The Intensive Learning Support (ILS) classroom is new to SAES for the 2016 school year! We are working with students in a small group setting to achieve individualized, developmentally appropriate goals.
In our room, students receive one to one instruction in Math and ELA with me. We work on whatever the student still needs to learn (instead of following a strict textbook based curriculum). This allows us to meet student learning needs before moving on with new content. The result is students who learn concepts in the correct order for them and move onto new content when they are ready for it.
Our room can also be a great support to students who have some anxiety, behavioral, and emotional needs. We provide a structured, quiet setting with many calming resources like a quiet area, stress relief tools, and trained staff members.
Throughout our day, students rotate on a 20 minute time schedule from one activity to the next. We call each area they rotate to a "center." Students independently follow picture or word based schedules to visit the assigned centers for the day. Activities at each center are planned to help students work on necessary skills, demonstrate mastery, or create new learning.
Centers in our classroom are:
Morning Meeting: Students practice basic skills like before/after, calendar skills, vocabulary skills, reading/listening skills, social skills, and complete a classroom job assigned to them.
Reading: One on One teaching time with the teacher on phonics, reading comprehension, and reading fluency.
Math: One on One teaching time with the teacher on math computation and problem solving skills relative to student ability level.
Science/Social Studies: Small group instructional time involving adapted lessons from grade level science/social studies curricula.
Listening: Students complete a variety of listening based activities to work on listening skills. Activities include following directions exercises, listening/reading passages and sight words, phonics based listening activities, and listening comprehension exercises with audio books.
Writing: Students complete a developmentally appropriate journal activity followed by work with spelling or vocabulary words. Activities range from written work to word building with magnetic letters, play-doh, pipe cleaners, magna-doodles, and more.
Computer: Students use classroom computers to practice learned reading/math skills on teacher selected websites, games, or programs.
Independent Work: Students work on their own to complete activities that review mastered skills. Students learn how to manage time, solve problems independently, ask for help when needed, and organize work.