Hi, welcome to my shop. I have been a primary teacher for 34 years and have a wide range of experience in different roles. I have been a senior leader in schools and most recently a SENDCO for 10 years. I am posting resources that I think will be helpful for SENDCOs, class teachers or even parents and home educators. I am new to this - so please do send reviews to help me improve - or requests if there is something you think I might be able to create that you would find helpful.
Hi, welcome to my shop. I have been a primary teacher for 34 years and have a wide range of experience in different roles. I have been a senior leader in schools and most recently a SENDCO for 10 years. I am posting resources that I think will be helpful for SENDCOs, class teachers or even parents and home educators. I am new to this - so please do send reviews to help me improve - or requests if there is something you think I might be able to create that you would find helpful.
This resource includes some advice about using the different learning planners in practical ways. It particularly addresses their use with neurologically atypical students; those who struggle to engage with adult directed learning or those who feel anxious if they cannot be self-led. It can often be difficult to record and evidence the work that these students are engaged with in school , so there are a set of suggested record sheets that adults supporting these students can use for this purpose. These can then be used to look back over with the student; to share learning with parents and carers and to evidence provision to other professionals.
This resource contains some further advice on ways that Rainbow Routes can be used to give short respite breaks to students whilst still working on their targets. They may have self-regulation targets or curricular ones and there are options provided to work on both. The record sheets allow for the learning done to be noted so that it can be reviewed with the student; shared with parents and carers or shared with other professionals.
This resource is another simple visual plan for a sensory circuit with alerting, organising and calming phases. It can be shared with a student or used by an adult. It is designed to need as little additional equipment as possible. This version of the resource has been presented in grayscale with a neutral background to help avoid sensory overload. Sensory circuits can be used at the start of a day or session with students who need this kind of activity to transition into the learning environment. They can be useful and are often recommended for students with neurologically typical development such as ASD or ADHD or a sensory processing disorder.
These resources help make the transition from starting the day with a sensory circuit to a simple arrival routine. They follow the same format to help provide continuity whilst introducing activities that are part of usual arrival routines in schools. They will be helpful for students who need a planner or checklist to follow a multi-step routine.
This set of cards can be used to review recent learning in a range of foundation subjects with a student. Each card has a task that will provide an opportunity focus discussion on one subject area. There are 3 prompts that adults can use to initiate discussion. The cards have been made as open as possible so that they can be used with a range of students. Rainbow Routes are designed to be displayed at a series of locations within or beyond the classroom. The student then travels from one card to the next and engages with the activity. They are particularly useful for students who find the classroom environment challenging and need a structured approach to being out of class for a period of time. This route allows the focus to be on reviewing some wider learning whilst also giving the student time out of an overwhelming environment to process things or reset. However, the cards could also be out into a display book and used in one location whether that is in class or beyond. These kinds of activities can be very appropriate for neurologically atypical students for example with ASD or ADHD or students suffering from anxiety.
This printable workbook provides 8 sessions of scaffolded handwriting activities – there are two sessions for each of the 4 main letter formation groups. The letter formation groups covered are those that start with:
• Curly shapes
• Straight line shapes
• Down, up and over shapes
• Zigzag shapes
Each session also applies the letter formation work to cursive writing of spelling words for year 5 and 6 as well as short sentences. The workbooks also include a self-assessment at the start and end. The workbook was designed for use in a handwriting intervention group which might be delivered by teaching assistant or appropriate volunteer adult.
Need a quick and easy intervention to support student to learn tables - This booklet is designed to support a student to develop recall of tables through a focused daily minute of recall. The booklet has a pre and post assessment as well as record space to track daily progress.
Some students need to use a structured approach to get number facts into their long-term memory – they do not seem to keep them there just by regular use in maths lessons. This booklet can be used to support this process.
On each page is a grid with items to prompt the student to say a tables fact. Each day they should count how many oral responses they can give in a minute – and record that on the sheet. The aim is to be able to recall a few more each day.
The precision teaching approach works best if the student can do an activity using the content of the page they are currently working on for a few minutes ( 5 to 10) before they do the one-minute timed activity. There are lots of interactive maths sites online e.g. Topmarks: teaching resources, interactive resources, worksheets, homework, exam and revision help – and this is a great way to give student this opportunity in a way that they can do independently.
At the end of the booklet is a tables square for reference and some ideas for extension activities.
This printable workbook provides 8 sessions of scaffolded handwriting activities – there are two sessions for each of the 4 main letter formation groups. The letter formation groups covered are those that start with:
• Curly shapes
• Straight line shapes
• Down, up and over shapes
• Zigzag shapes
Each session also applies the letter formation work to cursive writing of common exception words (CEW) for key stage one and short sentences. The workbooks also include a self-assessment at the start and end. The workbook was designed for use in a handwriting intervention group which might be delivered by teaching assistant or appropriate volunteer adult.
This printable workbook provides 8 sessions of scaffolded handwriting activities – there are two sessions for each of the 4 main letter formation groups. The letter formation groups covered are those that start with:
• Curly shapes
• Straight line shapes
• Down, up and over shapes
• Zigzag shapes
Each session also applies the letter formation work to cursive writing of spelling words for year 3 and 4 as well as short sentences. The workbooks also include a self-assessment at the start and end. The workbook was designed for use in a handwriting intervention group which might be delivered by teaching assistant or appropriate volunteer adult.
This set of planning has been written to go with the handwriting workbooks. It includes warm up activities, strength building exercises and games that will support the development of handwriting as well as make sessions engaging and fun. It is designed to be supportive for a teaching assistant or appropriate adult who has been asked to deliver a handwriting intervention. There is planning for 10 sessions which could be delivered once a week over the course of a term – or twice a week to complete the programme within a half term.
An accessible way for students to show the phonics knowledge they have learned. They are presented with visual multiple-choice options that they can select using computer/laptop, touch screen or adapted input device. The presentation gives the student instant feedback and prompts them to retry any incorrect responses.
This presentation covers the initial sounds students learn – satpin. It has 2 levels of challenge within the presentation. The first set of slides gives students 2 choices and from slide 20 there are 3 options to choose from. The activity could be done independently. It can also be done with a supportive adult voicing elements for the student. I recommend voicing the sound for the letter/ grapheme and say the options for the student where the activity is being used for teaching. Where it might be used to assess what has been retained – the adult might not voice the sound but voicing the options for the student.
Whilst this was designed with making phonics accessible for SEND students in mind – it can also be used with any student learning phonics who engages well with interactive formats.
An accessible way for students to show the phonics knowledge they have learned and begin to engage with blending sounds together into cvc words. They are presented with visual cue and then two written options that they can select from using computer/laptop, touch screen or adapted input device. The written words have sound buttons underneath to use as a teaching aid. The presentation gives the student instant feedback and prompts them to retry any incorrect responses.
This presentation has 5 sections – one for each vowel as a medial sound and there are 6 items in each section giving 30 cvc words to work on overall. Students could work on just one section or complete the whole activity. The activity could be done independently. It can also be done with a supportive adult voicing elements for the student. I recommend voicing the visual cue and then either the student reads the written choices – or if an adult is voicing them to do so as separate sounds that the student then blends to say or know the word.
Whilst this was designed with making phonics accessible for SEND students in mind – it can also be used with any student learning phonics who engages well with interactive formats. It would also make a game that can be used in group or class sessions.
An accessible way for students to show the phonics knowledge they have learned. They are presented with visual multiple-choice options that they can select using computer/laptop, touch screen or adapted input device. The presentation gives the student instant feedback and prompts them to retry any incorrect responses.
This presentation covers the fourth and final set of initial sounds students might learn – jlqvwyxz. It has 2 levels of challenge within the presentation. The first set of slides gives students 2 choices and from slide 26 there are 3 options to choose from. The activity could be done independently. It can also be done with a supportive adult voicing elements for the student. I recommend voicing the sound for the letter/ grapheme and say the options for the student where the activity is being used for teaching. Where it might be used to assess what has been retained – the adult might not voice the sound but voicing the options for the student.
Whilst this was designed with making phonics accessible for SEND students in mind – it can also be used with any student learning phonics who engages well with interactive formats.
An accessible way for students to show the phonics knowledge they have learned. They are presented with visual multiple-choice options that they can select using computer/laptop, touch screen or adapted input device. The presentation gives the student instant feedback and prompts them to retry any incorrect responses.
This presentation covers the second set of initial sounds students might learn – eurbhf. It has 2 levels of challenge within the presentation. The first set of slides gives students 2 choices and from slide 20 there are 3 options to choose from. The activity could be done independently. It can also be done with a supportive adult voicing elements for the student. I recommend voicing the sound for the letter/ grapheme and say the options for the student where the activity is being used for teaching. Where it might be used to assess what has been retained – the adult might not voice the sound but voicing the options for the student.
Whilst this was designed with making phonics accessible for SEND students in mind – it can also be used with any student learning phonics who engages well with interactive formats.
An accessible way for students to show the phonics knowledge they have learned. They are presented with visual multiple-choice options that they can select using computer/laptop, touch screen or adapted input device. The presentation gives the student instant feedback and prompts them to retry any incorrect responses.
This presentation covers the third set of initial sounds students might learn – Mdgock. It has 2 levels of challenge within the presentation. The first set of slides gives students 2 choices and from slide 20 there are 3 options to choose from. The activity could be done independently. It can also be done with a supportive adult voicing elements for the student. I recommend voicing the sound for the letter/ grapheme and say the options for the student where the activity is being used for teaching. Where it might be used to assess what has been retained – the adult might not voice the sound but voicing the options for the student.
Whilst this was designed with making phonics accessible for SEND students in mind – it can also be used with any student learning phonics who engages well with interactive formats.
These social story comic strips are designed to provide a way to help explain regular aspects of school life.
Situations covered include:
Going to school
When it is time for assembly
When I need a break
When there is a fire drill
Kind hands
Going on a school trip
Self-care at school
When it is time to go home
Playtimes
Way to help myself feel calm again.
Personal space
Home learning
There are also blanks so that students and staff can develop their own scenarios relevant to their experience and a good conversation skills aide memoire.
These have been specifically designed to be one page of A4. They can be printed for students to have in school – or for them to take home and share with parents. Each one could be printed as it is needed – or they can be printed and stapled together in a booklet to give students a reference they can use independently.
These are also designed with students in KS2 and KS3 in mind and so include imagery and language that would be more age appropriate than many of the social stories that use an early years style pictures.
These comic strips are designed to provide a scaffold for developing the speech and language skills needed for some of the conversations that students often need to take part in at school. There are lots of resources out there for general conversation skills about general topics but not often it can be those everyday conversations with friends and staff at school that it would help to work on.
Situations covered include:
• Morning greeting.
• Difficult playtimes.
• Planning a task with a peer.
• Sharing news with an adult.
• Asking to join a game or activity.
• Asking for help with learning.
• When I am not happy with a friend.
• When I have done something wrong.
There are also 2 blanks so that students can develop their own scenarios relevant to their experience.
In each strip, it was planned that the student in the striped shirt would be the focus student – there are some strips with a peer and others with an adult to work on developing skills for talking with both.
Students benefit from role playing the scenarios using the comic strip as a scaffold or basis for a script.
At the end of the pack there is also a poster to remind students of the features of good conversation skills.
It is often recommended that schools implement an approach based on zones of regulation with students to support them in developing better self-regulation skills. This booklet has 3 versions of a 4-zone chart to help students identify how they are feeling. The first is the usual style of poster with feelings zones and suggested strategies that might help if you are feeling that way.
However, often the students who most need this approach are those who struggle to identify and name their feelings. They are also those who are presenting with the most challenging dis-regulated behaviours in school. To help those students – there are two further posters which have an additional layer of information. They list what the student might be doing because of their feelings to help make it easier for them to be guided to select appropriate strategies.
The booklet also includes a range of other resources that can be used in implementing a supported self-regulation approach. It includes:
Zones of self-regulation poster – standard version.
Zones of self-regulation poster – detailed version.
Zones of self-regulation poster – short, detailed version.
Zones of self-regulation bookmarks.
Zones of self-regulation – simple and visual strategy chart.
Zones of self-regulation – lanyard cards/ pocket cards.
Zones of self-regulation planning sheet.
Zones of self-regulation : tracking my week.
Zones of self-regulation strategy sheet.
Red Zone time out cards to use as a silent signal when students are in this zone.
Zones of self-regulation pyramid template.
Calming activity cards.
Movement break cards.
Links to further information and resources.
Need a quick and easy intervention to support student to learn key maths facts - This booklet is designed to support a student to develop recall of key number knowledge needed at primary school using a precision teaching approach. It starts with basic understanding of number values and digits. It includes number bonds, times tables, halving and doubling, working with numbers to 100 and multiplying and dividing by 10. It includes a page to record progress.
Maths makes heavy demands on student working memory – so it really helps to have a bank of facts committed to long term memory. Some students need to use a structured approach to get number facts into their long term memory – they do not seem to keep them there just by regular use in maths lessons. This booklet can be used to support this process.
On each page is a grid with items to prompt the student to say a maths fact – e.g. to read the digit, say the other number in a number bond, give a tables fact or say what 10 times the number would be. Each day they should count how many oral responses they can give in a minute – and record that on the sheet. The aim is to be able to recall a few more each day.
It was designed with Year 5 and 6 pupils in mind – but the booklet would equally work well for a teaching assistant supporting younger students to do selected pages to help them memorise the key facts that proving a barrier for them at any stage.
The precision teaching approach works best if the student can do an activity using the content of the page they are currently working on for a few minutes ( 5 to 10) before they do the one-minute timed activity. There are lots of interactive maths sites online e.g. Topmarks – and this is a great way to give student this opportunity in a way that they can do independently.
This booklet includes a sequenced and comprehensive resource to cover the KS2 History study of the Stone Age and Prehistoric period in Britain.
This booklet covers:
• Chronology
• Ice Age animals
• Stone Age settlement
• Development of farming
• Study of Stonehenge
• Beginning of use of metal and the Bronze Age
• Cave art and early writing
• Sources of evidence
• Dangers in the Stone Age
• 2 Review activities
It is presented in booklet form to be an inclusive resource for students at lower key stage two. Many secondary schools use booklets to sequence and scaffold learning for students, but this approach is less common in primary schools. I was interested in how this format might be used to make history more accessible and to ensure that it is history rather than writing that is being developed.
All the information is recorded for students, and they are encouraged to interact with it to develop recall and understanding. There is a very limited requirement to record in writing – other methods have been used so that the historical thinking is key rather than writing skills.
Working through the booklet does require literacy skills in that there is a level of reading required. This may be something that a teaching assistant can work on with a student who needs support – but it is also recognised that often this support is not available for subjects such as history. Therefore, the reading level has been managed so that an alternative way of using the booklet would be with peer support. Pairing a students of differing literacy skills would allow for peer support. Both students will be able to record in the same way so there will be no obvious difference in outcome which is positive for self-esteem – but the additional independent reading experience and challenge will be positive for the student who is the stronger reader in the partnership.