Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Our Lesson Plans

So I hate being disorganized.
This perhaps might me a little bit overkill, but it makes me feel like I am actually doing what I should be with Daniel.

We don't have a set schedule on things, like at 9 a.m. sharp we are reading a book! Nope, its just throughout the day I have to incorporate it into our routine.

So here is our a.m. book of the week. I will be reading the same book each day to get him familiar with it, then for the activities of the book, I will ask him questions about the story we just read, or we'll play a game involving the characters and such.

I will start with reading him the book, then we will take turns reading. "How?" I'm sure you're asking because you know that Daniel is non-verbal. Well there are a few ways - 1) a button on his augmentative device (Eco-14) that will say the phrase that is repeated throughout the book. 2) with a different computer (the home computer) which we have Intellikeys hooked up to our home computer and he can select it by pressing a picture that we program to be linked so it will speak for him. 3) If you have the Step-By-Step button (Record verses of a song ,poem or story, to encourage conversational turn taking with LITTLE Step-by-Step)
(if you checked out the links you can see these things aren't cheap! Stupid that companies make special needs things so damn expensive - SICKENING - OK I'm off the soap box now :) thanks for letting me complain a little!)

Here is a sample of our weekly lesson plan. Overkill? Perhaps. But can't say I'm not trying to be organized and do right by this little guy!!
(Click image to see larger)
Add into the day the potty training, the exercises and stretches that he needs, therapies and such, oh yes and feeding him and we've got some pretty filled long days!

As you can see I am having issues with finding ideas for the music/movement area....got any ideas??


8 comments:

Megan said...

activities I've done with kids at the indoor sensory playground (runs school holiday camps for s/n kids).

bouncing on a yoga ball to the beat while singing a song/listening to music. (put the child on your lap to support them or stand behind and support them... depending on size/trunk control). My yoga ball was 12 bucks at w*lmart.

Songs with actions using hand over hand to guide child through the action.
Anything along the lines of musical chairs where you are doing something when the music is playing and stop when the music stops. For kids who need a long time to get their bodies to do what they want we would do a countdown "music off in 5...4...3...2...1...off" so even something like shaking a tambourine or a homemade shaker while the music is on and stopping while it is off. Or an mp3 on the computer with Daniel controlling the music with a switch and you doing the action. Like you dance and he turns the music off and you have to freeze. I suspect Daniel might get a kick out of Mommy dancing.

If you have enough people around to play real musical chairs we play where you have to be in some contact with the chair and as you take chairs away everyone has to double up until everyone is in contact with one chair.

Maybe some seated yoga moves (lots of videos on youtube) that you can help him through.

Hmmm I'll let you know if I think of anymore.

Anonymous said...

playing musical instruments
clapping to the beat of the drum
dancing
ribbon bracelets
fingerplays

Anonymous said...

thanks for stealing my lesson plan and then not siting your resources!

-c

Melanie said...

HA HA you are too funny Caitlin!
Yep most of it, the layout of the sheet is from you. But we do have modifications to it, as we needed to make it Daniel-ized!

So please note - that some of my resources are coming from my oldest daughter Caitlin (the preschool teacher!)

Anonymous said...

http://www.pecentral.org/adapted/adaptedmenu.html might have some fun ideas :)

looks like a great schedule you've got! he's a lucky guy (and you're likely a tired mamma!!)

:)

heather

Danielle said...

Impressive!

...danielle

Jacolyn said...

Wow! You are going to be great!!

C said...

Melanie, I am so impressed. I *love* what you're doing.

For music and movement, Q often "conducts" along with a rousing piece, or we do motions while we sing (Thumbkin cracks him up -- I make his finger move with the words/song). I hold him on my lap, his back to my front, and guide his arms through bigger motions ("I'm a little airplane"). I haven't Googled SN fingerplay, but I bet there are some cool suggestions out there.

How neat! I bet Daniel loves doing school with mom, especially with such cool stuff all laid out. :o)