Monday, May 28, 2018

Samson's Classroom Website and Giveaway!




I'm sharing all about Samson's Classroom today; a website my students and I love using for sight word and reading practice.
With Samson's Classroom, your students can practice sight words, spelling, reading fluency, and reading comprehension in such a fun way, they won't even know they're learning. 

In the sight word section, students choose a word list to practice.

Samson takes students through 5 steps to help them practice and master each word list. In step 1, student learn the words.


In step 2, they build the words.


 In step 3, they identify the words.

In step 4, they practice spelling the words.

And in step 5, they practice using their new words in sentences.

Immediate feedback is given to the students in each activity and prompts are provided when needed. Students can also click "hear again" to have a word repeated.

Samson's Classroom tracks each student's progress, so I can go into my teacher dashboard and view my student's sight word progress.

In the reading section, students can choose from 5 different reading levels and earn carnival hammer swings for mastering passages.


All of the passages are timed and include reading comprehension questions students must answer. Samson provides immediate feedback and another feature I love is if students need a hint or a little help, he will highlight the area in the text where the answer can be found.

Again, I can go to my teacher dashboard and check my student's reading progress. I can see what date they read the passage, the time it took, and their comprehension score.

I have not used the spelling component yet, but it looks just as engaging and I plan to use it next year. There are almost 100 pre-made spelling lists to choose from or you can customize and add your own lists.

You can also track spelling progress in the teacher dashboard and the dashboard is so clear cut and user-friendly!

 You can click here to try out a free demo of Samson's Classroom! 

Here are some of my students engaged in Samson's Classroom!

I've piloted and used many websites in my classroom over my last 10 years of teaching, and Samson's Classroom is by far one of mine and my student's favorites for sight word and reading practice and I can't wait to implement the Spelling component next year. I love the simplicity of it, for both the teacher and the student, yet the immediate feedback and engagement it provides and the progress my students have made!  
A classroom subscription is $80/year, AND so worth it, but guess what?? I'm giving away 3 classroom subscriptions today!! That's right! Samson's Classroom has generously offered to give 3 of you a free one-year classroom subscription to use in your classroom!

Enter using the Rafflecopter below and Good Luck! I'm confident that you and your students are going to love Samson's Classroom!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, May 27, 2018

SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies Link Up

Welcome! 
{Special Announcement: SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies is going on summer vacation! This will be the last freebie link up until September. SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies will resume on the first Sunday in September.}

Every Sunday I host this freebie link up here on my blog for Special Education Teachers! Visit every week to download free resources for your classroom! If this is your first time visiting, you can access all of the freebies from previous link ups by clicking on "SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies" under "My Files" on my right sidebar. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you're a TPT seller, blogger, or resource creator, I invite you to link up and share your own freebie(s) using the link up tool below! 


Link Up Rules

1. All resources must be FREE! It can be free for the day, but please delete your link once you mark it back to paid.
2. You may link up 1-3 freebies.
3. Your freebie can link to your blog or store.
4. Freebie does not have to be related specifically to SPED, but should be practical for SPED.
5. If you are linking up from your blog, using this image in your post and linking back to my blog is not required, but is greatly appreciated! 

6. Share this image on your social media so others can enjoy all of these freebies!

*I recommend using an image of your freebie & not your button when linking up. 

 Feel free to share the image above all over your social media to let other teachers know about these freebies! 

The link up tool will close on Saturday each week, but "forever" freebies will remain accessible! Come back every Sunday to link up or download new freebies!

Have a GREAT summer!!


Sunday, May 20, 2018

SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies Link Up

Welcome! Every Sunday I host this freebie link up here on my blog for Special Education Teachers! Visit every week to download free resources for your classroom! If this is your first time visiting, you can access all of the freebies from previous link ups by clicking on "SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies" under "My Files" on my right sidebar. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you're a TPT seller, blogger, or resource creator, I invite you to link up and share your own freebie(s) using the link up tool below! 


Link Up Rules

1. All resources must be FREE! It can be free for the day, but please delete your link once you mark it back to paid.
2. You may link up 1-3 freebies.
3. Your freebie can link to your blog or store.
4. Freebie does not have to be related specifically to SPED, but should be practical for SPED.
5. If you are linking up from your blog, using this image in your post and linking back to my blog is not required, but is greatly appreciated! 

6. Share this image on your social media so others can enjoy all of these freebies!

*I recommend using an image of your freebie & not your button when linking up. 

 Feel free to share the image above all over your social media to let other teachers know about these freebies! 

The link up tool will close on Saturday each week, but "forever" freebies will remain accessible! Come back every Sunday to link up or download new freebies!



Sunday, May 13, 2018

SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies Link Up!

Welcome! Every Sunday I host this freebie link up here on my blog for Special Education Teachers! Visit every week to download free resources for your classroom! If this is your first time visiting, you can access all of the freebies from previous link ups by clicking on "SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies" under "My Files" on my right sidebar. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you're a TPT seller, blogger, or resource creator, I invite you to link up and share your own freebie(s) using the link up tool below! 


Link Up Rules

1. All resources must be FREE! It can be free for the day, but please delete your link once you mark it back to paid.
2. You may link up 1-3 freebies.
3. Your freebie can link to your blog or store.
4. Freebie does not have to be related specifically to SPED, but should be practical for SPED.
5. If you are linking up from your blog, using this image in your post and linking back to my blog is not required, but is greatly appreciated! 

6. Share this image on your social media so others can enjoy all of these freebies!

*I recommend using an image of your freebie & not your button when linking up. 

 Feel free to share the image above all over your social media to let other teachers know about these freebies! 

The link up tool will close on Saturday each week, but "forever" freebies will remain accessible! Come back every Sunday to link up or download new freebies!


Thursday, May 10, 2018

IEP Tubs Makeover!

My IEP Tubs have received a makeover!!

BEFORE

AFTER

What a difference, right!? I'm so in love with how they turned out! Not only eye-pleasing and clean looking, but I love the more spacious storage and no lids to deal with. I can fit a lot more into these, as well as larger resources and keep full sheets of paper and cardstock flat rather than having to curve them like I did in the Rubbermaid tubs. 

You can get this awesome Trofast storage system from IKEA here.

If you haven't read about how I use IEP Tubs in my classroom and would like to learn more, read on to read the original post.   

I've used IEP Tubs in my classroom for four years now and love them for keeping all of my students' learning materials neatly organized in one place. I'm not constantly grabbing from here and there. It also gives them the freedom to pick and choose which activities they would like to work on. 

Original Post 

Hello There! I'm here to talk about IEP Tubs today and how I use them in my classroom! I've used them for two years now (update: four years now) and I really love the simplicity of them and the effectiveness!!



Each student has their own customized box, which I call "tubs"...and no I don't have 15 students in my self-contained classroom! Thank goodness! I co-teach with our Resource Room Teacher and 9 of these belong to his students. (Update: I stuck my foot in my mouth. I have 13 students of my own this year.)

Inside each tub I place hands-on activities that are based on each student's IEP goals, or activities for other concepts they may be struggling with. Here are a few examples of what the inside may look like.
This student is working on short vowels, base ten addition/subtraction, and telling time to the half hour. I also include sight words on a ring and a book in EVERY student's tub.

Here is a peek at another tub. This student is working on beginning blends, nonsense word fluency, and also base ten. They also have sight words on a ring and a decodable book.

This student also has a decodable book along with sight words, and is working on word families and final -e was just introduced so I added that to his tub. He is also working on learning to write his last name on the sheets you see behind the tub. These sheets fit nicely into his tub.

 Each student's tub is customized to meet their needs!

Twice Daily! It is worked into my math and reading center rotations each day. Every day we do one hour of math and one hour of reading center rotations and one center is IEP TUBS. I call the center "AT YOUR SEAT," but it is when they work from their IEP tubs. You can read more about how my daily centers run here
That depends on the student. As often as needed! Most of my students need repetition and lots of practice, practice, practice, so the materials are not changed out that frequently. I would say on the average maybe every 3-4 weeks for most of my students. So not time consuming at all.

I have two aides and one of my aides manages this center. We try to collaborate as much as possible, but you know as a sped teacher how hard that can sometimes be. So I have a communication log in each of my centers for this purpose. 
They write me notes that allow me to adjust the tubs as needed. For example, one of the notes she wrote me above are that a particular student is having a difficult time with consonant digraphs. So I may add that into their tub. Another comment mentions a student needs help with counting money by 5's (nickels) so I may add counting by 5's resources to his tub.

You can grab a copy of this communication log here.

I also change out tubs based on students' assessments, new IEP goals, and my own observations.

That's it!! Super simple! Highly effective!!

Do you think IEP Tubs could work in your classroom?


End of Original Post

If you'd like to purchase the Trofast storage system for your IEP Tubs, here is the link again.

I also just recently purchased another one for my printer station.
I hope you'll give IEP Tubs a try in your classroom!

Sunday, May 6, 2018

SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies Link Up

Welcome! Every Sunday I host this freebie link up here on my blog for Special Education Teachers! Visit every week to download free resources for your classroom! If this is your first time visiting, you can access all of the freebies from previous link ups by clicking on "SPEDtacular Sunday Freebies" under "My Files" on my right sidebar. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

If you're a TPT seller, blogger, or resource creator, I invite you to link up and share your own freebie(s) using the link up tool below! 


Link Up Rules

1. All resources must be FREE! It can be free for the day, but please delete your link once you mark it back to paid.
2. You may link up 1-3 freebies.
3. Your freebie can link to your blog or store.
4. Freebie does not have to be related specifically to SPED, but should be practical for SPED.
5. If you are linking up from your blog, using this image in your post and linking back to my blog is not required, but is greatly appreciated! 

6. Share this image on your social media so others can enjoy all of these freebies!

*I recommend using an image of your freebie & not your button when linking up. 

 Feel free to share the image above all over your social media to let other teachers know about these freebies! 

The link up tool will close on Saturday each week, but "forever" freebies will remain accessible! Come back every Sunday to link up or download new freebies!


Saturday, May 5, 2018

6 Ways to Assist Your Special Needs Child To Live A Fulfilling Life


Guest Post by: Amy Grunewald

Are you concerned about the future of your special needs child?  Some kids have various learning disabilities, but they can also have a normal life. While taking care of a child with special needs requires commitment and patience, its rewards are fulfilling. 

Vincent Van Gogh was an influential artist who had dyslexia, yet his paintings left a legacy in the world. Therefore, do not beat yourself up if you have a special needs child. Learn the ropes and enjoy the rewards of being a caregiver. Here are 6 ways to assist your special needs child to live a fulfilling life.

Seek Medical Help
Do you suspect your child may have special needs? It is advisable to talk to your doctor immediately. Your child may not be meeting his or her milestones on time and this is a red flag to most parents, therefore, ensure that you detect the problem as early as you can. This may prevent other disabilities from actualizing. Besides, medical experts can enable you to understand your child’s condition better and empower you on ways to assist him.

Read Widely
You should acquire diverse reading materials concerning your child’s needs. Learn everything about special needs children and how to cope with your child’s needs in particular. You should also get information about the services that can help your child and offer support depending on the special need you are dealing with.

Education
After identifying that your child has special needs, ensure that you enroll him or her in a school that caters for special needs children. Talk to your child’s teacher and survey the learning environment to ensure that it meets the special needs of your child. Also, you can recommend changes in areas where you are not satisfied since this greatly impacts on your child’s education.

Join Groups
It is quite challenging to care for a special needs child. Therefore, a good support system encourages you to soldier on despite the challenges. You should join groups with similar interests or talk to parents with special needs children. Also, confiding in trust-worthy family members or friends offers you support and inspires you to continue caring for your child unconditionally. Furthermore, you can join community programs within your locality that assist special needs children. This will offer different perspectives on how you can care for your child. 

Discover Special Talents
Your special needs child is an individual, and hence, he possesses unique talents which are different from other children. As a parent, it is your duty to study and discover your child’s abilities. You should spend quality time with your child, whether it is reading, playing or talking to him. This enables you to discover what draws your child’s interest, like maybe drawing, painting or a love for music, and ultimately, you might uncover the genius in your child.

Support Your Child
You should always be supportive towards your special needs child and focus on the positive features. Ensure you recognize his achievements no matter how small they are. Always celebrate and appreciate your child because you are helping to build his/her self-confidence and thus, prepare him for a fulfilling life ahead. 

About the Author:
Amy Grunewald is a blogger and a freelance writer at fireessay.com. She writes about education, travel, business and is passionate about digital technologies. She is fond of music. In her free time, she paints pictures.