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Thursday, November 8, 2012

Home Visits: Part Two


Yesterday, I posted about the idea behind our yearly home visits.  Today, I wanted to share some materials I have created for students/parents to use at home.

First off, some behavior resources.  I have given parents a copy of this "Good behavior" and "Bad behavior" list we keep posted in our classroom.
If timeout is successful in reducing an attention maintained behavior at school, then I will give the parents some time out visuals.  I may give them a visual they can post on the wall for a designated time out space, or just a picture to carry with them in the purse (in case they need it in the community).  I also LOVE this 3 strikes visual my coworker came up with!  After each time a child engages in the behavior, a strip is removed from the visual.  When all three strips are removed, the student receives time out.  

Another common visual I give to parents is an "I am working for" card.  These can vary in how they look.  Some are token systems (like the one pictured below) while others are more like a "First-Then" set-up.  For the token card, students receive stars as they engage in positive behaviors (doing work or chores, staying quiet, keeping hands to themselves, etc).  Once they receive 5 stars, they receive a reward of their choosing (at home this could be TV, video games, snack, etc.).  I make parents pictures of each childs' preferred items to velcro onto the "I am working for" card.

Another area I like to focus on during the home visits is chores/housework the child can do at home to help out the family.  I created a "chore list" for parents to choose from (I have adapted this for individual students as well).  

To go with some of the chores, I have also created some visuals.  For instance for laundry, I have created labels for sorting laundry (color clothes vs. white clothes).  Parents can put these labels on two different laundry baskets/hampers, or they can just throw them on the floor and have the child sort clothes that way.

I also have created clothes labels to go on drawers or in closets so that my students can help with putting away their laundry or finding clothes to get themselves dressed in the morning.

Some other supports I have created have to do with creating routines in the home.  I created a "dinner choice board" to aid students in communicating to their parents what they would like to eat at home.

A shower routine to help remind kids to wash all the major body parts.

A weather board to help with anxiety around cloudy/rainy weather.

A brief schedule of "getting a haircut" for a student who struggled with behavior at the barbershop.

It's nice to have these to draw from and adapt for each child in my classroom.  After posting about this, I am starting to get super excited about these home visits.  Tomorrow, my goal is to make the materials parents are requesting (bring on the laminator!).

13 comments:

  1. I just found your blog via your TpT store. I am really looking forward to following you blog!

    Erin
    Creating & Teaching

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    1. Glad you found me! Thanks for Reading! I'm so glad you posted because I just looked at your blog and can't wait to read your stuff! I am your newest follower!

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  2. I love how the "time out" card has a picture of a devil! LOL!

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  3. Again, brilliant! Do you have a visual that you make for the dentist and Dr, too? Most of my students have a difficult time with the dentist. I don't know why, but I am having a difficult time figuring out how to make things other than 1.5x2 individual pics for their schedules. Can you send me the file for you behavior and time out sheets? That is just what my room needs! I would even buy it if you put it in your store, I think I will end up being another steady source of income for you! :) Do you use the stars in the classroom, too? I use the 'I am working for" system when they are at work with teacher tables, when they finish their task, they earn a star, then three stars earn them their object or activity of choice. I don't have a behavior system set up, per se, though. I was thinking of the typical green, yellow, red, black card system I would have in my gen ed classroom, but not sure if that would bee too abstract. How do you handle behavior in your classroom?

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    1. I don't have ones for the dentist. I really should make some since my kids also really struggle with this. I do use the stars and time-out visuals in my classroom. My class-wide behavior system is pretty much just individualized for each student. Some need more specialized interventions. A lot of my behavior management comes from setting up a structured, routine classroom and trying to schedule in breaks at an appropriate rate for each student (some need a break after every activity whereas some can work for over an hour before they need a break). I try and provide them breaks with meaningful reinforcers. Also, for specific behavior problems (say hitting) I use additional reinforcement systems for refraining from the behavior (or engaging in other appropriate behaviors). The only problem I have with the green, yellow, red card system is that sometimes they don't allow students to get back to green. So once they get moved off of green, they already know they have failed so they have no motivation to behave appropriately. Sorry...that was long winded! haha..hope it makes sense. Send me your email address and I can send you those visuals. My email address is hndeloya@gmail.com

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  5. I just landed on your site and I love the visual aids you posted here! My son has Asperger's syndrome and severe ADHD, so some of these could be useful. He's in a mainstream class and doing well, but we're having some issues at home... will give these a try!

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    1. I'm so glad you found me! Hope these help out at home!

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  6. Thank you for your opinion, but I have found these methods to be effective in my classroom.

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  7. Where can I go to print out the visuals that you made?

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    1. Unfortunately, I do not have these available for printing at this time. I will work on getting them up soon!

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  8. You have some great resources! I would love to print them. I don't have the pictures or programs to make these things, so it would be great if you had them available to print or buy.

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  9. Not that you will read this, but sorting laundry has so much more skills than just the obvious "sorting laundry" and the same with matching socks. It's not only a life skill, but a math skill. I'm shocked at your rudeness. From the pictures you post on your page, you seem to have matching socks. Hmmm...

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