Snack Time: Communication Board

Snack Time in the Early Childhood Classroom

This preschool communication board is one of my favorite language opportunities in my early childhood classroom. We work on requesting items, labeling, and social/pragmatic skills with adults and peers. During this time, we use these snack mats to assist with communication skills and they are a great visual prompt reminder for our students to use socially appropriate language. 

The snack mats are easy to assemble. Print, laminate and add velcro.

Young children catch on very fast to how this snack menu works! I model how to use it, we practice, and move to independence. 

Keeping your snack pictures organized: 

We have a snack cabinet in our classroom where all the snack is stored. We also keep the visual pictures of our snack choices in this cabinet. Simply adhere velcro to the cabinet doors and your visuals are all in one spot. Easy for putting together each day and staying organized. 

If your preschool students bring their own snack, you may send the snack mat home each night and have your students' parents set up their snack menus for the next day.

The Structured Snack Menu is available here. 

Structured Play Kits: Hot Dog Cart

Dramatic Play is definitely one of my favorite areas of the preschool classroom. I love all of the natural language opportunities that can happen in this space. This hot dog cart structured play kit has been making me dream of baseball season and longing for sweet summer time. Luckily, we'll be able to take this play kit outside as well and play for hours during the warmer weather!

Play Schedule and Organization: 

Vertical and horizontal schedules for play task organization. Students will be able to use the play schedules to complete each task in the labeled bins. These help keep the students on task and focused on the completion of each scheduled play activity. 

The Hot Dog Cart includes a Match the Menu Task: 

Whether you play this activity at home or in the classroom, you can set this up on a poster board, the wall, a pocket chart or art butcher block paper. You could even play this as a game by setting it up on the floor and having the children match! 

Variety of Leveled Play Tasks: 

The tasks are visually appealing with a clear beginning and end of the activity in each bin which is extremely important for children with special needs. The same sequence of activities in each structured play task kit decreases anxiety, increases independence and generalization of skills. Children will be meeting IEP goals and individual growth and development goals. 

Opportunities for Social Communication:

If you'd like your own Structured Play Kit: Hot Dog Cart, it's in my Teachers Pay Teachers store. 

Taco Truck: Structured Play System

Taco' bout a good time! We have really been enjoying this Structured Play Kit. This is how we're playing with it and staying organized. 

Use the play schedule to set up the area for your little ones. Once you have implemented the visual-matching system, your children will be able to begin using this independently. You'll be so surprised as to how quickly they will be able to do it! 

The Play Schedule:

Matching Picture Schedule Icons for Easy Organization: 

Dramatic Play Communication board

One thing I have always had a difficult time with as a teacher, was having access to the visuals and play sequences within the play area and activities. In this play system, I have carefully created the vocabulary and tools you will need to use this immediately with your little ones.  It's super simple. You can just print and go with the communication board which can easily be adapted for early interventionists, child-care providers, therapy bags, at home play, and classroom. 

Communication Board: 

No matter the space you have available in your home or classroom, you can set your structured play system up in a variety of ways. 

Shelf System:

Structured Play Tasks: 

Remember, I created these resources, so you can get in there and JUST PLAY! 

Happy Playing! 

Dramatic Play Post Office - Structured Play Kit

Hey Friends! 

If you have a special education preschool classroom, you know one of the toughest areas for our children is play. They just don't know what to do with all of the materials and some of our children may not even know the function of the items and materials in the play area. 

This month, we are utilizing a dramatic play post office. The post office has structured tasks for the children to complete in order to make meaning of the materials. Here's a peek inside to some of the tasks we are completing. 

Sorting Big vs. Small packages

I found these envelopes at my local dollar store and they are perfect and durable for the children to sort. 

 Numeric Literacy Match

A few years ago, I bought these tin mailboxes from the Target dollar spot. They are perfect for this task! You can also use small containers and stick the numbers on them- just like teacher mailboxes at school. 

 Fine Motor: Tracing Letters 

I like to add foam stickers and a variety of materials for my students to use to decorate their work. 

 Color Sorting

This box is an old shoe box and I used a sharp exact knife to make the slits for the envelopes. 

Thanks for checking out this dramatic play fun! If you want this resource to use with your students, 

check it out here! 

Back to School Series: Schedules 2

Hey there! Have you read my first post on the types of schedules I use in my classroom? If not, check out the types of schedules I use for different learning styles and levels of students here.

My Classroom Areas:

• Circle Time/Large Group Area 
• Puzzle/Table Toys Area 
• Sensory Area 
• Teacher Area 
• Work Boxes Area 
• Library 
• Snack Area 
• Motor Area   

Color Coding:

I assign each student a color for the year. Each student has a different color schedule and I use that to organize my student schedules, data, and it helps me visually see who is at each center or where they should be! I also think this helps my assistants and any substitutes to visually organize everything within the classroom.

(This is an old picture of my visual schedule set up in the preschool classroom.) 

Templates:

I have used a variety of different schedules within my 10 years of teaching special education preschool. This varies from classroom to classroom depending upon student need and level of adult support you have within your classroom.
You can check my templates out in my TPT store! 

Individual Schedule Templates:

I have everything set up in this template version. All you need to do is plug your students in! This template has room for 9 students. Once I go past 9 students, I begin doubling students on schedules.

Group Schedule Template:

Using group scheduling, I group my students 2-3 or even up to 4 students depending on student level and needs. I assign the group a color, and a classroom assistant for the week to rotate with the students. We change groups on a weekly basis.

Stay tuned for more posts on what my centers look like!

Back to School Series: SCHEDULES

Schedules are definitely the heart and soul of my classroom. They keep us organized, on-task and making progress. My staff love using schedules in the self-contained special education preschool classroom because it keeps everyone focused. I love them as well for the same reason, but also because I can keep track of my students, staff, collect data, and prepare my students for the elementary grades using their big kid schedules. Schedules help with transitions, ease frustration and keep us consistent which is definitely something our students need, especially at 3,4 and 5 years old. I use a variety of schedules in my classroom: Wall Schedule: This version of my schedule is posted to the wall in a vertical order. Students take the top piece off their schedule and match to the area. Some wall schedules I have blocked off for students so they only see a few visuals at one time.

First/Then Schedule: I love this type of schedule for my “in betweeners” (my students who are not quite ready for a wall schedule, but are too advanced for objects). I laminate a color file folder with my first/then visual and Velcro the order of the schedule inside.

Object Schedule: Object schedules are awesome for students who are concrete learners. Sometimes, it can be a little tricky to find pieces for your object schedules. My biggest tip for this is collecting “junk”. Collect old puzzle pieces, baby spoons, plastic cups, random blocks, play people, etc. Stores like Hobby Lobby and Michaels also have good options if you do not collect “junk”. Some students have these items on wall schedules, but I prefer to use the traveling first/then object schedules with these learners.

Scheduling students takes a lot of team work and practice, but with consistency it will work. Stay focused, and stay with your plan. I always tell my team “Teamwork makes the dream work!” and it truly does. If you want the schedule templates and color coded visuals, click here.

Thanks for stopping by and happy scheduling ❤️

Blog Posts coming soon...

Once I actually figure this whole thing out!! Follow me on instagram @structuredfuninsped
and on TPT @ Structured Fun in Sped

Thanks for visiting!