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Friday, September 27, 2013

Classroom Tour: Language

My language station is meant to work on developing and maintaining fluency (speed and accuracy) of skills.  Each student has their own set of flash cards.  We store them in the top shelf of this handy-dandy shelf I got from IKEA.

The student flashcards cover a variety of topics from sight words, to money identification, telling time, labeling pictures, or naming letters/numbers, as well as many more.  I choose different sets (usually about 3 per student) based on each student's IEP goals and areas of need.


This station is run by one of my assistants.  2 students come to the station at a time and they are there for a 15 minute time period.  One student works with the assistant on flashcard timings and the other student works on independent work in their red binder.

Flashcard Timings:  The student who is working on the flashcard timings uses their BLUE binder.  This is actually a data binder which the assistant completes, but I find the colors help the kids differentiate between what they will do each day.  

1.  The assistant sets the timer for a pre-determined amount of time (as indicated on the data sheet).  Timings are generally 30 seconds or 1 minute.  
2. The kids go through as many flash cards as possible during that time.  While doing the timing, the assistant sorts the cards into "correct" and "incorrect" piles.
3.  At the end of the timing, the assistant records the corrects/incorrects on the data sheet.  

They continue this process for all of the flashcard sets.  Then, if they have extra time, the assistant helps the student practice any cards they need to work on.  Here is an example of a data sheet the assistant fills out for the timings.  I have written in the name of the set, the total number of cards in the set, how long the timing should be, and the mastery criterion.

Another sheet kept in the inside of the binder is a mastery list.  Each time a student masters a set of flash cards, we will list them here with the mastery date.  This is a nice summary sheet to look back on at the end of the year.

I have also set up data sheets/graphs on my iPad, so once a week, my assistant or I will input the data into the iPad so we can keep tabs on students growth and know when to move onto new sets of cards as well as when we may need to implement additional interventions to help a student make more progress.  Here is an example of one of those graphs from a previous year.

Independent Binder:  The student who is not involved with working with the assistant, works in their RED independent binder.  


Right now, I have a section of number sheets and a section of color worksheets for my beginner group to work on.  



My more advanced kids are working on WH questions, sight words, following directions, and other language arts related worksheets.  

I keep the schedule posted for who has the BLUE binder vs. RED binder for each day.

I also keep a master list around with the number of flashcards in each set.  This helps us determine if any cards are missing from the deck as well as helps with faster calculations when counting corrects/incorrects with cards.

 Soon, I hope to include my fluency timings from TPT at this station as well.  We are just finally getting this station running since a lot of set-up time was needed on my part.    I'm super excited about this station this year.  A lot of my kids need to work on getting faster and more fluent in a variety of skills, so I can't wait to work on it with them!  I'm especially excited to track their data!!  Now that I have more than one iPad, I am hoping to use one just for data and not have to share it with my kiddos all the time!




What kinds of things do you do for fluency in your classroom?


14 comments:

  1. I love this! I am revamping many of my stations this year and your classroom tour posts are helping me get ideas to incorporate. I really appreciate the time and effort you put into each post!
    Do you have any students who do not write/color? I have 3 this year who when given a writing utensil will just drop it or will make straight marks 2-3 times then drop it. I teach middle school, so by this age, if they don't have writing skills, we typically try to go another route. Do you have any activities you do with this sort of student (in the red binder)?

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    1. Yes! I do have some non-writers as well. During their independent time, they work on puzzles or file folder type activities. During their 1:1 time, I have some kids who can't do the flash cards as well, so they can work on other IEP goals and/or items from the ABLLS that need improving!

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  2. Hailey, I love your ideas, thanks so much for sharing! What I-pad app do you use to graph progress?

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    1. I use "Numbers." It is the equivalent of "Excel" for mac products! It is super user friendly!

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  3. Hailey, Thanks so much for sharing you fabulous ideas. I have been teaching in a self-contained class of k-3 kiddos for six years and am ready to change of my "usual schedule". What ipad app do you use to graph your data?

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    1. I use "Numbers." It is the equivalent of "Excel" for mac products! It is super user friendly!

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  4. I am loving your tours. There's always something I want to incorporate into my own classroom so I am grateful!! I have been looking for worksheets for Wh questions everywhere and can't seem to find very simple ones and then I see in this post you have some that you use. I have looked everywhere: catalogs, online, etc but not much luck. Did you get these online or from a workbook, and where??? Thanks so much!

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    1. I made the "WH" worksheet posted here...which was inspired from some I found on Boardmaker share's website. I don't have the one I made anymore..(I think I made it on my coworker's computer). I have the original ones from boardmaker share saved on my computer though, so I can send you those if you send me an email! autismtank@gmail.com

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  5. can i have the boardmaker share wh questions too! giorgia@bw.k12.ri.us

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  6. Love your ideas!! When you do your fluency worksheets, do you point to each number or do you kids read the numbers aloud to you beginning in the upper left hand corner, going left to right? Keep all your great ideas coming!!

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    1. I usually have the kids do it (we usually help them point to start). At first we just start in the upper left hand corner and go left to right. Once they get the hang of this, I have them start in different places and go different directions to avoid pure memorization! Thanks for the comment!

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  7. I am really loving all your ideas and work.. I just started teaching a new ABA Preschool class. I can't wait to incorporate your ideas. I have been looking for ways to graph data. Say you forgot to add data today and want to add it the next day. Does it allow you to put the correct date in? New to this data stuff. Thanks Felicia

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    1. Definitely. The program is super flexible. It is basically a simple spreadsheet, so you just enter the dates when you take data, as well as your data, and it automatically graphs it!

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  8. thanks for sharing! Whenever I take a break from looking at blogs (get too busy or whatever), yours is one of the first ones I look at. I am trying to work on my fluency activities and appreciate your ideas. One thing my students have liked are the Star Wars fluency phrases: Stay on Target with Fluency Phrases
    By Jane Loretz at TPT. If it is not too difficult for your higher students. Thanks again for all of your great pictures!! Heather

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