dice are made, print some handwriting paper (I like the printable handwriting papers on DonnaYoung.com).

Now it’s time for your son/daughter to get rolling (forgive the corny pun). As your child rolls the dice, help them weave together the characters, verbs, and places into a story.

I was amazed the first time I ‘played’ this with my son! I wrote on the top of his first page, “In a galaxy far far away.” He kept wanting to roll more and soon had written “Han Solo and a Ewok rescued a rebel trooper from a battle droid.” That is quite possibly the longest sentence I have EVER gotten him to write at home. It was such a beautiful moment I swear I could hear a choir singing “Hallelujah.” Now each time we get out the Star Wars Story Dice, we add one new sentence to his story.

Tip: To make it seem more like a real book, put the pages into a 3-pronged folder.

Pretzel Letters

Looking for a quick and easy activity to do during snack time? This is it.

I bought a big bag of stick-shaped pretzels to make trail mix for the kindergarten class’ afternoon snack and had TONS left. Since I always have our son do his after-school educational activities while snacking, I thought using the pretzels to make letters would be fun.

I printed out a page with the entire alphabet in capital letters and asked the question “How many letters can we make out of pretzels?” at the bottom. My son quickly realized that since the pretzels were straight, not every letter could be made.

When he made a letter out of pretzels, he circled it on the page. After he’d gone through the whole alphabet (and nibbled an enormous amount of pretzels along the way), he counted the number of circled letters on the page and wrote the answer to the final question.

Note: After doing this with my son, I had to relax the “don’t play with your food” rule.

Read and Search

To encourage my son to read, I picked up some simple books at our local library. I like the “Rookie Reader” books published by Children’s Press. They’re around 25 pages long, have 10 words or less per page, and often use repetitive words or phrases. My son’s reading has improved and he can read these on his own, which boosts his confidence. I like the vocabulary list on the last page of the books because it makes creating a word search a snap.

This week, I used the book “What Is Up When You Are Down?” by David F. Marx to create a customized word search with the book’s vocabulary list. I’ve discovered that you don’t need expensive software to do this (YAHOO!). I use the word search maker on the A to Z Teacher Stuff® website. What I like about this site’s free tool is that I can customize:

1. How big I want the puzzle to be (10 letters by 10 letters).
2. How large I want the font to be (14 mm).
3. And the directions in which I want the words to be laid out (Forward words only, no diagonal words, up and down words).

Since I printed the crossword so large, I wrote the list of words at the bottom to save paper; it would have printed the list in 14-point font otherwise.

Knowing that he got to do a word search when he was done reading was just the incentive my son needed to read Marx’s book without whining. [Excuse me while I pause to pat myself on the back.] And when it was time to start searching, he didn’t even hesitate to read through the list of words to get started. This is a great activity to encourage early readers and help kids concentrate on how words are spelled, too.

Secret Decoder Math

I hated math. I know, hate is a strong word, but when I look back on my childhood struggles with multiplication, division, and later, algebra, the word fits. I’m like most parents that don’t want to see their child experience the same pain they did.

I designed this math activity to help my son have fun with basic addition. Let’s face it. A page of problems is boring for a bright child. For a child new to math, it’s daunting and frustrating. Secret decoder math provides a reward at the end – a message is revealed! Here are a few steps to get you started.

1. Pick your message. Keep it simple with no more than 3 or 4 short words or words that are easy to sound out.
2. To create your key, write down the message and then jot down all the letters used (some will be used twice).
3. Assign numbers to each. These will be the answers, so make sure the numbers are large enough. For example, “Get a candy” has 8 letters (a, c, d, e, g, n, t, and y), a=4, c=5, d=6, etc.
4. Write the corresponding answer numbers above the letters in the message. Then create addition problems for each answer number.
5. Create a blank template with just the addition problems and answer boxes for your child. Include the key at the bottom of the page.

I’ve used phrases as simple as “Have a lollipop,” “Get a token,” “Time for snack,” and “A penny for you.” You could use any short sentence, even something as simple as “Good work, <name>.”

I love this activity because it combines multiple skills (reading, writing and math). My son, on the other hand, loves it because he feels like a secret agent. That's what I call a real win-win.

Kids Learning On The Ball

In my Yoga-Based Sensory Integration workshops, one of the most common questions I get from teachers and paraprofessionals is how to improve attention spans & encourage engagement. I have offered & discussed many different sensory-based techniques & have had some great suggestions from workshop participants. Lately, I have been reading more about a strategy that I myself have used for several years: replacing desk chairs with exercise balls.

I had read about this years ago in a women's fitness magazine article & since I have replaced my own computer desk chair with a large exercise ball (also called Therapy Balls or Swiss Balls) I have noticed a decrease in shoulder pain (in my 'mouse' arm ) and a definite improvement in my posture. I also have found that I am much more focused & work more efficiently when I have to work at the desk for longer periods of time.

If you have not tried this, I encourage you to do it. Its almost impossible to slouch while sitting on this-you will roll right off of it! ( Be sure to select a ball that "fits" meaning that when you sit on it, your thigh is parallel with the floor and your feet will rest flat on the floor.)

I have come across several articles (see links below this article) on how a growing number of schools are using this simple technology for students. The results and feedback look positive, and I have noticed the difference for myself, however I would like to see more actual research on this for students, especially in the area of ASD, SPD, ADD & ADHD.

In general, the muscles that are constantly in use in order to sit correctly on the balls will also help improve posture, core strength & integrate the vestibular & proprioceptive senses. Brain integration improves as does alertness, along with a decrease visual & mental fatigue.

When you look at what schools spend on desks and chairs they are also cost-effective. The typical exercise balls cost $15 to $40, depending on the type and size. The balls are also quieter than chairs too, adding to the overall quality of the learning environment.

For one elementary school in Florida, the results have been encouraging. The balls were purchased with  funds from the PE department. The kids seem more attentive & like the balls better than chairs. The PE & classroom teacher are collecting data to see what the overall outcome is & effects are.


In another experiment in Michigan last year with college students who used exercise balls as chairs, the study indicated overwhelmingly a preference for ball chairs. The results were Published in the Chronicle of Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education.  The study found that there was also at least a perception of  improved concentration and focus.

While some children with sensory challenges exhibited improved behaviors, others appeared to be distracted by the balls, indicating that, as with many interventions, this may not be helpful nor appropriate to all children. For some children with poor muscle tone, this may not be a recommended activity so closely supervise & please check with your OT, PT or other therapist/doctor before attempting with children who have diminished mobility or vestibular/proprioception challenges.

To schedule a Yoga Based Sensory Integration workshop for your parents group staff or organization, please contact: barbara@bodylogique.com

See a list of our current offerings here: Workshops/Professional Development

* More Fitness Ball Articles &  Information here:

Chicago Tribune

BayNews (Seminole Florida)

SPD Foundation

LIVESTRONG.com

WittFitt

The Ergonomenon


*For broken or dead links please contact : barbara@bodylogique.com







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Catalog Scavenger Hunt

This week I stopped by a local store for teachers and while the cashier was ringing up some farm stickers requested by my son’s teacher, I noticed a stack of free Playmobil toy catalogs. While I wasn’t sure what I’d do with it, it was free so, of course, I took one. I’d find something to use it for, right!?!  After mulling it over, I decided to use one of the scenes from the catalog to create a scavenger hunt.

My son had to read the list of items, find them in the picture and circle each. Since he loves look-and-find books, he loved this activity. It was super easy and he didn’t even realize he was reading. <Insert evil laugh here>

You could easily replicate this activity with pictures from anywhere – magazines, coloring books, photos, etc.

Tip: If you're typing the list, use a font that most closely replicates the letters the way your son/daughter is learning to print them (for example, look at the "a").

Eye-mazing!

Other than our brain, our eyes are the most complex organs in the body.Your eyes are composed of more than 2 million working parts & the average eye can receive & process 36,000 bits of information every hour. Your eye can also focus on about 50 things per second. (Talk about multi-tasking!)  Your retina contains 120 million rods for "night vision", and 8 million cones that are color sensitive and function best in daylight. The eye is the only part of the human body that can be at 100% functioning at any moment, day or night, without rest.

About half of our brain is involved in the visual process. Humans are visual animals with our eyes contributing towards 85% of our total knowledge.

Vision problems &Visual Processing Disorders can come in many forms, but they all involve the affected person having difficulty seeing or understanding information that they see. These disorders affect both adults & children however it is estimated that about 80% of children with autism or SPD will have visual challenges. Most of these deficits are not found through a traditional vision test, which are geared for acuity only. “The signs that a child has visual problems are frequently subtle and clearly visually related.” (The Mislabeled Child, 2006)

Deficits in vision can greatly inhibit learning as well as social confidence & many kids may not know they have visual processing challenges. For this reason it is important to remember that if they DO complain about their eyes...believe them.



Optical Illusion

I've been thinking about my own visual health quite a bit lately after a recent brunch with some friends, when I realized that I have been having a difficult time seeing details. To be specific, my cell phone keyboard, that tiny writing they put on menus, the "ingredients" on a box or jar of food, the price tags of items or even in the notations in the margin of some books.  I even mistook the word "destiny" for "dentistry" on a display rack of charms much to the amusement of my friends but to my own secret horror. That was the day I finally bought one of those little pocket magnifiers with a light on it to tuck away in my purse for the next time I need it. (I use it at least once a day!)

 

So why don't I just quit whining & get glasses? Is it vanity? Is it denial? Maybe a little of both, but regardless, there is a lesson in there and so being who I am, I have decided to put together some information about visual processing & how it can be improved & strengthened. I realize that eventually I may have to get glasses, but for now, I have found some activities/exercises that will relieve fatigue & strengthen my visual processing & may be of help to you and your child. These activities & exercises listed here apply & are appropriate for children as well as adults.

• Frequent Breaks: When you allow yourself or your student/children to become overly fatigued from visual tasks, the result is fatigue, headache, stomach ache, de-motivation and/or oppositional behavior. In addition to leading to avoidance behaviors, this fatigue also has the potential of further damaging an already weak visual system.
• Physical activity: Movement re-engages the nervous system, and allows for another short period of visual focus & mental concentration. You can try simple stretching or yoga. (Did you ever wonder why kids sharpen their pencils so much? They are giving themselves a time out from an extended visual task and a chance to re-engage in the activity.)
• Gross muscle movement: A major strategy for improving sensory motor integration and visual processing disorders. The general rule, for not only children but adults exhibiting overall eye strain or difficulties with visual processing is short periods of concentration with lots of movement breaks.
• Coloring: Simple geometric pictures or mandalas are calming, help strengthen the cone receptors in the retina and help re-focus attention. (Also Try  'Crazy 8s')
• Vision Boards: A collage type project. Pictures or stickers are placed on a canvas, cardboard or construction paper. You can use a theme or a word (such as "Family") to work the collage around.
• Kaleidoscopes: Another simple toy to help strengthen the cone receptors in the eyes (used for day vision, color perception & black/white perception, reading & fine detail.) Be sure to use BOTH eyes alternately, not just the dominant one. (Your dominant eye is the one you usually bring the scope to first.) Order a kaleidoscope  and other visual toys for kids here. 
• Eye Yoga: Moving the eyes in various configurations can strengthen the ocular muscles (visual motor)and the ability to focus (visual perceptual). For complete exercise instructions click here.
• Eye Palming: Rub your hands together until they feel warm. Then close your eyes & cover them by cupping your warm hand over them. Now look into and at the dark. If you see spots of light its ok. Relax & wait a few minutes. You will see the dark. Do this at least twice a day for 5 to 15 minutes or if with a child, for as long as they can.
• Hydration: Hydration & proper nutrition are vitally important not just for eye health, but for overall optimum functioning of the body & brain. Plain fresh water, fresh fruits and fresh vegetables should make up most of your & your child's diet. It is important to remember that while we want our kids to be healthy, they have different nutritional needs than adults. Lean protein is very necessary for formation of brain tissue and proper brain & organ function. Children especially need proper amounts of lean or organic animal protein that cannot be found in plant sources. Please consult with your physician or dietitian before eliminating any foods from your child's diet!
• Imagery: Imagery is another easy way to relieve visual fatigue & improve inner &outer focus. Picture a familiar object in your mind, clearly and in as much vivid detail as you can. (It could be anything: your child's face, a cow, an apple, a pizza, etc.) Now hold that image for 5-10 minutes. (You can start out with 1 minute intervals and gradually increase the duration as your brain becomes more trained.) If your mind wanders, just bring it back to focus on your object. Children can do this simply for a few minutes at a time, with you guiding them through the process.

(Planning meaningful activities for children to do during very necessary work breaks helps make learning pleasant and minimizes damage to the child’s self-confidence. To create an atmosphere of success, find their area of strength and emphasize that. Every child has something that they do well. Find that strength and keep them busy at that task as you gradually offer more clallenging tasks. Keep detailed visual activity to a minimum during breaks. Books can be put on tape and will help strengthen the auditory sense as the visual sense is taking a break. )



For more information on visual processing:
 
Education.com
 
Understanding Learning Disabilities
 
The Jess Oppenheimer Story
 
Optical Illusions 


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