SPECIAL EDUCATION

BEACH BALL PRACTICE ACTIVITIES

GRADES: 1-7

Students with disabilities often need more practice than other students to master skills. Using a "programmed" beach ball is a fun way to fit drill and practice in without boring the kids. This idea was shared with me at a math workshop I attended last summer.

MATERIALS:

  • beach balls (as many as you can afford--they're very versatile)
  • permanent marking pen

METHOD:

  1. Blow up the beach ball and hold it with the air hole facing upward.
  2. Beach balls are already nicely sectioned (kind of like an orange). So, all you have to do next is draw lines horizontally with a permanent marking pen to create several little boxes on your beach ball.
  3. Program the boxes with various information that students need to practice (ideas follow).
  4. Some Ideas: In each box, write a number from one to nine. Throw the ball to students and ask them what numbers their thumbs are on. When they tell you, ask them to either add, subtract, multiply or divide. This is an easy activity to individualize because you can ask different students to do different things with the numbers. I also found that it helps students with mathematics vocabulary. (Some of my students always say "take away" or "times" rather than the proper vocabulary). You could even say "find the product" to further reinforce vocabulary.
  5. In each box, write a four-digit number. Throw it to a student and ask them to read the number under his or her right thumb. Or they could tell you the value of the 3 in 2,346. You get the idea.
  6. Use the ball for spelling practice (or SIGHT word) practice. The student who catches the ball could ask another student to spell the word under his or her right thumb.
  7. I use the Merrill Linguistic Reading Program with some of my students. I have programmed beach balls to practice reading words from this series as well.
  8. For older students, you could program the beach ball with fractions. Students could add the fractions under their thumbs. They could name an equivalent fraction for the fraction under their right thumb. They could tell you if the fraction is more or less than half. Or, you could ask them which of the fractions (the one under their left of the one under their right thumb) is larger (closer to one).
  9. For younger students, you could program the beach ball with alphabet letters. Students could name the letter, make its sound or name a word that starts with that letter.

The possibilities are endless!  

Submitted by,

JAN DEMONTIGNY
FARM HILL SCHOOL
MIDDLETOWN, CT
dwaynejan@snet.net

THE MATH GAME: BUILDING TEAMWORK AND MATH

GRADES: 1-6

I created this game in my classroom the year that I had several students with emotional disabilities that had a lot of behavior issues. I was desperately looking for a way improve problem solving skills and to create a spirit of teamwork. A simple idea that the kids LOVED!

MATERIALS:

  • one number cube
  • paper and pencil for each team member
  • several math story problems

METHOD:

  1. Divide students into 2 teams. Split ability levels so that the teams are evenly balanced.
  2. Roll the cube to see which team goes first.
  3. The first team rolls the cube to see how many points the first question is worth. Teacher reads the first question aloud. First team works out the problem individually on their own paper, THEN confers with their team members - very quietly - to agree on their answer. They MUST reach an agreement as a TEAM or they get zero points. (Depending on the level of the students, I may tell them what the correct operation is, or they may have to decide for themselves based on the "clues" in the problem)
  4. When they agree they tell the teacher the answer. If it is correct, they get the number of points on the cube. If they are incorrect the other team may answer and earn one bonus point.
  5. By allowing the other team to answer when the first team misses, ALL students are working out every problem at the same time.
  6. Game continues as time allows.
  7. The winner is the team with the most points.
  8. To encourage good sportsmanship and ease competitive tempers, ALL team members from both teams are rewarded with a small piece of candy or a pencil IF they have shown good sportsmanship throughout the game.

My students LOVE this simple game! We play it every Wednesday and they remind me if I forget. They are getting constant practice in problem solving, teamwork and sportsmanship.

Submitted by

JOANNIE HOLLIS-SMITH
LODGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
EVANSVILLE, IN
jhollissmith@yahoo.com

OPENING A SPECIAL ED CLASS

GRADES 1-8

BEACH BALL PRACTICE ACTIVITIES

GRADES: 1-7

Students with disabilities often need more practice than other students to master skills. Using a "programmed" beach ball is a fun way to fit drill and practice in without boring the kids. This idea was shared with me at a math workshop I attended last summer.

MATERIALS:

  • beach balls (as many as you can afford--they're very versatile)
  • permanent marking pen

METHOD:

  1. Blow up the beach ball and hold it with the air hole facing upward.
  2. Beach balls are already nicely sectioned (kind of like an orange). So, all you have to do next is draw lines horizontally with a permanent marking pen to create several little boxes on your beach ball.
  3. Program the boxes with various information that students need to practice (ideas follow).
  4. Some Ideas: In each box, write a number from one to nine. Throw the ball to students and ask them what numbers their thumbs are on. When they tell you, ask them to either add, subtract, multiply or divide. This is an easy activity to individualize because you can ask different students to do different things with the numbers. I also found that it helps students with mathematics vocabulary. (Some of my students always say "take away" or "times" rather than the proper vocabulary). You could even say "find the product" to further reinforce vocabulary.
  5. In each box, write a four-digit number. Throw it to a student and ask them to read the number under his or her right thumb. Or they could tell you the value of the 3 in 2,346. You get the idea.
  6. Use the ball for spelling practice (or SIGHT word) practice. The student who catches the ball could ask another student to spell the word under his or her right thumb.
  7. I use the Merrill Linguistic Reading Program with some of my students. I have programmed beach balls to practice reading words from this series as well.
  8. For older students, you could program the beach ball with fractions. Students could add the fractions under their thumbs. They could name an equivalent fraction for the fraction under their right thumb. They could tell you if the fraction is more or less than half. Or, you could ask them which of the fractions (the one under their left of the one under their right thumb) is larger (closer to one).
  9. For younger students, you could program the beach ball with alphabet letters. Students could name the letter, make its sound or name a word that starts with that letter.

The possibilities are endless!  

Submitted by,

JAN DEMONTIGNY
FARM HILL SCHOOL
MIDDLETOWN, CT
dwaynejan@snet.net