Unlike our general education classrooms, many of our special education classrooms don't have access to a curriculum for their students. Many teachers we've worked with are tirelessly creating and adapting general education curriculums to meet the needs of their students. Their efforts are amazing and we would love to share some of the wonderful materials we've seen over the years. As we are looking for these to share, we also want to give you ideas of curriculums that are available for purchase your school district may want to pursue. As with all of our other students, our students in special education need standards based, consistent access to a curriculum. Take a look at some of these options our classrooms are currently using successfully!
News-2-You is a company that produces multiple materials and resources for instructing our students with special needs.
Options from News-2-You include a curriculum designed for students with special needs called Unique Learning, an age-appropriate, standards based, differentiated curriculum which is widely used in our school districts. Visit www.n2y.com for more information!
Below is a short training slide deck we developed to help some of our teachers get started!
Unique Learning is a comprehensive resource giving teachers the ability to evaluate student's current level of performance (Student Profiles), select goals for improvement, differentiate instruction and do it all with monthly materials, lesson plans and additional resources. There is so much here though, we find teachers can often use some tips to get started! Here is our Unique Learning Curriculum: Tips from DTA Schools to help you get started!
Boardmaker Online is a full featured creation tool that allows you to create printable and interactive materials, using templates to help you get started. This program is pretty amazing with all of the Picture Communication Symbols you are used to right at your fingertips! Did you know that with your subscription you also have access to Boardmaker Instructional Solutions. There are multiple sets of curriculum supporting material including the following activity sets:
From the website: "Boardmaker Core First Learning is a web-based program delivered through Boardmaker that helps your students learn the meaning, use, and placement of high frequency core words on their AAC system. The instructional sequence includes a series of reading, writing, and language activities that complement each other."
From the website: "The most accessible, comprehensive curriculum available for teaching pre-reading and reading skills. Includes three levels, eight thematic units, 120 books, more than 1,000 activities, games, data collection, and more."
From the website: "Boardmaker Expedition Education provides monthly instruction that helps students build world knowledge through the exploration of history, geography, life, and a spotlight on culture. Delivered through Boardmaker, it is fully accessible and inclusive of all students."
From the website: "Boardmaker Book Bridge is a curriculum to help students with special educational needs meet modern academic standards for reading, writing, and vocabulary development through grade-level literature."
Boardmaker Book Bridge is a curriculum to help students with special educational needs meet modern academic standards for reading, writing, and vocabulary development through grade-level literature.
Included in the Boardmaker Online subscription is the opportunity to share your work with others, AND take a look at the hundreds of thousands of uploads from teachers, therapists and parents, just like you! We aren't kidding about that number! As of June 1, 2023 there are 111838 activities to browse!!
Readtopia is an online special education curriculum that teaches english language arts and math skills to students in elementary, middle, and high school with complex learning barriers. Vivid materials with comprehensive, scripted lesson plans and based on familiar literature and thematic topics. Readtopia includes built-in assessment materials, functional life skills support and progress monitoring. Supportive, differentiated, and engaging curriculum for our students with special needs.
Sets of materials designed at our teachers' request, to supply academic materials to address middle and high school standards, but in an adapted format that our learners with significant needs can access! Included in all sets:
Topic Based Communication Boards:
9 button PCS board
9 button visually simple PCS boards
12 button PCS board
12 button visually simple PCS boards
16 button PCS board
16 button visually simple PCS boards
Informational Text with simplified text and images to support comprehension
Interactive Flipbook, allowing students to independently explore and practice concepts introduced in the Informational Text.
Assessment Response Practice Content recall quizzes designed to let students practice a multiple choice quiz in common alternate assessment formats.
Word Wall, with 10 targeted words and associated PCS symbols
I HAVE.. WHO HAS.. GAME, an interactive game requiring students to communicate the information on their card and direct others in the classroom
BINGO Activity, with 15 different BINGO cards, markers, a calling sheet and large vocabulary calling cards for matching
Activity Worksheets, matching activities to practice United States Constitution concepts
