I have been getting some questions lately from various readers asking for more details on how to convert curricula to fit a child who does not write or speak. The adaptations are easy to do. They do require time however. I use various resources for his curricula. Currently, he is doing preschool level, but I am preparing the Kindergarten curricula to fit his skill level this autumn. He will need to do the curricula 2-3 times total before he will be ready to move forward to 1st grade. In autumn, he will be old enough to do Pre-K, so that will be the first time through the Kindergarten level.
His main curriculum will be the My Father’s World Kindergarten program. I have been finding in used book stores some Pre-K and Kindergarten level teacher resource materials also. These are books or magazines that a teacher uses to make photocopies of the activity pages for the class. One such book is “My Body” by Brighter Vision Learning Adventures, which is written for 3-5 year old children.
When I get worksheets for Pookie, I have them laminated. We are blessed to have access to a very low-cost large laminator at a Christian book store that sells curriculum and teaching supplies. I am able to heat laminate at a cost of 25 cents per foot. I take all the worksheets needed for a semester at a time and laminate them all at once. The laminating of the worksheets allows me to use the pages numerous times to insure that Pookie is learning the information.
Some worksheets may need a small amount of adapting prior to lamination. One example is a cut & paste worksheet where the child is to cut out the words to be pasted under their corresponding picture. I cut apart the worksheet and trim the main portion (with pictures to be labeled) so that I can use spray adhesive or rubber cement to adhere it to a sheet of cardstock. I leave enough room on the bottom of the page blank to add the words after lamination. Once I have the main portion on a backing sheet of cardstock, I laminate both portions. The word labels are cut out and then Velcro dots are added to use in placing the words under their pictures. The Velcro is not critical, but it serves a purpose. Children sensory disorders can become easily frustrated if the word labels shift around after being placed under the pictures. To avoid this, Velcro dots are used. A secondary reason for the Velcro is to make it easier for the parent/teacher. If the child has a “completed work” bin that they put their work into, the word labels have to stay in place even after being placed in the bin. Yes, I could check his work after each assignment, but eventually I am expecting him to be learning more independently.
Many worksheets can be turned into file folder games. One such worksheet is one that requires the child to sort items by category. On a sheet of paper, make a column for each category. Adhere the page to the inside of a file folder. On the opposite page of the folder, adhere a pocket or envelope. You can decorate the outside front of the file folder is desired. Label it with the worksheet title and any special instructions. Laminate the opened file folder and the worksheet containing the pictures to be sorted. Carefully cut a slit through the pocket/envelope inside the file folder so that it can be opened. Cut out the pictures and place these “game pieces” into the pocket/envelope for storage. As with the above example, you can add Velcro dots to the game pieces to hold the pieces in place until you are able to check the child’s work.
Any worksheet that requires a child to write in their answer or to otherwise mark off an answer can be laminated. In many phonics workbooks, you can find a series of pictures on a page. The instructions may say to mark off any picture that does not begin with a specific letter sound. These worksheets, once laminated, can be used with a dry erase marker. To avoid the frustration of a child accidentally wiping off their work, I would strongly suggest using the Vis-a-Vis markers that are made for writing on overhead transparencies. They work like a dry erase marker, but need a damp cloth to clean the markings off of the page.
There is a cute puzzle worksheet in the “My Body” workbook that I mentioned above. It is a very simple one with a picture cut into 4 rectangles to make the 4 puzzle pieces. Next to the mixed up pieces (which the child is to cut out) is the base that the child glues the pieces onto. This puzzle is a great one for laminating. Velcro dots on the back of the puzzles pieces to adhere them to the base makes it a bit easier for the child to complete the puzzle. With very young or a child with delays, you can simply remove only a couple of the pieces. Once the child is successful in finishing the picture with just a couple of pieces removed, you can increase the difficulty by removing more pieces at a time. To make this activity, I carefully cut out the puzzle and put it together. I used a small piece of tape on the back to hold the puzzle pieces together. I color copied the completed puzzle. This gave me a picture for Pookie to be able to refer to when needed to aid him in completing the puzzle. The puzzle base and pieces were then laminated. You could make this a file folder activity by adhering the puzzle base to the inside of a file folder prior to lamination. I chose to leave this out of a file folder. I adhered the color copy of the finished puzzle to the outside of a 6″x 9″ envelope. I laminated the envelope along with the puzzle base and pieces. Velcro dots were added to the puzzle pieces & base. I cut a slit through the lamination where the envelope pocket was sealed shut. The puzzle base and pieces are stored in the envelope. I added a Velcro dot to the envelope flap to make a closure for it. NOTE: you can make these puzzles yourself from any picture. I like the 5″x 7″ size or larger. Cut the rectangles parallel to the long side of the picture after laminating. Another fun and very beginner level puzzle that you can make is to use a circle punch or a circle cutter. Laminate an 8″x 10″ picture. Randomly cut out a few circles from the picture, leaving most of the picture intact. The size of the circle cut out really depends upon the ability level for your child.
Worksheets that give practice in sequencing are very easy to convert. One worksheet that comes to mind is one that requires a child to color the shapes in a specific sequence, then to finish coloring the remaining shapes to repeat the sequence. I used this as an “inspiration” for making my own version. Using some stickers of the same theme (the inspiration was an autumn unit study), I made a sequencing worksheet using stickers of 2-3 different types of autumn leaves. The worksheet had a grid on it that gave 1 space per sticker. The last 2 spaces of each row was left empty. Next, I placed the stickers needed to complete the worksheet onto a scrap of cardstock. The worksheet and sequencing pieces are then laminated. I cut out the stickers using a circle punch. On the back of each sticker piece, I used a Velcro dot to adhere it in place on the worksheet. You can make these with any theme.
For writing practice, I use a traceable font in the size print needed to match to my son’s abilities. All copywork is printed out on cardstock before laminating. The Vis-a-Vis pen is all that is needed to complete these.
One note that I would like to make about why I use so much lamination. I know that Pookie will be using these pages a long time. Once laminated, I don’t have to worry about the pages tearing. You could put worksheets that require writing into sheet protectors, but the sheet protector will slip around unless the pages are backed with cardstock. We have used the sheet protectors with Little Miss when I made her morning calendar notebook. After using the sheet protectors for a while, I printed out the pages cardstock and laminated them. It is much better for her now. Seeing her frustration with slipping sheet protectors, I knew that Pookie would definitely have problems with them. The laminating was a much better fit for both kids.
I hope that this explains better what I am doing for Pookie. Feel free to contact me if there are questions.
ourprairiehome 